Thread: Looking back

So i just came across some stuff in a dresser that we are cleaning and moving to the basement.. My wife asked me about this small black folder and if i wanted it.. I started looking and it was a 2016 dated journal/appointment log.. What i was using it for was to keep track of my shaving in the beginning... Around September of 2016 i took the training wheels off and it says on the 24th " If i am ever going to be able to use a SR i cant keep doing the easy parts of my face and finish with a DE.. No more crutch".. Apparently that was the day i went with, Shit or get off the pot!.. So paging through some more of the log most of them are good days, bad days, cuts, nicks, etc.. But on Oct 3rd i see that i put a post in that says... " Im not sure if i would ever admit this to anyone but i just finished my 1st 3 pass, full face, with no more than 1 small nick in under 2hrs"... Ha!! I kind of remember that day but what i remember most about those beginner shaves was my wife coming to my bathroom and saying.. "Are you still shaving?!!" Just thought it was funny to find this.. Anyone else take this long to get through your 1st shaves in the beginning?.... Thanks, Scott

I jumped in head first, at the age of 17, full face shave.

Face was red as a baboons butt, and I was shaking like a dog crapping glass. I learned not to turn my head while the blade was on my face, too.

SR shaving is certainly not hard per se... But anyone who has taken the journey to get to a point where this is your way of shaving has my admiration for sure.. It takes perserverance, dedication and a willingness to not fail... To me it shows a lot of a persons character.. Just my thought and i am glad i kept at it.. Not want to go back to cartridges and canned goop!!

I do remember my first SR shave because my heart was beating so hard. Its a blur after that

I was shaking like a shiting dog and my heart was in my mouth. Did a full face shave, bit red but never looked back.

Winter of 64-65. My girlfriend gave me her father's straight razor for Christmas.

First shave, I moved the blade West, when I shudda gone South.

It left a scar.

Can't hardly see it anymore...too many wrinkles.

About 50 years ago I picked up a no-name Sheffield 6/8 hollow ground from a flea market in London. That was the extent of my shaving equipment. I tried shaving using bar soap and the razor. It did nothing. In fact I was lucky it was so dull I couldn’t cut myself if I had tried. It went in a drawer for quite a while.

About 10 years later, I picked up a new Claus hollow ground with a perfect shave ready factory edge. That’s when I found out what a real SR shave could be. I acquired my father’s Japanese shell strop (found out later it likely came from Naomi San). I have no idea why he had that strop since I never saw a straight razor in the house. The edge on that razor lasted a long time just with regular stropping. I still had not tried to hone so the edge eventually needed refreshing and I put it in the drawer while I used a DE and (ugh) cartridge for quite a while.

Several years later, I ordered a TI le Dandy 6/8 from Classic Edge. It came with a really good edge that also lasted a long time. I purchased a balsa/felt paddle strop, some CrOx paste and a bridle bench strop and was off to the races with SR shaving.

I then added a coticule, a Norton 4/8 and started honing and spent a lot of time watching YouTube honing movies. My honing did not go well at first, but got better over time. I even got a shave ready edge on that old Sheffield that started me down this road so many years ago.

I have since added some finishing stones and about 25 more razors from eBay, antique stores and the wild and learned to repin de-rust and polish blades and replace damaged scales with bought new ones. Next up for me is making my own scales.

This hobby of ours doesn’t require a lot of space and really hasn’t been overly expensive. It takes only the time we choose to give it and provides a disproportionate amount of enjoyment and satisfaction.

Interesting stories all. I have always had a personal ethos of, if I'm afraid of something, I just do it-over time, that makes for less to fear. Hearing your stories, I suspect that many of you men are the same way. And yeah, it beats cartridges and goop (though I occasionally miss Edge gel in a can).

I started twice. The first tim in my teens, and it went well. Then came a few decades with a beard. Then the beard had to go. I needed to be clean shaven for work. I tried cartridges for a bit, but the rash and expense got to me. I ordered a straight and other supplies from classic edge. I do not remember there being any fear the first time around, however I was fairly nervous for my first few straight shaves as an adult. It passed fairly quickly, maybe after a week. I was very slow in the beginning too. I am certain it took me twenty minutes to strop my razor. These days I can strop and shave very quickly if I need to, but part of what I enjoy about my current shaving set up is the options, when I am at home it might take me twenty minutes to figure out what I am going to use. I like having options. I also like not having that crazy bleeding rash if I shave more than two times in a week, which is what happened before I picked up the straight.

My first try was a complete shave. Irritation and redness but I did it. I still get red spots high on my cheeks from time to time so I've gotten used to the idea that its just the way it is after this many years. Im sure my first half dozzen shaves were an hour. Now its about 20 minutes. I could go faster but i find 20 minutes to be a happy time for me so why rush it.