Thread: The Noob Chronicle - My Straight Razor Experience

Airport security took my Feather blade. Not the one in the razor, but the extra one I had in my shave kit. I wasn't completely surprised, but I still think it was a little ridiculous. I arrived safely and I am trying to absorb the insanity that is Vegas!

That SUCKS!! did they not realize there was one in the razor or just didn't care?? Wouldn't surprise me if they didn't realize considering they tried to take my tuning fork set last time I flew.

They let me keep it. He said "you can keep the one in the razor, but not this one". It's kind of funny that they didn't understand how essentially harmless a paper-thin de blade is. Then there's the fact that I was allowed to keep any blade at all. I admit, I was almost expecting it, but it's still funny.

Wow, a long amusing read. I really wished I would have picked up on this thread sooner! Keep up the good work, I am about a month and a half in myself right now. I have avoided any major AD's though a kamisori purchase looms on the horizon. Will look nice nestled in with the half dozen katana sitting around. Enjoy your newfound love!

The Straight Road - Part 48: Leaving Las Vegas
Whew! After what was a hectic week, with travel to Sin City and a 4-day conference, then returning for a day of work before starting my holidays, I was beat. I shaved with my DE while on vacation, which ended up leaving me with some pretty good ingrown hairs on the right side of my throat. I shaved Wednesday, then skipped shaving Thursday and Friday in the hopes of getting things back under control and healing up the neck irritation, which went alright. I usually have my shipments arrive at the office, which ensures I don't miss the delivery, so I had a bit of an early Christmas on Friday, with a big, heavy W&B 7/8 near wedge and another Bow Razor for my collection. Beside them was a box from Sham with my first coticule and finally a testament to the great community we have here at SRP. A while back, in this thread: http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...roo-strop.html I had commented that I'd like to try a 'roo strop some day. Shortly thereafter, I received a PM from episaacs, who graciously offered to send me one of his strops FOR FREE! I insisted on paying the shipping to Canada and he threw in one of his latigo strops for me to check out, as well. I must say, it was a very nice gesture by him and brought home the great vibe we have here in this community.

Here are some shots of the latest fruits of SGAD:

The razors and stone:


The strops:


Friday, after leaving work, I also made a stop at Lee Valley to pick up some restoration supplies, which should keep me busy over the holidays. I have kept busy the Friday and Saturday with applying my newly acquired Tung oil to my bocote scales project, as well as soaking some old horn scales in Neatsfoot oil in hopes of bringing them back to their former glory. On Saturday, I was planning a shave in the early evening, as I had to go to one of the ubiquitous gatherings that seem to crop up at this time of year, so out came the straight.

The Anticipation
This one was a long time coming. The DE shave is still nice, but it gives me more ingrowns on the neck than the straight shave, which has been the best so far. I'm not even going to mention what the other methods do to my skin. Maxi had given me an Arko stick to try out while on the road, which worked well with my Omega 10005 for face lathering to give me a decent lather for my Merkur 38c/Feather combo, but that was all behind me now-it was straight razor time again!

The Prep
This was a special one for me, as it felt like I hadn't had one in a long time, both a shave in general and a straight shave in particular. I decided to pick my favourite lineup for this, so I went with the Manhattan Cutlery, my Omega Pro 49 and MWF. For finishing up, I picked out my Marlborough AS and Cologne, which has risen to the top of my list of favourite scents. I pulled the anointed products down from the shelf and opened the razor for my introduction to the 'roo strop. Kangaroo leather has many unique properties, one of which is its incredibly high tensile strength while remaining very thin. This strop is only a couple of millimetres thick, but the leather is tough and does not stretch or distort when I pull it taut with the d-ring. The feel of it is magnificent, so much so that it could very easily supplant my other strops as the mainstay of my now-budding collection (and here I thought I was somewhat immune to StAD). The feedback on the thin leather is quite nice and the draw is about exactly how I like it. Not too fast, but not sticky, either. All in all, I give Ed (episaacs) an A+ on his 'Roo Strop.

