Thread: the new guy

Donnie,

Are you using the mug as a lathering bowl or are you wanting to make the mug a new "home" for your soap?

If you are wanting it as a lathering bowl, you need to check out Jockey's video (heck, you need to watch the video anyway):
http://straightrazorpalace.com/video...er-lather.html

I use Jockey's method and LOVE IT! With Jockey's method, you don't have to take the soap out of the plastic container. You build the lather in your cool marble dish. (I modify Jockey's method a little by adding some hot water to my soap dish first and let is sit while I shower - it softens the soap some. I then pour the soapy water into my lathering bowl.)

I've ordered a custom made scuttle, so for now I use one of two bowls for building my lather:
1. Check my page for one example - a nickel bowl in a coffee mug.

2. The other method is setting my $3.99 bowl from Target in a sink of hot water just below the rim. The bowl is in my picture at the bottom of page 13: http://straightrazorpalace.com/shave...y-29th-13.html. The only down side to putting the bowl in the sink is that you have to be careful to not accidentally splash water into the lathering bowl.

Be sure to follow Jimmy's advice on not getting nicks. Don't "push" the blade, let it do the work. Obie told me to treat the razor like a bird - hold it firm enough so it doesn't get away, but gentle enough so you don't hurt it. Using this advice, almost 4 weeks in I've only gotten 1 or 2 very minor nicks.

Keep us posted.

Hope this helps,

Greg

Originally Posted by dhols7

So another rookie question I couldn't find an answer to on wiki. I got some sandalwood soap and a sweet marble dish. However, I don't want to hurt the soap when transferring to the dish. It's melted into a plastic container right now so just unwrapping and grating into my dish isn't an option. How do I get it out and into my nice new mug?

HoL

P.S.
Thanks for all the affirmation on my blade and all the nice welcomes again /bow

holy crap ... thanks for the video ... I would have tried to build lather in the soap dish instead of a dedicated lathering bowl. Feeling more and more like a rookie as time goes by. This site is a godsend and you guys help is going to make all the difference on me making it thru the learning curve. I know several guys that have tried this and gave for lack of knowledge not taking the time to learn it properly. You have no idea how grateful I am.

On my way to walgreens now to get some glycerin and styptic (hey i'm new HAHA)

HoL

Donnie,

Welcome from a bit lower in Colorado. In our dry air you may be suprised at how much water you will need to get great lather. The glycerin will make a difference.

Hi and welcome to SRP,

You are right in the pocket with the equipment you bought. You did not say what you bought for a strop. Did you by one of SRD's full sets?

Building a good lather is very important. But learning to strop is paramount to success in this art. Take this nice and slow. The spine of the razor should stay on the strop through the flip when you reverse direction. Pay very close attention to when you lift the blade for the flip and when you set the blade back down for the reverse stroke. Just before you end your stroke start to lift the blade for the flip, flip and then drop the blade as you start the reverse stroke. This is for either direction.

You can really nick up your strop while you are trying to get your muscle memory set for this, so again, nice and slow.

Good luck. Can't wait to hear you progreass.

David

Don't feel bad - I wet shaved with a safety razor for ~5 years by wetting my cheap brush with water and trying to build lather in the wooden bowl that holds my soap. I got watery lather that was passable for use with a safety razor, not to mention probably wasted soap. You'll get fabulous lather using Jockey's method. You'll also find that some guys talk about building good lather on their face, not in a lathering bowl. Jockey's method works best for me. The lather feels unbelievably great on your face and the blade will glide oh so smoothly.

Greg

Originally Posted by dhols7

holy crap ... thanks for the video ... I would have tried to build lather in the soap dish instead of a dedicated lathering bowl. Feeling more and more like a rookie as time goes by. This site is a godsend and you guys help is going to make all the difference on me making it thru the learning curve. I know several guys that have tried this and gave for lack of knowledge not taking the time to learn it properly. You have no idea how grateful I am.

On my way to walgreens now to get some glycerin and styptic (hey i'm new HAHA)

HoL