I would like to thank Jon for his time to do this interview. As always, all interviews are available in Wiki
Who are you? / Where are you located?
Jon, currently in No. VA.
my beard after 2-3 days
How do you take your coffee?
Earlier, light & sweet from local LI deli. In Africa, chai. in Russian Far East, instant w/ sugar cube and black tea. Once back in the states, really enjoying vacpot brew w/ light cream. a warm guinness suffices for coffee at times.
What happened that made you seek a better shave, or if the chicken came before the egg, how did you find B&B?
I stole my brothers sensor excel. In Russia, used Nivea products that weren't available in the US. had typical slight redness on neck/jaw. bought a Braun foil, revolutionary self cleaning..
last year, my bro and i were talking about shaving. Surprisingly, my bro up and bought a 38C, brush, and cream, in Roosevelt Field AOS. intrigued i debated and couldn't decide, finally stumbling on the Shea Moisture brush. Lurking here and there and i was trying to understand reviews and what mattered. I decided, I would get what i really wanted, it would be my only razor. Feather AS.
I chose B&B b/c the color scheme appealed to me! and noticed a bit more traffic.
then visions of a straight. A straight journal? too personal! others reading my daily shaves, acquisitions, and thoughts?
What was it that held your interest?
The Feather, lather, brushes felt totally different... feels, scents, basic function got trumped. I wanted to try everything.
If i remember from your posts, you started with DE's before switching to straights; What did you start with?
That Feather AS, my first real brush - Vulfix 41, no one could have convinced me about vintage. it took a bit to really reconsider/accept. I can enjoy a DE/SE, but the feel of a straight is just **there.
Shave Cream & Soaps? what did you find that worked well from those initial trials?
VDH worked fine, Foamy OK with conair warmer. G5 scuttles were so cool, but not right for me. I really like soaps in wooden bowls, I appreciate a great cream. I haven't tried MWF, or DR.H, or TOBS or T&H either. that almost sounds heretical ... slick and dense lather, that's were it's at!
Where did you get your first straight razor? was it shave ready?
first straight was a "fixed" GD108, followed by a Seraphim GD, both shave ready, poorly stropped the GD, Seraphim's came as a reference... pretty darn sharp...
Determination is key with shaving with a straight, how did you push through the Month + of sub par shaves? did you know there was a light at the end of the tunnel??
it hadn't dawned on me how much was really going on with straights. reading, watching, re-reading, re-watching to see the nuances. shaves got better, it was enjoyable regardless of the fine red lines. i don't know that machismo wasn't involved, but i had nothing to prove.
Now my favorite question... if you were stranded on a desert island and could only choose:
3 razors:
2 brushes:
3 soaps:
2 creams:
3 colognes:
3 Aftershaves:
What is your strop preference and what is your stropping regime?
My Kanayamas. leather so sweet...
40/60 before
10/15 after
w/ the 90K tri-strop + 30 before
What is your honing set up for eBay specials?
DMT C-F-E-la nouvelle coticule unicot...
playing w/ odd thuri, nakayama kiita w/ nashiji. shapton 2K/5K, j-synth 8K., some other coti bouts, C12K, suehiro 1.2K
How often and what's your method for touching up your straights? favorite finish?
don't touch-up that often, probably need to... the la nouvelle, jnat, and thuri give sweet edges.
Are you currently reading a book? or perhaps even better; what book will you be reading next?
Just finished King Arthur and Knights of the Roundtable..way different than expected. lots of riding, smoting and taking of women. typically ends up being disney stories for my girls...
Favorite Movie or two?
Seven Samurai - my favorite for about a decade now... Babe - "Christmas means carnage!"
What has been the best advice you've gotten from a member at B&B?
it's not so much advice, but the enthusiasm.... "have at it & keep at it".
If you could give one piece of advice to someone new at this, what would it be?
don't take anything personally about taste in kit...
Who are you? / Where are you located?
Jon, currently in No. VA.
my beard after 2-3 days
How do you take your coffee?
