Thread: Issue with new Ralf Aust - thoughts?

Maybe it's time for this thread to close.

Please, let's not become unfriendly over this. Lynn is a professional who has honed probably tens of thousands of razors, and taught me how to do my own honing with his video, and it's going to take a whole lot more than one complaint to shake him up.

I can remember my humble beginnings as a straight razor shaver. The "100 shaves" threshhold is something I missed by a country mile. It was 6 months before my first BBS, and two years before I really got the hang of it. I've been doing this for five years and my straight shaving the last two years far eclipses my first three years.

When I was a noob, I cut my thumb down to the tendon switching hands. I was so focused on technique I forgot to notice where the blade was. The doctor laughed at me like I was a nut while stitching me up. Of all the ways a knucklehead can injure himself....

My first razor was honed by Lynn Abrams. I couldn't shave with it. I latched on to a YouTube video and memorized the choreography to the inch and still couldn't shave with it. It would be grossly unfair to blame Lynn for my failures, because at the time I couldn't find my butt with both hands. Lynn can handle inexperienced shavers and doesn't take their feelings personally or else he wouldn't be a leader in the business.

The OP may not be a noob but he's relatively inexperienced. I bought another razor and had better results with it. Later on I went back to Lynn's razor and it worked. Perhaps the grind was different. I didn't pay attention to full hollow, half hollow, etc. when I started. I can't identify the "ah-ha" moment but it occurred.

Early this year, with five years experience, I ordered 5 Dovo Special razors from Lynn, the same model as my first razor that he honed for me in 2010, and I could shave with them! I doubt that Lynn got better at honing, but I got better at shaving.

So let's not make this "Lynn's forum," where a complaint incurs the wrath of other members. This forum has a niche as being a haven for purists IMO. At least I've learned more from this shaving forum than others. Let's do everything we can to make people feel welcome, enjoy the fellowship all of you have afforded to me, and to learn. Otherwise we will develop an unfriendly reputation.

Sometimes we just have to overlook a post that someone writes if it rubs someone the wrong way and conclude that no offense was intended. Rather, I think the OP expresses a real desire to straight shave. Hey, I can identify with that!

Might I suggest that we close or delete this thread, let the OP take up the matter with SRD, and start over again?

And I have. My razor in the mail already. I have no doubt my issue will be resolved. Which may be them telling me it's me, and not the razor, I admit.

Let's remember we are supposed to act like gentlemen here and stop the personal attacks. The op posted he had a problem, he emailed the vendor and his solution is now days away. That's it, simple. the rest is just talk and that's we we're here for.

Issue resolved no more though we may not agree on everything all the time and exchange some words occasionally we are all here for the same reason more or less.

Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

Issue resolved no more though we may not agree on everything all the time and exchange some words occasionally we are all here for the same reason more or less.

Agreed. Cheers.

My only thought is that I had a similar experience going from a Wolstenholm to a Kropp. After looking very closely the Kropp was more hollow than the Wostie and needed a slightly lower angle/spine closer to face. Although many vintages are called full hollow, it does vary actually quite a bit.

Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

....... well then.

Apparently you did not read closely.......As stated I said the OP never said anything out of order and was quite civilized in their posting. I would have contacted Lynn direct first then after the whole argument settled then post if a need.

I have purchased 5 razors from SRD. One was an Aust on Special. I sent it out to DOC226 and he corrected the fault but I knew that going in when I bought it. The other 2 came in ready to shave. I cleaned off the oil, did 10 laps on my SRD modular strop and before I shaved, checked out the edge under a glass and the bevel was perfect. I wasn't concerned with SRD honing, I wanted a reference for the future when I have to hone it. I always do that with new razors.

For those of you on tenterhooks wondering what my outcome was, as promised I said I would keep you up to date. I received my Ralf Aust razor back from SRD today - making me very happy - and will try it tomorrow morning. Once again, the enclosed slip says to wipe of the oil and give it an initial strop, but I am not going to strop it, in case it was my stropping that led to my initial problems. SRD/Lynn hones and strops them, so I think it would be good to try without my interfering with a stropping of my own before the first shave. Anyway, I will let you know, including if it turns out to be me that is the problem, which as we all agreed is a distinct possibility.