When are you no longer a "newbie"?

Is there a generally-agreed definition of when someone is no longer a newbie? I've only been at this straight thing for a couple of months, but...

Yesterday, I received an ERN Crown & Sword 1720 that I got on eBay for $5.99. It was dull as hell, but generally in really nice condition. I cut a new bevel on it, honed it and stropped it. Then I did a nice prep and went for a shave.

Fabulous! BBS on most of my face, pretty close everywhere else. And not a drop of blood!

Though I'm certainly no honemeister, I'm not feeling like such a newbie any more.

Mike

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Originally Posted by RetroGrouch

I'm not feeling like such a newbie any more.

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Congratulations, Mike! A great accomplishment and a great feeling. Still a newbie? No! I hereby annoint you a ... a .... (oh what's that word!) a MEZZANINE!

When youve bought everything in the world thats razor related and then realize you didnt need 99/100ths of it!:D

Chimensch,

Oh great, so I've moved from hobbyist to lobbyist??

nun2sharp,

Yes, I already have way too much stuff. Over ten straight razors with more on the way, five ridiculously nice brushes, some honing stuff and enough soaps and creams to last the rest of my life. (Plus a bunch of DE items that I'm not using much any more.) I should be selling some of it off (or giving it away) but I'm too lazy.

Mike

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Originally Posted by RetroGrouch

Chimensch,

Oh great, so I've moved from hobbyist to lobbyist??

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Uhm... I'd say you're sharper than your razor.

No easy answer. Some people use a straight for 20 years and never truly master it and some shave like pros within weeks or months. My own personal feeling is after 5 years of everyday shaving you are no longer a novice.

When you answer threads in Newbie corner instead of starting them. :D

Newbness is in the mind of the shaver.

Do you consider yourself a straight razor shaver? Perhaps more importantly, would you consider shaving with anything other than a straight? Or: have you disposed of all your DEs and cartride razors?

Well I have three razors I shave with regularly, I shave ATG, XTG, WTG and with both hands. I've started to hone my razors with good results. I'm not an expert by any means, but I certainly don't feel like a newbie either.

I'm about 5 months in and don't really consider myself a "newbie" anymore. I think there's a point when shaving basically becomes routine, you know what you're doing. Maybe not an "expert" but you no longer have to ask a question every 5 min, and feel like you can reliable get a decent shave.

I'd say for most of us the "newbie" thing probably passes fairly quickly, within a few weeks or a month. HOWEVER I think most will attest that to "master" shaving is a lifelong pursuit..

This brings up another question I've had though. What is the criteria for being considered a "honemeister"?

Well, I think much like my other hobbies (woodworking, pipe making, bookbinding) I think it takes decades to become a master, years to become solidly intermediate, and a good long while to know enough to realize that you're still learning the basics.

I've been straight shaving for close to a year now, restoring razors, honing them, and getting great shave - but my stropping is still getting better, my shaving technique is still improving in hard areas (jaw line, Adam's apple, chin/upper lip). I think I knew enough at around the 6 month mark to realize that I'll be a newbie for a while...does that mean I can't shave quickly, without irritation and get BBS? No! It means that I'm still learning and experimenting, and enjoying every second along this journey to the intermediate level, and hopefully one day, to a level where I can look myself in the mirror and say that I've learned all there is, can do it with the utmost proficiency, and call myself a master.

Keep learning - that's the key.

Mark (aka still a newb)

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Originally Posted by RetroGrouch

Is there a generally-agreed definition of when someone is no longer a newbie?

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When you give free razors to an SRP member with several thousand posts and who lives in the same city you do, then you're no longer a n00b. ;)

X

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Originally Posted by xman

When you give free razors to an SRP member with several thousand posts and who lives in the same city you do, then you're no longer a n00b. ;)

X

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Ha! Well you probably don't really need a grouchily-honed Wapi, but throw your name into the hat anyway (if you haven't already) and pay it forward!

Mike

Sounds to me like you have graduated!
Congratulations on your accomplishment with the e-bay razor. I am impressed!

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Originally Posted by bbshriver

I'm about 5 months in and don't really consider myself a "newbie" anymore. I think there's a point when shaving basically becomes routine, you know what you're doing. Maybe not an "expert" but you no longer have to ask a question every 5 min, and feel like you can reliable get a decent shave.

I'd say for most of us the "newbie" thing probably passes fairly quickly, within a few weeks or a month. HOWEVER I think most will attest that to "master" shaving is a lifelong pursuit..

This brings up another question I've had though. What is the criteria for being considered a "honemeister"?

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Honemeister? Thats easy. When you can take any razor no matter how crummy a condition its in and make it so it can shave like a dream you're a Honemeister.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Honemeister? Thats easy. When you can take any razor no matter how crummy a condition its in and make it so it can shave like a dream you're a Honemeister.

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And it's not yours, it's some guy's Great Grandfathers, which makes it irreplaceable, and you feel confident enough to hone that razor, you might be in the ballpark.....:D

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Originally Posted by RetroGrouch

Is there a generally-agreed definition of when someone is no longer a newbie? I've only been at this straight thing for a couple of months, but...

...Fabulous! BBS on most of my face, pretty close everywhere else. And not a drop of blood!
Though I'm certainly no honemeister, I'm not feeling like such a newbie any more.

Mike

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Actually, you don't have to be able to hone to stop being a newbie. Honing is really an optional skill for straight shaving for some people. Stropping would be a necessary skill however.

My take on it is you are a newbie for that first few weeks when you are having trouble with getting started.

Once you are shaving, you aren't a newbie anymore because you can probably offer help to real newbies.

When you can shave/hone properly and consistently, then you're not a newbue anymore

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Originally Posted by Navaja

When you can shave/hone properly and consistently, then you're not a newbue anymore

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And when you can spell newbie. That too. :p

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

No easy answer. Some people use a straight for 20 years and never truly master it and some shave like pros within weeks or months. My own personal feeling is after 5 years of everyday shaving you are no longer a novice.

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So true.

I think this pretty much answers the question about as good as you will get.

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

And it's not yours, it's some guy's Great Grandfathers, which makes it irreplaceable, and you feel confident enough to hone that razor, you might be in the ballpark.....:D

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For honemeister I agree.

But the real fun begins when you agree to restore that razor, and you are working with very coarse sandpaper, dremel, cutting compounds, a grinder...
That is where you need to be really sure that you can do this without damaging said razor.

As for newbieness:
- can you get good shaves without cutting yourself?
- can you strop without dulling your razor?
- can you touch up your edge to keep it sharp?

if yes to all 3, then you are not a newbie imo.
For honemeister I agree with thebigspendur and gssixgun