Instructions for New SR Shavers

[rbscebu]

I am attempting to put together a single pdf document of instructions for those new to traditional SR shaving. This is to allow the new SR shaver to download a single document and print it out if needed. Attached is my first draft.

Your constructive comments would be appreciated. After about a week, I will consider all comments and revise the document.

Thank you in anticipation of your assistance.

 

[cotedupy]

I am attempting to put together a single pdf document of instructions for those new to traditional SR shaving. This is to allow the new SR shaver to download a single document and print it out if needed. Attached is my first draft.

Your constructive comments would be appreciated. After about a week, I will consider all comments and revise the document.

Thank you in anticipation of your assistance.

Nice work R! Good to put a lot of collective wisdom about everything all in one document, rather than having to read through a load of different web pages &c.

I look forward to reading through tomorrow, even if there's unlikely to be anything I can add content-wise. Gimme a shout if you want the final draft proofed / subbed though - I can do that to a reasonably decent level.

 

[rbscebu]

.... Gimme a shout if you want the final draft proofed / subbed though - I can do that to a reasonably decent level.

Thanks. Will do. It's always good to have another pair of eyes go over a document.

 

[Baz4262]

Superb, I'll go over the document carefully. Sure I'll pick up a few tricks.

 

[FarmerTan]

Have not yet looked at this. I salute you for all that you do here my friend. I will ask my lovely bride if she can print off a copy.

 

[Tomo]

I commend your effort for putting this pdf together. I may not agree with all of the product recommendations but there is certainly some useful information in there. The guide is quite balanced and I like that you have included some mainstream technics that do not necessarily reflect your own unique style.

I would make the following recommendations that address some questions I hear a lot from newbies. Apologies if they were included and I have missed them.

1. Include a method for determining if the straight razor is shave ready. Make people aware that most factory edges are not shave ready.

2. It might be useful to include a section on honing under razor maintenance.

3. It may be useful to include some methods for rust prevention under the maintenance section.

4. If you include a section on lathering it would be useful to mention the bowl lathering method.

5. I don’t know if it is useful for a noobie to expect 50-100 shaves out of an edge. Some experienced people are able to achieve this with very good shaving technique but it is likely that a noobie would be inflicting more damage on the edge. A weekly touchup may be more realistic.

6. The stropping instructions may benifit from a diagram.

Overall it’s a very nice guide. The community is probably ready for a more concise guide on The Method honing system as a next project.

 

[rbscebu]

I commend your effort for putting this pdf together. I may not agree with all of the product recommendations but there is certainly some useful information in there. The guide is quite balanced and I like that you have included some mainstream technics that do not necessarily reflect your own unique style.

I would make the following recommendations that address some questions I hear a lot from newbies. Apologies if they were included and I have missed them.

1. Include a method for determining if the straight razor is shave ready. Make people aware that most factory edges are not shave ready.

2. It might be useful to include a section on honing under razor maintenance.

3. It may be useful to include some methods for rust prevention under the maintenance section.

4. If you include a section on lathering it would be useful to mention the bowl lathering method.

5. I don’t know if it is useful for a noobie to expect 50-100 shaves out of an edge. Some experienced people are able to achieve this with very good shaving technique but it is likely that a noobie would be inflicting more damage on the edge. A weekly touchup may be more realistic.

6. The stropping instructions may benifit from a diagram.

Overall it’s a very nice guide. The community is probably ready for a more concise guide on The Method honing system as a next project.

Thank you for your constructive comments. Much appreciated.

The main purpose of the instructions is to give a newbie the basics to start getting a reasonable SR shave early in his journey. It is not to cover all major methods used in SR shaving.

1. I don't believe that a newbie would understand what a shave-ready edge is really like and without some experience, the results of any sort of test would be lost on him. That is why I have referred the newbie to B&B to locate a reputable honemeister. I have included that a factory edge is rarely shave-ready but will put more emphasis on it.

2. Including some, even just basic, honing instructions may start to overwhelm the newbie. That is why I reference the use of a reputable honemeister. I will be included the use of diamond pasted balsa of edge maintenance as it is relatively inexpensive and has easy to follow steps to achieve the desired result.

3. I agree.

4. I purposely omitted bowl lathering as it takes greater skill to properly do. I am endeavouring to keep the instructions simple.

5. You are probably right here. I will reword that section.

6. I agree and will look into doing that.

I will later be working on the use of lapping filmd IAW the B&B Method. They can then be added to the instructions as an Annex.

 

[Baz4262]

I liked it, good objective advice.

 

[Bevel]

Good idea @rbscebu. I'll read it later.
The pasted balsa section will be good in that it will enable a newbie to maintain their razor but, as the method has changed over the years, the final version will be presented in one place.
I've read that thread from start to finish but it has evolved so much over time that stuff you learn in the first 1/3 gets superseded by better ideas in the last 1/3.

