Thread: Beginners Tips: November 2011

Originally Posted by deighaingeal

I would like to mention that your local cutler/scissor sharpening service is not a reputable honer, despite what they say.

Well said.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

You have to learn how to swirl the brush, and load and mix the product, and then how to pump the brush and produce the actual lather.

Originally Posted by deighaingeal

Not to put words into Glen's mouth, but I believe that he is saying to raise the handle of the brush up and lower into the bowl in a repeated manner.

I can't tell you how these comments have helped me in my last two shaves. I started with a mug and brush 2 months ago. I always had problems getting the amounts of rich lather I see in videos. With this tip, it was like turning the lights on, I am now getting great lather to shave with.

Thank You

thanks a lot glen!

i'd like to add a couple tips that i don't see mentioned very often:

1. take great care of your face during the hours that pass between your shaves. if your skin is sensitive, get some sun. i'm pretty sure this will toughen your skin up a bit, and it also helps prevent any irritation that you get from becoming infected (UV rays kill acne-causing bacteria, which can also cause shave bumps to develop whiteheads). make sure you exfoliate your face at least once a day other than when you shave, and find the right combo of products that helps your skin maintain the right texture to stand up to your shave AND take on a perfect surface for your lather to cover. products you want to experiment with using before, after, and between shaves are: witch hazel, exfoliating scrubs, loofahs, moisturizers, lanolin, glycerin, and i'm sure many more. for me, some of these things have made my face sticky when i shave, and others have made it super smooth and slick. find what works for you.

2. if you suffer from redness and irritation, limit the number of passes you take (after your technique gets sufficiently good). if you shave daily and your beard doesn't grow super fast, skip your WTG pass, and once you get good, skip your XTG pass too. all the extra passes do, once your technique is correct, is minimally reduce stubble while excessively adding to irritation. you will eventually be able to make a single pass and a little bit of cleanup and be done. however, you'll probably have to add to your prep routine, by lathering your face, letting it sit for 2-3 minutes, then rinsing that lather and adding a new layer. that will give your beard the softening effect that your first pass normally would.

One small question, what factor/scale in vintage straight razor can determinate "Pitted Junk"? I`m beginner in straight razor, but I must to admit even "restoration process" for straight razor starts with pitted blade? Would you agree? OR we generally talking here about so rusted blade that does not leave any shadow from light:-) In overall I read many time SRP post, forum about beginners, and you all need to admit that in some point you were one of us :-) Anyway, I read your post, forums, ask for advices but I reserved for my preparation, honing and stropping, because us you all straight blades masters, want to become one. I wish that SRP could have honing lessons organized in US cities where honing masters are present/live. Would be nice meet face to face :-)

OK trying to translate that...

Rusted junk would be a razor that the actual integrity of the blade edge is compromised so that no amount of "Restoration" be that polishing or honing can make it usable...

We do have meetings look here
Get Togethers and Meetings


and if we knew where you were
http://straightrazorpalace.com/vbgoo...135139&zoom=10
we could narrow it down even more... Enjoy

Thank you:-)

Location updated:-) Checking calendar for Seattle meetings:-) Thank you for help! BTW do not have any rusted junk you mention in my "collection" (I guess 3 items is it collection :-), unless it is junk with good scale.

Cool yer on my end of the country, We have a Meet in Spokane every Sept and we also have been trying to have a "Workshop" meet at someone's actual shop in the spring each year..

Proximus,
If you find yourself down near central WA feel free to look me up or send a PM.

Thank you deighaingeal and gssixgun,

I will let you know if I will be near your locations. Yakim is nice place, was there few times:-) At the moment I`m working on razor restoration. With my small budget I bought few razor from UK and Poland:-) So far working on blade and didn`t have time to start working on scales. Yesterday I got brass rod and will order washers today. Almost there... not quite yet but step by step. Later will be time for fun, honing (already tried hone one damaged blade, wasn`t so difficult than I thought, just need to build this "right" feeling in hand when passing razor over stone), stropping (here I have many questions, as I don`t know if to treat my strop with special paste or not, asked my father, which all fathers before had use straight razor, he claimed to just wait and strop will "break itself").

Will let you know later regards progress and send few photos of my work, I hope comments will not crush my hearth ;-) My Slavic soul would not handle this stress:-)

Thank you for your support.