Thread: Neil Miller RIP

We will see him again, just not for a while.

Originally Posted by entropy1049

Has it been two years? Still miss the guy. I don't suppose that's gonna change.

+1 on that! I was just thinking of him earlier..................

Nope, I don't think so either- I was thinking that this morning using one of his razors and bridle strops. Its a good thing.

Indeed. One thing to have his strops. Use where his hands were.
Quite another to have the trove he left behind here.
I am grateful for that. My mind can only hold so much.

Neil Miller!

Well my friend, the time is approaching again & it will be 3 years. You're in a better place now with no more suffering, a place full of peacefulness. Most of all, your beloved family love & miss you so dearly & so do many here on the forum who knew you. Your knowledge & wit is greatly missed. I could go on but my thoughts are with you.
See ya soon, maybe sooner than expected Neil.

Wish I could have known him better and purchased on of his strops. He passed not too long after I joined. I recently found an old post one day where he said his copy of Goins? had corrections on every page from his research. It would be nice if things like that could be recorded to benefit others. I'm sure he took a wealth of knowledge with him as well. He was certainly a character who was quick to assist others.

One of his first posts I read certainly made an impression!! Quote is regarding a cheap strop I bought for my first straight razor. :)

"Thanks Jimmy,

I certainly can offer some advice here.

What you need is some naptha. It is a volatile spirit, so you have to use it with caution. Old timers probably know it best as Ronson Lighter Fluid, it came/comes in a yellow can with a red plastic spout that acts both to seal the can and to pour the fluid. It is what you use for zippo style lighters.

Now find a place outdoors where the fumes from the naptha can disperse freely without harm. Take some corrugated card, the same xize as the strop and three times wider, and fold it three times so it is approximately tne width of the strop. Liberally apply the naptha to it, then place the strop on top. Apply what remains in the can to the surface of the strop, then ignite with a match (safest option) or your zippo lighter if you dont like your hairy hands. Tossing the zippo lighter while it has a flame going onto the pile as they have a propensity to do in the movies is just wasteful and you should refrain from this questionable practice.

Once the flaming inferno has subside, tread the mass into ashes and let them be transported by the four winds to the remotest parts of the globe.

I trust that you will find that said erstwhile strop will never threaten to injure another razor.

Regards, Neil"

That quote has put a stupid grin on my face. Neil had a way with words. As long as this palace is here so will he.

Same here, Mark. The man was a treasure.

I was fortunate to enjoy a few years of his wide range of knowledge and those pithy comments. I wish I had his knack of responding to an Ass in such a way that only the Ass thought it was a compliment.

~Richard

Truly a gentleman, a craftsman, and a wordsmith of the highest caliber.