Thread: BAWS hello from Wyoming

BAWS- Born again wet shaver (BAWS), and hello/greetings from Wyoming. Well gents I came back to wet shaving with a double edge Edwin DE 89 with plans to step up to striaght shaving as I pick up my supplies. First started wet shaving in the 1980's during college to save money. Back then it was a Gillette trap door, Gillitte or Wilkinson blades and Williams soap. Once graduated from college and earning the American green back, I switched to Cartridge razors one blade, two blade up to the latest Fusion razor. But, on and off my neck just started crying foul and was in need for a change. Face did not mind the cold 30 second shave but my neck just stopped believing in the method. So, now I am born again DE shaver. Picked up a Edwin Jagger DE 89 lined razor, Voskhold blades, The Grooming Company brush and now up to a dozen soaps (Tiki, HTGM, Soap Commander, Razorock, Maggards, Ginger Gardens).
So far my method has been shower to prep along with parrazo sensitive skin. Lather up my soap, shave and been double checking progress on and off with alum block, and then toss on some Nivea aftersave balm and a couple of sprays of Joop. Face happy and neck Happier.
Having fun reading and catching up on the Forum boards.
Oh, and my 19 year old son just ordered his first DE (born first timer).

Have a great day

Eric

Welcome ecor, back to "the way" of good shaving. Guess there is no need to give you the normal welcome spiel. You've even taken care of the refresher course. As far as getting to using a straight, watching any video by Lynn or Glen (gssixgun) shaving will keep you on the right path. Wouldn't hurt, tho, to do some reading in the Library. If nothing else, the FAQs will help focus your trip. Unfortunately there are no Mentors in WY, but any of them you contact ( Local Help - Straight Razor Place Library ) are more than happy to carry on a long distance mentoring. There is a yearly meeting in CO, that if you can get to, would give you a great face-to-face advancement in your shaving. Of course, any question you ask on the forum will garner you many answers.

Nice to hear your son is also interested. My two sons sport beards or badly shaven faces. It not a being a prophet in your own land syndrome for me.

Morning,

Well I guess, I should say, I work graveyards so when on breaks I check out the boards.

Anyway, I did pick up Lynn's DVD for basic reference after watching a couple of his youtubes. Hanging out and catching up with the posts and youtubes from Shave the Man folks as well.

I will check out what is going on in Colorado, I am only 90 minutes from Denver.

Planned on getting a Boker King cutter or a TI special-c along with Lynn's modular paddle strop to start.

Yea, I have two other sons that are allergic to razors and only shave for job interviews or a hot date.

Thanks and pleased to meet you,

Eric

Welcome back to the party. Any questions just ask. We're here to help and enable. Beware of all the AD's. Have fun and enjoy the ride.

Eric, not a night owl, just at the age of many potty breaks thru the night (yeah, I know, there's a pill for that but I still think I'm a teenager). If you're buying the paddle from SRP then you must be buying the razors there also. The Boker sounds good, I've been waiting for a decent vintage Boker to show up that I like (only own vintage for some reason). Not too sure about the TI, but have no reference for new production. I like the fact that Lynn sells the razors with a free honing since so many new shavers tend to roll, or otherwise, damage the edge. I very heartily approve of the paddle strop. I am one of many with a heavy hand and it took making my hanging strops into hanging bench strops and doing a Zen like mental training to use almost no downward pressure on the razor as I strop.

The key to good stropping so as to not damage the edge is two fold: little or no other pressure than the weight of the blade on the surface and, two, imaging, as you do your laps, a plane landing and taking off so that when you flip, via the spine, you don't slap the blade down immediately. Practicing with a butter knife , or even a tongue depressor, will help set muscle memory for the real thing. Good speed is about a second in each direction. Faster later, but not by much.

Picked up a coveted, by some, recently, a Lipshaw Microtome Strop. I'm sure you are familiar with them. This one was, by the ID tag attached once was the property of Detroit. Probably in the Coroner's office and used to strop their tissue cutting microtome razors.

Before I forget, the only treatment the leather part of your strop will need, since it is new, is you giving it some rubbing with the palm of your hand before you use it. The natural oils in you hand, or acquired from rubbing your face first, and the heat generated by the rubbing will keep your leather in prime shape for as long as you own the strop.

Sorry for the treatise, my fingers tend to get away from me at times.

Richard

Hi and welcome back to the best way. Good luck starting with a straight and any problems or questions feel free to ask

Welcome to SRP!

http://youtu.be/eXPYOCLHnOs?t=23m42s