Hello Gents,
Hi my name is Matt and this is my first post. I have been reading a lot in different areas and now I have decided to post after going through a lot of different subjects. There are a lot of helpful people on the SRP and I do appreciate their helpfulness. Though I would like to pick a "respectful" bone with other members. As I've read many many posts I've noticed a lot of you can't do this until you do that or there is no way you can master this until you master that. While I appreciate what they are trying to do, which is I believe save new shavers time and shorten the learning curve I love to jump in over my head and learn fast.
I have been DE shaving over a year now and I am jumping into straight razor shaving, honing and restoration all at once. I read a post that told me that if I am new to straight razor shaving I should not be honing or doing such other things.....I disagree. I want to start shaving right away, I want to ruin a few razors...if needed by honing, I want to buy some old razors and restore them and so be it if my techique stinks along the way. I also make beer, wine, shine in my spare time and I always tell people do it or make it however you think is best and learn from your mistakes. I think the way to get good at anything is practice, error more practice. Like we say in artillery shoot, adjust fire, shoot again. That is also why I say respectfully because I do realize that many gents on the forums are way more experienced than I and I do learn a great deal from them which i apply actively to my shaving. Plus I say if someone wants to learn how to hone right away, let them hone right away. Why not take their hand and help them instead of saying well, you better hold off on that until you master shaving with one first.
My first time shaving with a DE was awful. I used a way to aggressive razor and my face was a bloody mess. I didn't do any permanent damage to myself and I learned a great deal about shaving in a short amount of time. I don't know why I wanted to express this except I encourage learning in anything in life. So if someone comes to me and says hey I want to do straight razor shaving and I want to learn honing etc. right away. Maybe instead of saying no thats not good practice, say well ok since you have an eagerness to learn lets do it together and we will take it step by step. Will you ruin something along the way, probably yes. I guess thats just the enjoyment for me in doing something new is making those mistakes and learning from it.

I am not writing this to complain......nonewhatsoever! I love what I read on this forum and I enjoy the honesty and sense of community and helpfulness the forums offer. Its just that when someone, especially a new shaver wants to jump in i think the attitude should be, great lets get started here's what we need to do first. Not saying that this never happens, I just think this is the attitude some of us need to adopt in some fashion. Thank you if you read my whole ramblings here and have a great shave.

Every man is greater than me in some way and in that I learn from him.