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A noobs first real shave.
I'm a stay at home Dad married to a stay at home Mom. While I home school our eight year old son my wife works to support us from the next room. Now, I know what some of you just thought but I assure you, it's just customer service over the phone for an insurance company. We have another small residual income to supplement us but that still leaves us looking for frugal yet environmentally friendly alternatives to many of our day to day activities. About six months, or so, ago I did some research on shaving alternatives. I used a disposable head system with half a million razors that cost about the same amount in dollars each month to replace while producing needless waste. That needed to stop. It took less than a half hour of discovery to land at the proper replacement for my current shaving habits: a straight razor.
The rest wasn't so easy. I jumped on Amazon and did a search for "Straight Razor" and was greeted by razors from a few bucks to a few hundred bucks. I read reviews and sifted through accessories and styles and kits for an hour before admitting defeat. I knew I was going to need expert help. I found SRP rather quickly and pored through the beginners guide and its main articles in one sitting. Not an insignificant feat! There is so much great information on this site and, thanks to all of the hard work of many of the contributors, I had a lot to think about.
It was clear that to maintain the frugality of my original mission I would have to make an investment of unprecedented scale. Okay, well it wouldn't be that bad but much more than I intended. After a short discussion with the wife it was decided that we would use some extra money coming in August to purchase my future "Shave of the Day" worthy products. Thus began my months long lurking on SRP.
While it was clear which razors I wouldn't be buying I flip-flopped from one potential candidate to the next, always referring back to SRP for guidance, for a couple of months before I finally decided on a moderately priced vintage Henckels. And then my wife said, "Hey, look at these!" For some reason the Japanese kamisori had eluded me in all of my research, lurking, and surfing to date dedicated to shaving. It was like love at first sight except I had no idea if this species was even compatible with the beast I was already committed to. I know, vague analogies can leave ugly images in your head. Moving on... It turns out that it was a slightly different animal with a few new rules but a little more SRP expertise set me quickly back on the right track. When the day finally came I ordered a Mizuike Kobo, which could be a Kananega if I've got all my wires uncrossed, kamisori from Ebay for about $150.
Over the next 3 weeks I let my beard grow out a bit, except the 'stache and the neck as they bug the crap out of me, and settled into gathering the rest of my equipment. Thanks, again, to the work put in by the contributors here I settled on and purchased a Naniwa Super Stone 12000, witch hazel, and a synthetic brush from The Body Shop. I eyeballed the synthetic strops from Tony Miller but was sure that my kamisori would be in my hands before he could get one to me. I felt that a DIY paintstick-balsa strop would do for the short term. As of the time of this writing the synthetic strops are available from thewellshavedgentleman.com again but I'm a little, uh, "stropped" for cash at the moment however I do plan to add one to my hairless repertoire soon.
I was out and about running errands the other day when I got a call from my wife. "Better go pick up your shave cream while you're out," she said. Huh? Ohhhh, my kamisori had arrived! I stopped by Ulta here in Sacramento and picked up some Jack Black Supreme Cream and sped home, literally. I couldn't believe how excited I was. Months of research, preparation, and gathering was finally coming to a head. On the way home I kept an eye out for barber shops so that I might stop in and see if they could recommend a local honemeister but I saw none. I knew that it would still need a good edge slapped on it so I decided to look up one myself when I got home. But then it was in my hands....
I unwrapped the package and examined the razor. It was beautiful with its wrapped handle and polished spine and had a nice weight to it and, lo! what is this? A nice shiny bevel greets my eyes. The fact that I was about to make a mistake was painfully clear to me but I didn't even care at that point. In my estimation my wait was over. I splashed some water on the Naniwa and ran way too few strokes over it with my new beauty. I left the brush soaking in some hot water, jumped in the shower and turned up the heat which reminded me constantly of my terrible sunburn I had acquired last weekend at the air show but I kept it up anyway. I scrubbed with an aloe and peppermint facial concoction that I wasn't even aware that my wife had until I specifically scoured her myriad assortment of bottles in the shower for such a thing.
The moment of truth had arrived. With my face still dripping I grabbed the oversized condiment bowl, dabbed a bit of the cream onto my brush, and worked up a nice lather. That's when I started grinning. There was definitely something more to this experience than just shaving. I felt a connection; a connection to my ancestors, some who undoubtedly performed this same process, a connection to the earth, a connection to the people at SRP. Most of all I felt like I was getting in some ME time, pampering myself for a change. It was a good feeling... until I realized that I never made the strop. After a moments panic I flipped over the balsa wood container and gave it about twenty passes. I hoped that would be good enough. Upon hindsight, I see that I forgot the HHT but at least I saved my thumb some trouble.
I thought I would be more nervous when I reached the point in time that the blade was being drawn up to my face. I was committed to at least shaving from the sideburn down but I was also sure that my face could handle the whole ordeal as long as I wasn't slicing it up into little pieces. My previous shaving engagements involved water and the many bladed razor; no prep, no cream, no aftershave. I was steady as a rock and casually applied the first stroke. Another grin; my hydra headed razor couldn't do that! I was rockin and a rollin, stroke after stroke, and then BAM! came the knock on the door right as I got to my chin. I was in such a zone that I had completely forgotten anyone else in the house and I paid for it with a knick at the top of my chin. That was only the first one but, I assure you, no drops fell.
It definitely wasn't a BBS shave but I have only my own impatience to thank for that. Today I spent more time, under the direction of Sixgun, putting a better edge on the kamisori in preparation for my next shave. All in all what started out as a way to save a few bucks and put a little less in a landfill became a highly pleasurable experience and I can't wait to do it again. Thank you for the education SRP. I couldn't have done it without you.
- Bryan Schear
A noobs first real shave.
Congrats on the first of many great shaves.
