Thread: The Noob Chronicle - My Straight Razor Experience

Wow, that 1K challenge makes a lot of sense. It kinda of defines my whole approach to sharpening, though I guess setting a proper bevel is just something I assumed. I dont move on until I have what I like at the low stones, then I just smoothed out those scratches with the next couple stones and finally I give the edge a good inspection and test cuts. After that its just rubbing scratches till the old scratches are gone, grabbing another stone and repeating in a different direction. Except with a razor I can create the edge on 1K (okay i used a DMT Fine, 600 grit) and it just gets a bit finer from there. Then the big plus is the bevel is like 1/8" or 1/16" an inch at 2 inches long. I unfortunately could not participate as I just got done with the C-nat-athon. My second hone shaved as good as the first!

Well I hope your insanities stay within a reasonable amount, all your bevels stay set and your bowl stays full!

The Straight Road - Part 76: Marlborough Country
Well, it's been another interesting week on The Straight Road, starting off on Monday morning when we awoke to SWMBO Jr. and a 39 C fever, which meant I was staying home with her. Monday was fairly uneventful as I did what work I could without my computer from the office and making sure to keep an eye on her. Unfortunately, Tuesday wasn't any better, so I had my laptop couriered up from the office so I could do some work. Naturally, for those two days, I didn't bother with shaving, though I did get a fair bit of work done. Finally, on Wednesday, I asked SWMBO to get a supply for herself for Thursday so I could get to the office, as missing a whole week wasn't in the cards based on how much needed to be done. That meant a shave on Wednesday afternoon, which is where this chronicle kicks off. This week's kit of choice was Marlborough from DR Harris with my Friodur and Semogue Owners Club, a formidable lineup, indeed.

Wednesday

The Anticipation
After three days at home with a sick kid, I was grumpy and scruffy. With SWMBO on her way home, I figured I'd get cleaned up and have dinner ready, so I headed in for a nice hot shower and shave. Knowing the lineup that was waiting for me, I knew I was in for a treat, so off I went.

The Prep
The hot shower, naturally, followed by a nice stropping of the blade with 50 passes on the 'roo. I had forgotten to soak the brush before getting in the shower, so I ran it under hot water for a minute while I stropped, while also letting the top of the soap soak. With the pre-shave steps out of the way, it was time to dive into the real business.

The Lather
This brush combined with this soap make for a delightful lather. DR Harris soaps have been a joy for me, performing better that any other hard soap I've tried so far, though it's a close thing with MWF. The face-lathering I did with the SOC and the Marlborough got me a thick, abundant and creamy lather, which was slick and protective. Really, I can't complain about any part of it.

The Shave
Another winner, the Henckels 8/8 Friodur, simply wiped the three days of growth off my face like nothing. It took two passes and some touch ups to get me clean and smooth, though I admit to having to take a bit of extra time under the nose area due to the large size of the blade. I find that I need to be careful in the soul patch area, even after all these months, but my stroke is much more confident and I am happy to report that I went completely nick-free.

The Post
I decided to go with alum after a thorough rinse with cold water. Of late, I've been skipping the alum and I think I might do so again in the future. I've noticed that, with certain soaps that dry a bit more, using alum leaves my skin a bit more dry than I'd like, even with moisturizer. Following the alum, I applied the DRH Marlborough splash, then some Trumper's Fragrance Free balm, after that, it was the DRH cologne and I was ready to receive my beautiful wife when she arrived home.

The Verdict
That was a heck of a shave that left me feeling good and smooth, happy with the products and the hardware used to achieve it. A lot of the frustration from my early days has dissipated, which is a great feeling. Shaving is now a pleasurable ritual of relaxation during my week, an oasis of calm. Good stuff!

Friday

The Anticipation
I had been on a bit of a run of morning shaves not too long ago, so I decided to have another one on Friday morning to help start the day off right, especially after the great shave I got on Wednesday.

The Prep
The regular hot shower, with Real Shaving Creamy Face Wash to help condition things. This time, I had remembered to pre-soak the brush, pre-strop the blade and pre-wet the soap, so out of the shower it was straight to the suds.

