I think movies and TV have added to the difficulty. We expect it to be just a slapping of the razor back and forth on a strap we hold and it just magically works. There's definitely more technique in stropping than most will ever know until they learn. But based on what we've seen portrayed we just have a tendency to try and copy it. Wrong in almost all cases. Once you learn the technique it gets easier, just like using the razor. Just another reason why learning TSR shaving is a really interesting and fulfilling thing to do. Plus, of course, it just brings out that primal "real man" feeling we all need now and then.

Very good point!

You mean like this?

Stroping is like shaving, slow down and do not use pressure.

Saturday Focus Shave

This months focus shaves have been very consistent. I have been using soaps and creams I know work great for a straight razor shave so today I decided I need to try something new. Today's soap is a 'vintage' Old Spice shaving soap. I did not buy this for nostalgia nor as an Old Spice fan (I think OS is just OK) but out of curiosity. I was curious how a 'vintage soap would perform.

I used the soap a couple times with a DE and SE, with great results. So today is the ultimate test, using it for SR shave. The lather was great, wet, slick and protective. I think I smelled a little bit of the clay like I smell in AoS tallow. The shave came out great, zero irritation and BBS. Even though I did not need another soap or cream or croap I am glad I was able to try this bit of historical goodness.

Irritation A+ Closeness A Smoothness A Sharpness A



Today's razor was a Jerry Start 5/8

I hit snooze twice this morning so no shave. Fathers day weekend is crazy busy in the deli kitchen so Ill be worn out until Wednesday.

Good morning all! A little over halfway through June and summer is definitely here, even though it doesn't officially arrive for a couple more days. Saturday shave is in the books, a bit of blood, nothing major, details tonight! Hope you all have a great day and.....since we're halfway through, I think a group hug is in order. Have a great Saturday!

​

Half way through and moving forward!

MWF and Stirling Finest Badger Focus
I decided to shave with my favorite straight this morning.
While I'm now getting a nice lather with the MWF, I still wish it was slicker.
Mitchell's Wool Fat
Stirling Finest Badger
Hien 650
Alum
Lucky Tiger
Fine L'Orange Noir
Have a great weekend!

June Focus Day 17:

Stirling Synthetic Brush
St James Black Pepper and Lime SC
Aristocrat
Stirling Unscented PSB
Proraso AS

I took a little detour today, as I just wanted to use the Aristocrat. It was like talking to an old friend you haven't seen in a while. I missed shaving with it, but once I started, it was just like I had never stopped. It was a great shave, very comfortable and ended with a BBS face. Today is my oldest daughter's birthday (10 years old, wow), so I picked some of her favorite products. A great start to my day. I hope everyone has a great day.

I know this wasn't directed at me but I figured I would add in my 2 cents on Gold Dollars.


While there are the number of reports on Gold Dollars it is normally from Elitist type shavers bashing them. To a lot of people (no one here that I have met so far) it is impossible to shave with such a cheap razor. They are partially correct. If you order direct from a company that bulk sales GD's and you pick one up and try to shave you will be disappointed as they wont cut melted butter. They need work on them to get them to take an edge but they will shave and hold an edge a good amount of time. To some people the only way you can get a GD to be serviceable is with the pardon of the president, the un-shattering will of an exorcist, and a Rabbi just for good measure. But even after that to some it still wont hold an edge, last a whole shave, give you radiation poisoning, blah blah blah, ECT. I am by no means an expert Str8 users at all... I mean just this morning I gashed my ear (SOTD pic and report coming soon for all you blood hungry animals @NCoxSTL & @Drygulch ) but once properly honed and worked on they shave just as good as anything. I've gotten my best Str8 shaves from a GD 66. Are they the best and prettiest looking thing out there? IMHO no but they do shave and they hold an edge fairly well. Again this is just all my opinion but I have noticed GD's have gotten the rep that Arko has gotten in the past "Oh its cheap so it doesn't work"... It's quite comical IMO.

Gold Dollars. ARKO


While there are the number of reports on Arko it is normally from Elitist type latherers bashing them. To a lot of people (no one here that I have met so far) it is impossible to lather with such a cheap soap. They are partially correct. If you order direct from a company that bulk sales Arko and you pick one up and try to lather you will be disappointed as they wont make lather. They need work on them to get them to take a lather but they will lather and hold a cushion a good amount of time. To some people the only way you can get Arko to be serviceable is with the pardon of the president, the un-shattering will of an exorcist, and a Rabbi just for good measure. But even after that to some it still wont hold a glide, last a whole shave, give you radiation poisoning, blah blah blah, ECT. I am by no means an expert shaver at all... I mean just this morning I lathered my ear (SOTD pic and report coming soon for all you lather hungry animals @NCoxSTL & @Drygulch ) but once properly hydrated and worked on they lather just as good as anything. I've gotten my best shaves from a Arko Uber lather. Are they the best and prettiest looking thing out there? IMHO no but they do lather and they hold an cushion fairly well. Again this is just all my opinion but I have noticed Arko have gotten the rep that GD's has gotten in the past "Oh its cheap so it doesn't work"... It's quite comical IMO.

/Smirk off (Just poking fun @Mr. Freeze93. Not at Arko or GD's!)

I have a modified Gold Dollar, it looks cool and delivers good shaves.

The first thing I do when I read a passionate negative review of a mass market product is assume that the writer had no idea what they were doing. Then I click their profile, and 95% of the time it's a newbie (lacking requisite skill) or a vet basing the review off of one usage. Neither type of review is actually useful. When I did the soap review group, we wouldn't even consider forming an opinion until after three shaves. This policy prevented us from writing a metric ton of ignorant and meaningless reviews. And you are most correct, many assume that $$$$ is better than $ by default, and it's simply not true.

What am I doing wrong? I buy Arko in cases of 12, and it face lathers perfectly, every time. Half of Turkey uses it every morning, it can't be awful.

Arko is not formulated for bowl lathering so much, but I have never had a bad result any way I've tried it. It's one of only 4 soaps that I will ever purchase again, and since you didn't ask, those four are Arko, La Toja Stick, TSD and R66.

See above

I agree. While $$$$ may look better and be better quality most times doesn't mean it works better then $. That's why for the most part when I see people bashing stuff after only one use (or this delightful fellow I meet on another forum who was going on about he could tell that Tabac was a useless soap and wouldn't work just based off the smell... didn't even use it once but because it didn't pass the sniff test he chalked it up as it was useless) I just carry on and keep my mouth shut. The only time I pipe up is when people give their opinion as fact and refuse to believe what doesn't work for them may work for others. Everyone has an opinion and that is great but I get a little hot under the collar when I see people state their word as fact. As I have said before it is all good to have the latest and greatest stuff that costs more then I make in a life time but those who chalk everything up to junk because it didn't cost them hundreds of dollars just come off as ignorant. Just my opinion though.

I'm with you here. I get much better lather with Arko, La Toja, TSD, and Route 66 than I do with this &$)@ MWF everybody raves about.

But that's impossible.... Arko is cheaper then MWF.... you must be doing something wrong