Thread: Sun July 31th - Sat August 06th

Originally Posted by BladeRunner001

LOOOOOOOOL. You gave up your DEs (or never had them)?

I had a "few", but sold all of them when I was sure I was sticking to straights (had to raise money to get more straights )

A late night shave today.

Pre-Shave: A cool shower after training

Brush: Merkur Futur Silver tip

Razor: C-Mon by Filarmonica, 8/8"

Strop: C-Mon Vel-Edge, Vintage Cordovan Shell

Soap/Cream:Truefitt & Hill 1805 Shaving Cream

Scuttle:Schwarzweisskeramik, Large White

Astringent: Osma Alum

After shave Balm: Truefitt & Hill 1805

EdT: Truefitt & Hill 1805

Results: A splendid late night shave. I seem to be rotating back to my old habit of spending time in the shave den at night after the house has gone all quiet. A good 40 minutes spent on shaving the head and face, not a care in the world and in total silence. Nice

******************************

Location: Philadelphia

Razor: Mehaz

Brush: Omega Bore Bristle

Soap: Tabac

Astringent: Witch Hazel

ASB: Sandalwood AOS

Story: Today was the best shave of my life thus far and here is the story to explain why.

It all started in 1998 I got the strange idea in my head that I wanted to start shaving with a straight razor. Scouring Los Angeles I came across a little shop that had a Mehaz razor, a cheapie strop, and a hefty price tag. Needless to say I was determined to make this work so off I went into a adventure that little did I know span over the next 13 years.

I had not yet found information on the internet on straight razors except for a small guide that was posted on the premium knives website. My first shave was a blood bath, needless to say the razor was far from shave ready, and my technique well scrape and bleed was not a great game plan. I struggled with a few obstacles back then taking the blade to places that never did get my sharp, and learning how to actually use a straight.

I as most beginners will, blamed the razor and decided to order a Thiers-Issard Red Stamina, once again what little edge the razor had when I purchased it was killed with my lack of stropping capability, and I got maybe 3 good shaves out of her till she went in for a sharpening that was less keen then when I sent her in. Frustrated, feeling helpless, and life getting hectic I decided to put the straights away.

After a period of years I fell upon SRP and a few other forums, I began to read allot of information and once again my journey was rekindled. This time I decided to go with a DE first and take my time learning straights once more.

Enter the DE razor.. I picked up some DE razors and was happily shaving for a number of years, but in the back of my mind I never gave up on the straights always toying with them here and there.

Enter the Shavette ok this is at least to a point what a straight should feel like wow these are sharp hrm I’m definitely doing something wrong. So I sent off my TI to a honemaster, and received back a killer straight razor. Ohh yea this is what I have been after all these year, wow this was so worth the effort. For a good month I was in shave heaven. I continued to read and try and obtain as much knowledge as I could, but I had a hard time understanding razor maintenance and low and behold my razor just stopped performing.

Now here was the turn for the worst, I being the gent I am refused to send out my razor every time I needed it honed, I had to learn how to do this myself or I was not going to have a shave ready razor. Stubborn and unaware of the long journey I was setting myself spiraling into I ordered myself a WAPI and BBW/ Coticule.

I ordered my WAPI shave ready and enjoyed about 2 weeks of shaves until my wife then girlfriend decided to use my WAPI to scrape gum off the entryway of our apartment entrance. The edge was toast and although upset, it was a perfect time to give the honing a shot. Wow what a struggle, I was never able to get the results that I desired and only grew further frustrated with the whole straight shaving idea. At this point in my life things got hectic again and due to lack of time funds I decided once again to give straights a rest.

I kept my DE ritual of course for many a years, and used a shavette every so often although the are far from my preference. Moving into a new house I stumbled across my old TI and the sheer beauty gave me the itch to give it a go once again. Now here is the good and the bad, I sent my TI out and got her honed up so I had a reference point to use when working on my other blades, and of course I refused to ruin a blade that beautiful.

So the fun begins, I spent days upon days working on that old WAPI, and was never able to get her shave ready but I did learn allot in the process. I have now come to realize after the use of a microscope that the metal just wouldn’t hold an edge, the blade was warped, and most importantly i had killed the spine in my honing attempts of yesteryear.

Having learned allot from the experience, and reading a ton of information on SRP, I decided to give it one more go on a different blade. Out comes my old Mehaz Razor the one that started me on this journey that has taken 13 years. I took my time used all I had learned and started to hone her up.

The first attempt yielded a keen edge but not nearly as good as my professionally honed TI. So back to the stones, and give her a little more work, this attempt yielded a nice edge, comfortable shave, but still she wasn’t quite there.

It was time to step back and ponder what I was doing wrong, the one thing I learned though all of this is don’t just do something with a straight razor analyze and think about your strategy first. I decided not to start from scratch but work on enhancing the edge I already had. By chance I had stumbled on a video that Gssixguns had done on norton 4k/8k honing, and pondered his recommendations to listen to and feel the blade as it goes down the hone, how we watched the water and how it was affected by the blade etc. I head read this so many times but for some reason the video drove all this home for me.

