That Bald Guy with the Big Beard
Bishop, CA
Thanks for sharing your experiences, and especially thanks for sharing the tidbit about the Windows calculator! I never knew! Now I know I have had approximately 400 straight razor head shaves...
Anyhow...I also discovered throughout my journey that many of those things I simply "couldn't do" or "couldn't use" in the past were related to bad technique, not bad tools. I don't even look at which blade is sitting in one of my DE razors. If I don't feel like using a straight, I grab the first DE with a blade, rinse it, and have a go. 99% of the time, the shave is close, comfortable, and just fine, no matter how many shaves the blade has on it, nor how long it has sat unused in the razor on the shelf. Very few are "bad shaves", and that MUST be technique, because I could never get more than 2 comfortable shaves when I was paying attention. Now...who knows? 5? 6? something like that, at least...with sometimes several weeks between the first use and the last.
I've also gotten away from "collecting". I have a functional rotation of brushes, all of which are joyfully used with regularity. I have a very small selection of safety razors, all of which get used with equal love, whenever I don't feel like using a straight razor. I have a functional rotation of about 20 soaps that all perform exceptionally well, and all smell fantastic. These days, I buy new soaps and splashes when I have some extra money, and a scent I have been wanting is available at the same time.
I do still have a large number of straight razors, comparatively speaking. I currently have 18 cleaned, honed, and at the ready for a shave. At least 7 of these will likely be sold off over the coming spring/summer season of local flea markets and craft shows. I also have about 15-20(haven't counted in a while) that are in disrepair and either need new scales, major cleanup, or a complete overhaul. These will all be brought up to standard and either used and loved, or sold to be used and loved by someone else. I can't help collecting straights. They are something that have fascinated me since I was a wee child, and I am not ever likely to get over my awe of them. Using them, honing them, repairing them, rescaling them, and even just simply giving them to others to watch as they grow and learn with them is an incredibly satisfying hobby within itself for me, and I suspect that will only continue to grow. The look on someone's face when they realize that these antique tools can still be used and appreciated is quite a sight to see, for me. Especially if they have an appreciation for knives and blades in general, and understand what it takes to bring one "back from the dead", and weild it with accuracy and skill...
Anyhow...I also discovered throughout my journey that many of those things I simply "couldn't do" or "couldn't use" in the past were related to bad technique, not bad tools. I don't even look at which blade is sitting in one of my DE razors. If I don't feel like using a straight, I grab the first DE with a blade, rinse it, and have a go. 99% of the time, the shave is close, comfortable, and just fine, no matter how many shaves the blade has on it, nor how long it has sat unused in the razor on the shelf. Very few are "bad shaves", and that MUST be technique, because I could never get more than 2 comfortable shaves when I was paying attention. Now...who knows? 5? 6? something like that, at least...with sometimes several weeks between the first use and the last.
I've also gotten away from "collecting". I have a functional rotation of brushes, all of which are joyfully used with regularity. I have a very small selection of safety razors, all of which get used with equal love, whenever I don't feel like using a straight razor. I have a functional rotation of about 20 soaps that all perform exceptionally well, and all smell fantastic. These days, I buy new soaps and splashes when I have some extra money, and a scent I have been wanting is available at the same time.
I do still have a large number of straight razors, comparatively speaking. I currently have 18 cleaned, honed, and at the ready for a shave. At least 7 of these will likely be sold off over the coming spring/summer season of local flea markets and craft shows. I also have about 15-20(haven't counted in a while) that are in disrepair and either need new scales, major cleanup, or a complete overhaul. These will all be brought up to standard and either used and loved, or sold to be used and loved by someone else. I can't help collecting straights. They are something that have fascinated me since I was a wee child, and I am not ever likely to get over my awe of them. Using them, honing them, repairing them, rescaling them, and even just simply giving them to others to watch as they grow and learn with them is an incredibly satisfying hobby within itself for me, and I suspect that will only continue to grow. The look on someone's face when they realize that these antique tools can still be used and appreciated is quite a sight to see, for me. Especially if they have an appreciation for knives and blades in general, and understand what it takes to bring one "back from the dead", and weild it with accuracy and skill...
-Chris~Head Shaver~
