Thread: Introduce yourself!!!!!

wolfmanXIII:

Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, I did purchase it from SRD. Also purchased a Dovo Prima Klang w/ Violet wood scales from them too, which I plan to use after I have gotten a bit of experience with straight razor shaving.

Hello, my name is Nicholas, aka Sheafferer (I collect vintage Sheaffer Fountain Pens)

I've always been in wet shaving, but only with Safety Razors (early and and TTO's), I have ten or so, each from a different decade beginning in 1910.

Of course, I have experience in pre-shaving stuff, seems to be the same till the moment you decide to have in hand a Safety or a Straight. This pre-shave chapter gives me a lot of fun, and although I prefer Bay Rum soap, iI love to change to other scents.

I began to collect vintage scuttle mugs last summer. Yes, I'm a compulsive collector, lol.

My interest in Straight Razors started when I found my father's Dubl Duck, it isn't in shave ready condition, but, with enough time, I'll restore it ;-)

Actually, I bought in eBay a mint Dubl Duck Dwarf Razor, and the seller told me about this wonderful place.

Lynn's video arrived yesterday, and I'm beginning to learn, I'm sure that everybody here will help me if I need advice (As in the pen forums and listservs to which I'm subscribed).

Tought that I already had the instruments (shave ready razor, honing stone and strop, the rest, as brushes, mugs, shaving soaps and after-shave lotions I already had) but seems that I would need ti invest in better stuff.
I intend to go step by step, I'm in no hurry as this new world that I've just discovered seems to be big and interesting enough to spend part of my free time exploring it.

I'm fifty-one, live in Madrid and travel often to Cork and in summer I go to my cousin's place in San Francisco.

Cheers to all the goup here.

Nicholas

I have been hanging around for a couple of months now. Live in the North Bay (California) and my first major hobby is shooting in high power rifle matches. I am a service rifle guy (US.Army for several years) and just got started in Palma (800, 900, 1000 yard shooting). I work for the local government assisting wayward knuckleheads to one of the finest bed and breakfasts in the county (open 24hrs). First razor was a new Dovo Special 6/8. Second was a Thistle spike from around 1910ish that was restored by a member here. Today I received a neat W&B notch that is going to get new scales and and cleaned up. Been wet shaving for about 7 years, but this is the end of my second month with straights. I love them and think I need to slow down. I shave with them 5 or 6 days a week, and if my face did not need a rest I would shave everyday. I have been learning and enjoying the shaves, learning the strop, and finding out what real razor burn is. Tried a few different soaps and creams. Got me a bottle of glycerin yesterday. I am addicted, and my name is Carlo

Matt here, just call me Teethbrush (Did you know the toothbrush was invented in __________? If they had invented it anywhere else, it would have been called the teethbrush!) I'm from Southern California but in 10 years I can retire and move to Free America...

Started with plastic disposables and goo in a can, progressed to cartridge razors (both of which gave me hair bumps and major irritation) then progressed to DEs and then SEs... love those Injectors. When I switched to DE I picked up some Neutrogena skin clarifying shave cream in a tube (on accident) which was superior to the canned crapola, I only realized how awful it was when I finally switched to Proraso and a boar brush.

A short while back I bought a shavette to learn on and cut the hell out of myself, but the gauntlet had been thrown. Instead of giving up, I got myself a Ruprazor tuned GD and the light bulb came on. Then I sent granddad's old SR in to GemStar for a restoration, and am sitting on pins and needles...

I just started honing on my own this week (thanks to the good advice on this site and YouTube) and my shaves have improved dramatically, as I had dulled my GD through crappy beginner's stropping. I am now going near BBS, bloodless, with little to no irritation in about 30 minutes, and getting happier and more confident every time. Still looking for that "just wipes hair off like a squeegee" "cuts the beard like a laser, don't even feel it" shave, but with a beard the color and texture of fine copper wire, I wonder if it will ever come. I already shave after showering and marinate myself in warm lather from a scuttle for a couple minutes before shaving.

I had RAD, and it turned into SRAD... now I think I may be developing stropitis and I'm quite certain that my exposure to the hones infected me with HAD. I'm doomed for sure and you guys aren't helping. So far for whatever reason the brush sickness hasn't hit yet.

Tonight I got the bright idea of searching for "rasiermesser" instead of "straight razor" on the Bay and ended up with a NOS 7/8 Henckels Friodur Spanish Point with worked spine and olivewood scales from a seller in Deutschland at 99 Euro shipped, which I think is an OK price?

I really need to slow down, but how can I pass up good deals on brands/styles/shapes/materials I haven't tried before? What if I miss out on the perfect shave? Now I'm limiting myself to nicer razors in styles/makes I don't already have, in great condition, at low prices. Yeah right, maybe when I run out of room or money.

