First shave and hone... All done..

Before I get into the fun stuff, lemme just say.. Lapping those norton stones were a pain. I do understand that it has to be done but I guess i didn't really get the part about the Coating on them. First off, when i lapped the 4000 grit the pencil marks were gone in less than 10 passes.. So I figured "Hey... cool less to do.. then I moved on to the 8000 grit and noticed there was a distinct color difference and feel... so after finally working it all out, I figured i would check the 4000 and lo an behold... so I Lapped that coating off.... Then began the honing of the Schmid's Special Marke that I got off of Ebay (yea i know it's probably not a great razor, but it's one just like my grandfather use to use)...


before
Attachment 67003

after
Attachment 67004

Once done.. then I had to wait for that glorious moment... So if anyone has already done this then sorry..

Scuttle Free (old antique cream and sugar set my wife didn't want)Schmid's
Mug soap 0.99 (at kroger.. more info down below..)
Witch hazel 2.59
Boars hair brush 5.00
Special Marke 11.00
Strop 12.00 (Baaad idea to get a cheapo strop off of ebay)
Norton hone kit 129.00 (peachtree special)
That look in your wifes eyes as she notices that your cheeks and jaw has seen the light of day for the first time... (loss of two hours of sleep... :nono: ok ok.. 30 seconds but hey.. this |......| is an inch right? hahahahah)

Being able to shave with out a single nick.. and watch the gentle Ben look fade away... and have your 1 1/2 year old son go get one of his flat blocks and pretend to shave right next to you?


Priiiiiceeelllllllleeessssss:hmmm:

Ok.. Mug soap.. While good in a pinch.. smells like an old shoe.. I tried to order Colleens (have heard some awsome stuff about it) but it seems she is closed down for her move... definitely going to have to get some other soap.. even my wife said it smelled like a foot. and the witch hazel didn't pull it out.. heheheh So if anyone knows when she will open up again please let me know.. Don't want to buy a bunch of soaps just yet...

Strop.. Yea I got a little cheap with it.. and I guess i don't know if it's bad or good, but the leather is Haaaaard.. and fairly bumpy.. I dunno how soft and flat its suppose to be but I did dress it with niva cream...

I didn't break out the camera just incase i needed to be run to the hospital for stiches.. but I have the hang of it.. well so far anyway.. my chin still remains furry.. :D

Until the next time.. :rock:
and I will set up for a video :popcorn: hopefully I will be better at it..

That's what it's all about!

And yes, you will get better at it.

Wow! It sounds like you are way ahead of the curve. Don't get over confident - you still have the chin to look forward to and that can be a tricky area to master. Thanks for sharing your first shave story. I really liked the part about your son. Keep us posted. Good luck and have fun!

Oh believe me after trying to tackle the small sides of my neck my chin doesn't seem like and easy one at all. Although I have a small mole near my upper lip (for risk of being laughed at and lack of a better word at the moment my wife calls it my beauty mark) this thing use to get cut by the ol Mach... and I was greatly surprised that it didn't this time.. guess the thought of slicing it off caused me to go slower...

It was fun to say the least... We DO have a picture of my son and I standing in the bathroom, but I was shirtless, and lemme tell ya... like in the movie Santa Clause 2... You do NOT wanna see THIS in a speedo.. of course I wasn't in a speedo but you get the picture ahahahah.. What was funny is he saw me lather up and start shaving my left side so he ran out and got one of his blocks Kinda small and flat then came back to the bathroom and and pointed to his face saying "daddy do?" Took me a moment to figure it out, but he wanted some lather too... so I called my wife to bring him a chair to stand on and brushed him up with some soap. Now I only saw what I was willing to pay attention to (Concidering I had a blade on my face) but my wife took pictures... and she said every time I would pull the razor across he would too.. I don't know if it would be a bad idea but after seeing the pictures she took, I think I will make him a toy straight. Kinda morbid if you think about it, but then again a lot of the toy companies have plastic razors for toddler... Either way I have a special spot for my straights that a little one would need a ladder to get to... and now there is a wooden block right next to it... Made me smile when I put my stuff away and he insisted putting his in there too... Any thoughts on that by the way? Is it too morbid to make him a wooden one?

Hey Lazarus, one of my best Navy buddies Lives in or around Denver... She is a nutter though, but definitely a great friend... She says the photography opportunities out there are great... Have you been there long?

Holy smoking underroo's batman...