The Lather
Once again, the SOC and the DRH soap delivered in spades. I've been neglecting my scuttle a little bit with all the face lathering lately, but, hey, it works! There was plenty of lather for two passes, with touch-ups and enough left over to wash my hands.

The Shave
Not much else to say here that hasn't been said before. I ended up smooth and the shave was easy. The only extra comment I might add is, the blade felt a touch less smooth than last time, which I figured could be fixed up with a touch-up on the balsa strop.

The Verdict
Not a bad way to start the day. Smelling good, feeling good and looking good!

Saturday
With Toronto playing on Saturday against the visitors from Columbus, it was soccer day for me, so I decided to get cleaned up and hope my good feeling would transmit to the team and we'd get a win!

This shave was just another wonderful continuation of the week's success. After touching up the edge on the razor with 25 passes on the CrOx side, 25 on the FeOx side and 50 on the 'roo strop, I dived into the shave and got an even better shave than I had on Friday. Unfortunately, my preparation and my ritual had no bearing on the outcome of the game, a 1-nil loss. Still, at least I looked and smelled great. Sometimes the shave rescues what could otherwise be a bad day.

After all, life's too short for too many bad days on The Straight Road!

This week coming up should be fun! We've got a meetup for the Toronto area SRP members on Saturday, Friday is a day off and the weather is shaping up to be pleasant. I've got a Gold Dollar razor on loan to test it out, so it will be interesting to try this notorious razor and see how the shave goes.

Until then, have a great one and thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Jack

I went for a flashback after reading that. Reading up on page one, oh what a difference 5 days short of 6 months makes! Imma make a quiet toast to you when your done. You sir have done a lot of hard work, and not only persisted in the shaves, but in documenting them.

The Straight Road - Part 77: Closing In
After a couple of weeks without writing up my shaves, I've only had five shaves to my name! Things have been hectic, as usual, and I've also been a bit under the weather, with a bad back for a whole week and a pretty decent hangover somewhere in the middle there. Of course, last weekend was the occasion for a great straight shavers meet-up in the Toronto area, as we were hosted by Dllandry at the Legion hall in Scarborough. As usual, the even was a hit, with wonderful food, good people, some beer (yeah, some haha) and, of course, razors and hones. We put Maxi to work, showing us some of his honing techniques on different stones as he helped us with our troublesome razors. I was lucky enough to have him give me a hand with the W&B near wedge that's been tying my honing skills in knots for the past month or so. I also picked up a really nice W&B Bow Razor blade from Dllandry, which had spent some time in his tumbler. It really came out great and now I need to get the scales put on, so I can add another beauty to my rotation. The other nice little surprise of the past two weeks was the arrival of a Gold Dollar 300 razor, which was loaned to me by a member of the wet shaving community. These razors have been the source of much controversy, but when they are worked into shaving shape (no task for a beginner, that's for sure), they can be made to shave very well. As it's been a while, I will summarize my weeks of shaving, as opposed to one at a time.


April 1-7



This was the week of the Gold Dollar, during which I was able to squeeze in two straight shaves and a DE shave on Good Friday. The gear of choice for the week was TOBS Shaving Shop, which is a less popular lineup, but whose scent and performance I have come to quite enjoy. The brush I chose to test alongside the Chinese steel was my trusty bocote handle with the TGN Finest knot, which is a face-lathering champ. Yes, that's right, I face-lathered my cream, rather than using the scuttle. At this point in my journey, there is not much sense in me extolling the virtues of the lathering properties of my products and hardware, as those who have read my stuff will know them by now. That said, I'll simply comment that both on Monday and on Wednesday, the TOBS did not let me down, producing a wonderful, protective lather that lasted for two passes touch-ups. The Gold Dollar did the job admirably, removing the stubble of two days of growth with no trouble whatsoever. Again, I won't recommend that a new shaver buy these razors, but if you want a cheap piece of half-decent steel with which to fool around, mod or otherwise play, this might be a good place to start.

