Thread: A little knowledge goes a long way

As an old man who is hard of hearing with poor eyesight, I decided to take up motorcycling. Got my license and went to the dealer to buy a cruiser. The owner of the shop was in his 60's and he said, "are you sure you want a cruiser. The suspension is awful, the bike is heavy, and the lean angles are slim to none." I assured him that my advanced age and my lousy eyesight (and bad back) were no match for a sportbike. I had the misfortune, about 3 months later, of having a friend allow me to use his sportbike so I could see the difference. To make a short story long, motorcycling is defined by leaning into the twisties and promptly sold my cruiser and have purchased nothing but sport bikes and sport tourers.

My son turned me on to DE shaving just a few months ago. Having the typical apprehension about bleeding to death, I decided to buy a mild razor (Feather). I was scared of aggressive razors. Well, 3 months later, I have come to realize that a more aggressive razor (with proper technique) requires less pressure and provides a much closer shave with fewer passes. I now use a Megress set to somewhere between 3 and 4, and an open comb Joris. While certain razors show more blade (aggression), aggression is tamed by the hand and your technique.

I am a perpetual tinkerer. The moral of the (very) long story is to NOT be afraid to try many different products including pre, during, and post shave. If you read enough posts you will find one woman's love is another woman's hate.

I am going to experiment with a straight razor in the not too distant future. For me its important to have a wide frame of reference as it helps me gain expertise when I have tested many products. I bought a Feather Artist Club SS (non folding) for my son to try. If he is still alive after a few months of use, I will move to the next level of experimentation.

Part of this is driven by my philosophy that the journey is the destination...........gotta go, the UPS truck just delivered twelve cases of alum block and styptic pencils.

Using your son as the Guinea Pig eh? Now that's "Wonderful"-har har.

When you're ready, we're here for you but don't forget the autologous blood transfusions before you try the straight-Har har.

OK, you old guys are scaring me.

Gotta live life at all times. At 82 I have severe arthritis in my neck so my head is bent over. I can't see the mirror so I shave by feel. The straight razor will be a challenge. I am resourceful, if nothing else, as I have learned to see forward on my motorcycle by turning my head either left or right and using some peripheral vision.

Wonderful reading
You oldtimers are truly inspiring!
Shave on