Thread: You don't know what you don't know until you do

Hi,

I'm about 2-1/2 months into my straight razor shaving experience. My last 3 shaves have been all straight razor shave. No touch ups with the mach.

I wanted to share an "ah ha" moment. I've skimmed the wiki and forums for for info. Watch the videos. They mention things like sharpness or pulling or pressure, but for a new user of a straight razor, these things are kind of relative to your personal experience with your razor. As you gain more experience with the razor and other function like stropping and honing, you get that reference point that only experience and doing can bring.

So for me, I have found that when I corrected my stropping, my shave was more pleasant. When I saw what 3-4 strokes on a barbers hone does to my razor, wow, this is really sharp now. It was relative from before.

Each step I noticed a difference be it good or bad. Bad like when I tried to put tape on the spine of my razor to hone it. It did not shave well after. However, I was able to correct it by removing the tape and hone again without it.

So now, to me, it's really really sharp. It pop's hairs pretty good.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is use your razor, use your strop and barber hone. Consider having 2 razors so if you screw one up you can still shave, until you fix what you broke.

Mike

mbrando,

That's excellant! That is a big day when you can do the whole shave with a str8 and need no touch ups with a DE or M3.

But it is like that with everything in this art. Incremental improvements are made in techniques and understanding. Each one improves the quality of the shave, the comfort of the shave or the shave experience.

Good for you.

David

Hi Alembic,

Thank you. I'm feel'n pretty good.

You're spot on.

But it is like that with everything in this art. Incremental improvements are made in techniques and understanding. Each one improves the quality of the shave, the comfort of the shave or the shave experience.

Thanks,
Mike

Hi Mbrando

Originally Posted by mbrando

Hi,


I guess the point I'm trying to make is use your razor, use your strop and barber hone. Consider having 2 razors so if you screw one up you can still shave, until you fix what you broke.

Mike

Seems like your getting this thing locked down-about right for coming up 3 mnths into the learning curve.
I like the idea of keeping more than 1 shave ready razor as one can be used as a benchmark for the other especially when honing.( I have 5 in rotation.)
Nice to know things are working out for you as you gain experience in both shaving,stropping and honing.
Keep up the good work.
Kind regards

Noggs

Originally Posted by noggs247

I like the idea of keeping more than 1 shave ready razor as one can be used as a benchmark for the other especially when honing.( I have 5 in rotation.)

Noggs

Hi,

Thanks for the kind words. My brother introduced me to straight razor shaving a few months back. The last few times we spoke we was saying it would be good idea to have more than one razor. At first I was thinking, "why? The one I use works great!" After my taping honing mishap, I was wondering why I don't have another razor around here? Then I found out they actually made/make 7 days sets.

Mike

I like your post very much. especially the part about just honing the str8 and getting a sharpness reference point.

I went through a similar experience when starting to sharpen knives. I was almost afraid of sharpening because I thought maybe I would ruin them. But you learn by doing, by making mistakes, and when you're observant to what you do and think about it, you'll be able to correct your mistakes (on honing etc) and get a feeling for what sharpness is and get that reference point.

I also found that once I damaged a knife or the newness was gone, it had gotten more character and I was less hesitant to use it and enjoy it.

It's like that new watch you wear, that somehow always gets scratched up agains a wall somewhere... Initially it is a bummer, but you quickly realize that it now has a story attached to it: yours!

Originally Posted by jojingo

I like your post very much. especially the part about just honing the str8 and getting a sharpness reference point.

Hi,

Exactly a reference point. It's key to most things. There is only so much reading listening and watching you can do. You have to get your reference point so you understand things like sharpness and such. That's when you say "Ah Ha! I get it."

Mike

Good post. Talking to Lynn the other day and he mentioned that he is still learning too. I guess if we keep an open mind and keep going at it we all keep on hitting higher heights.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Good post. Talking to Lynn the other day and he mentioned that he is still learning too. I guess if we keep an open mind and keep going at it we all keep on hitting higher heights.

Hi,

It can be kind of zen at times.

Mike