Thread: 10 months, RAD, and why the wife took my credit card away...

keljian's latest post (http://straightrazorpalace.com/newbi...date-tips.html) made me do it. It has been 10 months for me. Prior to that, I was using my trusty nickel plated Dovo 42 DE, and rather liked it.

Now then. Started in December last year with a pair of NOS Wackers. Quickly added a Steinhoff and a Puma I got from a famous auction site. Still had my full setup of Castle Forbes and a rather nice Mühle brush, so I was ready to go. Or so I thought.

However, along with the Puma in the pictures had come another that I had thought beyond repair. So I started looking for an expert opinion on that razor, and ended up in the old chat system. Now, I do like forums, but if you need a quick answer to an imminent problem, nothing can replace chat. Luckily for everyone, dwessel (who is, as everyone knows, da bomb) has replaced the old chat system with a new one which is actually useful. One lesson learnt is that if you need quick advice, or just cannot find a post you know exists somewhere in the maze that is SRP, the new chat system is your best bet - give it a try!

But I digress. In the chat, I found a group of extremely knowledgeable and helpful people. One of them now owns that Puma, and I am glad he does, if only by ways of gratitude for helping maintain this wonderful site. These gentlemen also helped me identify, buy, and ship my current collection of razors.

Apropos RAD, left to right:

• 6/8 Bengall
• Wedge by Coully with Joe Chandler scales - best razor I have ever had.
• Wade & Butcher - Medium Hollow Ground
• Imperial Razor Co. - New York - Germany - Registered 20507
• Another razor by Coully, also shaves like a dream.
• LeGrelot 6/8 1/4 hollow

Not shown, amongst others, are a Custom Scaled Inox Olympic Trading Co. 13/16ths and a 7/8th round point "Damascus" razor, both also obtained from the venerable coully.

Also not shown is Joe Chandler's Complete Honing Setup.

Further to keljian's extremely useful learnings, I found out a few things that may be helpful for the Europeans in this forum:

1. A razor bought from an SRP member in the Classifieds will typically shave better than one from a shop or the egregious auction site.
2. Said razor will also only cost a fraction of a new razor, but be of better quality, because SRP's quality assurance (i.e. experienced members) actually works.
3. Shipping honing stones from the US will cost you an arm and a leg.
4. Should you be able to ship anything without arms or legs, don't bother trying to ship it to Australia, lest you also lose your mind. At least if you are living in Germany.
5. Bavarian customs officials are difficult to deal with, and will happily hold your beautiful razor from Australia for more than two weeks. That is after it has taken the razor itself a month to arrive.
6. The EUR/USD conversion rate is working to your advantage. Use it while you can, because prices for razors in Europe are skyrocketing, and this price increase will spill over to the US shortly, or as soon as US dealers run out of stock.
7. While German technology is obviously superior to any other technology in this universe, German razors do not necessarily shave better than English or - horribile est dictu - French razors.
8. If you speak Swedish, use "Köp och sälj i auktion & till fast pris på Tradera. Nya auktioner idag!" to pick up Swedish razors for very little money. A razor is called "rakkniv" in Swedish, if that helps any. And 1 USD = 6.63831 SEK.

So there. All I can say is thank you SRP, and thanks a lot to the friends I have made in this forum. You have been extremely friendly, patient, and helpful. Did I mention patient already?

P.S. Just in case you are wondering about the wife and the credit card in the subject line: I am currently not taking any offers for nice razors, unless you accept money transferred via a Nigerian bank. I still love her to bits, though.

Sounds like you have made a great start and some wonderful acquisitions.
If you need a place to hide an acquisition from the wife for a few months, I am always willing.

Originally Posted by netsurfr

Sounds like you have made a great start and some wonderful acquisitions.

Thank you, I have indeed. SRP is a great community.

Originally Posted by netsurfr

If you need a place to hide an acquisition from the wife for a few months, I am always willing.

I might take you up on the offer. Since I have no razors to use with the hones (all of them shave ready), I had to pick up a piece of trash from an auction site. Payment was not easy, let me tell you that. Any road, the blade is actually great with very little hone wear, only tiny amounts of pitting, and some easily removed stains. But I will have to replace the scales (warped beyond belief). Enter stage 2 of shaving madness...

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

• LeGrelot 6/8 1/4 hollow

I cry everytime I look at a Le Grelot I want one. That particular sale was fast! 2 minutes between the sale post and your trigger!

Originally Posted by Leon

I cry everytime I look at a Le Grelot I want one.

Funnily enough, I do not consider it a straight razor. The thing is brutally efficient, leaves zero feedback, and simply gets the job done. The replacement for my DE.

Originally Posted by Leon

That particular sale was fast! 2 minutes between the sale post and your trigger!

Well now, I was desperate. And the seller was in Europe. I am thoroughly grateful to have it, though. Utterly uninspiring, but, well, efficient. Great razor.

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

Utterly uninspiring, but, well, efficient.

That sounds German too.

Great post Robin!

BTW, like many here I'm in the doghouse weekly with the missus.

Glad we could help on your road to awakenings! now if we can just hook you u[ with a few more soaps ans brushes

Originally Posted by Doc

now if we can just hook you u[ with a few more soaps ans brushes

Thank you very much, but Castle Forbes is the answer to all soap questions. Mind you, I did a lime shaving cream shoot out, and have also tried various other creams, samples courtesy of The Differnt Scent in Berlin. Shameless plug for that shop: The Different Scent has a great selection of scents, creams, ointments, and razors, and the owner really knows what he's doing. All round great guy. Just for the record, the prices are good - so you now know what's likely to happen to US prices shortly...

Incidentally, he also carries Heinrich L. Thäter brushes, and I will get one of those shortly. Thäter brushes are like Simpsons in terms of badger hair quality, only 1/3rd cheaper. Did I mention that they do not come with flimsy peel-off labels? By the way, their travel brush is the best I have seen of its kind so far. Very, very nice.

Yea see me, I gave up my credit card a while ago. But the thing is, AD's are like an addiction. You can still find ways (by legal means) to acquire more of your item of choice.