Almost Straight on my Birthday

[Rogbo]

Hi all,

Thanks for another expensive hobby I enjoy the cr*p out of! I was looking for a new knife, that put me in the web of razors, that started google searches on wet shaving, got wrapped up for hours and days on Badger and Blade, which led my wife to buy me a 34c and some other kit for an early birthday present, which led to purchasing a Henckels 72 1/2 which I thought would be here yesterday for my first straight razor shave on my birthday. But alas no, the new to me beauty went to the wrong address and/or I ordered it to late probably both.

But what the heck, I was going to start today. I enjoyed the heck out of my hot wet DE birthday shave with fresh lavender hot towels.

My next post will be 'straight' to the point, I promise.

 

[McVeyMac]

Just don't sit under that towel until the razor comes. Welcome, and I look forward to your posts.

 

[martym]

Bienvenidos! I am looking forward to reading about your journey!
marty

 

[SciTX]

welcome aboard....happy birthday!...enjoy!!

 

[rockviper]

So many things in one post!!! So.... (takes a big breath).... Welcome to B&B! Happy Birthday!! Congrats on the impending arrival of your first straight! and finally (*whew*), Thanks for starting a journal. We all love reading about the misfortunes, umm.... adventures, yeah "adventures" of folks starting out.

Before your straight arrives, it's time to start reading some journals if you haven't done so already. That should prep you for some of the joys and occasional setbacks you might encounter.

 

[SciTX]

and watch some videos if you can!!

 

[Rogbo]

Shave 00

It may be to early to post to my straight razor journal, but all my goodies came today and my wife just rolls her eyes at my excitement and I got to tell someone, right? Now I am tooled up with a nice shave ready NTS-Solingen olive handled straight razor, shave ready from Jarrod at The Superior Shave. I also got a bunch of samples of Vulfix Luxury Shaving Cream, lime and lavender are in contention for the first shave tomorrow. Rounding out my acquisitions is a brand spanking new Plain Vanilla Strop from The Well Shaved Gentleman. I am new to this and overwhelmed by all the choices but consider myself lucky to have run in to both Tony and Jarrod at the shops above. I can already see razor/soap/scent acquisition disorder is going to be a problem...

40 years of shaving and I thought going to a straight razor was just the next step. One grasp of a well sharpened straight razor stood that thought on end. I am going to have to walk around this for the night just to get comfortable with the idea of laying this thing on my face.


Wish me luck, tomorrow is shave day!

 

[spyrodog]

Welcome to the rabbit hole...I mean B&B & straight shaving.

That's a nice looking tea pot. Make sure you post pics of your new straight too.

Have a great journey, good luck!

 

[McVeyMac]

Don't try to do too much at firs. Only do what you are comfortable with. Perhaps just the cheeks WTG and finish with a DE for the first few shaves. You'll know when you can do more. Have fun.

 

[martym]

Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. Take her easy. Enjoy. Play Kenny Roges your first few shaves and watch Dirty Harry!
You got to know when to hold them.............
A man has got to know.........

 

[rockviper]

You've made some great choices in Tony and Jarrod. Don't worry about being worried about using a straight; there's probably a few exceptions, but I think most of us have probably had that "Ummm, Am I really going to do this?" moment a few times when starting out.

Three schools of thought on learning to use a straight:
- Go all in; using only a straight will help you learn faster.
- Use a straight for the first pass then clean up with a DE
- Use a DE fort the first pass, then use your straight


The first option works great if you're not in a front-line customer facing job. You will have sub-par shaves and will most likely get nicked when starting out. The other two options seem the most prudent to me. Basically whatever you feel comfortable with is the ay to go.

 

[Rogbo]

Shave 001

Razor: NTS-Solingen
Soap: Vulfix Luxury Shaving Cream in lavender
Brush: Colonel Clink
Finished with some home lavenderize witch hazel
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman

I have ridden raced and crashed Harley's, packed a 45 through the valley of the shadow of death, been married twice once to a Scorpio, raised three kids now helping with four grandkids but soaping up and bracing to lay this keen edged lustrous finely crafted slice of carbon steel on my face may be the most manly thing I have ever done. Whew, did i really think that out loud? Today was my first straight razor shave. Once prepped and soaped I had the moment of doubt - is this really for me, I have a safety razor on the sink and a plastic Gillette still lurking in the back of the medicine cabinet no one will ever know...


