In a faraway and dusty land, there lived a mysterious man who was paying his way through law school by restoring and selling straight razors to the newbies on Badger and Blade. This man had done quite well for himself and established a reputation throughout the land for quality work at affordable prices. There were many new straight shavers who had cut their whiskers by his work, and sung his praises across the realm.
One day, a student sought out the man, and asked to be taught the ways of honing.
"Master Leighton," said the student, "please show me your secret honing techniques. Teach me the methods which have brought you such fame and (relative) riches."
"Ah, little Ray-Man-hopper," replied Master Leighton, "I will each you that which I know, but it is up to you and your heart to make good from my techniques, to do what is right by all straight shavers who come from far and wide to our dusty land for satisfactory honing."
"Master, I promise," er...promised Ray-Man.
And so began an apprenticeship, by which Ray learned the masterful techniques of honing. Long and hard he worked to acquire the necessary skills to sharpen another man's razor so well that said man would be willing to part with his precious treasure for the opportunity to have his whisker-killing devices retouched by the student.
Finally, the day arrived that the student believed he was ready. He went to his master seeking guidance, and Leighton said unto him:
"Go forth and offer your wares. Find a man who will entrust you with the most precious of all things - his morning shave - and show him your worth. If he believes you are worthy, he will tell all his friends, and then you're in business!"
So Ray, being a modern sort of lad, posted a notice on a popular message board for straight razor shavers offering the opportunity to hone strangers' razors for only the cost of travel to the faraway, dusty land. Many takers came forth (it being a recession) and Ray honed each in their turn, and with excellent results.
Finally, a dark and swarthy man came forward with a proposition. He offered to send Ray-man a razor which had only previously been honed by his master. The razor, however, came with a catch: the agent would post his findings, regardless of their disposition.
It would be a true master vs. student test - to hone a razor which had been previously honed by his master, and tested by the same man under the same conditions by which the razor had originally been measured. Ray-man agonized for whole seconds, his mind and heart torn by the seemingly-insurmountable challenge of meeting his master's own measure so early in his career.
He contacted the stranger.
He accepted the challenge.
And so, on a quiet Wednesday morning, the stranger Priority Mailed the Wadsworth BOSS 6/8 round-point half-hollow razor to Ray-Man, and waited with baited breath for it to return.
Ray-Man received the razor on a Friday, the trip to the faraway and dusty land having taken only two days. He immediately set to work measuring his challenge. He examined the razor, made careful notes of its condition, and contacted the stranger.
"Your razor has a small nick, which is inconsequential," he wrote, "and excessive spine wear, but I believe I will be able to do some good things here. I'll have it back to you by this time next week."
Ray-Man set to work unwinding his honing voodoo upon the blade. He honed, he tested, he honed and stropped. He polished, tightened, oiled, and shipped.
The razor came back to the stranger on a Wednesday, only a week after he had sent it away! It arrived carefully packed in a padded mailer with delivery tracking and confirmation.
On Thursday morning, the stranger awoke and began the process of testing the razor, and by extension, the man who had honed it. He followed the same process he had used months earlier with the same razor when it had arrived from Master Leighton. He used the same brush, cream from the same tube, and every same step. The test must be fair, he thought to himself, for it to ring true.
Two passes. No pressure.
The razor glided smoothly across his taut skin, and the whiskers retreated in fear of the advancing edge. Not a single hair stood its ground against that unassailable steel. The blade was so finely honed that it felt like rolling a plastic Bic pen around on his cheek. So equal was the honing, the stranger was able to maneuver the toe of the razor around his Adam's apple to whack whiskers untouched by previous razors. He slid the heel of the razor confidently down his neck over the area above his jugular, and drew not a spot of blood.
This blade was beautifully honed.
The stranger was pleased.
He had tasted the fruits of both the master and the student, and found them to be equally sweet. Each had delivered to him the same razor months apart - a finely-honed beast trained for whisker-whacking in a faraway and dusty land.
Let not his length of practice fool you, proclaimed the stranger to his friends on the message board. Ray-Man can hone one hell of a razor. And in a ridiculously short amount of time.
Ray - thanks for indulging my challenge. Your hone work is exceptional. I had a tremendously good shave this morning, and found that I really like that razor again. I would happily pay for you to hone any other razor I have.
If anyone gets the chance, I would suggest letting Ray take a shot at honing your razor. Incredibly fast turnaround, an even and (razor)sharp edge that runs the length of the blade, and excellent communication.
