Thread: "My First Razor..."

(In honor of my getting off my butt and actually buying one) while waiting for my razor to arrive, I thought that it might be cool to get some "first razor" stories. (I've seen some scattered here and there throughout the forums.) Where you got it, who owned it previously ... from "custom damascus" to "worn paint scraper".

-Ivan

Thanks for hijacking my thread's topic.

Originally Posted by yan3751

(In honor of my getting off my butt and actually buying one) while waiting for my razor to arrive, I thought that it might be cool to get some "first razor" stories. (I've seen some scattered here and there throughout the forums.) Where you got it, who owned it previously ... from "custom damascus" to "worn paint scraper".

-Ivan

My first one I bought in an antique store back in the 1960's. I must have lucked out, because I don't recall going through agony getting it keen, other that stropping it a lot. I used it ocassionally for a few years until I sliced the tip of my nose moving from my left side to the right side of my face one day and not paying enough attention to the altitude of the razor as it passed the fleshy part of my nose tip. That bled like heck and for two weeks I had a scab that made me cross-eyed. I laid the straight razor away for about eight years after that.

Here is my "second razor" story. I got a Wade & Butcher Wedge that I couldn't sharpen. Lynn however was able to get it "razor" sharp. Well I took it away on vacation with me. Well I take my shower then lather up and am standing butt naked while I am shaving with this super sharp blade. All of a sudden the there is noise outside the door ( We went away with our 2 kids and my sister, her husband and her 2 kids) I quickly reach out to hold the door closed and I sliced my right cheek really good. Now I'm bleeding like a stuck pig running around the bathroom naked trying to stop the bleeding. Trust me it was not a pretty site. Yelling don't come in. It's been three weeks and the scar is mending nicely.

P.S. When I told Lynn he thought it was very funny. Hummmmm

Reading these, it just adds more force to the argument that one is more likely to cut themselves with a razor when it is not on their face.

Originally Posted by uthed

until I sliced the tip of my nose moving from my left side to the right side of my face one day and not paying enough attention to the altitude of the razor as it passed the fleshy part of my nose tip.

Ouch ... that almost makes my eyes water just thinking about it.

Originally Posted by RichZ

I quickly reach out to hold the door closed and I sliced my right cheek really good.

That would have been one of those embarrassing emergency room trips. (Just caught myself - given the context, I'm not exactly sure which "right cheek" you sliced.)

I do suspect, however, that incidents such as these definitely make the razor involved "memorable" from that point forward.

-Ivan

Rich, I was laughing with you....not at you.....lol. Lynn

I bought my first razor, a unstamped Dovo, about a year ago next month in a cutlery shop at a shopping mall in Sacramento. This was before I found the SRP. I was sitting in my living room looking at my great grand fathers razor I keep in a case (due to poor care it's beyond use), and I thought to myself "self, I wonder if I could shave with one of those. I wonder what it would be like?". Shortly there after I bought the razor and a strop.I found my way here (or there, the original site). Thank God! Now a year later and a bunch of razors later, I,ve learned the right way to shave, learned the basics of honing and now i use nothing but a straight. Thanks guys for the knowledge you pass on!

Lynn,

I have told several people that story at work and they were purple with laughter. They said I was lucky I only cut my cheek. lmao.

Rich

PS Once again thanks for helping me get my now favorite razor.

Now that I've received it, and things look okay (to my less-than-expert eye - pending sending it off for the Lynn treatment), I'll add mine:

Picked up a fairly-nice Sheffield-made Joseph Rogers & Sons 7/8 off Ebay (small image used as avatar). After a little cleanup, it's in pretty good shape, save for a tiny bit of pitting along the spine, as well as some wear / etch on the bottom jimps. Seems to be pretty-low hone wear, with a reasonably-good edge pre-sharpening.

According to the seller, up until a few years ago it was owned by the barber who owned Fall River barber shop in Fall River, MA (both shop and original owner no longer around).

Now with first-hand experience, I agree that having razors with history is pretty cool.

Uhm well I got my 1st one a week ago, nice dovo stainless one (handle and blade), perfect timing, as my internet went dead as they cut a cable, so I had some time to play around.

Think I started with nicking the strop 287 times, but then got the hang of it (the stropping). No accidents on the face shaving, but am pondering on my headshaving future tactics (for comments see the headshaving topic).

Have been using it for a week, and noticed a few things. I shave too slow as my lather becomes a facial mask at times. Large scars make you do lots of passes, hardly ever enough. I am astonished by the speed that edge damages though, but hey, just gives one more stropping practice.

Now the real trouble.
My 1 year old cat .......
The stropping makes a sound, the knife reflects light, the water is there to play with, the soap smells and thus is realy for "pawing". My brush became an instant playmouse on the first day (always hanging out of reach now) and the knife on skin, yes that makes a sound too.

Why don't you kick her out?
Well she is the Queen. :-)), and she cannot handle being alone when she can hear you (even jumps under the shower every now and then).

Anybody else have a petproblem this way?Dog stropping his teeth? Monkeys stealing soap? Snakes devouring brushes?

Still makes it more fun though.

Hoekie