thoughts for newbie shaving sucess
I read post after post from novice shavers who are starting to shave with str8s...for the most part it seems their initial experience is less than gratifying...The shave is not close and in many cases unpleasant and bloody...so what do they do? after reading the forum posts, they buy a norton stone or buy paste to apply to a strop which should be applied to a paddle and work the razor to death...In my opinion this is not the road to sucess! A new shaver needs to learn and master the basics of stroping and shaving with the str8...He needs to purchase a shave ready str8 from a proven honer such as lynn...he needs to start out with a blade he can handle such as a 5/8 blade...by doing this, the new shaver will learn what a sharp blade is...the newbie should refrain from honing or sharpening with paste as improper technique will destroy whatever edge the honemeister has put on the razor and then its back to square one...I know everyone on this forum wants to see newbies...learn and enjoy the pleasures of str8 shaving...hopefully my thoughts will save the new shaver a lot of... pain and frustration
It's worth the time to learn.
I understand that there is a lot to learn when one decides to take up shaving with a straight razor. It's not a skill that most men in Europe and the North American continent see their fathers do as they grow up, like it was when I was a youngster. My dad used mostly DEs, but both of my grandfathers shaved with straights. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents when I was small, and I can remember watching each of my grandfathers shaving as I talked to them.
I can remember my grandfather honing his razors, and stropping them before every shave. I was able to observe what they did, although I was too young to try what they were doing. I learned, none the less. I also learned a lot of other things that I would use later in my life. Woodworking comes almost as second nature to me, and from that I learned a lot about sharpening tools properly.
I think that the real reason so many people have such a steep learning curve now is that they don't have the history of learning these skills from their ancestors. Now, everyone just buys throw away razors and shave cream in a can. There's nothing to learn, unless it's how to dispose of the used up article.
At some point in time, we have to step back from the throw-away world, and decide that some things are worth holding on to. There are things, and memories, and places that are worth keeping, regardless of how "old-timey" they seem. To me, shaving with a straight is one of those things. It brings back memories for me, and that alone is worth the learning curve. I also enjoy the luxury of taking my time and having a luxurious shave, which is something that is very special in this breakneck speed world.
The skills needed to care for and sharpen a razor aren't that hard to learn, unless one tries to rush them. That's a sure ticket to frustration. Time taken to pay attention, and learning to do the skill set correctly, will pay one back for years in enjoyment of simple pleasures.
It's simply attention to detail and careful preparation. It's worth the effort, I can assure you.