Thread: The Noob Chronicle - My Straight Razor Experience

The Straight Road - Part 36: Flower Power
Thursday evening saw me back on The Straight Road, eager for another shave after my success with my Friodur/MWF/Omega Pro 49 combination of the previous evening. I still don't have a set product rotation, though I have been trying to rotate my seven preferred brushes, with only the Vulfix 2234 (Old Floppy) being left out more often than not. I still have a ton of samples from Trumper, T&H and Garry's Sample Shop (which are a variety). Soaps, a few creams and lots of colognes and EdTs. This has been a great exercise as I have definitely found some "keepers" this way without breaking the bank. After all, the bank has already been broken by SGAD, so I don't need to beat it into the ground on top of that. Thursday called for my Dovo 6/8 "Not a Bismarck" Ironwood with my Bryce C 24mm Silvertip Ironwood. On top of that, I decided to go floral, with Trumper's Rose SC, Coral Skin Food and Milk of Flowers Cologne.

The Anticipation
I must admit to a certain sense of trepidation as I thought of Thursday's shave. The Dovo Ironwood has given me consistently nice smooth shaves and Jarrod from The Superior Shave deserves a nod here for the sweet edge he put on the blade. That said, the Friodur was going to be a tough act to follow. My Bryce C Ironwood Brush was in a similar situation, up against the Pro 49 in a clear clash of styles. One a mass-produced, plastic-handled boar stinker which ended up turning into something amazing, the other a piece of art, hand-crafted and set with a top-quality silvertip knot, still not quite free of its badger funk. With new products, a different brush and razor combo and following on the heels of my best shave yet, how would the Desert Ironwood Duo stack up?

The Prep
The kettle started to whistle, signalling the beginning of my shaving ritual. Heading into the bathroom with a full scuttle, I had to empty out a bit of water to ensure that only the knot of my brush was soaking, not the handle. The finish on this brush isn't as ironclad as some of my other ones, so soaking it won't do it any favours. I have been rubbing on some neatsfoot oil after each shave to try to keep the area around the base of the knot from drying out. That done, I was in and out of the shower quite quickly, opting for the Real Shaving Creamy Face Wash and a fast scrubdown. Taking up the small container of Trumper's Rose Shaving Cream, I collected a dollop of the pink stuff on my finger and deposited it in the bottom of my Robert Becker #9 Scuttle. Lather time!

The Lather
There is no mistaking this shaving cream. If you took the label off and put it in a plain container, it would easily be identifiable as rose. First of all, it's pink. Very pink. Second, the scent is a delightful rose scent that smells pretty much exactly like the flower, only without that annoying sneezing that I usually get around fresh flowers in bloom. The scent is pretty strong, however, and I think I might prefer the soap version, which would undoubtedly be less powerful. That said, it was certainly pleasant and quite a change from the products I am accustomed to using so far. The lather itself was quite abundant, cushiony and creamy, though not as protective as the MWF from the previous evening. I have been finding my lathers a touch foamy in the bowl, but they seem to become more creamy on the face as I lather them on, so I will have to do some more practicing and see about my technique. Nonetheless, I had enough slightly pinkish lather for three passes and touch-ups, nice and fragrant and warm.

The Shave
Point of view is a funny thing. I have had great shaves with this razor and last night's shave was certainly up there, but after coming off the revelation of the previous evening, this one certainly didn't have me as enthused. By no means was it disappointing. On the contrary, it was smooth and enjoyable, but it just didn't have me smiling as much as the Friodur. I suspect that could be due to the contrast between the Le Canadien debacle, where the Friodur reminded me what it was like to shave with a proper edge, so the Dovo just continued that, rather than showing the stark difference between a noob's edge and an experienced honer's edge.

The shave went quite well and I had more than enough lather for my three passes, all of which were quite comfortable. I have been trying to dial in the chin area lately, which has lead to some experimentation there. This is both a good and bad thing. Good because I'm getting better at cleaning up the chin area, bad because I invariably manage to nick myself around there at some point every other shave or so. Last night was no exception to this as, while trying a slightly different grip and approach, I felt the edge begin to bite me. Luckily, I was using a light enough touch to pull the razor off immediately and only got a small scratch, which didn't even bleed much, though it left a mark.