Best of luck, Ray - today you snatched the grasshopper from the master's hand, IMHO.
One day, a student sought out the man, and asked to be taught the ways of honing.
"Master Leighton," said the student, "please show me your secret honing techniques. Teach me the methods which have brought you such fame and (relative) riches."
"Ah, little Ray-Man-hopper," replied Master Leighton, "I will each you that which I know, but it is up to you and your heart to make good from my techniques, to do what is right by all straight shavers who come from far and wide to our dusty land for satisfactory honing."
"Master, I promise," er...promised Ray-Man.
And so began an apprenticeship, by which Ray learned the masterful techniques of honing. Long and hard he worked to acquire the necessary skills to sharpen another man's razor so well that said man would be willing to part with his precious treasure for the opportunity to have his whisker-killing devices retouched by the student.
Finally, the day arrived that the student believed he was ready. He went to his master seeking guidance, and Leighton said unto him:
"Go forth and offer your wares. Find a man who will entrust you with the most precious of all things - his morning shave - and show him your worth. If he believes you are worthy, he will tell all his friends, and then you're in business!"
So Ray, being a modern sort of lad, posted a notice on a popular message board for straight razor shavers offering the opportunity to hone strangers' razors for only the cost of travel to the faraway, dusty land. Many takers came forth (it being a recession) and Ray honed each in their turn, and with excellent results.
Finally, a dark and swarthy man came forward with a proposition. He offered to send Ray-man a razor which had only previously been honed by his master. The razor, however, came with a catch: the agent would post his findings, regardless of their disposition.
It would be a true master vs. student test - to hone a razor which had been previously honed by his master, and tested by the same man under the same conditions by which the razor had originally been measured. Ray-man agonized for whole seconds, his mind and heart torn by the seemingly-insurmountable challenge of meeting his master's own measure so early in his career.
He contacted the stranger.
He accepted the challenge.
And so, on a quiet Wednesday morning, the stranger Priority Mailed the Wadsworth BOSS 6/8 round-point half-hollow razor to Ray-Man, and waited with baited breath for it to return.
Ray-Man received the razor on a Friday, the trip to the faraway and dusty land having taken only two days. He immediately set to work measuring his challenge. He examined the razor, made careful notes of its condition, and contacted the stranger.
"Your razor has a small nick, which is inconsequential," he wrote, "and excessive spine wear, but I believe I will be able to do some good things here. I'll have it back to you by this time next week."
Ray-Man set to work unwinding his honing voodoo upon the blade. He honed, he tested, he honed and stropped. He polished, tightened, oiled, and shipped.
The razor came back to the stranger on a Wednesday, only a week after he had sent it away! It arrived carefully packed in a padded mailer with delivery tracking and confirmation.
On Thursday morning, the stranger awoke and began the process of testing the razor, and by extension, the man who had honed it. He followed the same process he had used months earlier with the same razor when it had arrived from Master Leighton. He used the same brush, cream from the same tube, and every same step. The test must be fair, he thought to himself, for it to ring true.
Two passes. No pressure.
The razor glided smoothly across his taut skin, and the whiskers retreated in fear of the advancing edge. Not a single hair stood its ground against that unassailable steel. The blade was so finely honed that it felt like rolling a plastic Bic pen around on his cheek. So equal was the honing, the stranger was able to maneuver the toe of the razor around his Adam's apple to whack whiskers untouched by previous razors. He slid the heel of the razor confidently down his neck over the area above his jugular, and drew not a spot of blood.
This blade was beautifully honed.
The stranger was pleased.
He had tasted the fruits of both the master and the student, and found them to be equally sweet. Each had delivered to him the same razor months apart - a finely-honed beast trained for whisker-whacking in a faraway and dusty land.
Let not his length of practice fool you, proclaimed the stranger to his friends on the message board. Ray-Man can hone one hell of a razor. And in a ridiculously short amount of time.
Ray - thanks for indulging my challenge. Your hone work is exceptional. I had a tremendously good shave this morning, and found that I really like that razor again. I would happily pay for you to hone any other razor I have.
If anyone gets the chance, I would suggest letting Ray take a shot at honing your razor. Incredibly fast turnaround, an even and (razor)sharp edge that runs the length of the blade, and excellent communication.
Best of luck, Ray - today you snatched the grasshopper from the master's hand, IMHO.
