Super happy camper here!
Long day at work, got something in my eye and had to see the optometrist, got eye drops and had to switch to my glasses. This is where my story begins.
I knew my packages had already arrived (the wife was just as excited as I was and texted me right away). I had 3 presents waiting.
Package 1:
Dovo 100581 (personally honed to shave ready by TSS
Allies Seife sample pack of soap
TSS Boar brush
Straight Razor Base Kit (Herold strop, Herold white and yellow paste, alum block, stypictic pencil)
Package 2:
9 sheet variety pack AO film
Package 3:
MXG Gear deep carry pocket clip for my Spyderco PM2 (I know, not shave related...but it could be!)
I tried to adult and didn't rush home right away. Went to walmart for a cheap mug, then to Target to pick up the Van Der Hagen shave kit (for the bowl and the shaving stand), then onward to my local natural health food store for some local goats milk soap. Okay, headed home!
Come in, love the family, demand to know where my packages are being held captive...find out they are just sitting on the dining room table. I can feel the rush already. Just on the other side of a piece of tape my new adventure awaits. I slit the package open, empty the contents onto the table and just stand there in amazement. I have my first SR and strop! The excitement builds.
Out comes the blade, caredully flashing it for the whole family to see (cue the "ooh"s and "ahhh"s). "I'm gonna do it!" Oil carefully wiped off the blade, strip rubbed down with a little bit of elbow grease, and off I go! Strop. Strop. Strop. Slowly and deliberately rotating on the spine. Criss-cross, criss-cross.
I smile and the blade is smiling right back (just kidding, that's my reflection).
After several dozen stops I close the blade and whisper "oh dont you worry, I'm not done with you yet".
Hot water goes in my second bowl and the brush begins to soak.
5 minutes later and little bit of hot water in my soap and it, too, begins to soak.
2 minutes and the soap water is drained with only drops left behind.
Swirl swirl swirl goes the brush, starting a beautiful creamy lather (forgot to take a picture of that). After I get enough lather I slap it into my second bowl and go to town. Whoosh around I go. Where I'll stop, nobody knows!
But I knew. And I stopped. And my face was almost ready. Hot water wash and prep was complete.
I told myself I'd use some shave magic to aid in the first experience, but that thought went out the window minutes ago.
First mistake...
I should have showered. I have very course hair and sensitive skin. Hot water wash probably wasnt enough.
To my face the brush goes. Scrubby scrub scrub the lather builds and builds on my 5:00 shadow. I think I look pretty cool. That was the last moment of confidence I had, right there.
The blade comes out, my fingers are placed. Oh, wait no not like that. Ok, there, two fingers on the spine. One on the tail. Is this supposed to be comfortable? Flip flop back and forth I go until I decide.
Whoops! Need to re-lather (wondering if I chose the right soap).
Deep breath and here we go. Oh, ****. I cant grab my face because my glasses are in the way. Little bit of repositioning and struggle until I get a good grip under the temple of my specks. "30 degrees, what do you look like?". Tiny little strokes, WTG of course, as I feel my way down my face in a way I've never known.
THIS IS SERIOUSLY FUN!!!
Right cheek, done! Stretching up as high as I can go, my jaw is now my cheek and I chug right along. Now, from throat to ear, WTG on my neck. Oh my, this is a hard angle. Twisting my face and my glasses every which way to ensure I can see, and fit this terrifyingly sharp blade under my neck without bumping into myself. Okay, not figuring that out. Lets move to the left cheek.
What. The. Heck. Do. I. Do. With. My. Hands. Left hand no workey. Let's figure out a right hand attack option. Little bit of fussing and I think I go it. Oh damn, time to lather again. Same techniques, different cheek. Hey, this is working! I think I'm getting an even better shave over here. In no time flat the cheek is clear. Down to the neck, and just as easy! WTG again, slicing stubble from throat to ear (actually working ear to throat small bits at a time) I am seriously limited in arm and hand real estate here.
