I drove over to Stratford today, to pay Papabull a visit. He was helping set me up with a nice shaver for someone starting out. Case after case of mouthwatering vintage and custom straights later, I picked one out.

As a beginner, I appreciated all the helpful no-nonsense advice, from razor care, to honing. That was actually one of the highlights of our visit - watching him put an edge on "my" razor. It took Robert probably all of two minutes to put a scary sharp edge on it, going from one stone to the next while sitting in his armchair. Amazing.

Of course, seeing such a skilled craftsman at work was an immense pleasure. To my kind host - many thanks!