Gosh fellas. I really appreciate all of the insight. As an update to last night's post, before bed I got out the old razor just to take another look. It is a sort of disposable straight that has a razor blade that can be replaced. It also came with a sort of toothed guard. When I was a kid, my mother had this thing sort of like a comb with a razor between the teeth. She had the bright idea that she was going to save money by cutting our hair, and she started by dragging this torture device over our heads. You could hear the strands of hair breaking, tearing, cutting, and it felt like every follicle was being pulled out by the roots. Why she didn't simply use scissors on us was beyond me, but needless to say we protested so loudly that she soon gave up. I can only assume that this guard thing that slips over the blade is possibly for some similar use, which means that it went directly into the trash last night.Quote:
Originally Posted by engine46
While my curiosity was piqued last night, I knew better than to attempt something so new and specialized right before bed when I had neither the time nor the patience to take the time to get it right. Now, bear in mind that I have been shaving with a brush and soap in a mug for years, so at least I have that part down. This morning, I took a leap of faith and took a stab at a few first strokes. I got about 1 square millimeter successfully shaved just below my sideburn before giving up and grabbing the old untrustworthy disposable schick. What little area I did get clean with the cheapey, I could feel each follicle being tugged just as my mother's torture device used to do, so I figured the thing must be dull and far too dangerous to continue trying to learn with. The cheapey Chinese straight is just too much of a Saturday Night Special-looking thing for someone respectable to shave with, so I've decided that it's not worth the effort. It might be fine for the immigrant hairdresser at the all-you-care-to-get-cut barber school, but it's not for me. I suspect I will be looking for a bona-fide straight with which to officially kick off this endeavor.
I would have been at this a lot earlier in my life but for the lack of a razor. You see, I had a double great-grandfather who was an Army officer before the war between the states. When the war came around, in order for the Union to keep him from defecting to the South - since he was a Southerner, they transferred him out to San Francisco to be stationed at the Presidio (sp?) to aid in negotiations with the Native American Indians. Ultimately he was killed in a runaway horse and carriage accident, and since he was not killed in battle, his poor wife and daughter were not awarded any pension on which to survive, but I digress. This Colonel John Thomas Lindrum had a toiletry kit with his name engraved on the top. It was an elegant wooden box that contained all sorts of ivory handled boot lacing hooks, fingernail files, an ink well, glass bottles for aftershave I'm sure, a hair brush, and a shaving brush. It also had a sort of a travel strop which looked like a wooden ruler with a sort of leather strip attached. By the time I got the box, the straight razor was long gone, but I'm certain there must have been one with it once upon a time. At any rate, I was impressed by the gallant Army officer who was obviously very refined and gentile to have such a box just for grooming, particularly at that early period of time in this nation's history. Additionally there was a tin-type photograph of him with his period-mustache and goatee. Had their been his straight razor in that box, I'm certain I would have been at this that much sooner, but there wasn't.
About 16 years ago I happened upon a pile of someone's personal things outside of an apartment complex near my house. It was apparent that someone had been evicted and their things had been put out on the street for disposal. After passing the pile several days running, I finally stopped to see what things of value I might salvage. I felt very sorry for the poor person who had been evicted because it was obviously someone who either had been or was already a barber - at least that's what I thought at the time because I found amongst his things a strop. It was obviously new, or at least it looked new to me, and realizing that it was something of value, I got it. I'm pretty sure I kept it thinking that I might have a use for it one day, but I will have to search to see if I still have it. It has both the leather and the canvass, so I already have some of the tools. I figured that this person may have gotten locked up or perhaps hospitalized for him to be evicted without all of his possessions. Now I realize that perhaps he was simply an SRP shaver who had come to this unfortunate end, and perhaps is having to go back to shaving with safety razors until he can get back on his feet and replace all of his lost equipment. At any rate, perhaps I will get the benefit of his strop after all.
The video of the manliest shave ever was astounding. Thanks for sharing. I had to watch it again to see that the fellow started with a full goatee and mustache before he completely shaved it off as though he did that every morning. I suspect if his razor had not been sharp enough to suit him, he could have just as easily gotten the job done with that large kitchen knife on the wall behind him. His prowess with a straight is certainly something to be admired, and something for me to set my sights on.
I certainly appreciate all of the kind words and encouragement I have found here. I will continue researching and shopping until I find the necessary tools. Since a man is only as good as his tools, I know what I'm going to tell my family they can contribute towards a gift for me for Christmas. In the mean time, I will start shopping and comparing. I will also follow the leads you fellows have so kindly suggested for me to reference. Thanks again gents. I'll try to keep you posted on my progress.
Incidentally, I live in the Atlanta Georgia area. Many thanks again. Rob
