Hey y'all! Just getting started with shaving with a straight and it's already turned into an obsession 
Anyway, I figured I'd give a rundown of what I've got going on so far and then I've got some questions. Any advice, critiques, corrections, or smart-a** comments are all very welcome. Thanks in advance. So...
First off, the present rundown of what I've got going on: Currently using a Cattaraugus Cutlery Co. straight that I picked up from Larry at WhippedDog.com, THANKS LARRY! I love it! Been using the travel strop that comes with the kit from Razor Emporium so far. No complaints or problems with it so far, but I do want to get a full size strop that has a leather strop and canvas/linen/something for use with compound strop. For now the travel strop is serving well though. I've been using Proraso preshave for sensitive skin, and Cella soap/cream/whatever it is along with the Cella aftershave balm. Whip it up and apply with a Vie Long horsehair brush. Sometimes I use a hot towel, sometimes not. Can't tell a difference with either, aside from it just feeling great having a hot towel on my face. So far I have absolutely ZERO complaints about any part of the experience with what I've got going on currently. I tried a couple of shavettes previously just to see if I was going to actually like the method/process of shaving like this, but that is the extent of my experience with all this. Seems strange to me that I'd get it "right" so early on, but I don't have anything to compare it to. So maybe it's just that I've fallen in love with a Ford because I never had the experience of driving a Ferrari, that sort of thing, you know. Anyway, any feedback on any of that is welcome.
Now for the questions that I mentioned: I picked up a Frederick Reynolds at a local antique store that seems to me to be in pretty good shape. It was marked as "Civil War Era". I have no idea how to date this thing. Was hoping someone might have some info or could point me in the right direction on determining a manufacture time frame on this thing. Remember, questionS, I said I have questionS... So, restoration of this thing... Point me in a direction please. I'm not going to be anymore specific than that because that would be like 25 posts all in one and would be too much to cover, but a nudge in the right direction would be appreciated. If I have specific questions along the way, I'll make separate posts for each.
Again, thanks in advance, and I really am appreciative that I have a community of folks with similar interests to lean on and talk about this rabbit hole that I've decided to wander down. Preciate y'all!
By the way, I posted this under the newbie checkin subforum, so if you've already seen this, sorry but I was told that it would be a good idea to post this here. I'll get better at this forum thing soon enough. Until then, please excuse my lack of proper forum etiquette. I also posted the applicable part of this in the restoration subforum, again please excuse the redundancy. Thanks again y'all!
Anyway, I figured I'd give a rundown of what I've got going on so far and then I've got some questions. Any advice, critiques, corrections, or smart-a** comments are all very welcome. Thanks in advance. So...First off, the present rundown of what I've got going on: Currently using a Cattaraugus Cutlery Co. straight that I picked up from Larry at WhippedDog.com, THANKS LARRY! I love it! Been using the travel strop that comes with the kit from Razor Emporium so far. No complaints or problems with it so far, but I do want to get a full size strop that has a leather strop and canvas/linen/something for use with compound strop. For now the travel strop is serving well though. I've been using Proraso preshave for sensitive skin, and Cella soap/cream/whatever it is along with the Cella aftershave balm. Whip it up and apply with a Vie Long horsehair brush. Sometimes I use a hot towel, sometimes not. Can't tell a difference with either, aside from it just feeling great having a hot towel on my face. So far I have absolutely ZERO complaints about any part of the experience with what I've got going on currently. I tried a couple of shavettes previously just to see if I was going to actually like the method/process of shaving like this, but that is the extent of my experience with all this. Seems strange to me that I'd get it "right" so early on, but I don't have anything to compare it to. So maybe it's just that I've fallen in love with a Ford because I never had the experience of driving a Ferrari, that sort of thing, you know. Anyway, any feedback on any of that is welcome.
Now for the questions that I mentioned: I picked up a Frederick Reynolds at a local antique store that seems to me to be in pretty good shape. It was marked as "Civil War Era". I have no idea how to date this thing. Was hoping someone might have some info or could point me in the right direction on determining a manufacture time frame on this thing. Remember, questionS, I said I have questionS... So, restoration of this thing... Point me in a direction please. I'm not going to be anymore specific than that because that would be like 25 posts all in one and would be too much to cover, but a nudge in the right direction would be appreciated. If I have specific questions along the way, I'll make separate posts for each.
Again, thanks in advance, and I really am appreciative that I have a community of folks with similar interests to lean on and talk about this rabbit hole that I've decided to wander down. Preciate y'all!
By the way, I posted this under the newbie checkin subforum, so if you've already seen this, sorry but I was told that it would be a good idea to post this here. I'll get better at this forum thing soon enough. Until then, please excuse my lack of proper forum etiquette. I also posted the applicable part of this in the restoration subforum, again please excuse the redundancy. Thanks again y'all!
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