Once the stropping was done, I filled my Robert Becker scuttle and popped it in the microwave for two minutes while I waited for the shower to heat up, which seems to take a while since winter started. That done, I dunked the Omega and hopped in for a nice, leisurely, hot shower, paying special attention to scrubbing my neck with Real Shaving Exfoliating Scrub. As I emerged, clean, warm and relaxed, I began to fall into the rhythm and concentration of my shaving ritual, which really does have some sort of a meditative quality. It was time to put brush to soap.

The Lather
My love affair with Mitchell's Wool Fat Shaving Soap continues unabated. I can't get enough and if I were to turn monogamous in my lather selection, I would have a difficult time committing to any other soap than this one. The scent, the ability to lather in a bowl or on the face and the excellent moisturizing qualities just simply make this one a winner in my books. I am always left with very soft skin once I am done and the lather, now that I have the hang of it, rarely fails to perform. Saturday was no exception as "The Fat", whipped to perfection by the truly impressive Omega Pro 49-in this man's opinion, the best-spent $10 in all of shaving-produced moisturizing, cushiony and slick lather in abundance, sufficient for three full passes and touch-ups.

The Shave
Aided by the luxurious lather, the Manhattan Cutlery glided its way through three days of growth with very little effort, making the first pass with aplomb. The large, heavy blade is still teaching me, so I was certain to be extra careful, especially around the chin and moustache area, where it has reprimanded me in the past. I escaped the second pass with the tiniest of nicks in the soul patch area, but again, the sailing was predominantly smooth with an almost effortless gliding over the cheeks, neck and chin area. The delicate work under the nostrils came off well, with no discomfort or nicks there, so I lathered up for the third and final pass with a great sense of calm and enjoyment. The Manhattan did not disappoint, even on the tricky south to north XTG on my neck, leaving me with one or two areas to touch up along the jawline and the usual point of the chin. It wasn't my best straight shave, but after a week off, it came pretty close and felt great.

The Post
With the touch-ups out of the way, I rinsed the scuttle, dried it quickly and stowed it in its place of honour on the shelf. The Omega Pro 49 soon followed, nestling in amongst its bristly siblings and taking up its place at the back of the rotation line, though it usually has and invite to jump the line regularly. Cold water came next, splashing my neck and face, refreshing and bracing as it rinsed the remnants of "The Fat" from my skin. I followed that with the alum block, which stung hardly at all, then some Witch Hazel, which continued the soothing efforts started by the cold water. That done, I allowed the witch hazel a few moments to dry a bit while I stropped the Manhattan on the kangaroo hide again, which was delightful. Then, before my face dried completely, I applied a generous amount of DR Harris Marlborough aftershave, which stung a bit, but whose cooling menthol helped to sooth and soften even more. Again, I gave the aftershave a moment to settle while I finished tidying the sink area, then applied Trumper's Unscented moisturizer, which makes a great balm to mix with any splash, to help protect my skin against the dry sub-zero air here in Toronto. The finishing touches were applied with the Marlborough cologne, then it was out to the bedroom to dress for my night out.

The Verdict
Everything felt...right. That's the best word I can use to describe it. From start to finish, the shave felt like a symphony of blade, lather and scent, which left me relaxed, refreshed and ready for action. My face was excellently smooth, helped by both the MWF and the Trumper's. My scent was the great cedarwood with hints of sandalwood that only DR Harris Marlborough delivers and overall I felt like I had returned to my path. My friend of nearly twenty years, who was hosting the party, asked me what was up with this "shaving stuff" that my wife had commented to him about, then he touched my face and said "wow that's smooth". After that, he asked me if he could try one of my razors, so I think I may be working on a convert. On top of that, I am planning on giving my younger brother some wet-shaving gear and perhaps a Gillette Fat Boy for Christmas, so the message is starting to spread. My personal comeback to straight shaving felt great and to see traditional shaving making a comeback amongst my friends and family is even better.

