What's new

Help with organizing my thoughts.

So.

I'm one of those people who you end up looking at and going: "man, I'm glad I'm not inside his head, it must be exhausting, nothing is ever still".

I hold a lot of information, but the way I categorize information internally is in simultaneous three dimensions. It's hard to explain perceiving everything you know at the same time, overlayed in 3D. Now, I'm not saying I 'know everything'. Not at all. I am saying that I 'know everything that I know at once'.

Saying that, I have difficulty actually composing text.

If I'm not careful, and I mean very, very careful, I will run on, segue tangentially, and generally be all over the map at once. So it takes a fairly great effort for me to write coherently. I will attempt to use B&B shorthand where I know it.

I want to cover gear, goals, experiences and then get feedback.

My Gear:
(*not purchased this year for shaving or was gift)

-Dovo 6/8s Best Quality SR
-'restored' vintage straight razor (pics, name etc later...it's downstairs. I'm lazy)
-Merkur Futur Satin DE Safety
-170 assorted DE blades. 100 Feather Black, 70 pack assorted (ok...well...168)
-Illinois Razor Strop Co. 827 Imperial Russian strop
-Lg. Apothecary Mug
-*Henri et Victoria HMST Badger brush (HMST?? The nice High Mountain one, Christmas gift, please forgive my newbishness)
-4 other shave brushes (*2 x boar brushes that were my Grandfathers that my folks brought back for me, 1 x cheap Wilkinson Sword boar brush that I bought because I was too impatient to wait for my order and 1 x in house from a Canadian Online store/can't remember if I'm allowed to name it)
-Leather travel cases for both types of razor and a brush
-Mugs, Col Konk unscented soaps, *TOBS Sandlewood (fav so far) shaving cream/shave oil, Pamolive shave stick, Proasso preshave and shaving cream and a *Real Shave Co aftershave gel that I already had.
-Alum bar (livesaver and I love it. The feedback is totally needed, as well as it's stop my face from hemorrhaging properties)
-Norton 220 + truing stone, King 800, 1200, 4000, 8000, Naniwa 12k and the Shapton 16k should be here this week or early next. (Oh...forgot on my wishlist post I'm going to get the Atoma 400 plate this year too for sure)
-TI 0.5 micron CromOx
-Wet/Dry Sandpaper 320, 400, 600, 1000, 1500, 2500
-Metal Polish cream (Autosol....yes, you'll see lots of Lee Valley stuff)
-5kg anvil (I polished the surface)
-8 oz ball peen hammer (I polished the peening head to mirror)
-brass pins and washers for 10 razors (good place to start, more specific sourcing later)
-*Dremel 400 xpr, drill press stand etc....I've had my dremel forever, I love it. (Need plunge router attachment...sorry, off topic)

That's 'all' excluding samples pretty much.

Anyhow, as you can see, I dove in head first. I've gone from a 100% electric (albeit super nice electric) to fully kitted out for Wet Shaving in next to no time.

I've already decided that I love straight razors and I plan on shaving like this...until I get bored again, or well...I can't predict the future.

I know, a lot of this is/might be reiteration of my Newb Intro, but I'm putting more effort info a cohesive thread.

I've tried to do everything logically, as best informed as I can be, follow what advice I've gleaned and put it all into practice.

Changing up my order a little, my experiences so far:

I used my Futur a bunch of times, more than a handful, not more than two handfuls of times. I have one scar that's finally healing up on the right side of my face beside where my lips come together...right under my mustache line. Makes sense...well, I got a killer ingrown there, and stubbornly nicked it again later. It wasn't pretty. There were a couple ingrown hairs on my chin that were a royal pain as well. They've just now healed...finally.
I guarantee it was my fault, lack of experience and practice and I could even now do better. But...I've tried a straight razor.

They just feel so good in my hand. I don't know why I've never handled one before now. I love blades of all kinds. Being one of those outdoors loving, into camping/hunting/fishing, (Please forgive me) zombie apocalypse, EDCing weirdos, I'm surprised I haven't touched a SR prior. That's over with.

2 weekends, 1 full work week and 1 Monday later. That brings us to now.

