Thread: First Shave 1972

Hi folks I am a new member. Wanted to say hello to everyone and post about my first Straight Razor shave.
Back in 1972 I was a regular shaver but really wanted to use a straight razor.
I did not have anyone to mentor me in the process.
Bought a straight razor for under $10 and boy was I proud of it, went home and lathered up and tried to shave. That razor was so dull I don't think it even scraped hair off. I did not know how to hone so it went in the drawer until I found it broken one day and out it went.

Fast forward to 12/09 while looking online found all the info on how to do everything that I needed to know years ago and though I might give it a try. I did not want to buy a razor then decide that it was not for me.
I took my spyderco enduro and looked at the edge under a 30 power loup and honed it up scary sharp with no micro chips.
lathered up and tried it out, shaved the right side with the spyderco and the left with a new twin blade. To my amazment the knife side was a way closer shave than the new twin blade.

Bought a new Boker King cutter and the other equipment I needed and just love it.

Best wishes,

Silver2

Welcome to SRP. Mine is a similar experience. I gave straight razor shaving a shot way back 25 years ago and gave it up. Came back a couple of years ago and found SRP and all I needed to know right here on this forum.

welcome to srp

better late than never

Congrats Silver2 and welcome to SRP...

I see more and more threads with people having had the same experience. I did the same exact thing about 20 years ago. I got a wild hair, bought a fairly inexpensive Hoffritz razor and Illinois strop from a knife store, brought it home eager as a beaver to try it out and what a horrible experience. I never did cut myself but you talk about a painful, whisker yankin experience. I must have tried stropping the razor for everybit of an hour thinking that was all you needed to sharpen it. I finally gave up and put it in the medicine cabinet for about 20 years. I got the idea to try it agian when the economy started tanking so bad last year. The difference between now and then is this neat little thing called the internet where I found SRP and learned the brand new razors don't come shave ready.

Well anyway, welcome to SRP and I hope you stick with it. I've been str8 shaving since this past August and I was thinking just this morning how anxious I still am to shave every morning.