Journey of the First SR Shave
First of all, thank you to everyone at this site. Your knowledge and your willingness to share the same have given me the opportunity to discover the joy of SR shaving. Until recently, I had been shaving with my father's 1970's era double edged Gillete......let's "face" it, I'm cheap and so were the blades. I had been using this razor for over twenty years when I stumbled upon this place and the amazing people who frequent these virtual halls. As I read and learned, the more intrigued I became. So, I began my search for straight razors. If nothing else, I convinced myself, I will have a new facet for my collection of knives and blades. I stumbled upon a couple of them in flea markets and antique shops and, with the help of the fine folks here determined that two of these finds actually had potential as usable shavers. So, with hopeful heart, I contacted a Honemeister and sent the gems to be restored to their former beauty and functionality. After endless agonizing days of waiting, I received the fruits of many labors with the assurance that they were "shave ready" and the anticipation began in earnest. I would like to take a moment here to tout the abilities of Stefan who put endless hours of work into bringing back the beauty and luster of these two fine instruments. Finally, the day arrived. I applied the water to my face, luxuriating in the warmth, and then began the dance of the brush with the soap, whipping the lather into a creamy and decadent texture which was liberally applied to my waiting face. And then the moment of truth, the polished blade hovered just over the skin of my right cheek, the uncertainty painfully assaulting my mind. Would the blade glide as promised across my youthful visage providing me with the ever elusive BBS shave I had been promised? Had my research and reading brought a full understanding of the procedure I was about to perform? Would I be glad that my wife is a nurse and has the knowledge necessary to staunch profuse bleeding? Alas! It is time!! The warm steel kissed the skin as my hand made the adjustments that would, hopefully, align the blade to the correct angle. The keen edge did indeed glide smoothly from the cleft of the right ear downward and adroitly stopped at the jaw line. AWESOME!!!! The single swipe of the blade deftly cleaned away three days accumulation of stubble without a single pull or the need for advanced life support. It's official......I'm hooked. Now that I know the possibilities are within reach, my search for the perfect shave can begin in earnest thanks largely to the dedicated people of The Straight Razor Place!!!
