Thread: new to site and s/r shaving

Hello
I wanted to say thank you to everyone on here for the great advice. I received a straight razor as a valentines present and am trying to learn what I can.
Included with the razor was a leather and canvas strop. I have used the leather strop after reading on here and watching several youtube videos. I have not used the canvas strop, though. Is a paste required to use canvas?

thanks for any advice

Bill

Paste is optional. I never use it myself.

The canvas is already lightly abrasive. You do not need to add any paste for the canvas to be effective.

what kind of razor did you get? people love pics here, just a lil tip

Originally Posted by sleekandsmooth

what kind of razor did you get? people love pics here, just a lil tip

yeah, what is all this comin' in here all barkin' up questions all lookin' for answers and not a single shot of the goods? show some respect to your elders

Hi Bill, and Welcome. You're in for a real treat. 'Don't know what razor you received, but unless it was honed to professional standards, you'll find it a rough go. Factory new edges aren't shave ready as a rule.

There's so much you see, when wading into it - it can overwhelm in a hurry. For now, keep it simple - cause it really is. Just 3 things are needed: how to do the first shave, beard prep, including how to make lather, and how to strop.

The shave involves learning alot about your individual facial topography and how the beard lays at each section. 'How to stretch and stroke each area so you get a nice close shave. This'll take months to master, but you'll enjoy really good shaves before much time at all.

Beard prep, lather making: Mantic's vids are as good as I've seen on making lather. Most prep routines involve keeping the face wet when exiting the shower making lather, lather up your face, and spend a good 2 min. rubbing the lather into your stubble. This will make the lather disappear, but you're still conditioning the beard. There's confusion on how the stubble is prep'd. It needs to be waterlogged - not 'softened'. The bloated hair bark makes the shingle-like outer layer stick out to be hooked by the edge and sheared.

Stropping: The best I've seen is our wonderful gssixgun's 'Beginner's Tips from March 2011. This may be the most difficult thing to learn. Hopefully you'll do WAY better than I did. I was terrible at stropping.

Ask all the questions. Don't hold back. Anyone making a new shaver feel foolish for asking an uninformed question should be flogged and salted. If/when you need a hand touching up the edge on your blade, PM me. 'Happy to do. Just pick up return postage costs. 'Hope you find this 1/2 and enjoyable as I have. Almost 2 yrs later, the joy of a good shave shows no signs of fading. I love each one. Can you believe that anyone would ever say that? 'Have fun while you learn the best shave possible.

Sorry Groovyd, didn't know the rules.
A little 4 year old boy has become fascinated with the family digital camera, and like all little boys (I hope) he subsuquently destroyed it. So...unfortunately no photo until I can replace the camera. Sorry.
Forgive my newb ignorance, but its a Dovo.
Hopefully a joke can make up for it (not mine, told to me by a friend)
A man goes to the supermarket and buys a large bag of Purina dog food. A lady behind him asks if he has a dog. Being bored, the guy replies "no, I'm going back on the Purina weight loss plan." The lady is surprised and asks him if he has done it before. "yes, last time I lost 50 pounds, but woke up in intensive care, with tubes everywhere." The lady asks was it from the dog food. The man replies, no its nutrionally sound and has all the nutrients required. I just stepped off the curb to sniff a poodles a$$ and got hit by a car.

again from a friend
A young fellow starts work at a large department store. After his first day at work the boss asks him how many customers he sold to. Just one, he replies.
The boss is disappointed as most employees sell to 20 or thirty. What was the total the customer spent the boss asks.
The young guy replies $100 000.
The boss is amazed. How did that happen he asks.
Well I sold him a some fishhooks. Then I showed him a new rod and reel. After that I took him to the marine section and sold him a brand new boat. His car couldn't pull the boat, so I took him to automotives and sold him a truck that could.
The boss is impressed. You sold all that because he came in looking to buy a fishhook? No, says the young guy, he came into buy tampons for his wife and I told him, you're weekends shot, might as well go fishing.

Bill
Here's an image I found online of the razor

Originally Posted by bill48985

I received a straight razor as a valentines present

Marry that woman (or man?).