Hi from Southern Indiana

Hi guys,

I finally decided to join this great forum after lurking here for a long time. I bought my first straight razor about 1 1/2 years ago, tried honing it up; and with the help of hours reading SRP posts-- off I went. Before that I shaved for about 15 yrs (on and off) with a 1965 Gillette Super Speed DE that was my grandfathers.

I like good quality, inexpensive razors; so most of my collection is American steel off of e-bay or from local haunts. Of my meager eight razors, my Geneva "Sterling Steel" is far and away my current favorite. Love Thistle Cut's too.

So thanks to all of the 'old timers' on here that generously share their wisdom with everyone! Having SRP as a resource has made getting into straights fun and (for the most part) painless. I have spent a lot of my life acquiring skills and knowledge that were sencond nature to our grandparents...so it's nice to have a bunch of knowledgeable ladies and gentlemen to learn the art of straight shaving from!

FYI, My Screen name is a reference to the zen poet Ikkyu-- who nicknamed himself "Crazy Cloud".

If I read you right, you lurked for a year and a half before this post? Wow, you're the talkative one aren't you! Thanks for making your presence known and I hope we get to learn something from you.

Since you honed up your own razors, could you tell us what you used?

Welcome to the active side of SRP!

Yeah, I guess I tend to be just a little reserved-- mouth shut and ears open!

I have been using waterstones for a while to sharpen my woodworking tools, so I stuck with them for razors too. I've got a King 250/1k combo and the venerable Norton 4k/8k combo. I also do a lot of newspaper stropping as a "finisher". Hoping to buy a barber hone soon.

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Nice to hear form you. I have yet to hone anything myself, but I am working on it!!

It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.
Abraham Lincoln

I would rather open my mouth and be thought a fool than to remain a silent fool.
Utopian

A good barber hone will improve your edge if you only use just a few light strokes. There are lots of people here who can help you choose a good one.

Nice to hear from a Hoosier! Was raised in the Ft. Wayne area in northern IN.
Good for you jumping right into the mix and honing your own! You might want to add a 10k or 12k water stone to the ones you already own. It will smooth out the bevel a little and make the final edge that much easier to cut with.

Welcome to SRP! :)