Hey Y’all from Seattle!!!

Discussion in 'Welcome Center' started by CLEMSON TIGER, Jun 1, 2020.

  1. CLEMSON TIGER

    CLEMSON TIGER Active Member

    Hey all! New to the forum but been wet shaving since 2011. Funny thing is I have only RECENTLY mastered the straight razor shave. My wife gave me a challenge during our little covid lockdown time- so- I’ve been a safety razor guy since 2011. Naturally this means I have soap and aftershave enough to get me to 2030!

    My weakness was in boar brushes though- never really got into badger but I dig a classic butterscotch. I don’t own any, but someday. My work horses are the Omega 10098 and the Semogue 1305. If I’m messing with the softer creams, then my RazoRock Italian flag handled synthetic comes out.

    That gets us to now- Been on a happy plateau of DFS with the occasional BBS. Wife hands down a challenge and asks, “Why have you never tried a straight razor?” Now I knoooooooow deep down she was asking a question from curiosity with nothing behind it- but my ego cringed Ego knew what was coming....So I told her, “well I’ve pretty much plateaued in a happy routine and I’m happy where I’m at. If I go down the road of straight razors, that is one heck of a rabbit hole.” She asked what I meant and I filled her in on the strops and stones and pastes, and paddles, and bevels, and grit, and microns, and all that with the possibility of wanting to collect something

    So- she gets me a GBS strop- it’s aight, it gets the job done- she said here’s your strop, I know you’ll want to pick your own razor. (It’s funny because she said razor as in only 1 ) So I picked a 1/2” stubby, a vintage solingen made sport as they’d call them. I practiced on that one- felt a little froggy so I bought a second one for around $85 at WestCoast shaving- So for a good while my face looked like I was losing fights to house cats.

    This began mid-April- It’s the end of May, I’ve gotten the hang of the technique and pressure and angle and all that- blood free, no irritation but you can see a close call or two sometimes that could’ve been a cut with less practice under my belt- So I slowly acquired ceramic stones- got a natural last week along with a Soviet razor I just restored.

    Short story long, I’ve been straight razor shaving and honing since April, I’m new at it but have the hang of the even and straight bevel having restored a Soviet vintage- has chips on the edge and everything- I’ve long since forgotten my obsession with boar brushes and am intrigued by Arkansas stones- Particularly black, translucent, and black translucent.

    Pretty much joined up here to learn more about different hones, specifically finishers, but I also wonder if there’s a favorite natural bevel setter- probably a hard Arkansas maybe? This is where I get fuzzy.

    SO: More than you wanted to know- Tabac is one of my wife’s favorites and one of mine- so that’s where I am on that side of the fence - New at the straight razor shave but now achieving DFS’s and I seem to get a cut every third shave or so. The gap is widening... Yeah, I’m really looking to find out more about natural whetstones. I can also give fresh perspective on key changes that were game changers in being green in straight razors to having the hang of it.

    I look forward to learning and contributing- thanks for having me!!! Sorry it was long- I figured if I threw it all out there I’d be pointed the right direction
     
    wristwatchb, brit, TestDepth and 5 others like this.
  2. Keithmax

    Keithmax Breeds Pet Rocks

    Hi from Seoul, nice to meet you. Always happy to have another member of the Dark Side join TSD, that is how we refer to straight razor users here.

    It took me about 100 shaves to become consistent and proficient with a straight. Honing is whole another challenge.
     
    Edison Carter and CLEMSON TIGER like this.
  3. CLEMSON TIGER

    CLEMSON TIGER Active Member

    Been at it about 6 weeks- been playing with the honing stones off and on- my wife got me a GBS strop and razor but I guess the steel is garbage because I can’t get this thing to do anything. BUT it was good practice with the honing. So- I ordered a solingen vintage sport- it came “shave ready”, but what that really means is mild and not quite ready. So more practice on the stones. Got it to shave okay. Figured out I was getting mild shaves because I didn’t have a “finisher”. So- having already gotten a bunch of stones already (1k, 5k, 8k, 10k yellowlake oil stone, 12k) I was tired of spending money on stones so I got a cheap Chinese ceramic 15k. Still got mild shaves. What was wrong? Lapping was a new word in my vocabulary. So, I ordered an Atoma 400. NOW all my stones that I’ve been grinding away on I’ll actually be worth a darn, Lol!!! So I put the razors back in the stones, even restored a vintage Soviet stainless- and boom. Lapping stone made a HUGE difference in the quality of the honing and the edge. Makes sense because the Chinese ceramic had a funky surface to it before i lapped it but didn’t think anything of it because I was new to the point of being clueless.

    but- now I figured out honing- it’s a new source of zen- I FINALLY got decent shaves BECAUSE I lapped my stones- see- this isn’t all in the brochure....

    would you believe the GBS straight razor kit has a strop, soap, a bowl, a garbage straight razor, it comes with a 120/240 grit stone and it says honing required. The good news is the strop is cheap but decent enough- but I wouldnt use that stone on my pocket knife!

