Thread: Newfound respect

Originally Posted by jfritsch

I'm not sure I follow you correctly. Do you mean it's better to stick with one for a long time, to change out frequently, or to only add in a straight gradually such as once per week, then twice per week, etc?

I'd also be very interested in hearing what others found to be the biggest challenge. I am discovering that I really suck at stropping, and I worry I may be doing more dulling than sharpening. I know I'll 'get it' over time, but I'd prefer to not look like a lab experiment gone wrong in the meanwhile...

Oh we can open up a can of worms/threads out of your very good question - let me try to clarify.

As others have said, there are lots of variables and things to learn/master when you take of "the way of the Straight"
For me this Forum made all of the difference in the world (IMHO). The reference material, great short videos on skin stretching (which are also primers on angle of attack and hand positions if you watch them carefully). Also access to a great selection of "starter razors".

What I was getting to was the dirty not so secret problem of RAD, Razor Acquisition Disorder. Things went so well that instead of being discouraged I wanted to try everything...today.
Getting lots of razors was very nice, but I think it might get in the way of mastering the craft.

Most of us have at best passing exposure to shaving with a Straight Razor from a family mentor if we have that. For me it was 40+ years ago from an Uncle who was a traditional Sicilian Barber. And that was only "cleaning up your neck"...but the memory is vivid.

So the internet and this forum are now our tutors.
If you were learning "in the old days" you would be given one or two razors and a barbers hone and a strop. (I do know someone who came from a very traditional family that had this happen to him. He was allowed to get a Safety Razor when he cut the tip of his finger off doing a HHT)

Don't get me wrong, I love my collection but sometimes I wish that I had kept it to 2-4 until I had 100 shaves.
As I mentioned this came to me recently when I was trying to master the Feather Non Folding clone. One of the points from the forum was to stay with it for at least a week to get the hang of it. (very glad I did) And then I take it on the road for a long trip.
By the time 20+ days had passed I was amazed at how much better my shaving skills had gotten. And this is not just for the aforementioned Feather system, but all Straight Razor shaving.
So by now my very important stropping skills have atrophied...but I will get them back.

One of the things that I did to master stropping was to use a spring clamp to attach it to my counter and use it as a bench strop.
This took the "hold enough tension" thing out of the equation. I still hold the end of the strop and keep it taught, but it allows me to focus on the all those things they tell you to pay attention to. On Glen's suggestion I went to 20 Web and 60 on leather (I had been doing 20/40) and I did notice and improvement. Slow down would be another suggestion.

I'm not sure what to say about the Feather System (and its variants - KAI, CJB etc.)
On one hand they remove the stropping and edge maintenance from the equation - Shave ready is only seconds away and can be had for as little at $0.60. No strops or hones.
IMO they are not as "forgiving" as a conventional straight. This means that errors in skin tension or "landing/starting" that are not a problem with a SR can often mean a nick/cut/weeper/scrape with a Feather. They are also very efficient with a little practice - producing excellent results albeit with Zero nostalgia.. Read anything and the words "very sharp" will come up many times.

Summary - How you rotate your set is personal - the suggestion would be to keep the herd/collection or as I like to call it "Remuda" as small as you can. If the razor has a well prepared edge I'm convince you can learn to shave well on just about anything given enough practice. Too many razors means lots of variables - when it goes bad you may not be able to figure out what the problem is.

So one day the razor is something made 130 years ago and the next day its one that was made in March...I find that interesting.


The Thread I was thinking about starting (and it may be out there already - have not looked) is "pick 2 or 3 razors - what would they be?"

Hope that helps and did not bore you to tears...

Thanks again to all for the great advice. It is very much appreciated!

I have another question for you all... if my stropping is ineffective (ie: the razor is clearly not as sharp as it was just one week ago - there is tugging/dragging) should I switch to another recently-honed/prepared razor, or stick with one razor and fight my way through stropping, even if the blade is not as sharp as it should be? I imagine if I switch razors then in another week I'll be in the same boat. However, if I have a dulled razor am I shooting myself in the foot when it comes to learning proper shave technique?

Check you tube for stropping videos, as a matter of fact there should be some around here somewhere, SRP members hi_bud_gl and AFDavis11 have the best. As for the dulled razor, it may be you, it may be the razor, the strop or your technique. Without seeing for myself it is hard to say.

Thanks. I watched the stropping section of Lynn's video, along with some youtube examples and I had much better results this morning. Unfortunately, that led to overconfidence and I sliced my cheek like I was a religious nut sacrificing blood to the gods.

Stuff like this just makes me more determined than ever to master this damn thing.

What I've found is that face (cheek) slicing is most of the time and issue of skin tension.
And many times that tugging is not a dull edge, but a lack of tension.
If it's not a tension issue then a face slice is often from changing direction at a pause in the stroke.

Glad that you are getting a handle on the stropping - it is yet another muscle memory/habit that comes with a little practice.

And you have your mind right...as they say...but remember it is supposed to be relaxing and Zen like...don't start beating yourself up "Like a Rented Mule" as one of co-workers used to say...

Good luck and good shaving...

What I've found is that face (cheek) slicing is most of the time and issue of skin tension.
And many times that tugging is not a dull edge, but a lack of tension.
If it's not a tension issue then a face slice is often from changing direction at a pause in the stroke.

Glad that you are getting a handle on the stropping - it is yet another muscle memory/habit that comes with a little practice.

And you have your mind right...as they say...but remember it is supposed to be relaxing and Zen like...don't start beating yourself up "Like a Rented Mule" as one of co-workers used to say...

Good luck and good shaving...

Originally Posted by jfritsch

Stuff like this just makes me more determined than ever to master this damn thing.

You are going to do alright!

@ MJC Watch how you talk about mules, rented or otherwise!

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

You are going to do alright!

@ MJC Watch how you talk about mules, rented or otherwise!

I like Mules...many years ago we rode Mules while Coon Hunting in Louisiana, always the preferred mount.
Note that I mention being mean to a Mule as bad behavior...

And I see you are from KC, if I recall correctly the US Army had a Mule farm/training operation in MO. until 1955?

Originally Posted by MJC

I like Mules...many years ago we rode Mules while Coon Hunting in Louisiana, always the preferred mount.
Note that I mention being mean to a Mule as bad behavior...

And I see you are from KC, if I recall correctly the US Army had a Mule farm/training operation in MO. until 1955?

The training center is long gone as you have noted. But Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee were/are still selling mules to the army. Many of the animals you see the Taliban using in Afghanistan are animals we sold or gave them when the Soviets were there. I would much rather ride a mule than a horse, much smoother ride.