All in all, I ended up smooth, which is the goal of this.

The Movember Report
It as pretty easy to get around the 'stache with this razor, as I'm getting used to having it there. I still want to get rid of it, so I can't wait until next week when it goes bye-bye. I have been promising a photo, so here it is. You'll note the dings on my chin from my experimentation.



The Post
I have been getting pretty dry and tight skin on my face after my shaves recently, so I decided to forego the alum block and just use witch hazel after a cold water rinse. That done, I cleaned my brush and scuttle and put them in their respective places on the shelf, then applied Trumper's Coral Skin Food. It's not a bad balm, but I don't think it's going on the list. I find the scent a bit to sweetly floral for my tastes. It doesn't do a bad job of moisturizing, but I still had to apply the unscented Trumper's later on. After that, I dabbed on some Milk of Flowers, which I also found too sweet and candy-like for my tastes.

The Verdict
The shave was very nice and I feel like I am back on track. Not quite a MWF-quality lather, but the Trumper's cream did a nice job. The razor and brush combo are great and will stay in my rotation for a long time. There was very little burn, with only a touch along the jawline where I may have done one too many passes, hoping to clean up a small area that probably didn't really need it. Overall, I am pleased with how the shave went and I feel like my uncertainty from the past few days is a thing of the past. It's nice to lay my doubts to rest and continue to learn and improve.

Another bump in The Straight Road is behind me and it's time to forge ahead!

I have a big event for work this evening, so I'm not sure I'll get in time for a shave. Then tomorrow I'll be heading up to Maxi's to drool over his workshop and pick his brain on ideas for all my RAD restoration projects. I might also get him to give me a honing tip or two. Or twenty. Hopefully, we can get my Snakewood Le Candadien and the Manhattan Cutlery in shaving shape, so I can add new variety to the shaving rotation. I'm sure I'll have plenty to report.

Until then, thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Jack

The Straight Road - Part 37 - Friday Evening Shave & Saturday Workshop Visit
It's been a bit of a whirlwind 24 hours on The Straight Road. Last evening I had to go to a gala event, so I scooted home from work to get cleaned up, shave and head down to the venue. This morning I was up and packed my shaving paraphernalia for a short trip up to Maxi's house, which is only about a 25 minute walk from mine, for a lesson in honing, restoration and scale-making. There's a lot to tell, so let's get down to business.

Friday Night
I probably could have done without a shave, given I had done a solid, three-pass shave the previous evening, but then again, this isn't always about need. A hectic week and a hectic run home to my apartment meant I was almost compelled to shave, even though time was at a premium. SWMBO Jr. was to be picked up befor+e 6PM from her daycare, a short walk away, while I arrived home shortly before 5PM. That set the stage for my evening's shave.

The Anticipation
Over last weekend I managed to sell some computer parts I had on offer on another online community, so my PayPal balance beckoned. I'm sure many of you can understand the seductive whisperings of a fat PayPal wallet, which in the end were too enticing to avoid. I pulled the trigger on the full lineup of Shaving Shop by Taylor of Old Bond Street, which consisted of cream, balm, splash and cologne. Naturally, these turned up on Friday afternoon, necessitating a shave on Friday evening before heading out to my event. I had tried a few dabs of the cologne while at work and found it a bit strong at first, but then it settled down into a nice "shaving cream" scent, reminiscent of the sort of foam that used to come out of red cans when I was young, often spraying canloads of the stuff on my brothers' heads. There was no way to avoid it, I was shaving.

The Prep
It was an in-and-out shower, with special attention paid to the four main areas of the male anatomy that usually require attention in a shower, which I won't list here for the sake of mental imagery. Suffice it to say, it was a quick one, where I only spent any real time allowing the hot water to run over my beard area, soaking the whiskers and relaxing my tired face. The only scuttle prep I'd done was hot tap water, due again to time constraints. I could almost hear the digital clock on my wife's nightstand ticking, which is a neat trick for a digital clock with no mechanical parts! Anyway, I was done, showered and ready to shave. My Le Canadien in black horn was the weapon of choice, alongside my Frank Shaving Richmond 28mm Silvertip, a dynamic duo for trying out a new shaving cream.

