New member, looking forward to straight razor shaving
Hey all, I've been lurking on SRP for the last week and finally decided to make the first step and sign up.
I've been shaving with a 1956 Red Tip Gilette Super Speed DE and a cheapo boar brush for that last 2.5 years and love it! I have no more irritation and get impossibly smooth shaves.
Back story on how I got started:
I've always thought straight blade shaving would be cool and seeing Sweeny Todd in 2007 reinvigorated my interest. Inspired, I read Badger & Blade forums and mantic59's wetshaving blog and decided to keep an eye out for a DE razor.
In the summer of 2008, I was visiting my girlfriend who lives in a small town in the middle of nowhere. On the edge of her parents' land is an old house abandoned in the 70s that they haven't bothered to raise yet. We went to that creepy place one night. Over the last 40 years, the house has been trashed by time and generations of kids and animals. Windows and doors are broken, the basement is flooded, floors are covered with a foot of ransacked household debris. The house smells musty and rotten, and dust is caked onto every surface.
Strangely, the former owners seem to have just disappeared one day; they didn't take anything. Closets still had toys and clothes, the kitchen had dishes, the open fridge even had food remains.
Though anything of any theoretical value was long since gone, upstairs, I was strangely compelled to rummage through drawers in the bathroom. That's where I found...a 1956 Red Tip Gilette Super Speed and an early 70s Lady Gilette Super Speed! They were still holding rusty blades and lying next to a brush still filled with soap. I was super excited as I dumped the blades and grabbed the razors.
The razors are now in pretty decent condition after spending forever scrubbing, disinfecting, and de-rusting them when I got home. I picked up blades, a brush, and a soap puck at Walmart, and the rest is history.
I'm really excited to learn about straight razor shaving, but I must admit that I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the information that's out there. I'm trying to keep in mind that a lot of what's on the forum is about prepping/getting the PERFECT shave and that my initial focus should just be to get out there and do it. From there, I can work on all the nit picky details.
I'm still scared for buying my first straight razor, afraid that I'll pick the wrong one or spend too much. But after reading the beginniners guide about 10 more times, perhaps then I'll take the plunge.
I'm looking forward to talking with you guys more.
Jonathan