On the weekends I have done the full routine; shower, prep, shave, aftercare, be pleased with myself. For weekdays, what I've been doing is like this: Get the tap water as hot as I can and start soaking my brush in my mug. (I've been keeping it 3 or 4mm below the handle. I don't know if my tap water will melt the knot glue or not, but it's not touching it directly.) Then I soak a hand towel in my hottest tap water. I knuckle out most of the water, rub in a couple drops of the shave oil and cover my face and neck with the hot towel. (It only burns for a second, then it's nice). I do my best to wait a whole 5 minutes. Making sure the towel maintains contact with my face and neck.
After the hopefully 5 minutes, I start trying to make a lather. I'm still working on being able to build a good lather, I think I'm still too dry. Then it's apply lather, shave. Other than today, I've been doing a 2 pass shaving in the mornings. It's been good enough for milspec, without too many cuts.

So far, I haven't had a shave where I haven't bled at least a tiny bit. My best result on that front was today with only a single teeny, tiny nick. My last three shaves though I have only aggravated old cuts, which 'almost' doesn't count.

I'm getting better with every shave. My shave today, I did a little differently than any other shave I've done to date. I did a single pass buffered shave. I had slightly less beard than usual for a Monday morning due to the fact that I had a really leisurely shave yesterday at One O'Clock in the afternoon. I felt that I'd burn myself if I tried to do two passes.

Usually it takes me about 25 minutes. With the single pass it was a little more than 15.

For the record, I've been getting the time in the morning by foregoing my snooze. I usually set a 20 minute snooze and hit it once. It only takes 2 to 3 minutes to shave with my Panasonic ES-8228.

I was taking zero joy from shaving. I am required to be shaven for work, but I found that usually on Tuesdays that I'd forget to shave. I keep a $15 electric in the glove box in my car for those occasions. No joy.

I've found that skipping my snooze, taking my time with a Straight, that I've been enjoying my mornings a lot more lately.

The face mangling I joked about isn't really that bad. The worst was the one spot I spoke on that's still healing. I've nicked behind my ear a couple times along with a couple spots on my chin. The 'bad' stuff was on 5 different strokes I messed up my entry angle and contact cut myself. One of them, near my sideburn at the beginning of an XTG stroke it dug a touch more than the other touches. That one had a bit of a raised scab that I nicked twice.
All in all, my progress versus damage to date...I'm more than happy to keep practicing. Two of the approach angle contact cuts were with my left hand on my neck. I figure that I may as well learn how to shave with both hands right from the beginning as well. That has to be in my best interest in the long run somewhere.

Honing.
I've honed knives for years, and some of you folks along with those at other forums and on YouTube do a very excellent job of describing blade geometry, bevel setting, sharpening, polishing etc. I can honestly say I feel I was successful from my very first honing attempt.

Thanks very much for the guidance on honing razors.

My Dovo came sharp. It was sharp enough to shave with, but it was not a polished edge. The bevel geometry was perfect though. I only used 8k and 12k on it and it was awesome. I screwed up here though. I'm quite sure that I've over pasted one side of my linen strop. So, confident, doing well so far...but having NEVER stropped a single stroke (also ignoring the advice to practice on newspaper or the like), I took my nicely honed blade to an overpasted strop.
It certainly marred my edge. Scuffed it pretty bad in fact. I most definitely put far too much pressure on the blade as well.

Back to the hone to fix it. So far, I've avoided the ChromOx since and kept to the unpasted linen side and leather and very much more concentrated on my technique. I feel my stropping is sub-par, barely adequate, but improving daily. I'll improve my technique. I have to. It took a week to come to terms with it, but stropping is unavoidable. Honing removes metal, stropping realigns. And, I can, unfortunately, tell the difference after stropping. There's no avoiding it, I'll have to practice and get good at it. Correct me if I'm wrong though, but (ignoring water stone progression by brand) going ... Naniwa 12k to Shapton 16k to leather a good finishing sequence? Opinions here please, cause here I'm stuck. Do you even need the linen? Would it be reasonable just to invest (after lots of practice and confidence that I won't destroy a new one) in nice 3" just straight up leather strop?

That's what I've been shaving with though. A Naniwa 12k edge inspected under a 30x jewelers loupe, stropped 50 x plain linen and 75 x leather.