 

[Timor1322]

@rbscebu Thank you for sharing !!! Very well prepared and encouraging paper. Even for those who are experienced may find some points to learn. You are one of the people who inspired me about SR Shaving. Thanks again !!

If I may, I would like to add and encourage new people on SR Stropping. Stropping is tricky in the beginning.
I confess I sucks in the first times
If in the beginning the strop tension is not properly set you may cause to rotate the edge of the straight razor. A good way to solve this problem is to lay down the strop on flat surface like a table.
When I did my first stroppings I was unsuccessful, thus I started to use this method which works perfectly well.
Of course, with some 4-5 times strop on the table I manage to understand what tension is right for a decent stropping.

 

[cotedupy]

I probably would include a basic section on honing. Otherwise it might look slightly prescriptive, and perhaps more importantly - most people who read it will wonder why it hasn't been mentioned.

New people coming to sr shaving aren't doing it because they're dissatisfied with their previous shaving experience and want the easiest way possible to potentially achieve better results than a Mach3. They're doing it because it's cool, fun, and interesting. Hones and honing will be a big part of that for a lot of people.

Obviously the topic could easily warrant a whole guide in itself, but I think it would be reductive not to talk about it briefly in an annex, with some links.

 

[Herrenberg]

This is very well done, and an excellent contribution to the community.

This struck me as odd, but maybe only because I live in a desert, where things constantly dry out.

If your lather is starting to feel a little dry, it is too dry. Apply some more lather.

That wouldn't work so well here. Instead, I dip the brush in water and moisten up the lather.

 

[rbscebu]

I probably would include a basic section on honing. Otherwise it might look slightly prescriptive, and perhaps more importantly - most people who read it will wonder why it hasn't been mentioned.

New people coming to sr shaving aren't doing it because they're dissatisfied with their previous shaving experience and want the easiest way possible to potentially achieve better results than a Mach3. They're doing it because it's cool, fun, and interesting. Hones and honing will be a big part of that for a lot of people.

Obviously the topic could easily warrant a whole guide in itself, but I think it would be reductive not to talk about it briefly in an annex, with some links.

I can appreciate your thoughts on including honing in the instructions.

As has been stated by many on B&B, it is unwise to try and lean SR shave and honing at the same time (although I had to). I will be including an Annex on balsa stropping to refine an already shave-ready edge and maintain it without that edge ever having to touch a whetstone again.

There are many who enjoy honing. I just don't think it appropriate to includie instructions, however basic, in newbie instructions.

Perhaps someone else can prepare "Instructions on SR Honing". I don't feel that I have the knowledge or experience to prepare such a document. My experience is limited to no-brand Chinese whetstones, lapping films and balsa.

 

[MelC]

Nice tutorial. Putting it together like this will be very helpful to new SR shavers. I have had the most success with lapping films and balsa also.

 

[Berwick12]

Thread is now bookmarked. DE shaver here, but someone just bought a Goldedge for me today. So a new rabbit hole.

 

[Mouette]

Thanks RBSCEBU - great document - couple of typos but they can be cleaned up when proofed etc. Maybe put in a couple of links to Ewe-Tube straight razor shaving so they can see a shave in action.

Like anything else - it demands, patience, practice and persistence.

Looking forward to seeing the completed document.

cheers
Andrew

 

[cotedupy]

I can appreciate your thoughts on including honing in the instructions.

As has been stated by many on B&B, it is unwise to try and lean SR shave and honing at the same time (although I had to). I will be including an Annex on balsa stropping to refine an already shave-ready edge and maintain it without that edge ever having to touch a whetstone again.

There are many who enjoy honing. I just don't think it appropriate to includie instructions, however basic, in newbie instructions.

Perhaps someone else can prepare "Instructions on SR Honing". I don't feel that I have the knowledge or experience to prepare such a document. My experience is limited to no-brand Chinese whetstones, lapping films and balsa.

Fair enough, it is your guide after all!

I very much get what you're saying, and agree. Though I actually didn't necessarily mean including a 'how-to', because as you say - there's far too much to talk about, and it can't really be set out and explained as methodically as you can with pasted balsa stropping. More just a brief intro and acknowledgement of it, with a few hyperlinks to some of the guides here (there are quite a few already on B&B I think).

 

[rbscebu]

@cotedupy, I think that you will like how I have referenced honing in the next draft.

 

[rbscebu]

Thanks RBSCEBU - great document - couple of typos but they can be cleaned up when proofed etc. Maybe put in a couple of links to Ewe-Tube straight razor shaving so they can see a shave in action.

Like anything else - it demands, patience, practice and persistence.

Looking forward to seeing the completed document.

cheers
Andrew

I would rather not put links to YouTube videos. The instructions are not for entertainment. I don't want the instructions to be biased towards any persons particular SR shaving style. I would rather let the beginner develop his own prefered style.

 

[Hawkeye_90]

This document has been helpful for me.