Earlier, light & sweet from local LI deli. In Africa, chai. in Russian Far East, instant w/ sugar cube and black tea. Once back in the states, really enjoying vacpot brew w/ light cream. a warm guinness suffices for coffee at times.
What happened that made you seek a better shave, or if the chicken came before the egg, how did you find B&B?
I stole my brothers sensor excel. In Russia, used Nivea products that weren't available in the US. had typical slight redness on neck/jaw. bought a Braun foil, revolutionary self cleaning..
last year, my bro and i were talking about shaving. Surprisingly, my bro up and bought a 38C, brush, and cream, in Roosevelt Field AOS. intrigued i debated and couldn't decide, finally stumbling on the Shea Moisture brush. Lurking here and there and i was trying to understand reviews and what mattered. I decided, I would get what i really wanted, it would be my only razor. Feather AS.
I chose B&B b/c the color scheme appealed to me! and noticed a bit more traffic.
then visions of a straight. A straight journal? too personal! others reading my daily shaves, acquisitions, and thoughts?
What was it that held your interest?
The Feather, lather, brushes felt totally different... feels, scents, basic function got trumped. I wanted to try everything.
If i remember from your posts, you started with DE's before switching to straights; What did you start with?
That Feather AS, my first real brush - Vulfix 41, no one could have convinced me about vintage. it took a bit to really reconsider/accept. I can enjoy a DE/SE, but the feel of a straight is just **there.
Shave Cream & Soaps? what did you find that worked well from those initial trials?
VDH worked fine, Foamy OK with conair warmer. G5 scuttles were so cool, but not right for me. I really like soaps in wooden bowls, I appreciate a great cream. I haven't tried MWF, or DR.H, or TOBS or T&H either. that almost sounds heretical ... slick and dense lather, that's were it's at!
Where did you get your first straight razor? was it shave ready?
first straight was a "fixed" GD108, followed by a Seraphim GD, both shave ready, poorly stropped the GD, Seraphim's came as a reference... pretty darn sharp...
Determination is key with shaving with a straight, how did you push through the Month + of sub par shaves? did you know there was a light at the end of the tunnel??
it hadn't dawned on me how much was really going on with straights. reading, watching, re-reading, re-watching to see the nuances. shaves got better, it was enjoyable regardless of the fine red lines. i don't know that machismo wasn't involved, but i had nothing to prove.
Now my favorite question... if you were stranded on a desert island and could only choose:
3 razors:
- Jose Pou Monserrat 14 - Flamenco
- Palmera 14
- Hart square point
2 brushes:
- Simpsons CH3
- Big Plisson plexi
3 soaps:
- AOS - neutral, mild scent
- Tabac - rich, masculine floral.
- C&E Nomad - exotic grassy smell
2 creams:
- Acqua di Parma - fresh, refined
- DC1913 - dark, not too dark
3 colognes:
- Terre d' Hermes Parfum
- Tom Ford - Italian Cypress & Tuscan Leather
3 Aftershaves:
- Terre d' Hermes
- Witch hazel
- Acqua di Parma
What is your strop preference and what is your stropping regime?
My Kanayamas. leather so sweet...
40/60 before
10/15 after
w/ the 90K tri-strop + 30 before
What is your honing set up for eBay specials?
DMT C-F-E-la nouvelle coticule unicot...
playing w/ odd thuri, nakayama kiita w/ nashiji. shapton 2K/5K, j-synth 8K., some other coti bouts, C12K, suehiro 1.2K
How often and what's your method for touching up your straights? favorite finish?
don't touch-up that often, probably need to... the la nouvelle, jnat, and thuri give sweet edges.
Are you currently reading a book? or perhaps even better; what book will you be reading next?
Just finished King Arthur and Knights of the Roundtable..way different than expected. lots of riding, smoting and taking of women. typically ends up being disney stories for my girls...
Favorite Movie or two?
Seven Samurai - my favorite for about a decade now... Babe - "Christmas means carnage!"
What has been the best advice you've gotten from a member at B&B?
it's not so much advice, but the enthusiasm.... "have at it & keep at it".
If you could give one piece of advice to someone new at this, what would it be?
don't take anything personally about taste in kit...
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