My Ralf Aust from SRD showed up today, so off to the shave den I went! I broke out my trusty Semogue 830, loaded it up with some Meissner Tremonia, whipped up some nice thick suds....and shaved one cheek. It was really tough to stop there, but I occasionally recognize wisdom when it is presented to me, and having read numerous posts designed for SR newbies I see the advantage of starting slow. I finished up with my Merkur HD and was left strangely fulfilled while also wanting more.
There really is something inherently amazing about running a straight razor over your face. I've read about it more than enough but there is nothing like first-hand experience. Challenging, exciting, and a little scary. I'm looking forward to waking up tomorrow just so I can go for round two.
I also noticed that the dynamics of the blade against my skin are completely different from a DE. I expected that to a certain extent but was still surprised by how much different it was. It changed how I look at the soaps I use as well, since Meissner Tremonia, which gives me no trouble with my DE, seemed lacking in slickness with a straight. I only have one soap from Obie's first tier and will be using D.R. Harris Arlington tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to going through my entire current rotation with this little beauty.
Thanks to all of you for participating in this fantastic online resource. I've had a blast using it to educate myself and am looking forward to learning more.