Hello from Alexandria, VA

Have done several straight razor shaves so far. Great to be a part of this forum and look forward to learning more. Can someone advise how I get connected with a "mentor?"

Attached a photo of my great grandfather's straight razor. He immigrated to the U.S. from Germany in the early 20th century, and I assume brought this Solingen blade with him. Wish I could use it, but it's pretty jagged and has some rust. Going to try and get the blade restored for use.

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When my father gave the razor to me, it was in a box. The top compartment holds the razor, the bottom one holds a stone for honing. A leather strap for stropping is on the bottom.

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Welcome. I'm originally from the DC area.

Ask questions, read and learn...oh and have fun!

Thanks a lot, Harold -- assume you were stationed in the Washington area with the military when you lived here? I'm with the Foreign Service and enjoying living here. About shaving, I've been going WTG so far, and just finished my 13th shave (with a razor honed by Larry from Whipped Dog). Still not getting the best shave around the chin and the soft neck skin underneath, though I realize this will take time. Need to get the feel of the razor and to develop proper technique. I'm using "Art of Shaving" products, sandalwood cream and brush. Overpriced, but I really do like their stuff.

Could you point me to any previous threads on Straight Razor Place with guidance on motions for shaving across and also against the grain? I'm in pursuit of a BBS, still elusive now but working up to it.

Appreciate any guidance you could pass on.

Best,
Derek

Hi and welcome. Shaving direction is done by how YOUR beard grows. The direction for you could be totally different for me so you need to figure out your beard growth and work from there. Keep watching vids till you find some relevant to your growth and practice is the real teacher of what is best for you.

There is a list of local help and mentors I think on the library main page down the bottom

Welcome to SRP! There is a link that lists Mentors by region but I could not easily find that/forgot where it was located. But, I did find a link to help with Face Mapping:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...direction.html

Shawn
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Welcome aboard Derek. You will find a wealth of information on here so your beat bet is to start in the Library & work your way from there, even if you have seen some of it. It won't hurt to go over it again unless you absorbed it like a sponge. I see others have given you some good advice so far so just be patient, take it slow & things will fall into place.
Any questions, feel free to ask.
Good luck my friend.