FNG: The journy from shaving Boot to shaving Vet

[CFSapper]

The Recruitment

A little back story on how I got into this slightly crazy but rewarding hobby/everyday necessity.

I've been shaving since i was about 13-14ish and having been required to do it nearly everyday since I turned 16, I figured a shave, was a shave, was a shave, something I hated doing but its sooo much better then receiving the wrath of a Sgt or Sgt Maj.

As years wore on I hardly ever had to think about shaving with a multi blade gellet could do it in 10 sec, dry or wet shave it did matter just did it and moved on with my day.

Only problem was in the field it would get junked up, was hard to clean and just never felt that sanitary or "clean". I tried electric razors but never really liked the shave never felt smooth and the electric razors tend to pull my hair out more then cut them, i thought to my self if only there was a simpler cleaner way, so back to the multi blades.

then I did my tour and the problem compounded itself, not real proper cleaning of the razor for months add in sand that was like chalk dust and not showering for sometime a couple weeks I had to throw out my razor when i got home cause it was pretty bad. again this is a pain has to be a simpler cleaner way to do this, again could find nothing so new multi blade it was.

then this fall I had a chance to play bad guy for a unit training out in my area, and was aloud to grow a full beard for the first time ever (seriously) so off i went and did the training grew my beard and had a great time then I noticed one of the guys shave nearly everyday was using a straight razor to shave with. Now at this point in time I had only ever seen them used in the old wild west movies, well I put 2 and 2 together faster then an ADD kid whacked on Red Bull can forget about his homework, ask him a few questions and was on the hunt for this new shiny razor thing.

With the training ended I was on the hunt I looked EVERYWHERE in my town nadda, half the people I asked did know what I was talking about the other half looked at me like I had two heads. So jumped on the Internet and did a quick search ah perfect the House Of Knives in the next city over has them.


Boot Camp

So off I go in my truck down to the store, once I get there I realize holy crap I'm paying 100$+ for a sharp piece of steel, but I talked to the guy and he seemed to know his stuff, I got a nice badger brush, a clean, full stainless steel Dovo 5/8 and the dovo shave cream (note I paid nearly 300$ for everything). In the store the guy was helpful gave me a brief lesson on lathering and that but aside from that I was on my own.( ordered a strop too but it needed a few day to come in)

so get to my house, got my cream got my new shiny razor, and no clue how to use it, so I jump on google and low and behold this site pops up, I do a quick search and speed read threw the first wiki link , OK not that hard lets do this!

so swirl my brush, and get the lather on my face (in retro-spec now that i know what a good lather should look like i didn't do to bad a job). Now picture this if you will, I now hold a razor sharp steel blade with a grip that I learned about from the Internet that I now must sweep across the skin next to a rather important vain, so I shrugged said screw it and forged on, figured I would start with my sideburns and chin then work down my neck,
so I did.

and I didn't do to bad a job nicked my self on the chin and cheek but got a smooth face, less razor burn then i have ever had and felt rather fresh and invigorated, and its was only factor "shave ready", Hell I could get use to this I thought.


Im gonna take a break and say at this point thank for reading this novel of a story but it was a fun time for me and Im rather enjoying share my rather funny(from my point of veiw anyway) starting steps. more to follow on my next post