Thread: Thanks for the Push toward Honing, Gentlemen

Originally Posted by Utopian

I had to read this a few times to figure out that you meant a piece of soap!

Bwaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahaha, I got it strait away. I've actually used ivory for lather like 20 years ago when I gave DE a try and figured out on my own all these bs canned products are just that.

Funny Ivory Soap should be mentioned as a lather source. I tried it only a couple of weeks ago with sufficiently satisfactory results. Lathered up well and moistened up well too. Upon returning from Montana last week, stopping at a truck stop in Casper Wy, there was a display of local artisan bar soap. Well scented. Bought two. Six bucks each. Worked as well as the Ivory. Bought a eucalyptus bar soap from Bath and Body Works. Didn't work nearly as well.

Originally Posted by Marshal

Don't talk about the cost of box o'hones! I'm afraid of what I'll discover if I tabulate what I've spent on rocks and hones. It's kind of like tallying up what you've spent on boat maintenance. Better to just remain oblivious and enjoy your toys.

Boat: (acronym)
Break
Out
Another
Thousand

Originally Posted by outback

Boat: (acronym)
Break
Out
Another
Thousand

Pirates had to do something when they came a shore, so they opened marinas.!!

Originally Posted by Longhaultanker

Funny Ivory Soap should be mentioned as a lather source. I tried it only a couple of weeks ago with sufficiently satisfactory results. Lathered up well and moistened up well too. Upon returning from Montana last week, stopping at a truck stop in Casper Wy, there was a display of local artisan bar soap. Well scented. Bought two. Six bucks each. Worked as well as the Ivory. Bought a eucalyptus bar soap from Bath and Body Works. Didn't work nearly as well.

Knowing my grandfather's frugal nature, anything BUT whatever bathroom soap was handy would have been a terrible waste for him to shave with because that was what was on the shelf in the bathroom. And Ivory was advertised as "Pure Natural Soap" back then (if I recall correctly), so that's what he shaved with. As I said, a DE was WAY too much of a luxury for my grandfather. I distinctly remember him telling my father how he was throwing his money out the window buying all those newfangled razor blades for his DE razor.

Originally Posted by ZipZop

Knowing my grandfather's frugal nature, anything BUT whatever bathroom soap was handy would have been a terrible waste for him to shave with because that was what was on the shelf in the bathroom. And Ivory was advertised as "Pure Natural Soap" back then (if I recall correctly), so that's what he shaved with. As I said, a DE was WAY too much of a luxury for my grandfather. I distinctly remember him telling my father how he was throwing his money out the window buying all those newfangled razor blades for his DE razor.

I try to keep things so simple on the road. Employing only those things that actually and simply work. I'm out on the road for 5-10 days at a time. I have only so much room. I put most of my gear into a fishing tackle bag. Works well. Walmart cheap. Point: trying to find simple, frugal, things that work while at the same time spending thousands on blades, stones, brushes, accessories. BTW, been thinking of getting a top quality strop after I have a couple of old blades re-scaled. (Insert humor).

Originally Posted by Longhaultanker

I try to keep things so simple on the road. Employing only those things that actually and simply work. I'm out on the road for 5-10 days at a time. I have only so much room. I put most of my gear into a fishing tackle bag. Works well. Walmart cheap. Point: trying to find simple, frugal, things that work while at the same time spending thousands on blades, stones, brushes, accessories. BTW, been thinking of getting a top quality strop after I have a couple of old blades re-scaled. (Insert humor).

Aloha!

I know exactly what you mean, sir. When I was growning my company, I spent at least 1,000 miles a week on the highways of Mainland US. Coast ot coast. Canada to Mexico. There were weeks at a time (I mean like 2-3 weeks) I would not be home, so I learned to travel "smart". I never took a straight razor until the tail end of my extensive travel. I usually traveled with a DE and a Shavette. But I finally bought a small travel strop and my DOP kit was packed with everything I needed for a fine shave including my travel straight razor (a Cut Throat Gents that if I loose in a hotel, it will not devistate me - yet it gives me a DFS). I do carry a Colonel Conk travel soap bowl with lime soap, but found face lathering much easier when on the road. So the Conk soap rarely gets used to lather. I may use it to load the brush and face lather. My usual hotel shave includes face lathering, not bowl lathering. Arko stick or Cremo or Proraso Cream.

So here's to road warriors everywhere. You can still get in some great wet shaving on the road. These days I'm home MUCH more than I'm on the road. But I finally joined this forum not long ago because I originally was looking for tips on traveling with a straight razor. I should do a Youtube Video of my travel kit sometime when I'm in a hotel. Some may find it useful as I've got some tricks and products that others may have not thought of. But I'm not traveling with honing stones. No matter how long I have to be gone!

Mahalo!

-Zip

I tossed a Swaty barber hone into my hotel/out of town Kit. Hone, razor, strop, aftershave, and shave bowl/brush. Good to go.

Originally Posted by Marshal

I tossed a Swaty barber hone into my hotel/out of town Kit. Hone, razor, strop, and shave bowl/brush. Good to go.

Aloha!

Good for you Marshal. I'm passing on traveling with a honing stone, since I'd never be gone long enough to need to hone my razor on the road. But I can see how it may be useful while traveling. I've really been working on my Shavette skills. I fall into the camp where my Straight razor form is good having been used for decades, but my Shavette skill is not so good. I always cut myself it seems. So I do a Shavette first pass, DE second pass if I go the blade route. The reason I started traveling (finally) with a Straight is because for me, they are so much more forgiving than a Shavette, and I missed a straight when on the road.

Hey, whatever works for you, go with it, yes? I really am seriously considering doing a travel wet-shaving video the next time I'm in a hotel, showing my kit and set-up while on the road, including my travel stroping.

-Zip

Honestly it came in handy more for my pocket knife than my razor. I dulled the knife while I was out and about. I didn't really expect to need it either but ultimately I decided I'd rather have and not need, than need and not have. It helped pass a dull evening at the hotel that would've been otherwise spent watching naked and afraid or some other terrible tv program.

Perhaps a book or 2 should've found their way into my travel pack as well. Live and learn eh?