The Lather
I've tried Trumper's, Truefitt & Hill and now TOBS creams, so I am getting to know the famous "Three Ts" quite well. There are many similarities between their creams, in terms of performance and also, in the case of my T&H Trafalgar and my newly acquired TOBS Shaving Shop, in the tubs. They are identical apart from the colour and the writing on top. Either way, they produce an admirable, abundant and fragrant lather which is a joy to use. If you were to put me under pressure, I would admit to being more of a soap man, but I do enjoy a good cream, as well and will probably keep a couple in the rotation once I work my way through all these samples. The Frank Shaving knot is quite something, being both abundant and with quite a bit of backbone, as well as large enough to hold lather for three people. The brush has stopped its shedding ways and has truly taken its place as one of the best brushes in my lineup, right up there with the Omega Pro 49 and the Bryce C Ironwood 24mm Silvertip . The only comment I might have is that this brush could possibly be too large, with perhaps a 26mm knot being ideal. Still, the lather was abundant, lubricating and cushiony, with enough for three passes, though I only did two. The scent of the cream is quite enjoyable, so I am glad I took the risk on ordering the whole lineup.

The Shave
To my fellow noobs out there, I will put forth the following public service announcement: if you are pressed for time, use your DE. Eventually, you will be adept enough with a straight razor to get a good shave in a short amount of time and also enjoy doing so, but in the early days, you need to take your time and focus on technique and on enjoying yourself. Now, with that out of the way, I freely admit that some enjoyment crept into my shave yesterday evening, but also a bit of stress. Thanks to my improving technique and the silky smooth edge that Maxi put on my Le Canadien Black Horn, I got a nice shave that was comfortable with almost zero burn, so that is a positive. Two passes of discomfort-free shaving will always go down as a good thing in my books. But there's a but. Due to the feeling I had of 6PM standing over me, tapping her foot and sighing impatiently, I was perhaps a touch less careful than I would have normally been. In my shave I pass the razor from hand to hand quite a few times. One such time saw me distracted, which resulted in me dinging my chin with the point of the TI, leaving a small cut and a 1cm long scratch that managed to bleed nicely for the rest of the shave. I got it cleaned up and stopped the bleeding eventually, though I ended up going to my event with a nice mark on my chin. I figure a bit of stubble probably would have looked better.

The Movember Report
Not much to report this time. I managed to get around the 'stache well, considering my time constraints and things are moving forward. November 30th, aka "Shave It Off Day" is fast approaching and I await it with open arms.

The Post
Cold water was splashed liberally on my face. After that, I applied the Shaving Shop aftershave, cleaned up brush and scuttle, then applied the balm, which is pleasant and somewhat moisturizing. Still, I had to go back to my Trumper's unscented to really moisturize my face in a few minutes. I gave the razor 25/50 on the SRD Latigo and then dabbed on some Shaving Shop cologne. It was time for a party!

The Verdict
The verdict today is simple: don't shave when you're in a hurry unless you really know what you're doing! I could have and probably should have gone without. Lesson learned. Shaving Shop got the seal of approval from SWMBO, so all in all, I declare it a successful evening.

Don't rush on The Straight Road, you're only racing against yourself.

Saturday Morning

I wasn't exactly chipper when I rolled out of bed this morning, having enjoyed the previous evening's festivities, but my fuzziness quickly dissipated with the anticipation of heading to Maxi's place to check out his shop, get some honing and restoration pointers and generally geek out on shaving stuff. My backpack was laden with my hones, my brushes and my razors, both the restoration projects and the current shavers. Maxi had told me a new SRP member was going to join us, so I figured I'd bring a few different brushes so he could have a look, as this was always the hardest thing for me was to visualize what each type of hair and handle would actually feel like in my hands. Alas, our erstwhile companion had some family issues arise and had to cancel, so we wish him all the best and send him thoughts and prayers.