So much for waxing poetic with the Dexter self monologue. I started with some hot fresh lavender towels because I like them and the wife has a lavender bush going crazy in the front yard. Then lathered up my new Vulfix Luxury Shaving Cream in lavender - mistake one, after years in tech I know only change one thing at a time. This soap didn't lather like my Taylor's Sandalwood, I was concentrating on the blades and didn't give the new soap its due attention. After watching numerous videos my plan was for one pass down side burns to jaw. After some initial fidgeting and walking around the task at hand and several false starts, I got on it. Down the right cheek to the jaw all good. I hesitated on going lefty but went at that too, trying to start with all the right habits - left side burn to left jaw, cake, even better liking the feedback of the straight. That went well so I moved back to the right side and finished the cheek to lip, then back to the left for the same. Whew, nice! Then I lathered up the neck, tried several different angles at it and stopped. Washed that, lathered up the cheeks again and finished up my straight work for the day across the grain sideburns to jaw to lips. There I called it a first successful straight shave, dried it off, and finished up with the safety. So in all honesty this should actually be 'Straight Shave 1/3, 2/5s at best but I am counting it unless instructed different.

The shave on my cheeks is pretty darn good. I have some burning or irritation around my chin but I am attributing that to not paying attention to the soap. Next straight shave is Sunday and I am going to remove the soap variable by going back to the Taylor's Sandalwood for now, maybe my Cella after that.


My new NTS-Solingen straight

Today's tools

Clearly I have a shaving acquisition disorder

 

[rockviper]

You done good, son. The burning is most likely a result of angle, but don't worry. You'll get it quick enough.

Now for the important question.... what's in the bottle?

 

[Rogbo]

You done good, son. The burning is most likely a result of angle, but don't worry. You'll get it quick enough.

Now for the important question.... what's in the bottle?

Ah the bottle. That is Witch Hazel packed full of lavender from the front yard.
Feels good on the burnt skin and smells good to boot!

 

[rockviper]

Nice. It looked something like dried sorrel to me, but home-grown lavender WH sounds much better.

 

[SciTX]

Awesome! You did good!!!

 

[Rogbo]

Thanks for all the encouragement, now for a couple of questions.

1.) Should I oil the razor when putting away. I see that some people wipe the blade down with baby oil and some just dry it off. Would like this blade to maintain its beauty.

2.) I read about after shave strops. Is this necessary and why?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rogbo]

Shave 002

Razor: Henckels Friodur 72
Soap: Cella Crema Da Barba Classica
Brush: Colonel Clink
Finished witch hazel wash
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman

My second straight razor shave, first with my Henckels Friodur 72, from eBay that came shave ready. I really like the blade that I picked out on looks then backed that up with some reviews from this site. Not that I really know shave ready from a rock but this thing sliced my new strop from two feet out. Well maybe that was my fault.

In all honesty this was about a 1/2 shave. I used the Cella soap this time as thoughts from other shavers suggest that a soap is better than a cream for the straight blade. I lathered up, still trying to decide if I am a cup latherer or a face latherer so ended up as a hybrid latherer today ant that worked well enough. Key to making the straight work for me is the exact right lather. On my first lather today it was pretty dry so i made half @ssed pass from ear to chin, didn't like the feel of the soap so washed off and started over. Also I feel any soap left on my face for a length of time has a slight drying burning feeling. I have decided to lather by quadrant while in my learning faze to lessen that irritation.

With the new plan, more water, wetter lather, soap to one quadrant plan I went back at it. First quadrant was a bit more - ear to corner of mouth to bottom of throat. I got a real nice shave with the grain going like this both left and right sides both left and right handed. I started an across the grain pass but was feeling very successful and liking the results I had already achieved, so called it a day with those parts of my face and the straight razor. Being retired the only 'customer facing' I have is with the Boss Mrs. Rogbo and she will be happy with this results. Already better than my little plastic razor of yesteryear (so two weeks ago).

I finished up around the mouth and chin with my safety razor and called it a day. Not baby but but not nicked or irritated and the boss is digging it, knowing when to stop is big for me.

I have been reading a lot of the journals here, usually reading the first two pages and the last two. Thanks to those that went before with these journals! I have also found Mr. Magnus videos very helpful and inspiring.

Done!



My new to me Henckels Friodur 72

My rescued cast iron pan I am using for a soap mug

 

[rockviper]

I use the silicone sleeves from The Superior Shave to store my blades. After a post-shave wipe down and stropping, they go right into their sleeve; no oiling at all.

As for stropping, that's a big "Yes, it is necessary." Stopping after honing is important and so is stropping after every shave. If helps keep the edge keen, but more importantly it keeps that very thin edge aligned nice and straight for your next shave. Make no mistake about it, whiskers are tough and will eventually result in some deflection of your fine edge. Stropping after shaving makes sure that your blade is ready for when you pick it up again.

 

[SciTX]

I'm with rockviper on everything...I use the silicone sleeves as well for all my razors....you need a strop, but it doesn't need to be fancy...especially your first...just take it easy with stropping, when you are just starting it can do as much harm as good...go slow, but not to slow...go steady and light....it gets much easier..

you are doing great, and your shave today was a great decision...sometimes knowing when not to push it will save you some blood or irritation!

Also, I just wanted to say that your new razor is beautiful!! I've been giving those 72's a look and yours is fabulous!!