Thread: It's Here! It's Here! It's Here! It's Here!

A box was at my door when I got home from work today. It held my new straight razor and set up. Admittedly all middle of the road gear but that initial outlay can swell like the river during a big storm. I didn't want to breach the dam if you know what I mean. I figured I'd just get myself back on the straight edge track and if the boss asks how much I dropped I can actually look her in the eye when I tell her $200.

So here is what I am starting with:

Well, it turns out that I made the right call. The razor is very sweet for $99. It wasn't ready to shave with but the boss was immediately fascinated by the whole thing and she wanted to watch me shave. I did what I could with the linen strop and then the leather and shaved with it. I did very well for the first straight shave in about twenty years. I had a little trouble right under my nose (I can always let the mustache grow in, but I think I'd rather just regain my former proficiency) and I took off a zit that appeared on my neck with an apparent death wish. It bled pretty good but that gave my girlfriend something to freak out about. The Dovo still needs a little work but I expect my new Belgian blue/coticule set this week so that blade will be much better before the next shave. Anyway, the boss loves the whole thing! She digs the almond fragrance of the soap and the finish with the bay rum. I let her know that this has opened an entire new realm of gift giving ideas with choices for every mood and every pocket book. Now I just have to send her some links to various items. I am very lucky. My girlfriend is dynamite and very generous. If I present it skillfully, she will happily buy me just about anything I ask for.

Okay guys, lets play a little game I like to call "Wish List". I know I will be collecting razors. I want to get a nice horsehide strop. I may as well try a badger brush (just so those poor little badgers didn't die for nothing) and there must be a couple dozen bay rums out there. Help me make some lists of this type at various levels of expense and please send me links to some of your favs.

This could be fun!

Congrats! You're set to go.
Brian

Hi

I don't know if you've been by it yet, but I found this thread quite useful when I picked my first bay rum:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/showthread.php?t=16485

Congratulations on your new gear. Use it in good health and be sure to let us know how you are doing with it.

Congrats. It looks like you have a great set up there.

Try the Dominica Bay Rum. To me, it is THE Bay Rum. Its pretty cheap too!

Jordan

Middle-of-the-road set?! Geesh, makes mine look like Dollar General.

Congrats on the nice gear and shave! My wish lists:

Razors:
Filarmonica
H. Boker
Wade & Butcher
Dovo

Soaps:
Crabtree & Evelyn Sandalwood
Colonel Conk Bay Rum/Almond
Caswell Massey Sandalwood/Almond

Aftershaves:
Dominica Bay Rum
Royall Bay Rum
Taylor of Old Bond Street Bay Rum
Clubman Virgin Island Bay Rum
English Leather
Floid
Fabergé Aphrodisia
Colonel Conk Lime

I also want a Tony Miller paddle strop and some hones.

Originally Posted by icedog

A box was at my door when I got home from work today.

From whence cometh the box, icedog? Nice looking starter

Congratulations! Nice starter set there. It should keep you going for quite a while. I'd be interested to know how you like that Bay Rum you bought. I haven't tried that one but perhaps one day.

For Bay Rum I definitely recommend the Dominica, it's excellent. I also like the Ogallala which is a love it or hate it type scent (but isn't Bay Rum in general?) and finally the St. John's Bay Rum is the cream of the crop. It comes in a bottle wrapped in a palm weave. Nice stuff and plenty expensive.

For strops I recommend you see Tony at thewellshavedgentleman.com. These come highly endorsed by other members and I think he is the only purveyor still offering horsehide strops.

For shaving soaps I highly recommend the Art of Shaving soaps. They are the tops in performance IMHO. Their scents aren't all that sexy but I don't think there's anything made now that's better. A close second would be shaving soaps such as Valobra, Kent (or Mitchells Wool Fat as they are the same thing), Tabac, D.R. Harris, Truefitt & Hill and Trumpers.

For hones you are already getting my #1 recommendation - a Belgian yellow coticule. To assist with that I would also recommend a Norton 4/8 combo stone if you don't already have one. They're nice for the more heavy lifting type jobs.

And last but certainly not least I recommend that one day, if you intend on buying another razor, you get a Thiers Issard. To me, they are absolute heaven.

Hope that helps.

Regards,
EL

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

From whence cometh the box, icedog? Nice looking starter

I will wager the knifecenter.

Regards,
EL

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

From whence cometh the box, icedog? Nice looking starter

Yup, Knifecenter.

Uh oh, look what I found in a pharmacy in New Canaan, CT today:

It is very nice but wow, that bay leaf in the bottle costs alot of money.

Oh, the Imperial that was in my box feels great (after a startlingly painful initial burn)and left the skin soft and tight but the scent faded fast.

Where can I find the Dominica??