Thread: Greetings To All

Hello everyone, I've been lurking for a couple of days, reading up at the wiki and looking at some sticky posts. I recently decided to take up straight razor shaving after waking up one morning and looking the the disposables I had in the bathroom that tend to "ginsu" my face whenever I use them, and remembering how much my mach5 cartridges cost - and just feeling completely sick of it all.

I remembered my Grandfather using a straight razor when I was a boy, and figured I would try it. (No, I'm not lucky enough to have any of that equipment, my family sold it all off a long time ago.) I picked up a $7 made in china no-name straight razor from a local Spanish grocery, grabbed an old latigo belt that has traditionally doubled as a knife strop for me, and a canvas twill belt that I never wear. A boar's hair brush from Walgreen's, a bar of VDH shave soap later, and many a headache trying to get that cheap arse piece of stainless to take and edge, and I actually have been able to start shaving with it. I haven't gotten to the shaved smoother the the proverbial bady's ____ yet, but I'm sure I will once I can get some better equipment.

Now, I'm a big DIY'er and I noticed that there were very few DIY type articles in the wiki pages. I was wondering if y'all could point me in the right direction of some good threads on making shaving equipment ie strops, soaps, aftershave lotions, and the like. Also, my wife does make skin lotions so what kind of scents would all you guys like in these types of things?

Later,
Liam Boyle
Louisville, KY USA

welcome to srp

I thought there's a srtop making howto in the wiki, but if not look in the strop section. it's pretty easy, pick leather, cut to shape, hang, the picking out part being most important.
Look in the aftershaves section for people making their own and you'll also get some idea what are the more popular scents (i hate bayrum but most americans can't get enough of it).

Welcome to SRP!

There are many here that DIY it themselves.

I'm sure they will be able to point you in the right direction.

WELCOME

Welcome to SRP. Agreeing with Gugi on the Bay Rum. That is one of my favorites and I have a variety of brands of the stuff. For working on blades and scales the Restoration section in the SRP Wiki and the Workshop forum ought to have a lot of info in there.

You might consider getting yourself a shave ready blade to see what that feels like and how it shaves. It will give you something to compare your own efforts to as well as a proper shave.

Gugi is a bolshevik, Bay Rum ROCKS! Welcome to SRP, you will find a lot of DIY info, just gotta know where to find it.

Thanks for the greetings. I was looking at the razor and strop set at http://ruprazor.com/ and it looks like it might be nice once I get the money for it.

Okay, Bay Rum, might just be do able. I think one of my wife's soap supply shops carries a bay rum fragrance oil. Might take her a few trials to get a good formula worked out. We're thinking Wheatgerm oil (contains lots of vitamin e) along with cocoa and shea butters in a hemp seed oil base with some aloe and a few other ingredients that are good for the skin. I was going to have her start with some Sandalwood/Dragon'sblood scent blends, but Bay Rum could be done.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

Gugi is a bolshevik, Bay Rum ROCKS!

ai veell krush you

Originally Posted by lpboyle

Okay, Bay Rum, might just be do able. I think one of my wife's soap supply shops carries a bay rum fragrance oil.

I think the idea of diy is to actually take rum, bay leaves, and other spices and make the potion
Of course it's hard, every oz of rum that becomes aftershave is one less oz that could've been a drink.

Originally Posted by gugi

I think the idea of diy is to actually take rum, bay leaves, and other spices and make the potion
Of course it's hard, every oz of rum that becomes aftershave is one less oz that could've been a drink.

You see that's my problem, if I have a quality rum in the house it's generally drunk or used for making things like my wife's rum-ball cookies (with live alcohol) and other things of that nature.

No I'm fine with using a bay rum fragrance oil (basically this is the concentrated scent before it can be applied to skin) to scent things like shaving soap and lotion, although I prefer to use essential oils. I can't consume any of that as a remedy after a bad day

welcome to the house liam
enjoy the craic

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

Gugi is a bolshevik, Bay Rum ROCKS! Welcome to SRP, you will find a lot of DIY info, just gotta know where to find it.

i wonder if gugi likes LILAC VEGITAL?....in fact does anyone?