Right now the razors that are in my extremely modest rotation include:

Hart Steel Razor - I know folks are polarized, but I love the heavy grind
Boker 5/8 covered tang spike point
RupRazor GD
Henckels 5/8 round point (self honed)
ERN 5/8 purchased as NOS (self honed)

Tomorrow morning I'm looking forward to adding a Gladiator Werke 5/8 NOS round point that I honed up the other night.

I have been going bonkers on Ebay (I love the IPhone app) and now have enough straights of various pedigrees and conditions to keep me busy learning everything from basic honing and polishing to full blown restoration and re-scaling. I am looking forward to further relaxation and not cutting off any body parts as I merrily sand and polish away.

Mrs. Teethbrush has progressed from "what are you doing with that thing" to "why do you need so many straight knives" to thinking it's cool and telling her friends about it. Today she visited classicshaving's B&M storefront in Palm Springs and I think Santa is bringing me a badger brush...

Anyway, this has turned into the great American novel and I apologize. I'll cut myself off now and just say a big Thanks for the new addictions, guns and cigars weren't enough to keep me busy apparently... Now I'm off to the Honing forum to ask silly questions!!!

Merry Christmas to you. I am a DE shaver currently and I am also taking my time to enhance my shaving experience. I am getting a few of my vintage razors honed and I will start sometime after Christmas. Cheers

Hi My Name is Erik

I have been shaving with a "Straigh Razor" for many years now. I was 16 years old when I bought my first razor. I'm now 33. It started at a barber shop,they would use the hot towel and cream and I loved it. The shave would be so close.

I'm ready to move up into the real Straight razors. I'm tired of the inconsistent results from the inferior blade. It could be a fresh blade in the slide and it cuts like a dull blade that's been used for weeks. Also the Handle has no weight to it. The razor holder is the most flimsy piece of junk.

A few years ago I was interested in making the step but the initial investment was pretty steep. But It has to be done. I'm not sure of the terminology yet but I'm interested in a squared front not a curve. I do alot of detail work with my beard,mustache,goatee.

I must admit I'm very intimidated with the how to hone and strop thing.

Here's my current blade.

Hi all. I have been a DE user for years. I never took to the cartridge razors and now may want to start getting into Straights. I have been looking around on the forum and also looking for some good used straights to begin with. The only thing holding me back is the thought of trying to hone one. I hope looking around on the forum and reading the how to's and finding a nice used beginners razor will take my shaving to the next level.

Ray

Well, I've been lurking in the forum for some time now and it is time to tell you about my self. I started wet shaving using DD a few years now and I've just switched to a straight razor. It is a challenge and everyone I know tell me that either, I am suicidal or at least crazy because I use a straight razor. But I love it; the ritual and the process is so relaxing before I start my hectic day.

I have an advice for novices, when you are just starting use a 5/8 or smaller and make sure to have a professionally sharpened razor and a good prep before you shave. The first time I used a 7/8 it ended-up being a bloody experience .

Have a fun shave

I meant a DE razor and not a DD. Dahhhh

Hi,

I'm Amy. I've been lurking for a few weeks, and I talked to a few of you in chat last night. I decided I'd better introduce myself and start this thing properly.

I live in Ottawa, Canada, and I'm a university student. I got sucked into this world of straight shaving in an effort to help my boyfriend, who I am sorry to tell you all does shave with canned goo and disposables. Those crappy razors give him a terrible time, though. He has very thick facial hair that grows quickly, plus sensitive skin, so they give him awful razor bumps. I did a little research and learned that going to a single blade can help with this and my journey began. Plus we are both English majors with a focus on the 18th and 19th century, so the nostalgia attracts us.

Anyway, after several hours of reading I started getting jealous, because I wanted a straight, too. Then I realized that I actually shave more of my body area than a man does (legs!), so I damn well should have one, too. The only trouble was, I couldn't find any other women on the forums I visited. I felt very alone... until I stumbled across this site and found that not only do you have women members, but an entire women's section! I was glad to know I am not a freak after all (well, maybe I am, but at least I'm not the ONLY freak ).

So now I am awaiting some razors that another forum member is letting me try (thank you, Holli!).

I've actually ordered something from Classicshaving already and I'm waiting for it. It's a feather artist club. I know you are all divided about those, but I thought it would be good to have in our collection, anyway. But they sent me a confirmation e-mail (saying it had been shipped) five days ago, and I still haven't seen it. Do any of you know if they usually take this long?

Anyway, thank you for reading my lengthy introductory post. I look forward to talking to you all on the forums!