Upon my arrival at his house, which is quite close to my apartment, Maxi greeted me with the customary Canadian welcome: a beer. I was able to meet the charming soon-to-be Mrs. Maxi, who was just as pleasant. All in all, I was made to feel at home and quite comfortable, which is just another glowing endorsement of the great community of straight razor shavers we have around here. Once the small talk and the beers were out of the way, it was time to descend into the bowels of the house, time to enter the place where great things happen, time to see Maxi's workshop.

A few posts ago, I spoke about perspective and how it can change things. For many, walking into a basement room with a few power tools set up would be a fairly underwhelming experience, but for me, it was as though I was entering a sacred place. A band saw, a belt sander, a grinder/buffer and a drill press made up the principal occupants, though there were also several benches and shelving units. The shop is neat and well-organized, well-lit and ventilated and truly a great man-cave, if I've ever seen one!

We started out with a lesson in scale-making, which would eventually take up the majority of our afternoon. Maxi showed me how to spec out the scales on pieces of wood, draw a stencil, cut the scales from blanks, stick them together, sand them and finally finish them and add a wedge. This is quite an extensive process and I learned a lot. I had brought all of my project razors, of which I selected two for work this afternoon. My Manhattan Cutlery Celebrated would have a new set of bocote wood scales, while my Henckels Friodur 8/8 would get black horn. Maxi walked me through all the steps, but basically let me do it myself, so I can proudly proclaim that I made two sets of scales today! I also managed to take off the ends of eight of my fingernails with the belt sander, but I suppose that's part of the learning process.

Given the number of samples I have received lately between T&H and Trumper's, I thought it fitting that I would share some with my fellow shaving enthusiasts, so I hope Maxi enjoys his new samples! Hopefully, next time we meet, our other friend can also join us. I did take my camera, though in the end we were both so into the work that I only took a few photos. Maxi was kind enough to help me hone the minor ding out of the edge of my Dovo Ironwood, so it should be back to 100% smooth, rather than 99%.

I would say, without a doubt, that this was one of the most entertaining and educational days I've had on The Straight Road. We're lucky to have Mentors like Maxi around to help us out, especially when they are so generous with their knowledge and let us use their shops. Even when I managed to break a bandsaw blade, which scared the living crap out of me, Maxi took it in stride, changed the blade and allowed me to continue cutting my scales.

Thanks for having me Maxi, and thanks to everyone else for reading. I'll leave you with some photos from today.

Cheers,

Jack

Finding the right spot on the stock wood to cut the scales


Found it!


The Friodur being measured for new scales




Maxi sanding scales


Be sure to check your work frequently!


My first ever set of scales! They need to be rounded and polished, but the main shape is there.


Scales for The Beast

'Twas a fantastic day. It's amazing how quickly you can blow 6 hours in the shop! ....but we were also highly productive.

We must do that again soon....


I used the 1805 this evening before dinner with the in-laws. It has a very gentle scent. I quite enjoyed it, and so did the lovely lady. Thanks JD!

Glad you liked it. Next time, if I have any left, I'll be sure to bring you a sample of the Spanish Leathers. They're my #1 scent right now.

The Straight Road - Part 38: Of Blades, Bows and Bay Rum
It was going to be tough to top yesterday's experiences, but today was another one full of learning and discovery on The Straight Road. After learning much about restoration and scale-making yesterday, with a healthy side helping of honing, I was ready to put three of my razors to the stones this afternoon. Two of them required bevel-setting and a full honing, while the third just need dialling in, as Maxi had proclaimed the bevel more than acceptable. After spending the morning with SWMBO Jr. at her dance school, I was pleased to cart her off to her Gamma's house to spend the afternoon cooking, doing Pilates class, playing hide and seek and preparing Sunday dinner for four generations of the family. That left SWMBO and I with some peace and quiet in the apartment, which allowed her some time to work on a photo album to send to family back home for Christmas and me some time to break out the hones.

