Thread: 'newbie' signing in

could anybody here also tell me how an old shaving mug like this would be used?



do you fill the bottom with hot water so you can make your lather in the heated 'bowl' near the top?

It would appear that way but I'm not
positive. It seems like you would work
the lather up in a seperate bowl or
mug, then finish whipping it up in this
one. Keeping the brush in the upper
part between passes.


Terry

Actually, what you have there is a moustache cup. The bar is for keeping a gentleman's handlebar 'stache out of his java.

Glad you got the 4/8 French point. It should be excellent for what you want it for. I've worn facial hair most of my adult life, and that one is great. I had a couple and sold them as they were wedges and I couldn't seem to keep them sharp. Oh how I wish I would've kept them now! I have a Double Duck Dwarf and it's good for going around a moustache/beard as well. I wore a full beard for many years and put all my str8s on a back burner and mostly used a Merkur HD slant bar for upper cheeks, neck, and lower lip. A year and a half ago I played John Adams on stage and apart from side whiskers, was clean shaven for the first time in 28 yrs. That got me interested in using the straights again. This forum was a Godsend. I've learned honing and shaving techniques that I wish I knew years ago. For our current play, J. B. Priestley's AN INSPECTOR CALLS, I wearing a handlebar moustache and muttonchop whiskers. Best wishes in your new hobby, oh and welcome to SRP!

An old friend of mine lives in Antwerp. Anja owns Agora Press. Being a small world, I don't suppose you know her?

no, sorry

Originally Posted by harold

could anybody here also tell me how an old shaving mug like this would be used?



do you fill the bottom with hot water so you can make your lather in the heated 'bowl' near the top?

That mug is awesome! I wish I had a 'stache to keep out of my java.

You're getting all the goods and in good order from these gents. I use my 3/8 French Point for those detail jobs and it works like a dream. If it's not ready I'll use a 5/8 spike to equal effect, but it might not be quite as comfortable to handle. Good luck keeping the strop pristine. I'd say go slow and be very careful for the first few months and you should be out of the woods. I put a few nicks in my 361 last year, but it doesn't affect the performance of the strop. Maybe someday I'll trade it in for one a n00b (yours truly) hasn't damaged, but the trouble is it works so well that I'm loath to part with it.

X

G'Day all, I've been lurking around this site for some time now and have now taken the plunge and am hoping I don't sound like a goose but I have two questions.

1. With the pyramid honing technique, I know the first two are for 4k and 8k but what does the last represent?

2. I have read most of your advice about strops but before I found this site I bought a two sided leather hanging strop with the reverse side being caborium? or similar, feels like sandpaper. The salesman said it was to replace using strop pastes but I havn't heard any of you guys using one of these. Have I been taken and will it stuff up the edge of my razors?

Any help would be appreciated.

with regards to the paddle strop, thewellshavedgentleman.com gives me choices between 'smooth' and 'balsa' what should I specify for a paste-only paddle?
edit: after some searching it seems 2 balsa and 2 smooth would do it, with the balsa sides for the 1 and 3 pastes

Originally Posted by Aussie

1. With the pyramid honing technique, I know the first two are for 4k and 8k but what does the last represent?

Not sure what you mean. There should be two numbers, the first one is the # of passes on 4k, the second is the # of passes on 8k. You'll do a pyramid sequence like 5/1, 5/1, 4/2, 3/3, 2/4, 1/5, 1/5 then test. FYI the pyramid is really only intended for use on the 4k/8k norton or similar grits, once you get higher its not really needed.

Harold,
I usually suggest balsa for the fine pastes, not the coarse but that is just from my experience with them. Maybe some others here have used them the other way, with balsa for the coarse paste.

In theory the balsa is harder and would be closest to using a hone since there is no give than leather would but it gives less a feeling of draw because of this. It works as effectively but just does not feel like there is any drag on the razor.

Tony