I was very discouraged at first, my edge would shave my air hair, but wouldn't pass the HHT. (At least the HHT where you cut the hair, attached to you, part way up the stalk. As opposed to the HHT I've seen on YouTube where a dude drops a single hair on a razor and splits it. Which definition does B&B go by?) Anyhow.(Sunday was by far, my best shave to date, 2 nicks yesterday vice one today, but yesterday was still my best shave so far). Yesterday, after my shave, I looked down and noticed my chest hair. I tried the HHT on it, and it worked fine. Both razors plucked hair midway up the strands on my chest hair. Wouldn't do it on my arm hair, but it does on my chest hair. (I still have chest hair...I did NOT go overboard...I can't say the same for my left arm though...it 'may' have gotten shaved. 'May'). That was encouraging though. I'd read here and there that not all hair would accommodate a HHT.

My razor is sharp. As evidenced by the touch cuts on my face and what I just described. I don't have a comparison tool really, other than a few DE shaves and those fresh edges, but there is nothing close to what I'd describe as tugging or pulling. I was shocked at how light you actually have to press.

Even before I'd shaved for the first time with a SR, I'd acquired 3 vintage razors from a Kingston Antique store. $60 CAD total. I don't know if I got ripped off, but I don't think so. One is an Aristocrat 5/8 Square Point (Very square) by Emil Voos, Solingen. One is a King George Extra Hollow Ground 5/8, with a smile. Now again, you'll all have to forgive me. Not that the scales were in great condition to begin with, but I've already unpinned all 3 and had a go at them. 1, I wanted to get cleared of rust, in scales and sharp as fast as possible to play with. I got a cheap set of plastic scales all the hardware and I've already smashed it together. The third one is still downstairs, and I'll have to name it later, but it's the smashed together one.

I rushed it. It's ugly. I split the peens, it's not centered, there's honing damage on the spine (you'd probably say excessive). I didn't try. I just wanted to do it. I'll most likely rescale it again later. It's going to be my razor to abuse though.

The other two are coming along much nicer. I'm ready to scale the King George. It's as mirror as it's going to get by hand without removing any more material.There's a touch of pitting still, but I took a brass wheel on my Dremel to the deeper spots I didn't want to sand out too much and there is no more rush. Where it did buff nicely though, having topped out with 2500 grit wet dry and then metal polish/microfiber, I couldn't be happier.
The Aristocrat is going to take a lot more work I think. I walked it up the grits, but I didn't go quite deep enough, it didn't polish out how I wanted. So, I'm going back to something more aggressive and I'll have to strip some more metal so I can get a really good buff. The Aristocrat has no blade etchings, so if I do my job correctly, I should be able to get a perfect mirror on the whole blade.
My intentions with the King George and the Aristocrat are to do proper full custom jobs on them. By hand. One for me, and one for my best friend. I let him pick of the three originally, and then chose the King George for my nice job. I'm at the stage with the King George where I need to start looking for scale material, but like I said, the Aristocrat needs more sanding still. I might try make a few practice sets before getting into more expensive materials though. Maybe find some scrap hardwood and make a set or three.

Getting into goals finally.

My first and foremost goal is to improve my skills at wet shaving. Partly for money shavings long term, not so much for tradition but a little, personal enjoyment/fun and because I believe in heirloom technology that I use that I can eventually pass down to my children (when I have some).

I've got a couple other goals too.
I'd like to try to make my own custom gear. I'm not talking vendor status, but down the road if it evolves that way out of a hobby so be it. That is not my plan.

When I say custom gear, I want to start with (simultaneously) making my own Wet Shaving Travel Roll, Shaving Cream, Oil and Aftershave gel. I'm into high tech compounds that I can understand. Like, I wouldn't mind playing with Dimethicone and Soy Lecithin, transport agents, catalysts, ph adjusters and so on. I just recently was given an Eaton Viking sewing machine in fantastic condition from my mother--in-law, and I've already made some stuff. I did a decent card holder bi-fold wallet. Black bias-tape on military grade duck nylon. I know enough about sewing, sewing machines and design that I can customize textiles. At least textiles my sewing machine can punch through.