After all, it's much more fun to walk The Straight Road with company!

My holidays are here! I have a few project restorations that I want to finish, as well as taking some time to fool around with the coticule I just acquired. I get the feeling that I will have a busy time of it over the next few weeks. Family, of course, comes first and I will have many events, visits and parties to attend in the next while, as well. My plan is to give a few days before my next shave to see if I can get all of the small irritated spots on my neck to heal completely in hopes of eliminating my ingrown hairs. That would be a grand achievement as it is an issue that has plagued me for as long as I've been shaving. I am also looking forward to getting my Henckells Friodur back from Maxi, who did me the amazing favour of finishing the scales we started on our first workshop day. If you want a sense of how badly I want to get my hands on that razor again and give it a shave, check out the photos he posted here: http://straightrazorpalace.com/custo...8-friodur.html

Until next time, thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Jack

The Straight Road - Part 49: Return of The Beast

As you may remember, back in The Straight Road - Part 35: I'm Back, Baby!, I shaved for the first time with my Henckels Friodur 8/8 Spanish Point razor, which had recently arrived from The Shaving Shop. The razor shaved superbly, but the scales were a cheap plastic set, barely able to contain this magnificent piece of steel. So, back a few weeks ago (The Straight Road - Part 37 - Friday Evening Shave & Saturday Workshop Visit), I took the razor to Maxi's place, where we began work on some new scales made out of black horn. I roughed out the design, under careful guidance from him, then cut the rough shape and ground the scales down a bit. After that, I left them with him so he could work on them a bit. Then, last week, he called me to let me know he needed the blade, as the scales were ready to go. I can safely say he's outdone himself with this one!

Here is a shot of the razor "before"


The scales when I left them with Maxi


And finally:


To see some more shots of the razor, check out the thread he posted here: http://straightrazorpalace.com/custo...8-friodur.html

The Anticipation
After shaving regularly for many weeks, taking several days off sure felt strange. I hadn't shaved since Saturday and I was starting to feel slightly more than scruffy. A shave was in order and the Friodur was just the tool for removing that many days of growth. I usually shave in the evening, but being off work with an empty apartment, I decided to go for a mid-morning shave, at my leisure. To accompany the triumphant return of this monster of a razor, I opted for my Truefitt & Hill Trafalgar products, cream, ASB and cologne, as well as my Robert Becker #9 scuttle and my Frank Shaving 28mm Richmond Silvertip brush.

The Prep
I took my morning shower slow and leisurely, allowing the hot water to wake me up and soften my beard. Real Shaving Creamy Face Wash did the honours on my face, while I continue to enjoy RazoRock Artisan Sandalwood Bar Soap in the shower. After that, I was on to the next step, my 'roo strop from episaacs. I've written my thoughts about the strop in my previous entry, so I won't get into it too deeply here, but suffice it to say that I highly recommend a kangaroo leather strop to anyone, based on my experience. Perfect draw, great feedback, supple and tough. What more could you want from a strop? With that done, I pulled my brush out of the scuttle's soaking reservoir and deposited a daub of Trafalgar in the bowl, ready for some suds.

The Lather
This brush is great with creams. It performs quite well with soaps, too, as it's pretty dense despite losing quite a few hairs during its first month of existence. Now that it's settled down, it has turned into a lather monster. Building up great amounts of wonderfully fragrant Trafalgar lather, the brush swirled and whipped its way to a huge bowl of frothy white, which it promptly applied to my face with all the roughness of a soft pillow. It was wonderful. I am a big fan of my boar brushes for their backbone with soft tips, but this brush is a completely different sensation. It's like a pillow running over your face. A lathery pillow of goodness. I had enough for three full passes of comfortable shaving, plus some touch-ups and the brush probably still had enough for another round. Too much product? Likely, but I'd prefer and abundant lather to running out.

