Thread: Skills and Personal Attributes

I was thinking this morning as I was shaving that we have a lot of discussions about acquiring skills that relate to technique. Such as honing, stropping, building lather, shaving, etc.

But then I was thinking about the personal attributes that would make a person successful at this art. I thought it might be interesting to know what people think is important personally. I thought of a bunch, but I will only list a couple of them to get this thread started. I'd like to know other people's perspectives on this.

So here goes:

1. Good Manual Dexterity - I think a musician, a craftsman like a wood carver or other previous hobbies like these would help here.
2. Perseverance - A person who does not give up easily is necessary. I have not been here long, but in the short time I have, I have witnessed people very enthusiastically purchase equipment, post the results of a couple of shaves and then disappear.

I would say a person who has an interest in the past, such as nostalgia for lost arts/skills. For example, I've noticed many members here who are pipe smokers; I am among them.

That's not to say this type of person necessarily rejects modern notions; he strives to reconnect with a time when men were gentlemen.

I agree with all of the above so far. I would also say, someone who is easily addicted to learning sonething new.


Mick

Randy told me early on that patience and persistence were requisites for becoming proficient with honing. I think that is true. I have always drawn pictures since I can remember and worked with my hands all of my adult life. The first half at manual labor and the next half in art. Always with the hands though. Perhaps that experience has been helpful for a transference of skills ?

Patience, perseverance and the ability to inflict pain on yourself and endure said pain until you get it right.

I think the ability to work by touch - to perceive and understand feedback, and then to react/adapt/respond to it - is very important. Also a willingness to learn and keep an open mind. Those, along with what has been mentioned above.

Originally Posted by JMS

Patience, perseverance and the ability to inflict pain on yourself and endure said pain until you get it right.

I was going to say this too - Patience. Calm. Coolness.

Take it easy. Don't rush things. Enjoy yourself.

Originally Posted by Ryan82

I would say a person who has an interest in the past, such as nostalgia for lost arts/skills. . . That's not to say this type of person necessarily rejects modern notions; he strives to reconnect with a time when men were gentlemen.

That's definitely a large part of what drew me to this, though the immediate cause was finally getting fed up with scraping that strip of gooey crap off of twin-blade cartridges, and finding out that there were folks who shave with straight razors.

I really enjoy things that give me a tangible sense of connection with the past--acquiring the skill to do things the ways they were traditionally done. For a number of years, I brewed my own beer, using lower-tech methods rather than all the thermometers, hygrometers, etc. that would ensure that every batch I made would likely taste almost exactly like other batches made from that same recipe. I was brewing pretty much the way it was done 200, 300 years ago (except for the sanitation--THAT was modern!--and some of the equipment--glass carboys instead of wooden barrels). I liked playing around with the recipes and I liked not knowing exactly what I would get, but knowing that it would be good beer. And it always was.

Recently I was in Asheville, NC on business, and stopped in at Jack in the Wood one evening for a pint. I had their Green Man ESB, and in the first sip knew I had a beer with something that is sadly lacking in almost every beer, craft or not, commercially made in this country: I could really taste the barley. I knew I was drinking something that probably tasted exactly like what my ancestors would have had--and that made it an even more pleasurable experience for me.

And to bring this back to shaving: I was talking with my mother a couple of weeks ago, telling her that I had taken up straight shaving, and she told me that she has either her grandfather's (or great-grandfather's, she's not sure) razor and strop, and that they're mine the next time I go to see her. No idea what make they are or their condition, but I'm eager to find out. How cool would that be, to be shaving with the razor my GGF or GGGF had used?

Nice post, DP. I'm looking forward to the pics of your family razor.

Here's my take:

Detail Oriented - Being able to spot that 2mm where the bevel is not set, or where it is not popping arm hair easily. Lots of people who don't like details would say "Well, most of the razor pops arm hairs, so thats good enough"...ummmm no...I don't think so.

Perfectionism - The hardest thing for me to learn was the "no wrist movement" at the flip, when stropping. It drove me insane practising slowly, with a butterknife, then a dull razor, then a sharp razor. However, it was something that I had to learn. Now it feels completely natural. Very similar to shaving ambidextrously.

I say this, because I spent two hours honing this morning. I was very detail oriented. And I am going to be rewarded this afternoon from a Boker King Cutter. (That's me, patting myself on the back).

Cheers all,
Maxi