One month into it: Gear acquisition syndrome

As I said in my introduction I came from using electric razors for 4 decades.  In the past 30 years it was based upon the Panasonic Arc razors.  It gave a decent shave but I’d have some residual stubble.  

On a trip to Africa I took my son to a barber shop in Cape Town.  As I waited for his first barber shop shave I wandered around this shop which had various straight razors, shaving gear, clothing and shoes.

I started to get the allure of shaving in this manner.  Reading into the process, watching several YouTube videos, I decided to look into straight razors, the necessary upkeep, use, technique and preparation.  

I knew I was not ready for a straight razor off of the bat.  

So I delved into wet shaving.  I acquired some shaving soap, alum, after shave balm, moisturizer and snail mucin.  

My first purchase was a Viking Revolution razor.  I was intrigued by the TTO and adjustability of the Emperor Meiji.  However after seeing some posts on Reddit and reading the 1 star reviews, I decided to return it.

I ended up getting a Rockwell T2 gunmetal razor, but kept the Mild Viking blade.  I acquired a Shaving bowl by Timeless razors and an adjustable brush handle to accommodate for various knots.  In the mean time I ordered a Parker Real boar bristle.

Being compulsive I did shop for straight razors but was overwhelmed at the variety out there.  Coming from the knife community I was more interested in the handles more than the blade.  After reading some various blogs and posts, I acquired a vintage Boker that was shave ready.  It was only $60-$70.  Alongside it, I acquired a latigo strop with a cloth option for cleaning.  I had sharpened many high end knives and restored guns and knives, so I also decided to get some whetstones.  I watched many videos on sharpening, honing and stropping.  

In the meantime, I started the process of wetshaving with the T2.  The process of washing the face, using a hot towel to prep the sling, lathering the soap and using the brush was new and interesting.  I started with a lower setting of 2 to 3 with a first pass, paying attention to various things such as contour of the face, grain pattern etc, and I had a couple of light nicks after the the 3 passes.  Using the alum helped stop the bleeding, and it stung a touch but not bad. Applying the aftershave balm felt great as it had menthol in it. I finished with moisturizer and the snail mucin.  

At that point I felt a smoother shave than I ever experienced with an electric.  Of course gear acquisition syndrome set in, and reading various posts and seeing SOTD posts piqued my interest.

I saw a Tatara Muramasa so I ordered it.  It had a smaller head and shorter handle, plus it was lighter.  It came in a few days, and I experimented with various settings. I liked the smaller head and maneuverability.  

I didn’t stop there, though. I considered titanium since it’s a commonly coveted material in the knife world. I shopped and looked at the Henson Ti22, Blacklands Blackbird Ti, Timeless Ti 95.  I liked the option of the smaller and lighter handle of the BB, so I chose it.

On a whim I saw another BB Lite in stainless, and I was curious so I got that, also.

The BB lite was very smooth and I only nicked myself once but it was a smooth and mild Shave.  I used it a few times before trying the BB Ti.  

In the meantime, my OCD kicked in and I started wondering about restoring razors since I had done it with old knives. So I acquired some vintage razors, too.  I had two runs with my straight. Before this, I practiced with an unloaded shavette.  My first run had no cuts or nicks. But on the second run I got overconfident and nicked myself pretty good in a few places.  So I halted.

I continued using the other safety razors experimenting with various blades: the Viking, Rockwell, Nacet, Astra, and more recently the Feather.  To me, they all felt about the same, and I was improving with my technique along the way. I don’t have sensitive skin and it has been necessary for me to do 3 passes. Particularly under the neck and chin.

Meanwhile there was a sale on Rockwell’s site and I saw the T2 SS. I ended up ordering the kit which came to be $170 with an added 10% off.  It had the stand, razor, brush, etc, so it was still cheaper than buying them separately.

I was off for a couple of weeks (so I figured I’d work on my project razors).  I hand sanded them, followed by wet polishing, sharpening, honing and polishing.  One had a tiny chip in the edge so I repaired it, and I decided to try it out.  It was shaving sharp and I did a drop test on it with a hair.

I took my time, and the shave with the straight was great.  I did touch up areas with a DE safety razor at the conclusion.

So here I am. I have 5 DE safety razors, 3 restored straight razors, and a vintage straight I bought from EBay.  

Tatara Muramasa
Rockwell T2 Gunmetal
Rockwell T2 SS
Blackbird Ti
Blackbird SS LITE long

I’m not sure I necessarily need all of these razors. I have a son who could use whatever he wants, though I think the BB Ti and Muramasa are my go to razors.

Sometimes my compulsion pushes me to try the Timeless Ti, a Karve or other higher end razor but I think I’m also happy with what I have.  

I acquired the following blades by the 100:

Rockwell
Wilkinson Sword
Feather 
Astra
Nacet
Viking
Shaving Revolution

I notice the Astra, Nacet and Feather to be more efficient but the others are more than capable without irrigation.

So that’s my story after the last 4 weeks.

That is one heck of a four weeks!   May I make a suggestion?  Enjoy and perfect what you have for a while.  The acquisition disorder won't go away so you can pick up where you left off after you're 100% comfortable and satisfied with the shaves you're getting with your current equipment.

For me, there is no comparison between a wet shave and an electric shave.  All things being equal, the wet shave will win every time.  Not only have I never found electric shaves close, I find my skin feels irritated for a bit immediately after I finish shaving.

Again, enjoy the adventure of wet shaving and the hardware and software it has to offer.

Great introduction, MuramasaRazor! I look forward to reading your posts. I have been doing the traditional shaving for 9 years now and am still working at overcoming the buying habit! To be honest, I have what I like and works best for me, but I still enjoy trying out other gear.

Here is some insight on a cheap fix for RAD if you are into straight razor shaving and you are from the knife comumity: 

Gold Dollar......

I currently have two of them, a GD 208 that I have added custom scales to, and a newer GD 300 with the stock blue/purple scales. 




These razors can be had for about $12.00  on Ali Express or direct from the factory in quantity.

Many people here will tell you that these razors are junk and there is a slight truth to that (quality control was notoriously poor in the old days) but the truth is that the metallurgy is pretty good.  The 208 was not shave ready  and had to be honed. The shoulders were also removed/reduced. The 300 would have shaved but I gave it a heavy refresh anyway before use.   The only modification I did there was to soften the heel and the toe using the side of the Arkansas stone.   I only have a cheap Chinese 1000/6000 grit combination wet stone, an Arkansans stone and a pasted strop.  This is enough to get these razors shave ready.  I never had a GD with a twisted or cracked spine, chips in the bevel, etc. Others say that they have.They all seem to have a smile in the spine but it is not reflected in the bevel. That is probably a hint as to how they hone these razors at the factory.   I have never had to reset a bevel.   QC seems to be getting better but is not up to Thiers Issard quality. 

Anyway, with your skill set you can turn any GD razor into an excellent shaver, and if you are really motivated they make a great starting place for heavy modifications, custom scales, etc.

As for SR shaving, I think it is important to learn to use both hands otherwise your sight lines will always be compromised on your dominant side.

That's quite a collection! I used a few sampler packs of DE safety razors to try as some were not good for my face.