Hi, all! I have been a lurker for quite some time, and have had a straight razor in my bathroom for about two years that was, until recently, pretty much a display piece. I have, however, gradually taken the plunge into straight razor shaving, and I am hooked. As such, I've decided to start contributing.

I can sum up my venture into classic shaving as follows:

When I was in high school, I received as a gift from my mother a Crabtree and Evelyn shaving brush (made by Edwin Jagger) and a bowl of sandalwood shaving soap. I tried it out as I would any other "toy" and, after several weeks of thin lather and uncomfortable shaves, I tucked them both away under my sink until after college. I graduated college and started law school and, seeking some degree of normalcy in my otherwise hectic life, decided I would give old school brush/soap shaving another shot. Using our friends over at Badger and Blade as a reference, I started getting better at pre-shave prep and lathering, and found myself really enjoying the experience.

Seeing the nice faux ivory-handled brush on my sink made me long for something a little classier than a cheap chrome and rubber Gillette Mach V to hang alongside it. While studying abroad in Cambridge, England, I walked into a Crabtree and Evelyn and saw that not only did Edwin Jagger still make a series of brushes for C&E, but they also made matching handles to fit Gillette heads. Not only that, but they were still making SAFETY RAZORS! And their blades cost a fraction of the price of the Gillette monstrosities! I ordered an Edwin Jagger DE89 immediately. It was not love at first shave.

For the next year I would periodically try to shave with a DE only to be rewarded with terrible shaves and razor burn that would make St. Bartholomew's fate seem like a slap on the wrist. I stuck with it, however, and started getting random stutters of BBS shaves. After a while, I was regularly receiving FAR better shaves than I ever got with my Mach V at a fraction of the price. I was hooked on wet shaving, and hard.

Having taken the plunge into DEs (and having long abandoned to idea that this hobby is cheaper than shaving with modern razors), the next logical step was a straight razor. I picked up a 5/8 Dovo Best Quality and 2" latigo strop from Lynn, and proceeded to flay myself alive for several weeks until I finally gave up. My father-in-law, however, loves James Bond and, after watching the shaving scene in Skyfall, decided to take the plunge as well. He ordered a 6/8 Boker Silver Steel and 3" latigo strop (also from Lynn), and also proceeded to flay himself alive until he, too, gave up and gave me his tools. Liking the heft and size of the Boker (an excellent shaver), I decided to dedicated myself to straight shaving in the same manner in which I learned to shave with a DE. I am now proficient in stropping, can use pastes to touch up a dulling edge, and regularly get great shaves. I admittedly have a lot to learn, but I have since traded the Boker for a Ralf Aust 6/8 stainless steel with black Micarta scales (truly a work of art) that I use on a daily basis. I am hooked once again, and look forward to learning to hone once this beauty finally goes dull.

Having said all that, I look forwarding to making a contribution to this forum and to the community of straight razor shavers at large. And to those regulars who likely have never considered how much they help the lurkers, THANK YOU for your wisdom and guidance!

-Esquire