Usually by now I have a vicious stubble plane on my face and my face is still smooth.. albeit a couple of rough spots that I apparently didn't get close enough.. Ok.. NOW I am hooked.. as if I don't have enough obsessions... Man retirement really brings out the hobbies to keep one from getting bored.. sad thing is I am only 36 too..

Good to hear things went reasonably well. If you're looking for a good soap, I'd recommend Proraso. It's fairly inexpensive (I think I paid $8.95) and lathers wonderously well. It's loaded with eucalyptus and menthol, so you get a fantastic cooling sensation through your entire shave. If creams are more your thing, they do make a cream, which can also be purchased at Bath & Body Works under the C.O. Bigelow label.

As for your strop, I wouldn't go putting anything like Nivea on it. Working it with your hands and just using it daily will slowly break it in. I've had mine since November and it's still somewhat stiff.

Your post reminds me of something we all know but I continually forget which is that we are always teaching our children even if we aren't aware of it. They will, just like your son, mimic what they see as adult behavior. That places a sobering amount of responsiblity on us to model good behavior.

I have been in Colorado my entire life except of the 7 years I spent out of state for college and law school.

Nice going there, sounds like you're having a ton of fun - and that's what it's all about. Big congrats on your achievements.
The strop part - I started with a cheap junk strop myself, also got mine off of ebay. I used it for a good while and thought it was okay. When I finally got around to getting a quality strop, the quality of my shaves went through the roof. Also, it is a lot easier to maintain an edge on a good strop, I find I don't have to bring out the hones as quick. Also, a barber's hone would probably be a good investment.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nervin

Oh believe me after trying to tackle the small sides of my neck my chin doesn't seem like and easy one at all. Although I have a small mole near my upper lip (for risk of being laughed at and lack of a better word at the moment my wife calls it my beauty mark) this thing use to get cut by the ol Mach... and I was greatly surprised that it didn't this time.. guess the thought of slicing it off caused me to go slower...

It was fun to say the least... We DO have a picture of my son and I standing in the bathroom, but I was shirtless, and lemme tell ya... like in the movie Santa Clause 2... You do NOT wanna see THIS in a speedo.. of course I wasn't in a speedo but you get the picture ahahahah.. What was funny is he saw me lather up and start shaving my left side so he ran out and got one of his blocks Kinda small and flat then came back to the bathroom and and pointed to his face saying "daddy do?" Took me a moment to figure it out, but he wanted some lather too... so I called my wife to bring him a chair to stand on and brushed him up with some soap. Now I only saw what I was willing to pay attention to (Concidering I had a blade on my face) but my wife took pictures... and she said every time I would pull the razor across he would too.. I don't know if it would be a bad idea but after seeing the pictures she took, I think I will make him a toy straight. Kinda morbid if you think about it, but then again a lot of the toy companies have plastic razors for toddler... Either way I have a special spot for my straights that a little one would need a ladder to get to... and now there is a wooden block right next to it... Made me smile when I put my stuff away and he insisted putting his in there too... Any thoughts on that by the way? Is it too morbid to make him a wooden one?

Hey Lazarus, one of my best Navy buddies Lives in or around Denver... She is a nutter though, but definitely a great friend... She says the photography opportunities out there are great... Have you been there long?

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My nearly two year old son is fascinated by my razor stuff. He has not seen me shave yet though as he's been in bed when I've shaved so far. Awesome story, and too cool to hear about his reactions.

If I were you I'd cut out a little wooden razor for him. Why not? I don't think it's morbid at all. It's a great bonding time for father and son.

So far as the mug soap goes there are a ton of options out there and I've never used the brand you mentioned BUT: There's Van Der Hagen (VDH) available at most pharmacies and Wally World locations. There's also Williams Mug Soap (WMS) available at most pharmacies, and grocer's (Hy Vee is where I've found it the cheapest $.90). The VDH has a light almond scent. The WMS has a citronella scent that reminds me of summer--a big plus as spring fever is in full force right now. Both of these are around a buck a puck and readily available instead of the stuff that smells like a foot!

Also, I don't know what brush you're using, but I've read about some guys whose brushes smelled bad for the first several shaves...once they were broken in the stink wore off too. Is this a possibility? :shrug:

Finally, I'd love to know how you got those pics of your blade before and after honing. They're the first I've seen at such magnification and a great example IMHO of what a blade looks like before and after honing.

Peace,

Awesome! Get yourself some good soap and you'll enjoy the shave even more!

And as far as honing goes...good on ya! I haven't started to hone quite yet myself, but I do imagine that if I keep this up much, I'll have to figure something out soon.