The Shave
It was a dream. Maxi touched up the edge on the Friodur after he gave it its new suit, which resulted in a sublime edge that mowed down five days of whiskers like they weren't even there. The hollow ground razor whispered to me as is worked, telling me all about what it was doing and where it was going. With each stroke, I was reminded why I love this hobby and why this razor knocked my socks off the first time I used it. Three full passes went by almost too quickly, as I went WTG, XTG and XTG/ATG with ease. On the touch-ups, all was fine until the very last stroke, when I got a bit greedy and left myself with a final ding on the chin area. It didn't bleed much and the styptic got the best of it, so all was right with my shave.

The Post
Copious amounts of cold water removed the lather from my face, leaving me refreshed, alert and feeling alive. I applied the alum and followed that with more cold water, leaving me blowing like a buffalo as I came up for air. That done, I applied the witch hazel and, while I let it settle for a minute or two, I rinsed my brush and scuttle and returned them to their resting places. Then it was time for the Trafalgar ASB, which soothed, moisturized and left my face feeling wonderful. It had been a while since I'd used Trafalgar, so this reminded me why this scent stuck out for me amongst the T&H lineup. I was left clean, smooth and smelling good, so I can't complain about that!

The Verdict
This is a dream razor for me. I love the big blade and the length, along with the Spanish point which allows me to do the fine work around the nostrils without much trouble. It is smooth and easy, well-balanced with the new scales and overall I just plain love it! I am quite pleased with today's shave, especially because it's been a while since I had one this good. Despite going that one step too far and dinging my chin trying to be too perfect, overall, things felt good. Ace just recently posted a very wise piece of advice: you don't need a perfect shave, you just need a good one. There's no such thing as perfect, but today's shave was damn good!

I think it's safe to say that nobody's perfect, but we all have a good time on The Straight Road!

Well, that time of year is upon us and I'll be embroiled in family visits, dinners and quality time over the next few days. Then next week we have another shop day scheduled at Maxi's, so hopefully we'll be able to produce some Razor porn for you. For all of you who celebrate, I wish you a wonderful Christmas with your families. For those who celebrate different holidays, I wish you all the best of the season. Enjoy yourselves and your family time, as it is all too little and precious.

I'll be back soon with more of my fumbles and foibles on The Straight Road!

Thanks for reading.

Cheers,

Jack

The Straight Road - Part 50: The Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, in my humble man cave
With an early dinner looming, it was time for a shave.
To the bathroom I hurried, with a wind at my back
The products I selected, were all named Tabac.

A shower for prep, followed by a good stropping,
Once I got started, there was no chance of stopping.
The Kangaroo leather was just right for the job,
A quick shave for the road, and my uncle was Bob.

In the living room space, there arose a great cry,
Despite all my preparations, the time had flown by.
Away to the shower, I flew like a flash,
I scrubbed my belly, my chest, my neck and my...

From the stall I emerged, all shiny and clean,
Though I swore in years past, my belly was more lean.
I picked up the brush, then a lather I started,
After rich food for lunch, twas no surprise when I...

The lather was rich, the Friodur was smooth,
The cream was selected, for its ability to soothe.
The first pass was a joy, the second one too,
Then a third followed those, with a touch-up, or two!

The razor continued, to wow me with ease
I would gladly shave with it, all year if you please!
Though Tabac's not my fave, it got the job done with style!
The clean, soapy scent, moved my face to a smile.

On the second pass through, I nicked my upper lip,
Despite very little pressure, just using the razor's tip.
There's a lesson in that, though I haven't learned it yet,
Something about taking it slowly, I'll bet.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard the phone ring
My brother was calling, it was time to do our thing.
I rinsed off my face, with water so cold,
Then applied some alum, in a manner most bold.

Though it stung quite a bit, there was comfort to be found
I followed with witch hazel, then puttered around.
The brush in its place, the scuttle away
Their places of honour, secured for the day.

