Thread: Pacific Northwest Spring Meet -Yakima!

Originally Posted by deighaingeal

Thank you Shawn for taking all the pictures, Glen for helping with the honing, and everyone for sharing, asking questions, and just everything. I definitely consider this weekend a success!

You are very welcome Gerrit! Thanks again SO MUCH to you, Wanda/Nanna and your Family for the great support of just an awesome Meet... More like just hanging out with really cool Wet Shaving Folks at home and the comfort, ease and joyful environment cannot be overstated!!!

Also, MUCH THANKS to Glen/GSSixgun especially for putting in 10 hours of driving in one day to come down and support the Meet... Absolutely incredible levels of dedication doing something he loves and is so very willing to share with the rest of us!!!!!

Thanks also to everyone who donated SWAG!!!!!!!!!! I was lucky enough to draw the very, very nice bottle of 2011 Syrah, Yakima Valley- Elephant Mountain Vineyard... A toast to your family and your health, Roy, for donating it!!! I am cracking this baby and next time I'm going to remember that I can upload MULTIPLE pics when I'm on my Laptop vs ONE AT A TIME on my Phone... Doh!

Shawn
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Originally Posted by MattCB

All I ask is LOTS of pictures!

I posted everything that was even remotely visual quality... A few got deleted due mostly to my poor skill and technique but also challenging light conditions!

Ya, I could probably add more lighting in the house.

Originally Posted by deighaingeal

Ya, I could probably add more lighting in the house.

I am pretty sure it was my lack of technique and ignorance of my phone/camera settings... I kept getting whitewash in the background from the outside windows... But, that's the great thing about Digital... Instead of "Fake It Till You Make It!", you have "Click It Till Ya Get It!"!!!!!

All,

thank you very much for time I have spent with you. As always, it was a great time and an education for me and knowledge exchange. I would not make it without Gerrit and Wanda. Thank you very much for all you did.

Pictures are great. Thank you for these memories stored for ever by Shawn. It was very nice to meet new members. I hope next time I will have little more time and I will spent some more time with my mentor Gerrit and Glen.

Thank you for all,

your protégé Mariusz.

P.S. Did I already mentioned that food prepared by Wanda was not from this world?

I would first and foremost like to echo my deepest gratitude to Deighaingeal and Nanna, GSSixgun, Prahston, Frank and Proximus26 for everything these last two days! The open kindness, hospitality and generosity you have shared with us these last two days is overwhelming and beyond words. I could not thank you all enough if I had all the time and words in the world

To any new guys reading this: If you have the opportunity to attend an SRP Meet, do yourself a huge favor and PLEASE GO!!! The level of expertise at your immediate disposal coupled with the amount of hands-on experience you will gain is priceless beyond measure. You will learn more inside a day or two of time spent with mentors and colleague forumites than you would gain from weeks, months or years foraying videos, threads and online how-to's (though these also definitely have their place...more on that in a moment).

On a personal level, I've been "shaving" with a straight for the last 8 months. Until this last couple of weeks, I have been getting what could be described (at BEST) as passable results. Searching threads, watching videos, asking questions...with each step I took, my shaves improved...inconsistently, but forwardly. Having lurjed SRP for months and finally registering, I was welcomed warmly by many forumites and had been informed of an upcoming meet here in my city (how convenient is that ). I eagerly awaited and finally attended this Meet with three things in hand-- a whole lot of questions, a whole lot of motivation thanks to my inexperience, and a whole lot of "I'm not quite sure what to expect, but what the hell...what do I have to lose?"

What I found when I got there would have been worth a couple of days drive over a few US State lines...and it would not have been a wasted trip.

I learned more inside the first couple of hours of Day One than I *THOUGHT* I had learned (more or less) in months previous. I threw every question I had (and every question I didn't even know I had) at Deighaingeal and Nanna, and it was both answered and illustrated with knowledge, experience and precision. By days end, I had not only answers to my questions, but FUNCTIONAL, hands-on instruction in just about every area of wet shaving...including the aspects I took for granted, the ones I thought I had figured out. We even got to turn some brushes!!

The introduction of GSSixgun on Day Two brought my experiences to a whole new level (the sheer level of knowledge and experiences of Glen and Gerritt is just unbeliiiiiiievably impressive, by the way...and even that might be understating it as it is). From razor shapes, flaws and strengths, to restoration, hones (and how to identify them), honing and finishing techniques, stropping, lathering, products, test shaving, angles, and of course the shave itself. We covered a lot of ground. Hell, we covered just about everything, and I am truly better for it. As I write this, I finally have my first TRULY successful shave under my belt tonight. And it probably (definitely) would not have been so without the guidance of our mentors and colleagues sharing the knowledge and skills so openly and with equal or more passion for our success as newbies as we have for learning it.

I liken my experience this weekend as such-- the metaphorical light bulb is on, having found the light switch after fumbling blindly in the dark for so long. My den is now bright enough to see where I'm going

I wrote a lot, and yet all the words don't do the experience any justice (which may be in fact the point I'm hoping to make anyway). If you've never been to an SRP Meet, take the time, plan for your attendance and GO check it out. Your mileage may vary (literally), but your experience and efforts WILL be worth it, as were mine


-SkyBlazer-

Oy my aching back hehehe just got in the door, grabbing some aspirin and hitting the sack ... Glen is one worn out puppy, Wanda & Gerritt just want to take a second to say THANK YOU !!!! for the hospitality, once again unsurpassed ...

More to come after I get some sleep, Had a Blast !!!

I am amazed that I have not crashed myself. I have received several messages since we have posted on here and on the facebook page. Many people did not know that this meet was happening. I have scheduled 4 one on one sessions for this month to help these people.
I thank you all for the kind words and especially Glen for driving so far to see us.
Above all else I want someone reading this thread to understand exactly what Cy posted above. Find a meet, take the time, you will not regret this decision. Trust me.

I noticed that the Calendar:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/calendar.php

... does not have any entries that I could find for any Meets. Is there a way to update that area so more people have simpler/quicker access? I remember I missed the Yakima Meet a couple years ago as it took me longer to find the right area of the Forum (Get Togethers And Meetings- Sub) than it did to access the details of the Meet once found. ??

Shoot... I just did a Trial Post and it is Open... So, that would probably help a lot to just make sure the Meets get listed on the Calendar!

First off the Food and Hospitality were as always above and beyond.. Wanda you take way to good care of us, Thank You Thank You

Gerritt always a pleasure to sit down with you and talk Wet Shaving, but I bet you did not know that trying out an Atatyl was actually something I have wanted to do for years.. No BS

I have been going to these meets since 2008 and honestly there have been getting better and more intense every year.. There honestly is no better way to really learn some of the tricks then by sitting down across the table with friends..
In martial arts circles there is a saying "One never truly learns until one teaches" it also applies to this art, I have learned so much from sitting down and explaining it to the new guys.. It makes me question myself over and over, it also really helps when answering questions on the forum. That hands on experience helps me to understand sometimes what new people to our hobby are actually asking..

It was a great time, with good company, already looking forward to the Fall meet

g