A Year in Review.. from Beginner to Beginner

Well it has been a year since I started straight shaving and though I have a full 12 months under my belt I am still learning more every time I shave and still consider myself a beginner. I will give an abbreviated background to the past year.

I started with a Fromm Hair Shaper found at the local Sally Beauty Products store and used that for about a month while I was in the process of learning to hone the razors I found at a local antique store. So I did not follow one of the basic tenants preached here about started with a shave ready blade ( for a traditional straight ). Prior to straights I had never honed anything in my life so it was definitely a learning experience. I also acquired a very nasty ( according to my wife ) case of RAD and had over 20 razors at one time in various points of restoration within the first 3 months of starting my journey.

Fast forward to 6 months into my journey and the RAD has settled down more do to financial concerns that anything else and I have 20 razors completed and shaving with about 1 a day to keep them ( and my wife ) happy that I purchased them. I am able to get BBS on everyplace but my chin and shaving is now a joy instead of a tedious task brought on by request of SWMBO.

Skip forward to around Christmas and I find my "holy grail" razor ( for now :p ) a Filarmonica DT 14. I use only that razor and a Joseph Holler worked spine razor I have and all other razors fall out of my rotation. I had been slowly selling off razors on ebay up until this point to clear up space but decide to sell everything but the 2 that I use since I am not really a collector. This is also around the time I receive a puck of L'Occitane Cade soap and a challenge to use only that soap until it is gone.

Today I am still using the Cade soap almost 4 months later and still have about 4 to 6 months worth left before it will disappear. I still have some minor issues with technique around my chin ( stupid cleft chin anyways ) but am happy with the way my face feels after every shave. SWMBO is impressed as well since she did not think I would continue to shave this way due to how much time it was taking me initially. I can now complete a "speed" shave in under 5 minutes ( single pass ) but do like to take the time for a proper shave for special occasions. My RAD has been cured for now though I do have a couple of razors on my wish list. I have also converted my wife and to a lesser extent my daughter to use a DE and they are now enjoying their shaves with less irritation.

I still frequent a few shaving forums more to check in and help where I can and learn new techniques and products available. With Summer on it's way I am getting my C.O. Bigelow Cream ready to mix with my Cade to stay cool.

Lastly I would just like to thank everyone on this board for your assistance and guidance in my journey. Also for showing that there are still places on the internet that can show gentlemanly restraint and courtesy in discussions that normally would melt down on other boards I have been a part of.

Andy

Very cool. Thanks for the update.

That was a welcome read, very nice :tu

Great post. I am in my fourth month and my experience mirrors yours. My RAD kicked in and I "collected" 25 razors. I use all of them in rotation but some start "feeling more special" than others. It will be interesting to see if I start a sell-off in the next eight months. I only want to keep the razors that I both use and enjoy. Collecting is not really one of my goals.

My RAD was driven by a desire to try different razors mentioned on SRP posts as being excellent shavers. Even after only four months, my technique has improved to the point that I can get a DFS with virtually any of the 25 razors and that actually makes the decision on which razors to let go more difficult. In the long run, I guess I will discover which ones simply appeal most to me (comfort, looks, history, smoothness, or closeness).


Thanks for sharing your experience.
:rock:

Well DLB from the limited experience I have each razor had it's own "personality" All of them shaved well but I just found that my face preferred certain blades. I still have a few vintage as well as new custom razors on my list to try but I also know I will not be a hairy monster anymore so those will happen when they happen. I do find honing to be therapeutic and really almost buy antique razors to hone.

Troggie,

I know what you mean when you say "each razor had its own 'personality.'" I find that to be very true.

The most comfortable and smooth razor on my face has been a ca. 1850, 5/8 Geo. Wostenholm "Celebrated Pipe Razor." No other razor feels like it. Other razors shave just as well in terms of effectiveness but none quite match the special tactile feel of its Sheffield Steel blade. I do get similar vibes from a 5/8 Wade and Butcher "The Celebrated" and a 6/8 H. Boker "Extra Hollow Ground" razor.

However, as much as I love the "Pipe" razor, if I were forced to keep only one razor at this point in time, it would definitely be a (new) 6/8 Thiers-Issard Le Grelot. It feels like an extension of my hand. Shaving with it is truly a special experience. It glides over the face like a piece of silk while magically clearing 90% of the stubble on the first WTG pass. I have a lot of razors that have given me an "A" shave but the TI Le Grelot is simply in a different league (A+++). At the same time, I know someone else might have a totally different experience with the same razor.

Even razors of the same size feel entirely different. For example, I have a 4/8 Heljestrand MK 24, a 4/8 dubl duck Special No. 1, and a 4/8 Le Grelot P-Hospital. If someone shaved me with them, I believe I could distinguish between them even if I was blindfolded. The Le Grelot seems ten times sharper on my face, the dubl duck seems to move slower and more deliberate, and the Heljestrand feels like it is super lubricated but lightning fast even on the toughest beard area. All three are great but physically feel different as they shave. [Le Grelot = Porsche sports car, dubl duck = Cadillac Sedan, Heljestrand = Mercedes E350]. All so different, yet I love each one.

Thus far, only one razor makes me uncomfortable; a 6/8 J. R. Torrey Full Hollow Ground. It seems bigger than a 6/8 and has the thinnest blade of all my razors. It shaves very well but I always feel like I don't know what it is going to do next. It also makes a high, whispering sound [singing razor?] throughout the shave. Somehow, it intimidates and un-nerves me. But, it's unusual effect makes me want to keep it even more.

Isn't this a wonderful hobby?
:y