Thread: Hi everybody

I'm Doctor Nick!

No, I can't really back that up. I'm just Scott, a middle aged computer guy from Toronto. Been using a straight for I guess five-ish years now. I learned a lot from these and other forums - lurked off and on over the years and finally decided to make an account. So, uh... Hi.

Cheers!

Hi Genli,

Welcome to SRP. I'm sure you will enjoy it here. Lots of great information and relly good people.

Can you tell us a little about how you got started, equipment, etc?

David

When I was a teenager my dad taught me to shave with his kit - a Philishave electric & English Leather. In my late teens a friend got me started wet shaving with cartridges and I used those until corporation-whatever-it-was decided two blades weren't enough and they all started making three blade getups.

Suddenly the old two-blade cartridge quality dropped and I was forced to get a Mach III. That was fine for a while. Then a few years later they decided three blades weren't enough and my MIII cartridges went from lasting two to three weeks to four or five shaves...

As I'd already "upgraded" once I really begrudged being forced to do it again so I decided if they were going to force me to buy another razor I wasn't going to buy from the companies forcing me to spend again. They're not getting once cent from me ever again.

There's a cigar shop here in Toronto I frequented back when I smoked which I recalled also sold high-end shaving kit. I went there and picked out a pretty one - Dovo Astrale with ebony scales. Also got an Illinois #127 strop from them. Not much later I bought an Autruche best badger - used with Crabtree & Evelyn Sandalwood shave soap. And then a couple decent Nortons and a natural japanese wet stone for honing.

Took a while to get used to it but I'm glad I did it. I'll never stop straight shaving. I haven't received it yet but I'm getting my second straight right now. A really nice Jos. Smith, Sheffield - smiling wedge. Even before getting into straight razors I knew that Sheffield made some of the finest blades in the world so I've been pining for one since I got the Dovo. I can't wait for it to arrive. ^_^

Thanks for sharing. You have some great equipment and a whole lot of motivation.

I live in Michigan and I have yet to find a good shave shop where I could just walk in and buy a quality razor like the Dovo Astrale. Nice buy on the Jos Smith also. I don't have one, but I have several Sheffiled smiler's and they are really great shavers.

BTW - I work for General Motors and I do a lot of work at the Oshawa Car plant. I really love it up there. The engineers I work with are really top shelf.

Cheers!
David

Hello, Genli:

Welcome to Straight Razor Place. You seem to have extensive experience in shaving with the straight razor. We look forward to reading your thoughts.

Regards,
Obie

Welcome Genli.

Genli, it is nice to have a shop nearby. I do all my str8 shopping via the internet.
I sure since you've been at this a while, You'll have quite a bit of information to share...

Rich