Thread: The things I have learned...... So far.....

I have been straight azor shaving for about 3 months. I have been reading everything I can find on the SRP forums and wiki. The whole SRP community has posted a wealth of knowledge that I have been using to learn and hone my skills as a straight razor user. I have been shaving nick free for about a month and I have achieved the baby smoothness. Along the way I have learned a few truths on my own and I thought I might share them with you.

A razor from Straight Razor Design is SHAVE READY, no matter what a fledgling straight razor user may think. Being new and undisciplined I had a terrible first shave. "I've been shaving for years! It couldn't be me what the *%#!$& is wrong with this razor!" then I read about honing. I thought to my self heck that doesn't look hard. I still blamed the razor and cursed the hand that didn't hone it. Then purchase a norton 4k/8k. I honed away using the pyramid technique. Shaves went from bad to worse...... Then with a deep breath and a very large piece of humble pie. I put the razor down and read and read on the SRP. I the came to a terrible conclusion. I was a impatient jack ass. I summed up all my patients and over time I fixed my razor. Learned to strop properly and not roll the edge. I learned that pressure and angle are Key and that stropping is a skill and not just something you do before and after you cut you face up. So after I had calmed down from the excitement of a new shiny straight razor, I was able to look back at my impatience and my ignorance. So to lynn, sorry for doubting the honing of my razor. Also sorry for thinking honing was as easy as sharpening one of my fire axes at work. I thank you and all of the people at SRP for there posts and the knowledge sharing. I can say now that I am a straight razor man and I have much to learn. I look forward to reading more post converting the rest of my fire house.

Thanks again,

That was one hell of a first post. Thank you for sharing this. As you well know, yours is a very common story.

Welcome to SRP. I thought I was having a deja vu moment as I read your post and thought about my first experiences with shaving with a straight razor. I think many new users are so excited to begin this new hobby, they try to rush the learning curve and are all to quick to blame the tools and not their lack of technique. Kudos to you for courage to post your experience and now that you have had your taste of humble pie that we all have had, welcome to the club and hope you enjoy your stay.

That is one of the best first posts I've read.

Good luck and smooth shaving.

+1 kudos!

Glad to here all that reading went on.

+Szymon

Hello, Firedog:

Welcome to Straight Razor Place. You have started your visit here with fine post. Keep it up. We look forward to reading more.

Regards,
Obie

It's a hard balance trying to tell someone that this is a great easy sport and that honing is something they can easily learn and do. That any trained person can easily learn the art of straight shaving.


Then to add that, by the way, you are not the trained person that you think you are. Having read the comment that honing a straight razor takes about 10 years to learn, I can only concur, and then look at the disbelief in most peoples eyes and say, well, "try it for yourself".

Luckily sites like SRP and Lynn's efforts have drastically reduced the learning curve for many internet users.