Great post! I love seeing the pics of the restoration you did on the razor! I need to learn to hone soon because my razor is going to get dull real fast!

As for soap, I now make my own. My first secret recipe batch is still curing, but should be ready in about three weeks. I plan to test it out myself to see how it lathers, and if it looks good, I should have a few 2 ounce free samples to send to whoever wants one. I could always send one to you for feedback to see how you like it, and all I ask in return is honest feedback. I will keep you in mind when I'm ready to ship them out if you want.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BigJim

My nearly two year old son is fascinated by my razor stuff. He has not seen me shave yet though as he's been in bed when I've shaved so far. Awesome story, and too cool to hear about his reactions.

If I were you I'd cut out a little wooden razor for him. Why not? I don't think it's morbid at all. It's a great bonding time for father and son.

So far as the mug soap goes there are a ton of options out there and I've never used the brand you mentioned BUT: There's Van Der Hagen (VDH) available at most pharmacies and Wally World locations. There's also Williams Mug Soap (WMS) available at most pharmacies, and grocer's (Hy Vee is where I've found it the cheapest $.90). The VDH has a light almond scent. The WMS has a citronella scent that reminds me of summer--a big plus as spring fever is in full force right now. Both of these are around a buck a puck and readily available instead of the stuff that smells like a foot!

Also, I don't know what brush you're using, but I've read about some guys whose brushes smelled bad for the first several shaves...once they were broken in the stink wore off too. Is this a possibility? :shrug:

Finally, I'd love to know how you got those pics of your blade before and after honing. They're the first I've seen at such magnification and a great example IMHO of what a blade looks like before and after honing.

Peace,

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That was my thought as well, Making him a little wooden one. My wife, daughter and son were out and about today and I had the house to myself, so I thought I would give myself a light shave.... just wasn't the same... Thanks for the encouragement BigJim

I am a photographer... Although I am disabled and have several hobbies photography is by far my favorite and so I shoot portraits, weddings, landscapes, even Numismatic Macro... Going to be adding straights to my list... I have a macro set up that is awesome; Canon 5d, Macro flash, 100mm macro lens and a flip 50mm 1.4. You have a LOT of vignetting, but that is easily solve by shooting wide then cropping it out. This wasn't my best.. it's out of focus but i was a little hurried. I will have to go through some of my images

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lazarus

Your post reminds me of something we all know but I continually forget which is that we are always teaching our children even if we aren't aware of it. They will, just like your son, mimic what they see as adult behavior. That places a sobering amount of responsiblity on us to model good behavior.

I have been in Colorado my entire life except of the 7 years I spent out of state for college and law school.

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Oh yes... i completely agree... we are the models for our children even if we are saying nothing at all.. Even when we don't see them, they are always watching us... Heheh, we were eating dinner one day and I was talking to my daughter at the other end of the table... the little guy always has to sit by me.. but I didn't really see him at the time but my wife got my attention to look at him.. and she said every time i took a bite.. he did too.. and if I took a drink so did he.. if I made a hand gesture he followed... I wanted to see it but when I stopped to look he stopped too and looked the direction i was.. ahahahaha.. gotta love em...

Thank you all for your suggestions, I will deffinitely have to give them a try.. especially the soaps... Might be good to have some variety.. I have to admit though I am hooked on soaps.. I use a sub par grade one and liked the end result... (cept the smell) so I can imagine getting some decent ones.. Just a few riiiiight? :hmmm:

Already have three razors.. what's a few more soaps :idea:

Isn't the Norton Kit 220/1000 combo with 4000/8000 stone the same as barber stones? I know I want one with a higher grit so I can polish it further..

My brush was a cheapo Boars bristle special.. no name brand... i haven't anything to compair it to as of yet.. but it definitely has the foot smell.. Although i did try and wash it and it started to shed so i didn't know if I was getting rough...I have to REALLY work it to get a lathe though.. if not for that i would have already taken my pivtures of me Lathering up in the VA fountain today.. :banghead::banghead: Thants ok.. plenty of opportunity still I think..

Next project.. Wooden straight.... well that and get better at shaving..

Oh and I read somewhere on here that you can run some sand paper on a strop to "flatten it" sort of speak mine has the texture of cobble stone.. miniature version.. the skin isnt smooth at all... I was looking a a paddle style.. I like the hanging one because it looks neat...

Your camera setup is awesome...but makes me a little sad as I won't be able to duplicate your edge shots for my own honing. I've got my eye on a jeweler's loop though...just have to scratch together the funds.