By the end of the first week of April, things had gone very well with my GD, but on Good Friday we were having a bit of a lazy day around the house, so I decided to pull out the Proraso and the Gillette Fatboy, into which I slipped a Feather blade and went for three passes, which got me a very nice shave, though not as nice as I can get with a straight. I do think I need some more practice with a DE before my technique will approach that of my straight shaving.

Saturday was, of course, the meet-up, so there was no shaving done by me. A lot of drinking, though. Probably too much!

April 8-14



After the meet-up, I was in no mood to shave on Sunday, nor was I in very good shape, as I had fallen asleep on the couch in our living room, which tends to do bad things to my back. Good thing our boss had given us the day off on Monday, so I was able to at least rest it for one more day. This also gave me a chance to try the edge on my W&B, which had been bugging me for a while. I decided I'd use a luxurious and reliable line of shaving products, so I opted for my RazoRock King Louis Lavender lineup, as well as my Semogue 1460, which is breaking in to become quite a nice little brush. Monday's shave was alright, but I must say I had a bit of a challenge with holding my position in front of the mirror due to my stiff back. I also found that, having not used the KLL soap in a while, that I didn't add as much water into the lather as was needed, so the lather dried on me a bit. On top of those two bumps in the road, the heavy blade on this razor just didn't feel all that comfortable for me. I also found that I had to do an extra pass to get the same quality of shave that I usually get in two passes from my hollow ground razors. So there was definitely some adjustment required there. In the end, I found a couple of whiskers were missed during my shave, so I used my little kamisori to touch up after I had applied the ASB. Thursday's shave was much the same, though I did find that I got a close shave on the chin area and had less stray whiskers missed, which would seem to indicate some progress. The KLL lather was also much better the second time around, as the amount of water required to get it to lather well came back to me. This is one benefit I'm finding of my latest technique of sticking with one lineup for at least a week is that I get to know both the blade and the products much more intimately. I am considering trying a month with the same gear, which would allow me to really dial in the technique and also to do some edge testing off the hones.

The final shave of the week was this afternoon, as I ducked into the bathroom to escape SWMBO's wrath at not having shaved for a few days and to get out of her way so she could sweep and mop (tasks which, even though she's now almost up to 5 months, she won't relinquish to me - not that I'm complaining too loudly yet). Today's shave followed the same pattern as the previous two, as I felt a bit more comfortable with the razor and the lather was my best one yet with that brush/soap combination. In the end, I was left smooth and smelling great, which felt really good at the end of a busy weekend.

All in all, I'd say I'm moving along nicely in my progress down The Straight Road!

This week saw me ding shave number 94 of my first 100 straight razor shaves (yes, I counted). Only a few more and I guess I'll graduate from being a total noob to only a beginner? Anyway, whatever the "ranking system" may say, I am certainly happy that I found this little corner of the world, from the people, to the experience, it's been only positive.

Next blog might just include shave number 100! I'll have to pick the gear very carefully for that momentous occasion.

Until next time, thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Jack

Thank you so much for the inspiration. Currently i am sitting here 5 razors sitting on my desk. None are truly shave ready but i make due. So far i have gotten my best shave by "honing" with a 2k grit wet/dry sand paper and then stropping with red iron oxide (0.1 micron) paste. This so far has only been my 7th shave but i still haven't sent any of my razors out. gluten for punishment i guess. i do Plan on getting my own hones, but first i have contacted one of the forums members to see if he would agree to meeting up with a lurker such as myself.
I am one of those people that i like to see things done. the honing process is one of those things as i plan on getting a set of stones for myself and learning the process. Your story has inspired me to continue the quest for a perfect shave.

The Straight Road - Part 78: DEtour

As seems to be the norm of late, it has been a while since my previous entry here. The past few weeks have shown no signs of slowing down, which probably means I need to organize my time a little differently, rather than waiting for life to calm itself. After my last run with the big W&B, I have been having my doubts about whether or not I am going to like the wedge blades. I've also noticed a similar issue with my Manhattan Cutlery, which is a big, heavy blade (not quite a wedge, but close). I'm sure some technique issues are at fault here, but we shall see.

