Today's interview will be with Oz (onimaru55). Oz share a lot of his knowledge in the Restoration forum and he agreed to share a bit of his time today. All the interviews are available in the Interview page.
Who are you? / Where are you located?
Ah, so the tough ones first eh ? Assuming this is not some existential trick question...
My name is Oswald Parker, 'Oz', or 'Os' to most. 'Hey you' to some. Currently located in Sydney Australia & missing my southern stomping grounds were I lived for 13 years. No trout streams in Sydney & they say you shouldn't eat too much fish from the harbour here so I have to distract my self other ways..
How do you take your coffee?
Black, preferably organically grown, no sugar & a dark roast, which limits my choices.
What happened that made you seek a better shave, or if the chicken came before the egg, how did you find B&B?
Actually started with DE's as that's what my dad used. there was no multiblade stuff when I started. Must've been late 1960's. Drifted to the modern stuff at some point probably due to the influence of advertising & kept at that till I realised how much it cost me. I liked the idea of a sustainable approach so bought my first straight in about 1983. Had no idea there were such things as internet fora till someone told me much later. IIRC it was a member here, Greg Frazer, who bought a hone from me on eBay that put me in the loop.
What was it that held your interest?
I'd admit it was a totally self serving thing. I have a huge thirst for knowledge in whatever interests me. Sharp steel always interested me
I only known you for using straights; What did you start with?
As I mentioned above I started with my dad's Gillette DE till I got my own.
Shave Cream & Soaps? what did you find that worked well from those initial trials?
Oh man, anything that sprayed out of a can was all I used till I got my first straight.
Hell I even shaved in the shower with water only when I moved to the Muck3
Where did you get your first straight razor? Was it shave ready?
First was from Barbers Supply when they were in Rydalmere. It was a Gotta 4/8 IIRC. Most definitely not shave ready & the source of much frustration for many years till I stumbled on some honing instructions printed by a barber I guess if I was smarter or less pig headed I could've asked a barber about honing.
I didn't even own a computer till 1995 & the internet came much later for me. Do we all know the word luddite ? LOL
Determination is key with shaving with a straight, how did you push through the Month + of sub par shaves? did you know there was a light at the end of the tunnel?
Month + ? Wish it was that short. More like years + I could hone a knife & I had a steady hand so I'd fluke the odd good shave but I had no idea & my stropping usually destroyed any edge I might fluke. I didn't realise you had to hone & strop with spine contact till about 5 years after I started. Needless to say I had numerous hiatuses from straight shaving in those 5 years. I can laugh about it now but it was a tough path.
Now my favorite question... if you were stranded on a desert island and could only choose:
3 razors: Easy, I only own 3 that are definite keepers.
2 brushes:
3 soaps: Only need 2
2 creams:
3 colognes: Don't use them.
3 Aftershaves: I make my own so if I could only take 3 EO's to add to my rum it would be Bay Rum , Sandalwod & Orange. I like Kanebo's 9'oclock tho if I can sneak a 4th
What is your strop preference and what is your stropping regime?
Always liked Horse but I like 'Roo a lot too. I guess I wouldn't like to be without my Kanayama but I could make do with whatever I had on hand as long as it was slick. Not into high draw.
I always dry my razors post shave & then strop on felt or linen . I'll do 10,20, 30 or 50 pre shave on leather maybe same on my hand. Depends how long it's been since honing.
What is your honing set up for eBay specials?
Depends on the blade. If it needs radical shaping I'll use my wet grinder then DMT's then hones. Shapton GS &/or Ha no Kuromaku. Finishing will be whatever seems to work best for the blade in question. I'll usually try a few finishers out of my Jnats maybe a coticule somewhere along the way. Sometimes diamond spray on felt.
How often and what's your method for touching up your straights? favorite finish?
Good question. Not to be facetious but I rarely touch up. If I do it's always my Nakayama Asagi on an invisible slurry or water, as few strokes as possible. The last time I honed my kamisori was due to damage when I modified their box. Of course Murphy's Law said I had to touch the edges to the timber at some point in the fitting. That took more than 5 strokes to fix but as a rule I honestly don't hone mine much. Always seem to be honing for someone else.
Are you currently reading a book? or perhaps even better; what book will you be reading next?
I find I mostly read for learning but last time I read for pleasure I was on holidays & was reading something by Raymond Feist. I periodically reread Musashi's "Go rin No Sho" & Suzuki's "Zen & Japanese Culture" . Also, although I'm retired from practice I keep my knowledge of homoeopathy from rusting by reading my database of materia medica.
Favorite Movie or two?
Probably Kurosawa's Seven Samurai but I like anything with Beat Takeshi or Yusaku Matsuda in it.
For something completely different, Monty python & the Holy Grail always cracks me up.
With what fictional/historical character do you most identify?
I'd say a blend of Peter Parker & Jack Sparrow . We all need a little Jungian shadow side. LOL.
Do you have any motto's, sayings, or quotes to live by?
"Age quod agis" ~ Do what you do well.
What has been the best advice you've gotten from a member at B&B?
Best advice I ever had was to sign up as a member . Lurking has limitations
If you could give one piece of advice to someone new at this, what would it be?
Before anything else, even before shaving , learn to strop. Then the clown in me would put on my best Rob Schneider voice & say "You can do it!"
Who are you? / Where are you located?
Ah, so the tough ones first eh ? Assuming this is not some existential trick question...