I took out my Norton 220/1k and my 4k/8k checked the surfaces and then dunked each into a small container of water which I had previously appropriated from SWMBO's food storage collection for precisely this purpose. As the hones soaked, I made sure to re-read, for the umpteenth time, the PM sent to me by Maxi about what progression to use on the stones, as well as reading the Wiki on Pyramids and watching Glen's video on honing a smiling wedge, yet again. First up was the Manhattan Cutlery "The Celebrated" razor, which measures in at about 6/8-13/16 and which I had already polished up quite a bit. It's quite a smiler and swaybacked, to boot. Of course, after polishing it up I discovered it had uneven wear along the spine and would have to go back on the hones without tape to even things out. I gave the hones a run over the DMT 325 to ensure they were clean and flat, then it was time for the Manhattan to face the music. I laid the 1k side up on the base and began my rolling X-strokes, trying to ensure the whole length of the edge came into contact with the stone at some point in each stroke. This proved challenging, as the razor wants to start with either the heel or the point off the hone. I did manage to get a decent bevel set along most of the edge, but the final 5-7mm of both the point and the heel eluded me, never passing the TNT and giving me fits. I was also concerned about taking off too much steel, so I finally fired a PM to Maxi asking for some advice and opted to lay that razor aside for now. I'll get it eventually, but a razor with that combination of characteristics was proving a challenge for a noob like me.

Next in line was the nicest of my three Wade & Butcher Bow Razors, which measures in at about 11/16. This razor was an Ebay find and it is in exceptional shape, with the original black horn scales almost flawless and easily revived with some Neatsfoot oil. The blade could use a polish, but I am loath to unpin the scales and risk damaging them, not to mention the fact that there's almost no hone wear and the etching is deep and clear. Maybe some day, but for now I decided to keep it with some character, hone it up and see how it shaves. This blade has an ever-so-slight smile to it. More of a Mona Lisa smirk, if you will, and equally as seductive. I used very slightly rolling X-strokes with this one, though I started on the 1k with 20 circles up and down the hone, followed by a fair number of X-strokes to set the bevel. It took a while and I needed to ensure the heel was staying in line, as the stabilizer also needed to have some metal taken off. The spine was, of course, taped, as I wanted to preserve the great condition of the razor. I am pleased to say that the honing on this specimen was much more rewarding than the Manhattan, as I had a bevel in short order and followed that with a normal pyramid, then a conservative pyramid and finally ten slow strokes on the 8k with minimal water and minimal pressure. Between each stage of the honing I switched tape and cleaned the hones with water and my 10"x4" DMT 325. It was also during this honing session that I first started to feel comfortable with one-handed strokes, as previously I had used both hands almost exclusively. The blade is very slightly uneven, so I did have to roll the stroke a bit to ensure full edge contact, but nothing like the Manhattan. The W&B would end up being my shaver of choice for the day.

The last razor on my list was my old nemesis, the TI 6/8 Le Canadien Inclined Nose Snakewood. I say "old nemesis" because my new nemesis is the Manhattan. The TI was up for a conservative pyramid and the ten finishing strokes, which I completed with much more confidence than in the past. Hopefully, I will finally have conquered this razor, from which I have yet to have a smooth shave.

A smooth shave? That's what I said. After all this honing, you'd better believe there was going to be a shave!

The Anticipation
Talk about anticipation! I was both nervous and excited as I stropped the W&B for fifty passes on the webbing and one hundred on the black latigo of my SRD strop. This was going to be my second time shaving with a razor fully honed by me, but I was much more confident in my honing job this time than in the past, so hopefully the outcome would be different. This required some good soap and a reliable brush. Given we were getting ready to go for Sunday dinner, I opted to face lather and use my Omega 10005 boar brush, along with the lovely DR Harris Arlington soap.

The Prep
The prep was a nice hot shower after a day of housework and honing. I finished with Real Shaving's Exfoliating Scrub and towelled off. My Omega was soaking in a small dish of hot water and my Arlingon soap had been primed with a few drops of the same. There is a simplistic beauty to the face-lathering ritual, as you eliminate the need for paraphernalia and head right down to business. That business? Making lather!