I have hopes of making myself a fully kitted out, made-to-spec toiletries/grooming and wet shaving travel roll. Made from the ground up, one day with a blade, cream, soap, crush, oil and gel, all handmade in a handmade container topped up with fine grooming, clipping, trimming and personal hygiene supplies. (That does include amateur hobby blacksmithing eventually as well).

And therein lies the culmination of my future hobbies and exploits if all goes my way. Long, long term goals. But from my current skill sets and lifestyle, it's not really a huge leap.

So yeah, hey. I'm Dave. I'm new here, and all that, that should cover all my bases in a post.

Hopefully General Shaving Discussion is the place for this. I apologize if it's not.

Please enjoy the read. I'll get pics up eventually.

Tell me what your thoughts are. Good, bad, pretty, ugly, whathaveyou.

'Night

PS (Contrary to my opening, I hope this read coherently. It took hours.)
 
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That is the most in depth introduction post I have read on B&B. Welcome you are amongst friends who enjoy shaving.

One piece of advice... start looking into some artisan shave companies. It will open up a whole new world. And You would probably very much enjoy the 3017 thread in the Shave Soap section. You could spend hours in there reading data. Enjoy shaving it is now a hobby.
 

Billski

Here I am, 1st again.
Welcome to Badger and Blade, Altreac.

That's the longest intro. I have ever seen at this forum.
 
Ok....quit laughing at my mucking about learning how this forum engine goes!! (sorry, ignore my inept posting pleae...i'll learn)
 
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KeenDogg

Slays On Fleek - For Rizz
Wander over to the hall of fame and introduce yourself, I guess??????

All jokes aside, welcome aboard! Great job organizing your thoughts!
 
Welcome, Dave! Ultimately, all your questions will be addressed and, with the help of these fine folks, your goals will be met...
 
I certainly appreciate the welcome and encouragement.

This is my kit.
full


The 2 boar brushes were my grandfather's. Henri et Victoria from my mom and the Fendrihan was what I got myself as a starter brush.
The 5/8s on the left is the Henry Hobson & son straight razor I 'restored'. Right is Dovo Best Quality 6/8.

full


The other 2 straights I'm working on.
full


Better view of the King George.
full
 
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A picture is worth a thousand words... I think you need one more picture! :lol:

Just kidding... I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post. Welcome to B&B.
 
Definitely the longest intro I've ever seen. I envy your energy and attention to detail. Welcome to Badger and Blade. You're among friends.
 

TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
Hey, Dave! Welcome to B&B!

I tell you what, man, you're going to get along just fine around here. Yes, that was one whopper of an intro, but we love our rambles around here. We also love, love, love jumping in with both feet. No worries at all!

I wish I could help you out with some of the finer points, but I don't know much about straight razor shaving. With the DEs, just take your time and pay attention to all the feedback--audial, as well as visual (i.e., presence of whiskers or blood). Keep reading around here, keep at it, and you'll find your way to excellent shaves in no time.

For some advice more suited to straight razors, check out the General Straight Razor Talk forum. There are a bunch of guys in there to help you out.

Have fun!
 
So.

I'm one of those people who you end up looking at and going: "man, I'm glad I'm not inside his head, it must be exhausting, nothing is ever still".

I hold a lot of information, but the way I categorize information internally is in simultaneous three dimensions. It's hard to explain perceiving everything you know at the same time, overlayed in 3D. Now, I'm not saying I 'know everything'. Not at all. I am saying that I 'know everything that I know at once'.

Saying that, I have difficulty actually composing text.

If I'm not careful, and I mean very, very careful, I will run on, segue tangentially, and generally be all over the map at once. So it takes a fairly great effort for me to write coherently. I will attempt to use B&B shorthand where I know it.

I want to cover gear, goals, experiences and then get feedback.