Ok, lower lip and chin to go. Clearing some space, I work from the middle of my chin and go down. Surprisingly finding that angle I need as I curve underneath. This is working! Then, my Adam's apple. I cant moved my skin enough to one side. I feel like I cant stretch it tight enough. Here goes nothing. It worked! My face (and my small moles) have been spared bloodshed and pain. Cant stop now!
Second mistake:
It's been a long afternoon, blood sugar starts to drop and my stomach is arguing with me. I should have eaten.
All lathered up again, ready for XTG (per my normal cartriage routine). Right side, easy. Left side easy. Chin easy... mostly. Under the lip, not happening. The frustration builds. Under the chin...nope. Cant see with my damn glasses falling off my face, arms won't bend that way, and I'm in my own way. "Grumble grumble grumble" my stomach and brain argue back and forth.
"Okay, fine! I'll try some ATG and see how this goes."
Lather, and begin. Right side breezes by. Left side, oh this is weird. Holding the blade upside down is a little confusing now. Up is down and down is up in the mirror. The panic starts to set in. This is when I knew my insides would leak out. I was sure of it. Scrape, scrape, stop! The blade catches. The skin wasnt right enough. I knew it would happen. But what's this? I see no red! I just barely "scraped by. To the lower lip I go. Hey, not too bad. And then came the chin.
This just isn't working. I cant glide across anything. My angles are all wrong, my skin won't stretch tight, and I'm annoyed. This, ladies and gentlemen, is where the story ends. I did not finish my shave on this night. I called it quits and cleaned myself up, for the sake of my sanity and my safety. Mid sentence blackout. It's all the rage these days. I'll try again in the morning.
Thank you for accompanying me on my rambling journey. Feeling full, dumb, and happy. My new goat milk soap just finished melting into my cup, and I'm ready for bed.
Thank you all for your continuous support and contributions. I already have a second hand Kropp on the way for some extra practice, and my local antique mall has my number. Just waiting on the call.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
Long day at work, got something in my eye and had to see the optometrist, got eye drops and had to switch to my glasses. This is where my story begins.
I knew my packages had already arrived (the wife was just as excited as I was and texted me right away). I had 3 presents waiting.
Package 1:
Dovo 100581 (personally honed to shave ready by TSS
Allies Seife sample pack of soap
TSS Boar brush
Straight Razor Base Kit (Herold strop, Herold white and yellow paste, alum block, stypictic pencil)
Package 2:
9 sheet variety pack AO film
Package 3:
MXG Gear deep carry pocket clip for my Spyderco PM2 (I know, not shave related...but it could be!)
I tried to adult and didn't rush home right away. Went to walmart for a cheap mug, then to Target to pick up the Van Der Hagen shave kit (for the bowl and the shaving stand), then onward to my local natural health food store for some local goats milk soap. Okay, headed home!
Come in, love the family, demand to know where my packages are being held captive...find out they are just sitting on the dining room table. I can feel the rush already. Just on the other side of a piece of tape my new adventure awaits. I slit the package open, empty the contents onto the table and just stand there in amazement. I have my first SR and strop! The excitement builds.
Out comes the blade, caredully flashing it for the whole family to see (cue the "ooh"s and "ahhh"s). "I'm gonna do it!" Oil carefully wiped off the blade, strip rubbed down with a little bit of elbow grease, and off I go! Strop. Strop. Strop. Slowly and deliberately rotating on the spine. Criss-cross, criss-cross.
I smile and the blade is smiling right back (just kidding, that's my reflection).
After several dozen stops I close the blade and whisper "oh dont you worry, I'm not done with you yet".
Hot water goes in my second bowl and the brush begins to soak.
5 minutes later and little bit of hot water in my soap and it, too, begins to soak.
2 minutes and the soap water is drained with only drops left behind.
Swirl swirl swirl goes the brush, starting a beautiful creamy lather (forgot to take a picture of that). After I get enough lather I slap it into my second bowl and go to town. Whoosh around I go. Where I'll stop, nobody knows!