The Lather
The more I use my Omega boar brushes, the more impressed I am by them. Inexpensive--but not cheap--these brushes have great backbone the tips have worked in to be nice and soft. I am still too early in this journey to have a preference for boar vs. badger, but at the moment suffice it to say that I am enjoying them immensely. The Arlington soap is another keeper and all DR Harris soaps will be on my short list. I have enjoyed the Arlington so far and the Marlborough is exquisite. The Almond was nice and I am also looking forward to the Lavender. It's not surprising that, looking at the label, these are tallow-based soaps, as I have had wonderful lathers from my MWF and Tabac, who also share that key ingredient. The Omega swirled and the lather built right on my face, working into two days of stubble and building a nice cushiony layer on my face, while leaving plenty in the brush for more passes. I opted for two passes with cleanup, given we were somewhat pressed for time, but there was enough lather in the little boar for a third full pass or more!

The Shave
It's been a while since I lifted a razor to my right sideburn with as much trepidation as today. Probably since my first straight shave back on October 5th. The first stroke with my first Wade & Butcher honed by me was a revelation, gliding smoothly across my cheek with no tugging or scraping feeling. I had to check to make sure the razor was removing hair, and boy was it! This razor is probably about a half-hollow or three-quarter and it just mowed down the stubble without protest. I was overjoyed and, for the second time in the past week, fighting a smile while shaving so I wouldn't wrinkle wrong and cut myself. The WTG pass was a joy, gliding over my face, with the help of the wonderful Arlington lather, as though I was simply removing lather, not whiskers. I'm sure the edge isn't as good as it could be--I am a rank noob, after all--but it did a damn fine job, all things considered! The second pass was just as easy and I was beginning to get into a groove. My touch-ups went well until I tried to do too much under the chin and got a bit of a scrape for it, though no blood. I am going to hit YouTube and watch some shaving vids to see how guys handle the under-the-chin area, because it's been giving me problems since day one.

The Movember Report
I've had several comments about the 'stache, though most revolve around how much longer until it's gone. The W&B had no trouble navigating the area and trimming around it and I also suspect it would be a good candidate for mowing down the mo', when the time comes.

The Post
I kept it simple this time, both because of the schedule and also because I am somewhat experimenting with my post-shave to see how it leaves my skin. I went for a cold rinse, then rinsed my brush, shook it out, dried it on a towel and laid it aside. Given the absence of the scuttle, it made for a very easy cleanup. Once that was done, I pulled down the Dominica Bay Rum from the shelf, which is delightful stuff. It did give me a bit of a sting when I applied it, but no more than usual. I love the scent and SWMBO enjoys it, too. Another keeper which, given the price, will likely always have a place in my den. I finished with Trumper's Unscented Moisturizer and I was all cleaned up and ready to go.

The Verdict

Nothing beats feeling good on The Straight Road, just ask the Godfather of Soul!

Whew! What a wonderful day. I am very pleased with how my W&B turned out and I do think I will want to try buffing it up and restoring it to shiny goodness one day, as long as I can keep the etching. Imagine owning a brand new W&B Bow razor, or the nearest thing to it! Maxi and I are looking at another honing clinic for me in the near future, hopefully one where I actually hone in his presence so he can give me pointers. That Manhattan won't stand a chance!

Thanks for reading.

Cheers,

Jack

It's a wonderful feeling the first time you hone a razor to shave ready!! Gold inlay will come off if you look at it wrong, but that W&B should be just fine after a light cleaning/buffing

The Straight Road - Part 39: Test Shave
I wrote a nice long post for this episode and could have sworn I hit the post button, but alas, it appears I missed it and it's gone into the ether.

The unfortunate effect of this is that I can't reproduce what I wrote and now likely won't have time, so I'll just write a brief summary. In the future, I think I'll switch to writing in Word and then copying things over, so as to avoid this type of occurrence. I should know better, given that I write quite frequently, but sometimes one needs reminders, I suppose.

