After a few barber straight razor shaves I decided I wanted to give it a go on my own. Last weekend I saw a post from buca3152 (Bill) for Gold Dollar 66's, 200's and 208's which he had honed and were ready to shave. Not wanting to spend a lot of money on something I might not stick with I ordered a GD #200 and it arrived yesterday in great shape.
This morning I went for it using TOBS Sandlewood applied with a Semouge 1305. It took a while to figure out the proper grip, geometry, etc. and I went very slow figuring things out as I went. Blade angle was probably the most challenging aspect of the exercise.
All in all it went great. The razor worked great, very, very comfortable - Bill did a great job getting the GD honed into top shape. I got an excellent shave, no cuts,
and I'm psyched to improve my skills with the blade in the coming weeks. One of the best things about the experience is that it forces you to be totally in the moment. It is an excellent way to spend a few minutes before heading off to work - completely clears your mind.
So, for those of you thinking about entering the straight razor world, take it from this n00b, go for it! It's a lot of fun, a great challenge and the results can be really outstanding. Enjoy!
This morning I went for it using TOBS Sandlewood applied with a Semouge 1305. It took a while to figure out the proper grip, geometry, etc. and I went very slow figuring things out as I went. Blade angle was probably the most challenging aspect of the exercise.
All in all it went great. The razor worked great, very, very comfortable - Bill did a great job getting the GD honed into top shape. I got an excellent shave, no cuts,
and I'm psyched to improve my skills with the blade in the coming weeks. One of the best things about the experience is that it forces you to be totally in the moment. It is an excellent way to spend a few minutes before heading off to work - completely clears your mind.So, for those of you thinking about entering the straight razor world, take it from this n00b, go for it! It's a lot of fun, a great challenge and the results can be really outstanding. Enjoy!