OMG it all finally clicked! DUH! I’m just rubbing metal on a stone I need to put everything I have read and learned all together at once and really take my time and concentrate on the fine details. Well that was the straw that broke the camels back.

I took her to the stone one last time, realizing that bevel but it wasn’t quite there, and went through the motions. Upon polishing on the Coticule, I took her to my strop and did 40 on rough and 60 on smooth. TPT felt like a dream, now I know that most don’t like the HHT but Holly SH$$$t it popped a hanging hair that I have only been able to do on the TI!

Oh I cannot tell you how excited I was. Well this morning I HAD THE BEST SHAVE OF MY LIFE!!!! Why because not only was the shave great, but it was on the fist blade I had purchased 13 years ago, and a blade that I honed to what I feel is perfection. After 13 dam years I finally did it, and I now I have a understanding of how to maintain that edge as well for years to come. I know I still have allot to learn and will be learning for the rest of my shaving years, but I finally made it over that first hill. It’s been a long road but I owe a great thanks to SRP and all it’s members whom contribute the information that allows us to learn from one another.

Thank you SRP and all the people whom posted information that I have read and acquired over the years, and for the information I have yet to learn!

Originally Posted by aircoder

[INDENT][table]Location: Philadelphia
Razor: Mehaz
Brush: Omega Bore Bristle
Soap: Tabac
Astringent: Witch Hazel
ASB: Sandalwood AOS
[FONT=Century Gothic]Story: Today was the best shave of my life thus far and here is the story to explain why.
<snip>

Great story aircoder. I remember much of the same frustration with honing. Really makes you appreciate a good, self honed edge.

Warm Shower Burt's Bees Rubbed into the whiskers
Dirty Bird
New Forest Badger
Proraso Shave Cream/Glycerine
Maxtom 13/16 Spanish Point - G10 Jade Ghost
SRD P1 100 laps
AOS Aluminum
Pinaud Bay Rum
Vaseline for men

What can I say about the Maxtom except the edge of a blade by Max spoils you. I have not used the Proraso for a while. The mint aroma and great lather was nice. The front of the Maxtom reminds me of the Bow of an old Battleship. I named the razor "Dreadnaught."

Enjoy the evening.

Originally Posted by aircoder

Oh I cannot tell you how excited I was. Well this morning I HAD THE BEST SHAVE OF MY LIFE!!!! Why because not only was the shave great, but it was on the fist blade I had purchased 13 years ago, and a blade that I honed to what I feel is perfection. After 13 dam years I finally did it, and I now I have a understanding of how to maintain that edge as well for years to come. I know I still have allot to learn and will be learning for the rest of my shaving years, but I finally made it over that first hill. It’s been a long road but I owe a great thanks to SRP and all it’s members whom contribute the information that allows us to learn from one another.

Congrats on the great result, you say perfection but IME you have to re-define perfection as your technique improves still further. Its a great journey!

M&F Blonde
D.R. Harris Arlington SS
Engstrom Frameback
T.M. Artisan--Linen / Horsehide
Humphreys Witch Hazel
Refinery ASB
Have a Great Night!

GB Kent T4
DR Harris Arlington
Filarmonica 13, white scales
R&G L'Homme

...and depicting my favourite night-time moisturiser for the evening of every shave day. Very soothing and moisturising. Smells great and seems to work whatever the weather - the wonderful Korres Borage for men moisturiser. I have been hoarding this cream for ages!

Prep: Hot Shower, hot towel, Septi-Clean rub (new discovery)
Strop: SS 3" 75/150
Brush: Custom WD 22MM full bloom
Soap: Tabac (OMGosh, another great soap!) with Glycerine
Styptic: Alum Block (Ali Biliyki)
ASB: Jock Soap Tall Drink
Cologne: Vintage Jovan Musk Oil (really over 20 years old)
Razor: Boker King Cutter Full Hollow
Honer: Lynn

Man, I sure had a good birthday. I couldn't wait to get home tonight to shave again!

I used my new Tabac and WOW, throw a little glycerin in the bowl, load the brush, start whipping and watch the lather grow!!

After my hospital stay, I discovered Septi-Clean, a soap solution that doesn't have to be washed off, for spitz Baths originally, but rubbed into your beard makes the razor glide like it's on glass.

This Boker is the first real razor I ever bought, honed by Lynn and ruined by me on my first strop. Of course, if you buy from Lynn You get a certificate for another free honing. Enough said.

The shave was DFS, My new Alum block suprised the heck out of me, talk about making your face smooth, and the Jock Soap, while scentless, was smooth and silky and made my face feel great!!

Throw on some vintage (almost antique) Jovan Musk oil and then meet the wife at the end of the driveway, open the car door and give her a big ol' kiss.

If that won't make a guy get lucky, nothing will!!!!! LOOOOOOOLLL!!!

We'll see how the evening progresses, but I have high hope that it will be as great as this shave!!

Please acknowledge my little alien shaving buddy who oversees all that occurs in the bathroom now! He is the supervisor and what he says goes!!!! LOL

Happy Shaving!!

Mike

Mike there are aliens among us!!!!