Thread: Couple of weeks of nice shaves

Hello people, greetings from Spain.

My interest in straight razors began in November, when I discovered SRP. Took me a couple of months to find a razor in my city, a nice Filarmonica #14. Frst shaves went ugly, and I decided that my edge was not sharp enough. Spent some more weeks trying to hone her with sandpaper, but I couldn't get anything finer than 800 grit, so I couldn't improve it so much.

Continued shaving with the straight anyway, got a nice Trumpers Lime soap, improved my lathering... but still painful shaves, and extra passes with the wilkinson to finish them. Even I buyed the other Filarmonica left in the store, but no luck, same poor edge.

Then, I met a nice guy here in spain who could hone my tools. Sent them to him, and some weeks later I had them in return. What can I say. At the moment I passed the blades over my arm and the hairs popped with ease, I knew there would be a change.

"First" shave: razor burn, some nicks, 1 hour gesticulating in front of the mirror, and not a very close shave, but a hell of improvement.

Two weeks later, I'm quite satisfied with my shavings. I do my entire face without the need of retouching with the wilkinson. I've eliminated the skin burn, and I'm getting more skilled with the blade, so I can get my face and head all shaved in 40 minutes (I still shave the head with the wilkinson), and I enjoy each of them.

Now I'm saving money for buying a strop, a scuttle... I'm dreaming with a niiiice Zwilling & J.A. Henckels Friodur, or maybe a Revisor... those kind of things you know very well. And my SWMBO says "You're mad". And my friends say "You really shave with that thing? You're mad". So I suppose I'm one of yours, now

It was a slow process, but it was worth. I used to shave once a week, twice when I began shaving my head. Now I shave each other day, and I would do it everyday if my beard grow fast enough.

I just want to keep improving, and learn to shave my head. That day I will definitely throw the wilkinson out the window.

Sorry for the long post, just wanted to share. Thanks and greetings

Congratulations on getting to feel what a "real" sharp razor can do. Makes all the difference in the world.

Also, I'm glad to see you stuck with it until you figured it out.

Many of us got off to a bad start with straight razors, but we've all discovered the same thing as you. With a little time, practice, and a well honed razor, it can be a real pleasure to shave this way.

Oh oh, I'm beginning to see the early signs of RAD, SAD, etc... Should we forewarn him now?

Originally Posted by dward

Should we forewarn him now?

What's the fun in that.


Ignore that last comment jorgeovi. Nobody ever compulsively collects razors or other shaving items. I've never heard of such a thin.

Originally Posted by dward

Oh oh, I'm beginning to see the early signs of RAD, SAD, etc... Should we forewarn him now?

Should we warn him or his wife?

Originally Posted by ndw76

Should we warn him or his wife?

Hadn''t thought about the spousal warning. Good catch...

In all seriousness. Good job on the shaves. Continue to take your time. And practice good razor maintenance and your shaves will do nothing but get better!!

shaving off 800 grit sandpaper! You ARE mad!

Originally Posted by gregs656

shaving off 800 grit sandpaper! You ARE mad!

Took me some days to find the 800 grit... at first I used 500 grit

I must be quite pigheaded, I guess