Thread: So here I am

I was 24 years old when I took my first steps into the world of cutthroat razor shaving. I have no idea why I entered the store that day, perhaps it was the boredom of seeing all the female oriented stores and hardly any male biased ones, perhaps it was the large wad in my wallet for once, or perhaps it was the shiny display of Dovo razors in the window that attracted my attention, my interest in sharp, shiny shit piqued.
I did spend a lot of that wad of cash. I still have the $300 travel alarm clock on the shelf beside me from that same trip. Pity it isn’t in the same condition today as my $160 Dovo imitation MoP handled #98 straight razor that I, proudly, carried out of the razor shop that day. I had to order in a strop, none were in stock, a ‘Junior/Royal’ double sided affair, with a ‘Carborundum’ sharpening strap, and a smooth leather finishing side opposite. If memory serves that was another $80.
I didn’t use my new razor for a few days; opting to let the whiskers grow instead, so that I could have the joy of shaving it all off with my new toy. The bloke in the shop assured me that I would be able to get by without stropping for a while, but I would have to give it a little extra once I picked up my strop. A happy customer walked out of that shop and into the Twilight Zone of straight razor shaving. Nothing would be as easy as it seemed!
That first shave was like sex for the first time, hot, steamy, with a lot of fumbling around of hands, not knowing exactly where to put it, a messy affair. When it was all over, there was a little bit of shame, the knowledge that it wasn’t successful, or mutually satisfying, there was even a little blood. I came out looking like a pie-bald road kill with tufts of fur sticking out from all angles. I had to resort to the Gillette twin blade that was given me upon graduation from high-school. My gift from the Gillette Company had already served me for a few years, and glad I was to have it that night. Despite all the sympathetic looks from the girls, and the laughter from my mates at the bar that night, I persisted with my attempts at ‘going straight’.
For two weeks I put up with consecutively worse shaves, razor rash, nicks and cuts and put downs from those in the know. From those who didn’t know, I was asked what sort of horrible disease infested my face, and, was it contagious. The thought of a successful cut-throat shave was always in the back of my mind, and I was still to get my strop, so another attempt was planned, but until then I would wait and heal.
On receiving my strop, I dug out my razor and went to work with it, just like in the movie’s, I worked that blade up and down that strap lickity split. Those old time western movie barbers would have been proud to have the likes of me as an apprentice, of that I had no doubt!
The shave that night had to be the worst ever and my face was nearly as cut up as my new strop. It was like shaving with a shovel, and in hindsight my technique was probably similar, I came to the conclusion that it was either, impossible to get any sort of clean shave from the damn things, or I was missing something. It was the latter that kept a glimmer of hope alive. It would be many months and a period of unemployment before I would try again.
I thought I had it all figured out.
I had a pocket knife hone somewhere, I would first give the razor a swipe on that to bring up a reasonable edge, and finish up on the strop, before giving it another go on my pre-prepared three day growth. I would take it slowly and experiment a little. So it was into the bathroom as soon as there was a lull in the traffic, strip down to the waist, apply a decent squirt of shave-foam from a can, whip out my freshly ‘honed’ razor and commence shaving. After several strokes down my face without any visible difference, even though it felt like every hair was being tortured from my face. My sister came in to talk to me during my ordeal, saying nothing about my efforts until she had finished her monologue, with the rhetorical question, “Is that thing actually doing anything?!”
My stubborn streak finally caved in, and my beautiful Dovo was placed into its little dark coffin and laid to rest in a cupboard. A sad end indeed!
Skip forward 15 years.
With my knife maker/collector hobby and being a member of a knife club, I receive catalogues on a regular basis, at the back of the catalogues, are featured cut-throat razors and strops, as well as teaching aids. From this club I bought a booklet that proposed to teach me how to shave with the cut-throat, I considered buying a DVD by some bloke called Lynn Abrams recently too, but it was, priced out of my budget, even though it sounded interesting. Other priorities prevailed. Like the Giesen and Forsthoff Timor blue steel #150 razor that I picked up for the same $99 that Lynn’s two disc DVD would have cost.
By watching you-tube videos and reading up about open razors on the ‘net, I learnt that I had gone about my sharpening all wrong, and that I needed a much finer stone than the old pocket knife stone. How fine a stone can you get? 30 000 grit and finer!! Bugger me! I did try some 2000 grit wet and dry once, and it was an improvement on the pocket knife hone, but not much. I own a honing system from the Lansky Company and tried honing the Dovo on that with limited success.
By chance I was looking at the sharpening gear in a well known knife store to get some honing oil for my knife sharpening system, when I spotted a KAI 1000/6000 grit stone. After a check on my financial situation I went back and bought it. I set to work honing my Dovo as soon as I got home. My stubborn streak was returning. I would get a shave from this thing yet. I still had a much to learn, and was on my way to finding this out!
I already had a badger hair brush by Comoys of London that I picked up cheaply as a brush and stand, someone had shoplifted the razor from the set and I offered to pay the store a fair price for them. I was given a good deal for my offer. I hadn’t used canned shave foam for many years, instead using just plain old soap and shaving in the shower, I did have a tube of shave lather in my travel pack though. Bought that years ago, but I was sure it would be good. The strop was where it had hung for years now, fixed to a heavy duty towel rack screwed into the wall. I was all set for my first successful shave...Hopefully.
The next morning I laid out all my gear, Razor, Brush and tube of lather. Face prepared by having a hot shower, before finally lathering up in front of the mirror. A careful first pass was showing promise, it wasn’t as smooth as I thought it should be, but it wasn’t the torture that I remembered from years past. Not one for half measures, I shaved my entire face and not just one cheek as I had heard was recommended. It wasn’t as clean a shave as I had hoped, but hey, it was a shave!
I re-lathered for a second pass ‘against the grain’ and started the process again. This was actually happening, Not the best shave I’d ever had, as was proved when I went ‘with the grain’ using my trusty old Gillette twin blade, and getting a cleaner shave in one, than the two passes with the cutthroat. I still considered my efforts a success.
A decision was made, for as much as possible; I would use that cutthroat razor, and try to avoid using the progeny of King Gillette. At first, I had some issues with shaving close to the edges of hair growth that I wanted to keep, areas like near the sideburns and goatee was the cause of some frustration and a step back to the Gillette. To a lesser degree was the issue with the hair growth along the jaw line and sides of the neck. I was striving for perfection. I’ve always gone for a clean shave on the parts of my face that see a blade, and so far the cleanest was at the hand of Gillette.
Two weeks into going semi-cold turkey, a blind wife experiment was called for. No, my wife isn’t blind; up to this point my wife had no idea why I was suddenly taking up to an hour or more in the bathroom, where once I was no more than twenty minutes. I shaved two passes with my straight, on the right side of my face, and the same with my twin blade on the left. I then had my wife run her hands up each side of my face to get her opinion on which side was smoother. She confirmed what I knew, by stating that the left side (Gillette) was slightly smoother. She gave me a quizzical look, but didn’t say anything. She’s used to my eccentric behaviour.
In the evening of that day I had her check again, this time the right side was definitely least prickly. Interesting!
For the last week I’ve been going totally straight, I haven’t wavered from the true path in the least. I’ve even been able to get into those tight little gaps that sport only a few stray hairs in my goatee/moustache area without too much drama. I have had one minor slip. I suppose you can’t ever have a totally bloodless coup. Someone always gets hurt. It was a normal morning with the exception that I got into the bathroom last for once. I was listening to my kids arguing, and not paying attention to the task at hand. I extended the blade too far on my sideburn area, and just touched one of those funny little curls inside my right ear. Bugger! First cut in years.
I’m down to 45 minutes in the bathroom now. My shaves are as good as what I ever got from my now retired Gillette twin blade and Mach 3 razors. They now live with my Philishave 8894 electric razor, you know, the one that James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) used. I’ve no idea how he ever got a close shave from one of those whisker rattlers. I expect my shaving time will decrease with my increasing proficiency with a straight. To top it off I got a Kasumi 3000/8000 grit hone today, I introduced both my razors to it. I look forward to tomorrows shave. My face is looking healthier since I now use proper shaving techniques and finish off with a moisturising balm. So here I am. Shaving has become more ‘Manly’, once more a pleasure rather than a chore.
Oh yes, that $300 travel alarm clock. Hasn’t worked for years!