My name is Oswald Parker, 'Oz', or 'Os' to most. 'Hey you' to some. Currently located in Sydney Australia & missing my southern stomping grounds were I lived for 13 years. No trout streams in Sydney & they say you shouldn't eat too much fish from the harbour here so I have to distract my self other ways..How do you take your coffee?
Black, preferably organically grown, no sugar & a dark roast, which limits my choices.
What happened that made you seek a better shave, or if the chicken came before the egg, how did you find B&B?
Actually started with DE's as that's what my dad used. there was no multiblade stuff when I started. Must've been late 1960's. Drifted to the modern stuff at some point probably due to the influence of advertising & kept at that till I realised how much it cost me. I liked the idea of a sustainable approach so bought my first straight in about 1983. Had no idea there were such things as internet fora till someone told me much later. IIRC it was a member here, Greg Frazer, who bought a hone from me on eBay that put me in the loop.
What was it that held your interest?
I'd admit it was a totally self serving thing. I have a huge thirst for knowledge in whatever interests me. Sharp steel always interested me
I only known you for using straights; What did you start with?
As I mentioned above I started with my dad's Gillette DE till I got my own.
Shave Cream & Soaps? what did you find that worked well from those initial trials?
Oh man, anything that sprayed out of a can was all I used till I got my first straight.
Hell I even shaved in the shower with water only when I moved to the Muck3
Where did you get your first straight razor? Was it shave ready?
First was from Barbers Supply when they were in Rydalmere. It was a Gotta 4/8 IIRC. Most definitely not shave ready & the source of much frustration for many years till I stumbled on some honing instructions printed by a barber I guess if I was smarter or less pig headed I could've asked a barber about honing.
I didn't even own a computer till 1995 & the internet came much later for me. Do we all know the word luddite ? LOL
Determination is key with shaving with a straight, how did you push through the Month + of sub par shaves? did you know there was a light at the end of the tunnel?
Month + ? Wish it was that short. More like years + I could hone a knife & I had a steady hand so I'd fluke the odd good shave but I had no idea & my stropping usually destroyed any edge I might fluke. I didn't realise you had to hone & strop with spine contact till about 5 years after I started. Needless to say I had numerous hiatuses from straight shaving in those 5 years. I can laugh about it now but it was a tough path.
Now my favorite question... if you were stranded on a desert island and could only choose:
3 razors: Easy, I only own 3 that are definite keepers.
- My Iwasaki kamisori
- My Kobayashi Kamisori, a valued gift from a good friend
- 13/16 extra,extra,extra,extra,extra,hollow EA Berg which I foiled the heel on during the restore, chasing pits.
2 brushes:
- Omega 49 or 98
- A homemade 24mm Silvertip.
3 soaps: Only need 2
- Cella
- MamaBears lime
2 creams:
- Cella
- Weleda, tho the Weleda is added to the soap for super lather. No good on it's own.
3 colognes: Don't use them.
3 Aftershaves: I make my own so if I could only take 3 EO's to add to my rum it would be Bay Rum , Sandalwod & Orange. I like Kanebo's 9'oclock tho if I can sneak a 4th
What is your strop preference and what is your stropping regime?
Always liked Horse but I like 'Roo a lot too. I guess I wouldn't like to be without my Kanayama but I could make do with whatever I had on hand as long as it was slick. Not into high draw.
I always dry my razors post shave & then strop on felt or linen . I'll do 10,20, 30 or 50 pre shave on leather maybe same on my hand. Depends how long it's been since honing.
What is your honing set up for eBay specials?
Depends on the blade. If it needs radical shaping I'll use my wet grinder then DMT's then hones. Shapton GS &/or Ha no Kuromaku. Finishing will be whatever seems to work best for the blade in question. I'll usually try a few finishers out of my Jnats maybe a coticule somewhere along the way. Sometimes diamond spray on felt.
How often and what's your method for touching up your straights? favorite finish?
Good question. Not to be facetious but I rarely touch up. If I do it's always my Nakayama Asagi on an invisible slurry or water, as few strokes as possible. The last time I honed my kamisori was due to damage when I modified their box. Of course Murphy's Law said I had to touch the edges to the timber at some point in the fitting. That took more than 5 strokes to fix but as a rule I honestly don't hone mine much. Always seem to be honing for someone else.
Are you currently reading a book? or perhaps even better; what book will you be reading next?
I find I mostly read for learning but last time I read for pleasure I was on holidays & was reading something by Raymond Feist. I periodically reread Musashi's "Go rin No Sho" & Suzuki's "Zen & Japanese Culture" . Also, although I'm retired from practice I keep my knowledge of homoeopathy from rusting by reading my database of materia medica.
Favorite Movie or two?
Probably Kurosawa's Seven Samurai but I like anything with Beat Takeshi or Yusaku Matsuda in it.
For something completely different, Monty python & the Holy Grail always cracks me up.
With what fictional/historical character do you most identify?
I'd say a blend of Peter Parker & Jack Sparrow . We all need a little Jungian shadow side. LOL.
Do you have any motto's, sayings, or quotes to live by?
"Age quod agis" ~ Do what you do well.
What has been the best advice you've gotten from a member at B&B?
Best advice I ever had was to sign up as a member . Lurking has limitations
If you could give one piece of advice to someone new at this, what would it be?
Before anything else, even before shaving , learn to strop. Then the clown in me would put on my best Rob Schneider voice & say "You can do it!"
Just thought I'd beat Dunny to the quip.
