Thread: Greetings from Wisconsin

Hello gentlepeople of Straight Razor Place. After doing some searching around the Interwebs I have come across your website and its bountiful amount of straight edge knowledge, to which I thank every contributor for making so much information available in one place.

A bit about me. I really enjoy spending time with friends, watching Intervention on A&E, and hanging out in my current city which happens to be one of the coolest places in the world. I currently attend college in Eau Claire, Wisconsin studying chemistry. I should be graduating in almost exactly 1 month, which leads me into my interest in straight razors. I'm currently in the process of applying to the Peace Corps, with a few medical complications along the way, I shall be departing for Sub-Saharan Africa (Sierra Leone, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Liberia) in July to teach high school kids Chemistry and Physics. Obviously personal care and hygiene is much different there than in America so I need an alternative to disposable/electric shaving techniques.

I'm incredibly excited about starting to shave with a straight edge. I have not purchased a straight edge razor, nor any of the other equipment hence my consumption of information begins. I've checked out and read a large portion of the posts for beginners, including the FAQ, beginners guide, purchasing guide on a budget, and how to get the most out SRP. I'm just full of questions and I don't know if this is the place to ask, so I'll just post a hello for right now, and say how excited I am to be here.

Welcome to SRP and congratulations on your upcoming graduation. Ask any questions you may have and members here will be glad to help out if they can.

My dear Sustain:

The Peace Corp is a noble cause. Good for you.

To my regret, the Peace Corps is an opportunity I missed in my early years. Instead, I ended up in Vietnam. Thanks a lot.

And, yes, Eau Claire is a lovely town.

Please post any question you have. Since you plan on shaving with the straight razor in Africa, I am sure you have mounds of questions. So fire away.

In the meantime, welcome to Straight Razor Place.

Regards,
Obie

Originally Posted by Obie

Please post any question you have. Since you plan on shaving with the straight razor in Africa, I am sure you have mounds of questions. So fire away.

Thanks for the encouragement. After I've done some manual searching, should I ask questions here, or start a new thread in the beginners forum?

Originally Posted by Sustain

Thanks for the encouragement. After I've done some manual searching, should I ask questions here, or start a new thread in the beginners forum?

My dear Sustain:

You are very welcome.

The way I would do it is this: I would look in the Wiki first, because you'll find many answers to your questions there. After your research, then post the questions on things for which you need further answers.

If your question has not been answered in other threads on the general topic, then you may post it in the beginners' forum. There is no law preventing you from posting it elsewhere, under the proper heading, but I would go with the beginners' forum for now.

You may also send a personal note to any Mentor or Moderator, if you like. Many of these ladies and gentlemen have a vast store of knowledge on world of straight razor shaving.

Regards,
Obie

Originally Posted by Sustain

Hello gentlepeople of Straight Razor Place. After doing some searching around the Interwebs I have come across your website and its bountiful amount of straight edge knowledge, to which I thank every contributor for making so much information available in one place.

A bit about me. I really enjoy spending time with friends, watching Intervention on A&E, and hanging out in my current city which happens to be one of the coolest places in the world. I currently attend college in Eau Claire, Wisconsin studying chemistry. I should be graduating in almost exactly 1 month, which leads me into my interest in straight razors. I'm currently in the process of applying to the Peace Corps, with a few medical complications along the way, I shall be departing for Sub-Saharan Africa (Sierra Leone, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Liberia) in July to teach high school kids Chemistry and Physics. Obviously personal care and hygiene is much different there than in America so I need an alternative to disposable/electric shaving techniques.

I'm incredibly excited about starting to shave with a straight edge. I have not purchased a straight edge razor, nor any of the other equipment hence my consumption of information begins. I've checked out and read a large portion of the posts for beginners, including the FAQ, beginners guide, purchasing guide on a budget, and how to get the most out SRP. I'm just full of questions and I don't know if this is the place to ask, so I'll just post a hello for right now, and say how excited I am to be here.

Sustain,

Welcome to SRP and congratulations on your upcoming graduation. Just make sure that you keep your nose to the grindstone until they hand you that lambskin. I have witnessed several students at my campus get "Senioritis" - a condition which puts the idea in their head that they can "coast" to commencment. Wouldn't want the same thing to happen to you. Your upcoming work with the Peace Corps is too important for that to happen.

I've been to East Africa (Kenya) and the conditions are not always as primitive as one might think. You could probably get along quite well with a disposable razor, as I did then or the many African men who shave regularly. That being said, I still applaud your decision to purchase a str8 razor shaving kit.

Keep in mind that larger African cities, such as Nairobi are fairly modern, just like a Milwaukee or Indianapolis. Even some outlying areas and towns possess amenities that you might at first think they wouldn't have. Outside of the larger cities, conditions are a bit more rustic, but not like you have seen in Holloywod movies. The town and University I was at (Eldoret and Moi U) had everything I needed in terms of hygienic needs. The high school or high schools you will be teaching in will probably be in or close to towns that have comforts just like home, such as running water, indoor plumbing etc. so you needn't worry too much about that hygiene issue. Just don't drink the tap water or eat any uncooked fruits and/or vegetables. Rely on bottled water to rehydrate and to brush your teeth. Wear long-sleeved shirts during the day and use your mosquito net when sleeping at night. Mosquitos are no joke in Africa. They can draw blood--even through denim!

++1 on the previous advice offered in the other posts. Check out the SRP wiki, especially the "Beginner's Guide." It should give you much of the information you need to make an informed choice when making your first str8 razor purchase. Nor would I buy anything too expensive or ornate to begin with.

Again, welcome to SRP. Post some commencement photos for us to see. Until then, take care--and I wish you all the success in the world as well as sr8 razor shaving.