Thread: My first shave...I think.

So, I'm a pastor in the midst of moving to a new church and yesterday our weather was so bad we had to cancel services. What's a guy to do with a WHOLE Sunday and no internet? (don't have the net setup there b/c we still have it at the old place) AND, no way to get back to the old house with plenty of chores, honey do's, and internet?

Well, a wiser man might have spent his time in more sanctimonious endeavors. Me, I pulled out my e-bay toys. I've got two vintage family heirlooms I left in boxes. I'm sending them off to Utopian to get honed. But I had an e-bay razor, an e-bay strop find, and an e-bay hone just sitting there with nothing to do all day long!

The razor was supposed to be a Black Diamond GH Pumacher, but turned out to be a Genco from Geneva NY USA. It was a victim of surface rust, but I had sand paper and other toys handy. So I sanded it, and sanded it, and examined the jagged edge, and put it on the hone (I've watched more honing vid's on youtube thanks to the guys here than I probably should have). The e-bay hone is hard and fine and wasn't cutting mustard, so I pulled out my generic rough/fine knife sharpening hone. After around 400 circles on the hone (I think...I lost count, but hey...I had all day) the edge was clean and smooth and looked good. It felt sharp TPT, but wouldn't shave arm hair. So I put it on the e-bay hone (which I lapped btw) and about 90 circles and some cross strokes later it shaved the back of my hand.

I felt good. I'd never honed a razor before, but this was looking good. I'd treated the old e-bay strop with tons of Neatsfoot oil (only because it was very dry) and burnished it with a root beer bottle. So then I took the razor to it, very carefully and very intentionally (got some questions here I'll post elsewhere). Things were progressing very well.

By evening I'd played with my kids, watched some old movies, talked with my wife, and was back to boredom...but my cheeks were hairy and this once grungy dirty old razor was whispering in my ear. I had to. I couldn't help it. It'd be wrong not to wouldn't it?

I gave my face a hot bath, lathered up the soap and brush my wife had given me, and touched the razor to my cheek. It pulled. It wasn't quite right. I pulled the spine further from my cheek bone, and it glided through the hair. It was imperfect, some pulling and tugging, but it was glorious! The right cheek cleaned off pretty well, though there were some tricky grabs around my goatee. The left side, not so much. More tugging and pulling. Some hairs left behind. I'd shaved my neck AKA problem area with my old safety razor, so there was no temptation there...though I doubt there would have been, even though there were no nicks or bleeds on the cheeks.

I know I'm nuts for taking on the honing of my first razor before shaving with a straight razor, and then using that same razor to shave with. But I challenge any man here in the same circumstances to do different!

That sounds like a glorious day. I bet your kids are happy their dad played with them, your wife is happy she had a nice conversation with you, and you're happy that you have scaled a mountain.

You have made people better for participating in their lives. What other and more deserving endeavours are there?

A glorious day indeed.

Nuts???
Naw.
You dragged a blade across your face after dragging it across a stone.
You sir, are a real man!

Originally Posted by Utopian

Nuts???
Naw.
You dragged a blade across your face after dragging it across a stone.
You sir, are a real man!

Ha Ha Ha!

Well, my Dad always told me "If you're going to do something, do it all the way."
I guess I listened more than I thought I did.

Unfortunately after the shave I still had some time on my hands and there was this little nick in the edge of the blade, about 2/3 the way from the point. So I sought to hone it out and now the razor's not near as sharp as it was. It shaved more hair of the back of my hand, but didn't do near as good a job on my face as it did before.

Still happy for what I was able to get done. Will post pics in another thread.

Sounds like you are on your way to enjoying some of the simple pleasures in life.
I started Str8 shaving 3 months ago and the only regret I have is I didn't start sooner. The best thing is my 19 year old son has embraced the Str8 and we sometimes shave together. Good luck Padre!

Shave On!

Chip

Originally Posted by chipvj

Sounds like you are on your way to enjoying some of the simple pleasures in life.
I started Str8 shaving 3 months ago and the only regret I have is I didn't start sooner. The best this is my 19 year old son has embraced the Str8 and we sometimes shave together. Good luck Padre!

Shave On!

Chip

It was a good day.

Hopefully my boys (one turns two in April, the other's due in April) will have the same appreciations I have for good, quality, old school traditions. Not everything that's old is golden, but some things were better "back in the day."

Congrats on the upcoming, sounds like you're a great daddio. I hear what you're saying. I wouldn't want to go to the dentist or have my back operated on back in the day. Sometimes they get it right. That's how I think of straights. They last forever with care and you do get a great shave. Matter of fact I just got done. Used my Satinedge and a small barber blade (for the tight spots) finished it of with some Tre's Flores after shave and hair tonic. A little Pinauds body talc and I feel FANTASTIC!!!

SHAVE ON!

Chip