My face was so smooth, like the bottom of a baby!
Would my wife love it? I could only hope, maybe!
The aftershave splash, stung only a bit
Then I took out the balm, ready to apply a hit.

The scent wasn't bad, though it isn't my fave
I can understand why, it causes some to rave.
If I were forced to choose, it wouldn't be first,
But neither can I say that, Tabac is the worst.

My shave was all done, with no rash or burn,
All I could think of, was I was glad I gave a turn,
To this classic shaving scent, which always gets the job done,
I have to admit, it was also quite fun.

The hour was upon me, my time was all done,
In another few minutes, I'd be forced to run.
So cleaning the sink, I applied the cool balm,
My wife was beginning, to lose her sense of calm!

So I finished my shave, then the blade I did clean,
Then I stropped it well, to keep it nice and keen.
I proceeded to dress, ready for food and drink,
It would be a pleasant night, I started to think.

Smelling fresh and clean, I headed out of the door.
To find my family waiting, on the first floor.
To all my friends on The Straight Road, I say with a wave:
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good shave!"

Merry Christmas!

Jack

Great Job on the Poem Jack. I love how it matches your typical report with a festive delivery. Happy Holidays.

Originally Posted by Tattooface

Great Job on the Poem Jack. I love how it matches your typical report with a festive delivery. Happy Holidays.

Thanks, man. Same to you and yours. Tomorrow we've got a shop day at Maxi's, so hopefully I'll have some more goodies to show off!

The Straight Road - Part 51: Holiday Shave
Shaves have been few and far between during my holidays, which has actually turned out to be a good thing, as it has finally allowed my neck to heal 100% from the ingrowns that have plagued me since before I started traditional shaving. Given that I have to shave more frequently when I'm at work, the ingrowns never healed fully and left me with bumps and irritation. My last shave was on the 24th, which left me with very little in the way of neck trouble. Tuesday was a shop day, as Maxi and I spent about 5 or 6 hours in the shop, working a few different blades of mine on the buffers and some new scales, as well. The three razors that I worked on will all soon be put back to work, so I am excited about the progress. Maxi also worked on some of his razors and we took the time to introduce a new straight shaver to the hobby, as Wally, a recent convert to straights, joined us. Maxi walked him through a honing and I received word from him yesterday that he had enjoyed his first ever straight shave.

After our shop day at Maxi's I had razors on the mind, though yesterday was dedicated to SWMBO Jr. as I took her out to one of the many public skating rinks that dot the city of Toronto to give her a first-ever lesson. As shocking as it might be in Canada, it was her first time on skates at the age of 7, though she picked it up pretty quickly and after about 45 minutes was moving pretty well. I also got the chance to pick up a stick for the first time in about 15 years and skate for a bit of shinny, which was a blast. My 67-year-old dad can still play, too, so we had a great time all around. Today I was a bit stiff from using muscles long-dormant, but a hot shower and shave would put things right.

The Anticipation
After a full five days without a shave, it was a tough call as to which razor I would use first. I received my second kamisori, which still hasn't been shave-tested, but I also had been meaning to get a shave in with my Bow Razor, which I will be using for the JaNorton experiment. In the end, I opted for the W&B, along with Proraso Pre/Post, Cella and Dominica Bay Rum. An interesting combination of scents and products, but in the end they did a superlative job. Five days of whiskers were about to come off, so it was time to get ready.

The Prep
I have gushed about it before, but I'm going to probably do it a few more times in this space. My 'roo strop is a thing of beauty. Now I understand when people say you will find a strop that feels right for you, in terms of draw and feedback. I think I've found it, though of course my tastes may change as time passes. Either way, it's a great strop and I suggest trying one if you have the chance. I put the Bow Razor through its paces on the leather, then laid it aside so I could shower. I also filled my scuttle with very hot tap water, dunked my Semogue Owner's Club Premium Boar in the reservoir and hopped in for a good scrub. I finished with Real Shaving Creamy Face wash, towelled down and applied the Proraso. Then I took my sample container of Cella in one hand and my brush in the other.