My Gear:
(*not purchased this year for shaving or was gift)

-Dovo 6/8s Best Quality SR
-'restored' vintage straight razor (pics, name etc later...it's downstairs. I'm lazy)
-Merkur Futur Satin DE Safety
-170 assorted DE blades. 100 Feather Black, 70 pack assorted (ok...well...168)
-Illinois Razor Strop Co. 827 Imperial Russian strop
-Lg. Apothecary Mug
-*Henri et Victoria HMST Badger brush (HMST?? The nice High Mountain one, Christmas gift, please forgive my newbishness)
-4 other shave brushes (*2 x boar brushes that were my Grandfathers that my folks brought back for me, 1 x cheap Wilkinson Sword boar brush that I bought because I was too impatient to wait for my order and 1 x in house from a Canadian Online store/can't remember if I'm allowed to name it)
-Leather travel cases for both types of razor and a brush
-Mugs, Col Konk unscented soaps, *TOBS Sandlewood (fav so far) shaving cream/shave oil, Pamolive shave stick, Proasso preshave and shaving cream and a *Real Shave Co aftershave gel that I already had.
-Alum bar (livesaver and I love it. The feedback is totally needed, as well as it's stop my face from hemorrhaging properties)
-Norton 220 + truing stone, King 800, 1200, 4000, 8000, Naniwa 12k and the Shapton 16k should be here this week or early next. (Oh...forgot on my wishlist post I'm going to get the Atoma 400 plate this year too for sure)
-TI 0.5 micron CromOx
-Wet/Dry Sandpaper 320, 400, 600, 1000, 1500, 2500
-Metal Polish cream (Autosol....yes, you'll see lots of Lee Valley stuff)
-5kg anvil (I polished the surface)
-8 oz ball peen hammer (I polished the peening head to mirror)
-brass pins and washers for 10 razors (good place to start, more specific sourcing later)
-*Dremel 400 xpr, drill press stand etc....I've had my dremel forever, I love it. (Need plunge router attachment...sorry, off topic)

That's 'all' excluding samples pretty much.

Anyhow, as you can see, I dove in head first. I've gone from a 100% electric (albeit super nice electric) to fully kitted out for Wet Shaving in next to no time.

I've already decided that I love straight razors and I plan on shaving like this...until I get bored again, or well...I can't predict the future.

I know, a lot of this is/might be reiteration of my Newb Intro, but I'm putting more effort info a cohesive thread.

I've tried to do everything logically, as best informed as I can be, follow what advice I've gleaned and put it all into practice.

Changing up my order a little, my experiences so far:

I used my Futur a bunch of times, more than a handful, not more than two handfuls of times. I have one scar that's finally healing up on the right side of my face beside where my lips come together...right under my mustache line. Makes sense...well, I got a killer ingrown there, and stubbornly nicked it again later. It wasn't pretty. There were a couple ingrown hairs on my chin that were a royal pain as well. They've just now healed...finally.
I guarantee it was my fault, lack of experience and practice and I could even now do better. But...I've tried a straight razor.

They just feel so good in my hand. I don't know why I've never handled one before now. I love blades of all kinds. Being one of those outdoors loving, into camping/hunting/fishing, (Please forgive me) zombie apocalypse, EDCing weirdos, I'm surprised I haven't touched a SR prior. That's over with.

2 weekends, 1 full work week and 1 Monday later. That brings us to now.

On the weekends I have done the full routine; shower, prep, shave, aftercare, be pleased with myself. For weekdays, what I've been doing is like this: Get the tap water as hot as I can and start soaking my brush in my mug. (I've been keeping it 3 or 4mm below the handle. I don't know if my tap water will melt the knot glue or not, but it's not touching it directly.) Then I soak a hand towel in my hottest tap water. I knuckle out most of the water, rub in a couple drops of the shave oil and cover my face and neck with the hot towel. (It only burns for a second, then it's nice). I do my best to wait a whole 5 minutes. Making sure the towel maintains contact with my face and neck.
After the hopefully 5 minutes, I start trying to make a lather. I'm still working on being able to build a good lather, I think I'm still too dry. Then it's apply lather, shave. Other than today, I've been doing a 2 pass shaving in the mornings. It's been good enough for milspec, without too many cuts.

So far, I haven't had a shave where I haven't bled at least a tiny bit. My best result on that front was today with only a single teeny, tiny nick. My last three shaves though I have only aggravated old cuts, which 'almost' doesn't count.