After my last report, the first opportunity I had for a straight shave came on the following Tuesday, which puts it back to April 17th. For the opportunity, I chose to go with my large Manhattan Cutlery and the Real Shaving lineup, which has always done a good job for me, along with my Frank Shaving Badger brush. The shave was passable, but, as with the big wedge, I didn't find I got as much feel and feedback as I do with the more hollow-ground razors. Of course, that's a personal preference, especially given how light my beard is, so it's most definitely not a recommendation on my part.

After that shave, I took a bit of a break from straights, shaving mainly with my Gillette Fat Boy and a Feather blade. This DEtour lasted about four shaves before, last Friday, I was finally back to the straights, picking a kamisori out for my return!

Friday Shave
I pulled the Nagamasa kamisori off the shelf for this one, as I hadn't had a good shave with it before and wanted to give it another go. For my soft goods, I went with the wonderful RazoRock King Louis Lavender lineup, which I always enjoy. For a brush, my Semogue Owners Club premium boar was up for the job, so it was shave time!



The Anticipation
Well, having not shaved with a straight for a while, and plain not having shaved in a few days, I had stubble and a keen desire to see that stubble disappear. I'll preface by saying that this razor is sharp. All razors are sharp, of course, but this one, after battling to get it honed, is now what you might call "scary sharp". In fact, at our last meetup, Dllandry called it just that. So I was looking forward to conquering this blade, which had given me some issues in the past.

The Prep
As I had showered the night before, I opted to give my face a good soaking with hot water for a minute or two, to prime the whiskers. Then I applied the RazoRock KLL Shaving Gel, which works as a great preshave. This whole process probably only took a few minutes, but it was well worth the effort. The Nagamasa passed calmly and surely over the SRD Premium IV leather, which is my strop of choice lately since I sliced my 'roo strop

The Lather
When you work with a winning combination like the SOC and RazoRock soap, you can't go wrong. Lather for three passes or more, though I only did two with touch-ups. Luxurious, creamy lather. Wonderful.

The Shave
Using almost negative pressure, I barely skimmed this killer razor over my face, to great success. The first pass was pain-free, with no nicks or weepers, while the second came off without a hitch. Even the up-under-the-chin stroke, which often gives me trouble with kamisori, was smooth. The real key was lightening my pressure to the point of almost not touching my skin at all. Something to keep in mind.

The Post
Here's where RazoRock products really shine (well, they shine all over, but the post-shave stuff is wonderful). I spritzed on some of the KLL aftershave, which is really nice and natural, with some cooling menthol in it. Then I applied the wax, which is likely their top product. This is my desert island lineup of shaving products, so bear with my effusive praise here: I love this stuff!

The Verdict
It felt good to get back to straight razors and especially to conquer the kamisori which had given me razorburn and nicks in the past. Hopefully, I had returned to the Straight Road from my DEtour!

Sunday Afternoon
Sunday was lazy day around the house, up until the afternoon, when we found out that mom was coming over to visit and bringing dinner. Luckily, we had done our weekly housework, so all that was left was to clear ourselves up and be ready.

The Anticipation
It had been a while since I'd used my DOVO Ironwood (or so it felt, anyway) so I took it off the razor stand and gave it a good stropping. For some reason SWMBO is a huge fan of the scent of Real Shaving products, so I opted to give her a treat and use them again, even though they aren't my favourite in terms of lather or scent.

The Prep
A long, hot shower was in order, with Real Shaving Exfoliating scrub, naturally, followed by the application of their preshave oil.

The Lather
My Bryce C Silvertip Ironwood brush is truly a work of art. Hefty, solid handle, soft, abundant bristles and very handsome wood combine to make a really nice shaving brush. Though I'm more of a fan of my finest badger and premium boar, I still enjoy the performance of the silvertip brushes from time to time. This one is right up there and whipped up a nice batch of creamy foam for me, with more than enough for two passes, touch ups and lather left over to shave twice!

