Thread: Back to basics

Hello to all. I have not been posting much because of some changes in my life. In 2015, I was one year away from retirement age, and my wife started studying for a master's degree in England. In November of that year, my workplace started "retiring" those who were older. I was among the chosen but managed to get some money as incentive for early retirement. After retiring, I went to England to see my wife and daughter for the winter (it gets dark early, compared to Puerto Rico). I took my travel shave kit, a Gillette Tech from the 1930's and some Astra Green blades, plus my Semogue 830, a Palmolive shave stick , Omega alum stick and TSA friendly vials of Witch Hazel and Pinaud Clubman. This serves me well when out of my home for some time. I bought a few things there, Tabac AS and and Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet shave soap, which I took home. In late February 2016, when I came home to handle pending financial affairs. I gave myself a nice gift when I returned, a 7/8 Revisor. Not a month had passed when I received a text message from my daughter to get back because my wife was very sick and was going to the hospital. So I packed for two weeks and flew. She had a nasty pneumonia that kept her hospitalized for a month. The doctors had trouble finding an antibiotic that worked, and this was a very troubling time. She took six months to recuperate, and not fully at that, she spent more than a month in a wheelchair and still suffers from the lung scarring, though she is mobile and independent. So after three months I started missing my straight razors, and hey, I'm in England, I'll look for a Sheffield. Looking up information in Straight Razor Place helped me to stay away from beautiful shiny traps, let's call them EBay uncertainties, and I did what I would advice anyone starting new, get it from a reputable vendor that will sell it shave ready. After looking around (economy+reputable vendor+shave-ready, check up in SRP). I wound up buying a 6/8" round point Taylor's Eye Witness "The 1000" from Tony Holmes (uk_merchant), clean and shave ready and a Herold Solingen strop from Knives & Tools UK. It is almost 2" wide and 19" long, and does its job nicely, now It is now my travel strop. I acquired a coticule for touch ups, a Naniwa two sided 1000/3000, and a Llyn Mellynlyn hone which to me bridges the gap to the coticule. I recently found a razor in an antique shop for £10 which seems to be a pre-1914 Elmo made in Solingen full hollow. Only two rust spots, no other scratches or issues with the edge clean and the blade centered and tight in unblemished scales. Looked and felt quite new, though I think it must have been used. After it passed the stones it is really sweet to shave with. So I've wound up with the basics, as I thought I would back home before Razor Acquisition Disorder set in, and I can say that it is very possible to do what I intended to do when I started shaving with straights, enjoy the economy and have fun. Of course, I started with two razors and a strop back home now, after RAD, I have twelve razors, three strops and a two sets of hones, counting the ones I acquired here in England. But it is possible. And just to say I highly appreciate this forum and its people, who help make it possible. I'll soon be going back home, hope to find my family and razors in good health, so I'll be posting more often. In the photo is my daily kit. Razors: Taylor's 1000 and Elmo, both 6/8", Soap: Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood, Pre: Proraso, Nivea After shave balm, Brush Semogue 830 (Boar) Scents: 4711 and TOBS Sandalwood,

Glad to see things starting to smooth out for you. Thank you for sharing your story.

Glad to hear things are on their way up, wish you all the best and safe travels!