I'm getting better with every shave. My shave today, I did a little differently than any other shave I've done to date. I did a single pass buffered shave. I had slightly less beard than usual for a Monday morning due to the fact that I had a really leisurely shave yesterday at One O'Clock in the afternoon. I felt that I'd burn myself if I tried to do two passes.

Usually it takes me about 25 minutes. With the single pass it was a little more than 15.

For the record, I've been getting the time in the morning by foregoing my snooze. I usually set a 20 minute snooze and hit it once. It only takes 2 to 3 minutes to shave with my Panasonic ES-8228.

I was taking zero joy from shaving. I am required to be shaven for work, but I found that usually on Tuesdays that I'd forget to shave. I keep a $15 electric in the glove box in my car for those occasions. No joy.

I've found that skipping my snooze, taking my time with a Straight, that I've been enjoying my mornings a lot more lately.

The face mangling I joked about isn't really that bad. The worst was the one spot I spoke on that's still healing. I've nicked behind my ear a couple times along with a couple spots on my chin. The 'bad' stuff was on 5 different strokes I messed up my entry angle and contact cut myself. One of them, near my sideburn at the beginning of an XTG stroke it dug a touch more than the other touches. That one had a bit of a raised scab that I nicked twice.
All in all, my progress versus damage to date...I'm more than happy to keep practicing. Two of the approach angle contact cuts were with my left hand on my neck. I figure that I may as well learn how to shave with both hands right from the beginning as well. That has to be in my best interest in the long run somewhere.

Honing.
I've honed knives for years, and some of you folks along with those at other forums and on YouTube do a very excellent job of describing blade geometry, bevel setting, sharpening, polishing etc. I can honestly say I feel I was successful from my very first honing attempt.

Thanks very much for the guidance on honing razors.

My Dovo came sharp. It was sharp enough to shave with, but it was not a polished edge. The bevel geometry was perfect though. I only used 8k and 12k on it and it was awesome. I screwed up here though. I'm quite sure that I've over pasted one side of my linen strop. So, confident, doing well so far...but having NEVER stropped a single stroke (also ignoring the advice to practice on newspaper or the like), I took my nicely honed blade to an overpasted strop.
It certainly marred my edge. Scuffed it pretty bad in fact. I most definitely put far too much pressure on the blade as well.

Back to the hone to fix it. So far, I've avoided the ChromOx since and kept to the unpasted linen side and leather and very much more concentrated on my technique. I feel my stropping is sub-par, barely adequate, but improving daily. I'll improve my technique. I have to. It took a week to come to terms with it, but stropping is unavoidable. Honing removes metal, stropping realigns. And, I can, unfortunately, tell the difference after stropping. There's no avoiding it, I'll have to practice and get good at it. Correct me if I'm wrong though, but (ignoring water stone progression by brand) going ... Naniwa 12k to Shapton 16k to leather a good finishing sequence? Opinions here please, cause here I'm stuck. Do you even need the linen? Would it be reasonable just to invest (after lots of practice and confidence that I won't destroy a new one) in nice 3" just straight up leather strop?

That's what I've been shaving with though. A Naniwa 12k edge inspected under a 30x jewelers loupe, stropped 50 x plain linen and 75 x leather.

I was very discouraged at first, my edge would shave my air hair, but wouldn't pass the HHT. (At least the HHT where you cut the hair, attached to you, part way up the stalk. As opposed to the HHT I've seen on YouTube where a dude drops a single hair on a razor and splits it. Which definition does B&B go by?) Anyhow.(Sunday was by far, my best shave to date, 2 nicks yesterday vice one today, but yesterday was still my best shave so far). Yesterday, after my shave, I looked down and noticed my chest hair. I tried the HHT on it, and it worked fine. Both razors plucked hair midway up the strands on my chest hair. Wouldn't do it on my arm hair, but it does on my chest hair. (I still have chest hair...I did NOT go overboard...I can't say the same for my left arm though...it 'may' have gotten shaved. 'May'). That was encouraging though. I'd read here and there that not all hair would accommodate a HHT.

My razor is sharp. As evidenced by the touch cuts on my face and what I just described. I don't have a comparison tool really, other than a few DE shaves and those fresh edges, but there is nothing close to what I'd describe as tugging or pulling. I was shocked at how light you actually have to press.

