Celebrating first Straight BBS!

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10-13-2010, 03:22 PM
ama015

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Celebrating first Straight BBS!

At last after approx a year after I first tried shaving with a Straight razor I can celebrate a BBS Straight shave. I think a bottle of 1976 Diebolt-Vallois champagne should be suitable for the occasion!

The last two months I have really tried to improve my shaving technique, grip, angles, sharpness of the razor, pressure and so on. What really got me going was a fantastic gift from lz6, a perfectly restored Wade&Butcher from the 1880`s (by Gssixgun), the blade says "The celebrated Anglo-Saxon Concave Razor". So a couple of days ago I got my fist BBS without even the slightest cut.

This is what got me there. Preshave with hot water and an ecologic soap from Jorunn at Fitjarsoaps to soften my beard. Then hot water in my face to remove the soap. By now I had made huge amounts of the finest lather using my Chubby 3 Super Badger. The soap was Fitjarsoaps Amber, one of my absolute favorites. The Schwarzweisskeramic XL scuttle kept my lather warm for the entire shave. But what really maked my day something special was the brilliant W&B 5/8 Straight. 3 passes with touchups brought me a perfect BBS. Shaving against the grain with this Straight was just a laugh, so sharp, and no irritation even after a 25 minute shave.

Last I put on some delicious shaving cream from England, the Gentlemens Tonic and just walked around smiling and touching my own face! So here I am, a proud Straight shaver, I never thought I would say that after my first bloody attempts. Thanks to this place for all information making me get there!
10-13-2010, 03:45 PM
lz6

Sounds like a great shave! I am very happy that razor worked out well for yyou my friend. Celebrate with a cigar!
10-13-2010, 05:36 PM
ScottGoodman

Congratulations on a feat that is monumental! Cool thing is that all of that hard work and patience paid off.
Cheers,
Scott
10-13-2010, 07:04 PM
ama015

Quote:

Originally Posted by lz6

Sounds like a great shave! I am very happy that razor worked out well for yyou my friend. Celebrate with a cigar!

Thank you Bob, the razor you gifted me is one of my absolute finest belongings. I will follow your order and smoke a Diplomaticos No. 2 tonight!
10-13-2010, 09:06 PM
LawsonStone

Isn't that great!

It's nice to finish up and you've been so "in the zone" that it hasn't even occurred to you that you've just had a face-gasm.

Then you slap on that Bay Rum and WHOA!!!! IT'S GREAT TO BE ALIVE!!!
10-13-2010, 10:18 PM
Ogershok

Congratulations! The feeling of accomplishment can be almost as fine as the shave itself. When I try to explain this to my friends they just look at me and shake their heads. Ah well... Good on'ya!
10-13-2010, 10:43 PM
commiecat

Congrats, and thanks to lz6 for his generosity. This is why we love SRP!
10-13-2010, 11:58 PM
CaliforniaCajun

Quote:

Originally Posted by ama015

At last after approx a year after I first tried shaving with a Straight razor I can celebrate a BBS Straight shave. I think a bottle of 1976 Diebolt-Vallois champagne should be suitable for the occasion!

The last two months I have really tried to improve my shaving technique, grip, angles, sharpness of the razor, pressure and so on. What really got me going was a fantastic gift from lz6, a perfectly restored Wade&Butcher from the 1880`s (by Gssixgun), the blade says "The celebrated Anglo-Saxon Concave Razor". So a couple of days ago I got my fist BBS without even the slightest cut.

This is what got me there. Preshave with hot water and an ecologic soap from Jorunn at Fitjarsoaps to soften my beard. Then hot water in my face to remove the soap. By now I had made huge amounts of the finest lather using my Chubby 3 Super Badger. The soap was Fitjarsoaps Amber, one of my absolute favorites. The Schwarzweisskeramic XL scuttle kept my lather warm for the entire shave. But what really maked my day something special was the brilliant W&B 5/8 Straight. 3 passes with touchups brought me a perfect BBS. Shaving against the grain with this Straight was just a laugh, so sharp, and no irritation even after a 25 minute shave.

Last I put on some delicious shaving cream from England, the Gentlemens Tonic and just walked around smiling and touching my own face! So here I am, a proud Straight shaver, I never thought I would say that after my first bloody attempts. Thanks to this place for all information making me get there!

I can sure take a great deal of satisfaction from reading your post because I'm close to seven months on the straights. It's just the last month that my head has finally got through to my hands to ease up on the pressure.

Like you I can thank a number of members over here for the help. Easing up on the pressure. Purchasing some great razors from the Classified section over here.

The final frontier standing in the way of BBS results is a spot under the jawline. The final frontier is maintaining my own blades and I've just got to buckle down and get down to it.

Thanks for the report and the encouragement I derived from reading.
10-17-2010, 11:42 PM
flyman

Great going! I am still looking for my first BBS myself, but I can see the light streaming in from the end of the tunnel. It's hard to believe that only 2 months ago I was having a hard time just getting through a shave in one piece! Without a doubt, I would never have progressed as far and as fast as I did without the advice and encouragement of the guys at SRP! Thank you to all.
10-18-2010, 06:01 AM
bhinks

Congrats and thank you! For me, and I'm sure for all of us just starting out, reading a post like this is incredibly motivating!
10-19-2010, 05:32 AM
BladeRunner001

Congratulations :tu. What an excellent way to get started. Great gift, great friend, great shave. I am sure that this blade will have a special place and sentimental value in your "near-future" collection.
12-21-2010, 10:46 PM
ama015

Quote:

Originally Posted by BladeRunner001

Congratulations :tu. What an excellent way to get started. Great gift, great friend, great shave. I am sure that this blade will have a special place and sentimental value in your "near-future" collection.

Thank you Robert. You are very correct, this razor has a special place in my heart. Just shaving with a razor made when Jack the Ripper went around in Whitechapel, London looking for victims and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle thought about his next Holmes story, unreal feeling and a great treasure.

And the "near-future" collection, lol, are you a mind reader;)
12-25-2010, 09:26 PM
markevens

Beautiful, just beautiful. And to think shaving used to be a chore, and now its pure joy!