Greetings from (sometimes) sunny San Diego

Hello, all.

I'm recently obsessed with learning to shave by straight razor, but it's just one more step in a gradual progression over time for me.

For decades I shaved with an electric, but about four or five years ago my then-girlfriend (now wife) persuaded me to give it up. I took up using a modern cartridge razor and shaving gel instead.

Then a couple of years ago, for an anniversary gift, she bought me a shaving mug with a boar bristle brush, a cake of soap, and some bay-rum shaving balm. So I gave up the store-bought squirt cans and learned to appreciate how the old timers got lathered up.

I got pretty good with the boar bristle, but of course I'd heard that a badger brush would be much nicer. When the bristle started to fall out and it was time for a new brush--you guessed it--I got another gift from my wife. From the first swipes with the badger brush on my face, I knew it was the real deal. The boars are safe from me from here on.

This week, I finally had my first shave with a straight razor--but I didn't do it to myself. There's a new barber shop in our neighborhood called the Urban Shave where the barber does things the old-fashioned way (well, not everything--music is still supplied by an iPod!). He not only does all of his shaving with a straight razor, he also gives one-on-one tutorials in using one! But this time, I just let him do the shaving (along with a haircut). Quite an experience with the hot towels, hot lather and all. My wife was thrilled with the results, of course.

So the inevitable next step is to get a straight razor and a strop, and start learning the ropes. I'm unemployed right now, so buying new tools will have to wait until we get some steady income rolling in again. But of course I've entered this month's giveaway, so who knows! ;)

P.S. I neglected to mention that my wife was at the barber shop to witness the shaving, and she shot some video that I hope to be able to share.

Sounds like you have the perfect wife not only one that encourages learning to shave the old fashion way but also supplies the necessary tools! You've come to the right place to learn about straight razor shaving and might be surprised by how affordable a decent straight can be. The classifieds here are a great place to look as well as some of the private sites of some of the members here that find vintage blades and restore them to shave ready codition. Good luck!