I've been working on honing lately, so yesterday evening Maxi helped me finalize my Manhattan Cutlery, which has a big blade, both in length and in weight. It is also about a 1/4 hollow, so there is a lot of steel there. I was having trouble with the last few mm near the point, but he got my bevel finished up for me and I was able to polish it on the Nortons. My brush was my bocote wood black badger, handle by King Customs and knot by TGN. I went for MWF soap and got a decent, though not great, lather. The shave was smooth and easy with no scraping or nicks, though I think the brush was a bit rough, as it certainly felt like it was irritating my face. The black badger knot is worse than even a brand new boar, so I put conditioner on it and left it to sit after the shave, then lathered it up again with MWF. My shave ended up well, but my evening was somewhat dampened when I dropped the ceramic lid of my MWF bowl, breaking it into two pieces. Hopefully, I can glue it together.

My apologies for the short and uninspired writeup, but the disappointment of losing all of my prepared blog sort of took the wind out of my sails today. I will be back at it tonight, as I have several newly-honed razors to test shave, including an old W&B Invincible that I honed while at Maxi's place.

I will return to my regular format for my next entry.

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Jack

maybe you could get help from a mod or dev and find this famous "auto-save" that surely appeared in the lower-right corner of your text when you typed...

(I know there was a thread about this few days ago... : http://straightrazorpalace.com/site-...tml#post881339
if this is how it works, then it may be still more safe to write it and save it on your own computer and then copy and paste it...
maybe for another time...)

christophe


Remark: I tested the auto-save with this post. It worked as described.
1) I closed the tab and I got a warning that all changes would be lost
2) I re-opened the tab
3) I re-replied
4) in the lower left corner of the text, there was a pale blue/grey button with "restore auto saved content" or something like that.
5) clicked on it and it did re-appear as it was.

The Straight Road - Part 40: Invincible
After yesterday's editing foibles, I will have to start saving my writings in another program, like I used to do when I started writing about this journey. Somewhere along the way, I got a bit lazy and started writing them in the in-line editor, which I have now learned entails certain risks. Lesson learned. Yesterday was a fairly slow Tuesday, capped off by my weekly trip to SWMBO Jr's Tuesday evening ballet class. By the time I arrived home, I was in the perfect mood for a hot shower and a shave to take off the chill of a cold, rainy evening. Having honed my W&B Invincible, I was quite eager to give it a run.

The Anticipation
There was a certain amount of trepidation around shaving with this razor. I had honed it under the watchful eye of Maxi, though there's really no substitute for a shave test. This razor isn't the prettiest--yet--but it's got some potential and, when it gets some polishing and some new clothes, it will be a good-looking little shaver. SWMBO had dinner ready for SWMBO Jr, as I had already had mine at the pub near the ballet school, so I was free to head into the den and get down to business.

The Prep
I haven't been using my scuttle for the past few shaves, partly because I've been using brushes and soaps that are great for face-lathering, partly because of time constraints and partly because variety is one of the great things about this hobby. My brush of choice for yesterday was my Semogue Owner's Club Premium Boar in Cherrywood and I brought out the newest addition to my den, freshly arrived from Fendrihan: DR Harris Marlborough AS and cologne. I already had the soap, which smells wonderful, but these two are a great way to round out a Marlborough shave. I plunked my brush into my little soaking dish and headed into the shower for a quick scrub and face wash with RazoRock Artisan Sandalwood soap, which is a great winter soap scent. Then it was time for some lather.

The Lather
These Semogue brushes get rave reviews, but I feel like I haven't unlocked it yet. The brush feels much more floppy than my other boar brushes, which both happen to be Omegas. I know this is a softer boar hair, being something like 75% tips, but I wonder if that is necessarily a good thing. It doesn't swirl very well on my face as it tends to get a hole in the middle, even with fairly light movement. That said, if I use a painting motion with only the occasional swirl, it builds a nice lather that hangs with the best of them. The DR Harris soap didn't hurt the process, as it is top of the line in my eyes. The SOC is not my favourite boar brush, but I feel like it nestles well in my boar rotation between the Omega 10005, which really shines on the face lather, and the Omega Pro 49, which is massive and does well in the scuttle, though I will have to try it on the face. Of the three, the 10005 is the only one that is really broken in, so I get the feeling I haven't seen the full force of the other two yet. Anyway, I got a creamy lather, not too thick, but protective and slick, which is often what I get on my face. This did the job wonderfully for three passes and touch-ups, so I can't complain about that. I did find a bit of sensitivity in my skin, which again I can't be sure was from the razor or the scrubbing action of the brush. I'm going to use the scuttle with a badger brush today to see if my face reacts differently.