The Lather
There are those who swear by Cella and I can see why. It's got a nice, pleasant scent, not too strong, but definitely distinctive. There is sort of a marzipan flavour there, sweet, but enjoyable. It also lathers with superlative ease, allowing for plenty of comfortable, cushiony and slick suds which permit your blade to glide across your face. Despite that, I'm not sure if I would add it to my keepers list, as there are too many other soaps I've tried that I like better. Nonetheless, the Semogue combined with Cella and my Robert Becker scuttle, as well as some help from good old H₂O, to provide me with an abundant lather with more than enough for three passes, plus touch-ups. I'd say, if you're curious about Cella, give it a go with a sample, as you can't go wrong that way and it's well-liked enough that there are many who would gladly receive it as a PIF or in trade.

The Shave
This W&B Bow Razor, quite simply, rocks. It feels like I'm shaving a butter knife across my face, but the whiskers disappear like nobody's business. It is incredibly smooth and easy to manipulate, which makes me very excited to try the other four Bow Razors I now have in my collection. The best part about this shaver is that I honed it myself, with a finish on the Norton 8k, which indicates that, with some refinement of my technique, there is every reason to think this could shave even BETTER in the future! The initial, WTG pass was so easy I was checking to ensure the razor was actually shaving, but there was no question the whiskers were going away. After that, it was smooth sailing with no nicks or dings until pass number three, where I snagged a small spot where there appears to be the beginnings of an irritated follicle on my neck. Luckily, it was a tiny cut and shouldn't take too long to heal. I will likely give it a couple of days before my next shave to see how it goes. My technique continues to improve along with my confidence, so much so that I'm finding the XTG/ATG pass I've been doing on my neck to be very comfortable and even the chin is getting easier. This razor is very nice and stands up easily to any of the high-priced shavers in my den.

The Post
My routine here is pretty much set, with cold water coming first, followed by alum, more cold, then witch hazel. Once the WH is on, I rinse and clean scuttle and brush, which did a great job today. I haven't said much about the SOC, but it is probably one of the best brushes around for my needs. Enough backbone but soft tips, it doesn't prickle my face nor does it flop. I don't know that I'd rank it above the Pro 49, but I have to give it high marks all the same. I'm surprised at how much of a boar guy I am becoming, though I'm still not ready to give up on the badgers. Anyway, brush away, I proceeded with the Dominica Bay Rum, which hardly stung at all, a testament to the smooth, mild edge on the Bow and perhaps, maybe, a little bit of improving technique on my part. That done, I moisturized with Trumper's unscented balm and I was ready to go.

The Verdict
It always feels great to have a great shave like today. The smoothness, the comfort and the result all combined for one of those nirvana-like moments where, as I finished my shave, I was in a mild state of euphoria. I honestly found myself wishing I could shave again later in the day, it was that pleasant. If every shave were like this one, I think I would shave twice a day, though my poor face wouldn't be able to handle it. Is it strange to daydream about a straight shave?

I bet there are a lot of daydreamers on The Straight Road!

Today was a leisurely day on The Straight Road as SWMBO was at work and SWMBO Jr. went to the ballet with her grandma. I popped in to Lee Valley and picked up a Nagura stone, as well as popping by the ofifce to check the mail, with yielded my latest Bow Razor acquisition, with which I am quite delighted, given the condition of the blade. Now that I have five Bow Razors, there is a strong possibility of a seven-day set. I've also ordered some more horn which, after the success of Maxi's work on my Friodur, will likely grace a few of these venerable Wade & Butcher creations.

Here are the day's SGAD fruits:


All in all, I can't complain about such a wonderful day. I might even get another shave in this year!

Thanks for reading.

Cheers,

Jack