Welcome to SRP,Mick! Your post was interesting,if a bit long.You have some good writing skills there.You've come to the right place to get your straight-shaving skills honed to the max.Check out the wiki section if you haven't,as there's a wealth of info available.I don't think you're a beginner anymore,as you certainly learned the hard way.

What a great read that was for me. and, I agree with Oliver, you write very well. You are a determined shaver that's for sure.

I don't know all the particulars in regard to your skills: shaving, lathering, prep, and very important,....stropping. I assume with all that determination you will learn correctly, but there is a learning curve to all of this, and how long it takes you to perfect these skills will be determined by you.

I was thinking while reading your post, "what would happen if he got a razor honed by an expert?" - You might look up in the classified section of people who offer honing services near you. Just a thought.

Anyway, I really enjoyed reading about your adventures with "going straight". Keep us informed about your progress in regard to all those different skills that must be learned in order to be a successful straight razor shaver.

Good luck,

Steve

I came upon this site after the events I described above, since then my learning curve has come along quicker than ever before. I apologise for the length of the read, I've edited it down somewhat, but it's still long. I was just trying to get across the feel of my particular learning curve. I've made some mistakes along the way, that's for sure. I nearly ruined a beautiful razor in the process. I'm glad I didn't.


Mick

Wow, an inspiring story. I have to say that I love your description of a first shave with a straight, hilarious! Congrats on at last getting it down and good luck as you continue to learn alongside the rest of us!

G'Day, Mick! Loved your story!

Welcome to the family!
Namaste,
Morty -_-

G'day Mick. Fun read. Sounds like you're well on the path.
Just make sure you keep the Kasumi lapped flat. They are a very soft stone & dish very quickly. That said they lap very quickly too

Originally Posted by MickR

That first shave was like sex for the first time, hot, steamy, with a lot of fumbling around of hands, not knowing exactly where to put it, a messy affair. When it was all over, there was a little bit of shame, the knowledge that it wasn’t successful, or mutually satisfying, there was even a little blood.

Best. Analogy. Ever.

I'd actually thought about sending the razors down to you for honing oneimaru55, but then I thought I'd be better off getting my own gear and learning for myself. Just to make sure I'm on the right track, Jimbo is going to avail me some of his time in the next few weeks. I figured the Kasumi would dish fairly fast. It has a very chalky feel to it. I like the fact they supply the lapping stone too.
Thanks to the others who have commented too. Thank you for taking the time to read through it all (or at least enough of it to get an idea anyway).


Mick

Just want to add my voice to the others who've said welcome back. My own experience was similar although you at least started with a decent blade, unlike the toy razor I bought that said "Pakistan" on it. The time frame was much shorter too, as I had discovered SRP in the meantime. I admire your diligence. And yes, the analogy was great.