The Shave
It was pretty good. I say pretty good because I think the edge isn't quite so smooth on this razor as the one I put on the Bow razor the other day. It should be noted that I gave this one several passes on my unidentified hard slate hone, so that might have adversely affected it. The other one was finished purely on the Norton 8k. I have two finishers, not counting the 8k, so I might experiment a bit with the Chinese 12k and the UIHS hone to see how they finish. That is, of course, once I've had a few more shaves with the 8k finish on several razors. The nice thing about using the 8k to finish is that I could test it for a few days, then try one of the other finishers to see how it compares. Anyway, this section is called "The Shave" not "The Hone", so I suppose I should at least mention how this shave went. The razor didn't tug or pull at the hairs, it didn't scrape, but it just wasn't quite as smooth as what I'm used to. It's lighter than the past two I've used, so perhaps some technique came into play. Despite that, it was comfortable enough for three passes without irritation or nicks, including the chin area, so I was pleased.

The Movember Report
I didn't spend much time grooming around the 'stache last night, mainly because today it's going the way of the dodo. It was an interesting experiment, but I'm sure SWMBO will prefer it gone, as will I. Between my glasses and the fedora I like to wear, facial hair gets me too many "are you trying to look like Johnny Depp?" comments. I'm also planning on using SWMBO's favourite scent of shaving products this evening: Real Shaving Co. I find it funny that she loves the scent of the least expensive of all my lines of products. Maybe I should just have a fire sale and move all the rest, sticking to that one. Hopefully the combination of no mo' mo' and a nice scent will make for an interesting evening...

The Post
I have to confess, I quite enjoy the quick cleanup of a face lathering, as I rinsed out the brush in no time, shook it out and swirled it dry on a towel. Then it was time for a cold water rinse, some witch hazel and the unveiling of DR Harris Marlborough. The AS and the cologne aren't all that different in their ingredients, though I'm sure the concentrations of the scent vary and the AS has menthol for a cooling effect. The AS also contains alcohol, which my face pointed out to me in no uncertain terms when the splash came into contact with my skin. Luckily, the burn only lasted a brief while and was assuaged by the cooling effect of the menthol, which lasted quite some time. I applied a few dabs of the wonderfully spicy, cedar and sandalwood scent, which settles down to a powdery cedar with whiffs of sandalwood coming through for hours. I love Marlborough and this whole lineup is a keeper. Unfortunately, I also picked up a bottle of their Aftershave Milk, which I find entirely too floral for my tastes at the initial smell test. We'll see how it goes. Trumper's Unscented was my finishing touch for moisturizing, which capped off a pretty darn good shave.

The Verdict
The honing monster has its claws in me. Deep. I just bought a coticule and a thuringian and I am sitting at my desk staring at my Nortons, wondering if I should hone these restoration projects before I restore them, just to try them out. I am going to have to start hitting antique markets for some inexpensive blades upon which to practice my technique. I am quite lucky that Maxi lives nearby and is always up for a honing session and lessons with a noob. HAD seems like a pretty serious AD, so I'm going to have to fight it. Just not too hard.

After all, who wants to fight on The Straight Road?

My coticule is on the way and I am waiting to finalize details on the thuringian. I realize my only way forward with honing is practice, lots of practice. Obtaining razors to restore and hone is going to be an ongoing process, one I will probably enjoy entirely too much. Having fun is what it's all about, right?

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Jack

Jack,
Hello! I have been following your thread since you started and it has some great thoughts and laughs. Thanks for sharing.
YMMV but when I face lather, I use my scuttle to hold the brush in. This makes a nice warm lather for the subsequent passes and if you find your lather a little thin, you can swirl a few times and Voila.
Regards,
Joe