Even before I'd shaved for the first time with a SR, I'd acquired 3 vintage razors from a Kingston Antique store. $60 CAD total. I don't know if I got ripped off, but I don't think so. One is an Aristocrat 5/8 Square Point (Very square) by Emil Voos, Solingen. One is a King George Extra Hollow Ground 5/8, with a smile. Now again, you'll all have to forgive me. Not that the scales were in great condition to begin with, but I've already unpinned all 3 and had a go at them. 1, I wanted to get cleared of rust, in scales and sharp as fast as possible to play with. I got a cheap set of plastic scales all the hardware and I've already smashed it together. The third one is still downstairs, and I'll have to name it later, but it's the smashed together one.

I rushed it. It's ugly. I split the peens, it's not centered, there's honing damage on the spine (you'd probably say excessive). I didn't try. I just wanted to do it. I'll most likely rescale it again later. It's going to be my razor to abuse though.

The other two are coming along much nicer. I'm ready to scale the King George. It's as mirror as it's going to get by hand without removing any more material.There's a touch of pitting still, but I took a brass wheel on my Dremel to the deeper spots I didn't want to sand out too much and there is no more rush. Where it did buff nicely though, having topped out with 2500 grit wet dry and then metal polish/microfiber, I couldn't be happier.
The Aristocrat is going to take a lot more work I think. I walked it up the grits, but I didn't go quite deep enough, it didn't polish out how I wanted. So, I'm going back to something more aggressive and I'll have to strip some more metal so I can get a really good buff. The Aristocrat has no blade etchings, so if I do my job correctly, I should be able to get a perfect mirror on the whole blade.
My intentions with the King George and the Aristocrat are to do proper full custom jobs on them. By hand. One for me, and one for my best friend. I let him pick of the three originally, and then chose the King George for my nice job. I'm at the stage with the King George where I need to start looking for scale material, but like I said, the Aristocrat needs more sanding still. I might try make a few practice sets before getting into more expensive materials though. Maybe find some scrap hardwood and make a set or three.

Getting into goals finally.

My first and foremost goal is to improve my skills at wet shaving. Partly for money shavings long term, not so much for tradition but a little, personal enjoyment/fun and because I believe in heirloom technology that I use that I can eventually pass down to my children (when I have some).

I've got a couple other goals too.
I'd like to try to make my own custom gear. I'm not talking vendor status, but down the road if it evolves that way out of a hobby so be it. That is not my plan.

When I say custom gear, I want to start with (simultaneously) making my own Wet Shaving Travel Roll, Shaving Cream, Oil and Aftershave gel. I'm into high tech compounds that I can understand. Like, I wouldn't mind playing with Dimethicone and Soy Lecithin, transport agents, catalysts, ph adjusters and so on. I just recently was given an Eaton Viking sewing machine in fantastic condition from my mother--in-law, and I've already made some stuff. I did a decent card holder bi-fold wallet. Black bias-tape on military grade duck nylon. I know enough about sewing, sewing machines and design that I can customize textiles. At least textiles my sewing machine can punch through.

I have hopes of making myself a fully kitted out, made-to-spec toiletries/grooming and wet shaving travel roll. Made from the ground up, one day with a blade, cream, soap, crush, oil and gel, all handmade in a handmade container topped up with fine grooming, clipping, trimming and personal hygiene supplies. (That does include amateur hobby blacksmithing eventually as well).

And therein lies the culmination of my future hobbies and exploits if all goes my way. Long, long term goals. But from my current skill sets and lifestyle, it's not really a huge leap.

So yeah, hey. I'm Dave. I'm new here, and all that, that should cover all my bases in a post.

Hopefully General Shaving Discussion is the place for this. I apologize if it's not.

Please enjoy the read. I'll get pics up eventually.

Tell me what your thoughts are. Good, bad, pretty, ugly, whathaveyou.

'Night

PS (Contrary to my opening, I hope this read coherently. It took hours.)
I only have one piece of advice: methylphenidate ;)

Welcome to The Forum!
 
gah! I just did a full blown tl:dr... I'll come back in the morning. hang on till then mate, and welcome!
 
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