The Van Der Hagen brush is one a lot of guys use (myself included) when starting out. It sheds like a dog in spring for the first half dozen shaves, but other than that I like it. It's got some backbone (some guys think too much) but no bad smell. You can pick it up at WallyWorld or your average pharmacy alongside the VDH soap and WMS. Sometimes you'll find a VDH kit with brush, soap, and bowl for around $12. Not a bad starter by any means.

The Norton 4k/8k is not the same as a barber hone. A lot of guys use the Norton 4/8 for honing and it's on my wish list right now. Barber's hones are no longer made and were never rated in grit like modern stones. Some guys claim their barber hones are as low as 3k, while others claim theirs are more like a 12k. The majority seem to be in the 8-10k range and great for touch ups when your razor gets dull. Read through the threads in the Hones forum and you'll find a bunch of info on the barber hones. They're another thing you can pick up for around $10 that will be a great tool.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nervin

...

Oh and I read somewhere on here that you can run some sand paper on a strop to "flatten it" sort of speak mine has the texture of cobble stone.. miniature version.. the skin isnt smooth at all... I was looking a a paddle style.. I like the hanging one because it looks neat...

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I've been trying to sort out my stropping lately and have found the hanging to work better for me, but you can always lay a hanging strop on a table and Wha-la you've got a bench strop! Your strop should be smooth (consistent anyway) and not have waves or wrinkles in it. My Shumate strop has an odd texture to it, but it's consistent and clearly intentional. Every other strop I've seen has been smooth...some a little suede/microfiber looking, but still smooth. What brand is your strop and where did you get it?

Peace,

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SpicyJem

Great post! I love seeing the pics of the restoration you did on the razor! I need to learn to hone soon because my razor is going to get dull real fast!

As for soap, I now make my own. My first secret recipe batch is still curing, but should be ready in about three weeks. I plan to test it out myself to see how it lathers, and if it looks good, I should have a few 2 ounce free samples to send to whoever wants one. I could always send one to you for feedback to see how you like it, and all I ask in return is honest feedback. I will keep you in mind when I'm ready to ship them out if you want.

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I would most definitely try it out... and I am always told that I m blunt so no problems on an honest feedback.. heheheh definitely let me know I would be glad to try it out..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BigJim

Your camera setup is awesome...but makes me a little sad as I won't be able to duplicate your edge shots for my own honing. I've got my eye on a jeweler's loop though...just have to scratch together the funds.

The Van Der Hagen brush is one a lot of guys use (myself included) when starting out. It sheds like a dog in spring for the first half dozen shaves, but other than that I like it. It's got some backbone (some guys think too much) but no bad smell. You can pick it up at WallyWorld or your average pharmacy alongside the VDH soap and WMS. Sometimes you'll find a VDH kit with brush, soap, and bowl for around $12. Not a bad starter by any means.

The Norton 4k/8k is not the same as a barber hone. A lot of guys use the Norton 4/8 for honing and it's on my wish list right now. Barber's hones are no longer made and were never rated in grit like modern stones. Some guys claim their barber hones are as low as 3k, while others claim theirs are more like a 12k. The majority seem to be in the 8-10k range and great for touch ups when your razor gets dull. Read through the threads in the Hones forum and you'll find a bunch of info on the barber hones. They're another thing you can pick up for around $10 that will be a great tool.



I've been trying to sort out my stropping lately and have found the hanging to work better for me, but you can always lay a hanging strop on a table and Wha-la you've got a bench strop! Your strop should be smooth (consistent anyway) and not have waves or wrinkles in it. My Shumate strop has an odd texture to it, but it's consistent and clearly intentional. Every other strop I've seen has been smooth...some a little suede/microfiber looking, but still smooth. What brand is your strop and where did you get it?

Peace,

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Actually, another option to get a micrope look at your edge quickly (not as great of a quality but cheaper than a camera set up) a USB Digital Microscope. I see them on ebay all the time.. 200X and 500X.. the 500 is around 50 bucks and the 200 a cheaper price.. Just make sure to get the one that has a stand a lights. My dad uses one for his prospecting and to look at black sand for Nano gold.

The type of strop I have is a Selective NY strop.. heheheh it has the texture of a micro Rhino IMHO... definitely not smooth..

Hey Nervin, I slid your pics over to this thread:http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...tml#post771373

In your second picture which hone is that off of? Is that after the 4k, or after the 8k, or after something else?

Thanks,