Advice for newbs by newbs

So I was typing somewhere and realised I have a lot to say that could apply to a lot of people. Two main points (probably instilled by my coach... varsity sports is like boot camp): you have to want it, and you have to work at it. My coach has rowed for 16 years, including several National championships, International championships, and was in the 2004 Olympics. He is an army ranger of 8 years, and has both a bronze star and a meritorious service medal. He's a captain. If anyone knows the keys to success its him. ANYWAYS...

Shhhhh.... shaving doesn't have to be expensive! You don't need a new DOVO or $70 strop right away. But buy the best equipment for what you can afford/want to spend. In my case, I bought the VDH shave kit (boar brush, generic mug, and crap soap), a rugged Illinois strop probably older than me, and a razor most definately older than me. The razor was nothing fancy, I didn't even like it that much, but... it fulfilled my requirements... it was a Solingen. (I shaved for under $50) DO: Buy from the classifieds shave ready, or get a good razor (read the wiki list) and GET IT HONED by anyone in the classifieds. DO: Buy the best strop you can afford, but its not necessary to spend a s*** ton, just don't buy crap. TM's practice strop or an Illinois strop are decent cheapos, you can upgrade slowly. DO: lurk. read. learn. DO: Buy a styptic pencil. It's only a buck and some. A blood transfusion is like $60 a pint plus $200 every night you stay in the hospital. JK

I attribute my success not to being a natural or anything, I sliced my face up so that it could be sold as Grade A ground beef some days. You have to keep at it. Keep trying. My first razor... my adorable POS (S doesn't stand for steel)... well, we've developed a bond. I will never part with that sadistic, evil b**** that cut me so many times. Cus we've had some bad times, but as I learn, the times are getting better. Clean nick free shaves are now becoming consistent.

For a brief intermission from this boringly long thread: STAR WARS: :jedi:

The second part is wanting it. It's a cycle. If you want it enough, you'll practice. If you practice, your wanting will be paid off. Don't be discouraged. Whatever your motivation, use it to fuel your success. To be honest, I just though of it one day, read almost everything I could, asked, annoyed, bothered, irritated senior members for info, and took a leap of faith. I wanted to be the most badass guy in the dorm coed bathroom. And I was. People would just watch me shave. Guys: "Dude that is sick! I should try that!" Girls: "OMG! You're so manly! *swoon*" But most of all I found a hobby. Something a truly enjoy and that my friends are becoming more and more interested in, and I can talk to them about it, and its actually really fun and satisfying.

So figure out a starting goal to keep you trying (being a badass), do your research, including asking questions, keep trying, don't ever blame your tools (except anything zeepk or similar) blame your technique, keep trying, and I promise that you will end up loving it. The best successes are the ones you worked hard at and earned. I promise you that. I PROMISE. (I think every senior member will agree... this is why we have things like RAD, HAD, SAD, etc...) You will love the process, and probably love some part of it even more, for me I've started out razor collecting as a hobby, and I'm working with a friend on designing some scales. Others like hones and pursue the best edge ever. Others like creams and what not. If you work at it you will be successful. Its NOT easy. But because it is hard, the success is all the sweeter. I promise you it's all worth it. :y

It's not what you've got, but how you use it.
The more you practice the luckier you get.
A bad workman blames his tools.
Why do we climb it? Because its there.

VERY good advice all around. Especially about starting cheap and following through.

This can be much cheaper than using a mach 3, and following through is good advice for almost everything in life.

the number one question i get about my SR shaving is "is it worth it?" i obviously answer yes. but people are usually still skeptical. so ask them what makes something "worth it". for me i get the best shaves i have EVER had, i take the time to relax, and when i hone a razor to shave ready i really feel like i have accomplished something. to me that is what makes it worth it. for lots of people they don't give a crap about those things, so it isn't worth it to them.

which comes back to, you have to want it. this is true with anything but some things seem to make it a bit more obvious, like a hobby like this one where as my mother constantly describes it as "a relaxing time when you hold a razor sharp knife to your adams apple?". but to me it was a skill that i wanted to have and once i started i couldn't stop.

I agree. Some people ask why bother taking half an hour to shave? Well... instead of looking at it as something I have to do, I look at it as something I want to do. It's therapeutic. It's half an hour where I slow down, relax, and focus on my new found joy.

Excellent advice. You may want to add some of it to the beginner's guide in the Wiki, really.

Another bit might be to make sure you research, research, research before you rush right out and buy, buy, buy. I know it has bitten me in the rear before and many others as well I'm sure.

Mike

One thing that is worth thinking about is to give the stuff you have a chance.

You might find that what you have does everything you want it to, and buying more and more stuff just confuses the issue, or that the percieved benefits do not out weigh the extra cost.

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Originally Posted by BeBerlin

Excellent advice. You may want to add some of it to the beginner's guide in the Wiki, really.

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I would but I don't know how. If you want to add it for me, please go ahead.