Thread: My initial intention was to 'save' money .... best laid plans

So - here I am - another forum and another way to spend money

I initially wanted to 'save' money and learn to shave with a straight. I read a little, and I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg, and I saw that some vintage steel was superior to some newer and cheaper razors being mass produced. I got a couple at a local antique shop and sent them off to be professionally sharpened and honed. I got them back, and promply lost my nerve, and sold them (at a loss)

Part of the problem was that no matter how I held my hand, and my head, my hand seemed to block my vision and I couldn't see what I was doing. This led me to have day-time nightmares ... I had visions of arterial spray in the neck area and a fillet-of-cheek for breakfast. My wife even said she was going to put a video camera in the bathroom, so that when the police were here investigating the death, she could prove that I did it to myself and it wasnt a murder!

One of my hobbies is yard sale-ing and I went a picked up a Henckels for 3.00 (and another with a broken blade also for 3.00) .... the Henckels box was in rough shape ... but the razor was sound .... I also bought a Gem SE Featherweight for 2.00 from the same guy (and a Fat Boy for 5.00) .... I was in heaven! In any case - I am not a straight shaver, and I didn't have any SE blades ... so I got some SE blades and sold both straights. When I got the SE blades, I tried and SE for the first time ... I really liked it. The stiffness of the blade compared to a DE gave a different feel. And one that I would bet feels more like a straight. But I had sold off the Henkels ... so I was back to not having a razor, and wanting to try one.

So - yesterday (and in keeping with my personality) I figured ... 'in for a penny, in for a pound' and I commissioned a custom fixed blade straight. It will be here in a couple months. In the mean time ... I am a hobby machinist, and since I know what I am getting and how it will be made and sized ... I am going to make up a 'non sharpened' mock up. When I shave in the mornings - I will occasionally pull out my 'fake' razor and use it as a lather remover. Heck lather is cheap. This way I can work on hand positioning and what I think will be good angle development. I don't know if that is a good idea - or a bad idea ... and I don't know where my lack of confidence came from - after all - a lot of people shave with straights .... and you don't see that mentioned as the cause of death in many obituaries!


Edit to note .... the 'day-time nightmares' was meant to be sarcasm and a little tongue in cheek