Thread: Another newbie

Hello everyone. Name is James. I've been using a straight razor on and off for the last 5 years and recently made the switch to nothing but a straight. My late ex father in law was a barber and I have an old Red Imp he gave me and a Russian strop that he used on the side of his chair.

Looking forward to trading stories and tips. He showed me a few years back how to hone and strop and I guess I have that down because I get very comfortable shaves and never have had a nick or cut. Using a straight has made what used to be the task of shaving actually fun again. Plus girlfriends aren't tempted to use my razor on their legs and ruin the edge!

Welcome aboard James. It's always good to have another new face. What do you use to keep the Imp's (excellent razor btw) edge nice'n'sharp?

Welcome!

Always glad to have a new member with some experience.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have and share with us your experiences with honing and razors.

I agree! We've had some interesting claims on this forum lately. Knowledge passed down this way is soooooooooo much more interesting than reading about it.

Welcome! Seriously, tell us about everything he taught you.

Well he told me about the honing in an X pattern, rolling the blade and not lifting it, but from reading here that's a given. The stropping he said should always be done with a taught leather. I like to just lay mine on the bathroom counter so it's perfectly flat.

I think the hone I have is an old Gem. Is there such a brand? After honing he would drag the very tip along the outer edge like he was trying to slice the hone in half, to take the sharp point off so as to avoid nicks. I haven't been doing that. I think he did it just so there was way less chance of a customer getting a nick from a sharp corner.

I think my hone actually needs flattening , I looked at it and there's a slight convex shape to it. I have time to work on it this winter though. I honed the razor a couple months ago and it's still like new. Also I don't strop a lot. Maybe 20-30 passes after I shave and put everything away. He said that let's the blade recover and straighten out. I know one time I did strop right before shaving and it wasn't nearly as comfortable. When I shave now I can't even feel the razor cutting so something must be working for me.

The shaving part I had to learn on my own. I just go by feel and take it slow but deliberately, letting the razor do it's thing and not forcing. To this day I haven't got a nick and a shave lasts me at least a day or day and a half. I've been thinking about not shaving against the grain just so I can shave more often. Right now only every two days and that's pushing it.

My son got me a new mug for Xmas. It's from coolshaving.com and it has a straight on the side and says Real Men Shave With a Blade. He thought that was cool. It's really more of a coffee cup I believe but they sell it as either/or.
But I will always use it and hold it dear becuase it's from him.

Also I've used Williams soap for the last 28 years or so, got to try some Burma Shave one time and it was heaven but can't find it anymore. Anyone know where it can be had at a reasonable price? Or a comparable soap? I loved everything about that soap, the smell, the shave...

Well I hope everyone has a nice Christmas and gets a lot of neat toys. And remember the troops! Agree or disagree with all that mess over there, those troops are away from their loved ones right now so let's all remember them as we sit around the table today.

James

James,

Welcome to the forum.....



Terry

Thats funny I used to use Burma Shave all the time but switched to Williams for its scent and better shave. I used to be able to get both at the local grocery store, but lately I can't find either there.

James, Gem is a medium-fine hone that is still available for sale in Tilly's store www.redtrader99.com. Yours definitely needs a lapping if you can actually SEE that the surface is uneven. The hones forum has plenty of great info on lapping. I'd start with lower grits to get the surface almost there before hitting the 600.

Originally Posted by Jeepinoldman

Also I've used Williams soap for the last 28 years or so, got to try some Burma Shave one time and it was heaven but can't find it anymore. Anyone know where it can be had at a reasonable price? Or a comparable soap? I loved everything about that soap, the smell, the shave...

Well I hope everyone has a nice Christmas and gets a lot of neat toys. And remember the troops! Agree or disagree with all that mess over there, those troops are away from their loved ones right now so let's all remember them as we sit around the table today.

James

Merry Christmas James,
Welcome to the forum and to the new hobby! I did some searching and it looks like this was the cheapest site to find Burma Shave. I'm not sure what they charge for shipping though. They advertise a UPS flat rate, but I'd like to think they won't charge you $6.95 to ship 1 cake of soap.
It's very important to set aside a few moments on the holidays to think of the troops on the holidays. It is pretty depressing to be thousands of miles away from loved ones on the holidays.
-Fred

Thanks guys. I'll definitely work on the hone this winter. That would be a nice snowy day project.

Wildtim I always see WIlliams at walmart and almost every other store. Maybe they just don't sell it in your neck of the woods?

WVBias, where from in WV? Huntington here.