The Shave
As is always the case with this razor, it feels like a butterknife on the face, but the whiskers get removed. Simply wonderful steel and a great Maxi edge. Two passes with touch-ups left me as smooth as I ever get, feeling good and looking like a million bucks (at least, in my own eyes!).

The Post
After the closeness of my previous kamisori shave, I did have a couple of areas where the hairs had been slightly ingrown, right under the point of the chin, so this shave irritated those spots a bit, though I hardly noticed it happening during the shave. For the first time in a long time, I applied alum to calm that one area. That done, I use the RS ASB to good effect, then finished everything off with their facial moisturizer (alum tends to really dry out my skin).

The Verdict
Apart from the little spot under the chin, this was another in the ever-increasing inventory of great shaves I've been getting lately. Can't complain about that! This was shave number 97, so we're closing in on 100 and my supposed graduation from Noob Territory!

Thursday Morning
After a great shave on Sunday, I ended up getting lazy this week and not dragging my butt out of bed early enough to shave until Thursday, so I had 3 days worth of stubble with which to contend.

The Anticipation
This was a necessary shave! I was starting to look a bit like a hobo with several days of scraggly, scruffy growth on my face. I had a bit of trouble deciding which products to use, but in the end I settled on a reliable choice: the 8/8 Friodur with DR Harris Marlborough products.

The Prep
My regular hot shower prep, combined with a good stropping for the blade and, of course, a thorough pre-soaking of the Omega Pro 49, as well as priming the soap before getting in the shower. These steps all help to ensure the lather will be rich and abundant.

The Lather
DRH soaps really are champions of the suds. I've always had good results from Marlborough, Arlington and Almond, so far. Of course, it doesn't hurt when you combine it with the big Pro 49, which could probably whip lather out of a stone! Two passes, touch-ups, lather everywhere!

The Shave
Once again, we were contending with several days worth of growth here. The big Friodur just laughed as it mowed the whiskers down, leaving things smooth and irritation free. It's surprisingly nimble for an 8/8, probably due to being quite hollow and light, especially when compared to the W&B or the Manhattan. The Spanish point also makes it easier to get in under the nose and do the fine work there. All in all, a rousing success.

The Post
DRH has been around for a long time and there's a reason for that. They make damn good products. The Marlborough aftershave, which is a lovely scent of cedar and sandalwood, has just a touch of menthol for a nice cooling effect. It hardly stung, thanks, I'm sure, to the great edge on the Friodur (Maxi again!). That done, I applied the cologne, then finished things off with a little bit of Trumper's Fragrance Free lotion, to help with moisturizing on my dryness-prone face.

The Verdict
98 down and, quite possibly, this was the best shave I've had from a straight razor yet. I can't think of a better one in terms of comfort, closeness, confidence and overall feel. Just sublime!

My noob stage is almost done, but I get the feeling that the good times are only just beginning on The Straight Road!

I want to pick a special razor for my 100th shave, but I'm having a tough time doing so. Originally, I was thinking maybe I could use my Bow Razor, but that still needs to have the scales attached and I haven't found the time for that lately! Maybe there's still a chance, but it's not looking good. There's also the Le Canadien, which was the first really nice new razor I bought and also will always be special, just because of the patriotic implications. I also have my ERN, which was the second razor I ever bought (the first has moved on to a good home with a new shaver who will enjoy it, I'm sure), so perhaps something about coming full circle?

Decisions, decisions...

Cheers,

Jack

How did you slice your roo strop? Double O

It was just one of those bonehead moments where I let my mind wander while stropping and my flip wasn't good, so the razor started back down the strop blade-first.

So where is 99 & 100?

I still laugh when I read how you described your left hand during the first shaves.

Originally Posted by LameBMX

So where is 99 & 100?

I still laugh when I read how you described your left hand during the first shaves.

Funny you should ask that today. 99 was a while ago and 100 just happened this afternoon. I'll have the writeup done tomorrow, as today was one of those running around days with hardly any time to sit down and get it done

I'd actually been putting it off so I could have a memorable shave without having to hurry.