    At any rate, it’s weird because my wife will be laying in bed and her new form of entertainment is watching me shave- I think she’s in disbelief that I’m getting the hang of it and is waiting to see if I cut myself- kinda like watching NASCAR for the crashes.
     
    TestDepth, Edison Carter and Keithmax like this.
  4. Keithmax

    Keithmax Breeds Pet Rocks

    OMG, 120/240 grit, ha ha that is crazy. Head on over the the straight razor threads, there are several honing gurus to help. I use an Atoma 400/1000 to lap my stones, if they aren't flat you can't hone. My woman tried to watch but could not, she thought I would end up killing myself. I do enjoy the zen part of the shave, I can only think about the last at hand.
     
    Edison Carter and CLEMSON TIGER like this.
  5. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers

    Welcome, from Texas.
     
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  6. CLEMSON TIGER

    CLEMSON TIGER Active Member

    That’s where I was born- lived in Beeville, Corpus Christi, Dallas- Haven’t been there since ‘89, figure I owe her a visit sometime soon-
     
    DaltonGang likes this.
  7. Primotenore

    Primotenore missed opera tunity

    Article Team
    Welcome to TSD @CLEMSON TIGER
    Excellent first post.
    You've got a real "keeper" there. :)
     
    CLEMSON TIGER and Edison Carter like this.
  8. speedster

    speedster Well-Known Member

    Welcome to The Shave Den! Did you know Tabac makes a body bar? Which also doubles as a mild room deodorizer...or pollutant, depending upon your stance with Tabac.
     
    CLEMSON TIGER likes this.
  9. steve207

    steve207 Well-Known Member

    Hey welcome fellow Washingtonian to the den
     
    CLEMSON TIGER likes this.
  10. Paul Turner

    Paul Turner outside the quote(s) now

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  11. brit

    brit in a box

    hello and welcome..
     
    CLEMSON TIGER likes this.
  12. CLEMSON TIGER

    CLEMSON TIGER Active Member

    Thanks! Been one about a year! Came up from SC! It’s a heck of a switch :)
     
    steve207 likes this.
  13. MR41

    MR41 Well-Known Member

    :signs046:
     
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  14. Jayaruh

    Jayaruh The Cackalacky House Pet

    Supporting Vendor
    [​IMG]
    @CLEMSON TIGER , glad to have you. I shave with straights on Saturdays, lather catchers on Sundays, and mostly SE with some DEs during the week. It's all good. Enjoy your stay. Let's hear more from you.
    [​IMG]
     
    CLEMSON TIGER likes this.
  15. CLEMSON TIGER

    CLEMSON TIGER Active Member

    NC I see, just moved to WA from Greenville, SC. Yeah- I juuuuuuuuust got the hang of the straight razor shave, just restored a Soviet beauty and that thing dances nicely!

    I’m beginning to feel a sort of guilt because I know once this becomes as routine as safety razors, I’m going to want to abandon my DE’s and SE’s for the “new thing”, lol- I look at my gem 1912 and my EJ, my 34C, my superspeed, the gem micro bullet, I look at them all as I’m FINALLY shaving well with straights and wonder- WHY ARENT YOU THIS COOL?!?! But then I feel bad because for the past 10 years, they brought me joy- now I have no idea how they’ll fit in the routine if at all- and I still have hundreds of blades :happy102:

    We’ll see- maybe I’ll sell them or trade them for straights- who knows- I guess it depends on how bad I want to get back to them and abandon straights after I’ve juuuuuuuust got the hang of it. :happy102:
     
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  16. steve207

    steve207 Well-Known Member

    Ok I'm glade you are enjoying the switch
     
    CLEMSON TIGER likes this.
  17. jimjo1031

    jimjo1031 never bloomed myself

    Welcome to the Den.
     
    CLEMSON TIGER likes this.
  18. Enrico

    Enrico Popcorn

    Welcome to TSD, glad you decided to join us.

    :eatdrink013:
     
    CLEMSON TIGER likes this.
  19. Jayaruh

    Jayaruh The Cackalacky House Pet

    Supporting Vendor
    We moved here about 7 years ago from Travelers Rest. We were there about 34 years raising three fine young men. By the way, what does the P in Clempson stand for?
    Show Spoiler
    PRIDE
     
  20. CLEMSON TIGER

    CLEMSON TIGER Active Member

    As an alumni, I’m qualified to answer that question. The P is silent only when written. When spoken, it’s very present- but mostly among the locals and the fan base. Most students and alums don’t have that problem. It’s okay, that’s more tolerable to hearing sports announcers saying “Clemzin”. Kills my ears something fierce! I used to work at table rock as a ranger not long ago- moved out west seeking the same work- beautiful area- I miss it- but it’s flat compared to here!
     

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