But I knew. And I stopped. And my face was almost ready. Hot water wash and prep was complete.
I told myself I'd use some shave magic to aid in the first experience, but that thought went out the window minutes ago.
First mistake...
I should have showered. I have very course hair and sensitive skin. Hot water wash probably wasnt enough.
To my face the brush goes. Scrubby scrub scrub the lather builds and builds on my 5:00 shadow. I think I look pretty cool. That was the last moment of confidence I had, right there.
The blade comes out, my fingers are placed. Oh, wait no not like that. Ok, there, two fingers on the spine. One on the tail. Is this supposed to be comfortable? Flip flop back and forth I go until I decide.
Whoops! Need to re-lather (wondering if I chose the right soap).
Deep breath and here we go. Oh, ****. I cant grab my face because my glasses are in the way. Little bit of repositioning and struggle until I get a good grip under the temple of my specks. "30 degrees, what do you look like?". Tiny little strokes, WTG of course, as I feel my way down my face in a way I've never known.
THIS IS SERIOUSLY FUN!!!
Right cheek, done! Stretching up as high as I can go, my jaw is now my cheek and I chug right along. Now, from throat to ear, WTG on my neck. Oh my, this is a hard angle. Twisting my face and my glasses every which way to ensure I can see, and fit this terrifyingly sharp blade under my neck without bumping into myself. Okay, not figuring that out. Lets move to the left cheek.
What. The. Heck. Do. I. Do. With. My. Hands. Left hand no workey. Let's figure out a right hand attack option. Little bit of fussing and I think I go it. Oh damn, time to lather again. Same techniques, different cheek. Hey, this is working! I think I'm getting an even better shave over here. In no time flat the cheek is clear. Down to the neck, and just as easy! WTG again, slicing stubble from throat to ear (actually working ear to throat small bits at a time) I am seriously limited in arm and hand real estate here.
Ok, lower lip and chin to go. Clearing some space, I work from the middle of my chin and go down. Surprisingly finding that angle I need as I curve underneath. This is working! Then, my Adam's apple. I cant moved my skin enough to one side. I feel like I cant stretch it tight enough. Here goes nothing. It worked! My face (and my small moles) have been spared bloodshed and pain. Cant stop now!
Second mistake:
It's been a long afternoon, blood sugar starts to drop and my stomach is arguing with me. I should have eaten.
All lathered up again, ready for XTG (per my normal cartriage routine). Right side, easy. Left side easy. Chin easy... mostly. Under the lip, not happening. The frustration builds. Under the chin...nope. Cant see with my damn glasses falling off my face, arms won't bend that way, and I'm in my own way. "Grumble grumble grumble" my stomach and brain argue back and forth.
"Okay, fine! I'll try some ATG and see how this goes."
Lather, and begin. Right side breezes by. Left side, oh this is weird. Holding the blade upside down is a little confusing now. Up is down and down is up in the mirror. The panic starts to set in. This is when I knew my insides would leak out. I was sure of it. Scrape, scrape, stop! The blade catches. The skin wasnt right enough. I knew it would happen. But what's this? I see no red! I just barely "scraped by. To the lower lip I go. Hey, not too bad. And then came the chin.
This just isn't working. I cant glide across anything. My angles are all wrong, my skin won't stretch tight, and I'm annoyed. This, ladies and gentlemen, is where the story ends. I did not finish my shave on this night. I called it quits and cleaned myself up, for the sake of my sanity and my safety. Mid sentence blackout. It's all the rage these days. I'll try again in the morning.
Thank you for accompanying me on my rambling journey. Feeling full, dumb, and happy. My new goat milk soap just finished melting into my cup, and I'm ready for bed.
Thank you all for your continuous support and contributions. I already have a second hand Kropp on the way for some extra practice, and my local antique mall has my number. Just waiting on the call.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
