Shaving.... like a man

[Son of Pappy]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Louis-Lux-Straight-Razor-/251382162003?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a878b6253
Here's my project!!

[VirginiaJim]

Feel free to post away....  I think it's great that we can find other commonalities with each other besides our love of MC.  That's the whole point, I think, at least for me.

[B.D.F.]

Paper really does not work well but lapping film is the stuff. That and synthetic abrasives sprayed on a piece of very flat, hard balsa will bring new meaning to 'sharp'. And then there is that pesky learning curve- I've been at it a year pretty intensely and still have more variation in my edges than I would like. Not so much in the end now but the path to getting there is not as direct as I would like it to be.

The other half of a great shave really is the prep. though and that is the same no matter what razor a person uses, an old straight, an older double edge, or a modern 62 blade cartridge with wipers, Teflon strips, a radio and headlights built in. A good prep. is half of the shave.

Brian

Boring?  Nope, that is a town in Oregon!!  Got me looking, I am looking at a restoration type project, I have always liked sharpening knives and getting a keen edge, but the edge you describe is far beyond what I have done.  The challenge is on!!  Find, fix, and use.  Not interested in scale repair, but a blade that isn't hopeless is what I am looking at.  I already have the glass plate, paper, and assorted slurries for the hone process (planer blades work best when sharp).

[timsatx]

I have always had an interest in sharpening. Knives especially. I have an old Smith tri-stone, a Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker, a Lansky knife sharpener, and of course the stones I mentioned earlier. I believe the hardest part will be the preparation of the razor rather than the sharpening, however I acknowledge that it will take a bit to get the technique down. I look forward to trying sharpening. I often find it relaxing.

[B.D.F.]

Me too- my mind just kind of goes blank when I hone or strop.... Yeah, I know and yes, even more blank than usual. 

Not sure what you mean about the preparation of the blade though? The blade is ready to go and requires no preparation to hone, if that is what you meant.

There are a bunch of ways to find out if an edge is shaving- sharp but the easiest one I find is 'tree topping': if an edge will cut body hair (easy boys!) with the blade at least 3/8" away from the skin, it is sharp enough to shave with. That said, a blade that is not well - stropped can be kind of nasty (rough, feels like a rake) to actually shave with. It takes a bit to bring an edge up high enough in actual keenness, smoothness and without any foil edge.

By the way, this is one of the very best shaving videos I have ever seen. Good stuff.... Fastest Straight Razor Shave On Youtube

 But for a serious video, this gentleman has outstanding technique: note the way he scythes the blade across his face, a real master. He is an Italian but was living in Chicago when he picked up his first straight 30+ years ago. By the way, that ceramic thing he is mixing his lather in (and keeping it warm) is called a scuttle. Chimensch's Shaving Video

Brian

I have always had an interest in sharpening. Knives especially. I have an old Smith tri-stone, a Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker, a Lansky knife sharpener, and of course the stones I mentioned earlier. I believe the hardest part will be the preparation of the razor rather than the sharpening, however I acknowledge that it will take a bit to get the technique down. I look forward to trying sharpening. I often find it relaxing.

[timsatx]

What I meant by preparation was in restoring the blade and the scales if necessary.

[B.D.F.]

Believe it or not, that is <fairly> easy, at least the initial, large part. Pick up some Mother's aluminum polish and use paper towels; betcha' there is a beautiful razor lurking under that filth in less than 20 minutes of work. Around the pivot, use Mother's polish on dental floss.

Scales really have to be replaced. It can be done with 1/16" brass nails (picture hanging nails usually) or a re- pinning kit. I too am searching for some OEM plastic scales because the new ones are gigantic and clunky. Otherwise you can make your own of course.

Brian

What I meant by preparation was in restoring the blade and the scales if necessary.

[Classvino]

By the way, this is one of the very best shaving videos I have ever seen. Good stuff....

Is the whiskey mandatory?  I was nervous throughout the video, and relieved when he completed without a major accident.

Jamie

[Son of Pappy]

Is the whiskey mandatory?  I was nervous throughout the video, and relieved when he completed without a major accident.

Jamie

He had a KIPASS fob in his pocket.  Never had a doubt he would do just fine

[timsatx]

Well, I got mine in yesterday. It looks like it is actually in pretty good shape. I tried a little cleaning on the blade last night without much success, but that's ok. The scales on it are some cheap plastic things that have a lot of flex. So it looks like I get to do what I was planning for anyway.

I am going to refurbish this one. I am going to put on new scales and polish the blade. It isn't very sharp, nowhere close to being able to shave with it, but I could probably cut myself with it if I tried. You can see from this pic the plastic handles and how they close in on themselves as opposed to scales that use a wedge.

[B.D.F.]

Good luck and have fun doing it.

Personally, I kind of like the cheap plastic scales, probably because that is what I am used to seeing on razors and it seem normal to me. That said, there are other materials that are really nice and quite reasonable in price. And yet other materials, also quite nice and not reasonable in any way in price. :-)  Take a look at woolly mammoth ivory, the only ivory that is legal to trade in because it is guaranteed that no mammoth was poached for its ivory.

Post a few pictures as you go- I like to watch the process of rejuvenation and I think others will too.

Brian

Well, I got mine in yesterday. It looks like it is actually in pretty good shape. I tried a little cleaning on the blade last night without much success, but that's ok. The scales on it are some cheap plastic things that have a lot of flex. So it looks like I get to do what I was planning for anyway.

I am going to refurbish this one. I am going to put on new scales and polish the blade. It isn't very sharp, nowhere close to being able to shave with it, but I could probably cut myself with it if I tried. You can see from this pic the plastic handles and how they close in on themselves as opposed to scales that use a wedge.

[timsatx]

Yeah, no doubt I will post a few pics. I actually saw some black buffalo horn that looked cool. I may use that. Not sure yet. I think first I will de-scale it and work the blade over and peruse some scales at the same time.

[stevewfl]

He had a KIPASS fob in his pocket.  Never had a doubt he would do just fine

[B.D.F.]

I really like that horn too (easy boys!) if it is the same one- the one I am speaking of was black but streaked with light gray- beautiful scales and they won't break the bank.

If I can help, let me know. Before you know it, we'll have you shaving everything and everybody in your house... the proper way. Take that you pesky cat....

 

Brian

Yeah, no doubt I will post a few pics. I actually saw some black buffalo horn that looked cool. I may use that. Not sure yet. I think first I will de-scale it and work the blade over and peruse some scales at the same time.

[gPink]

The shave was tough enough but the tattoo was a bloody nightmare...

[B.D.F.]

Sure it seems like it is hard unless you use the "Cat Carrier" as a 'cat restraining for maintenance' device.



If you get the optional 'cat carrier rotating mounting device' for the "Cat Carrier", you can roll the thing over and tattoo his / her belly like all the really tough cats have.

Brian

NB No cats were harmed in the typing of this message.

The shave was tough enough but the tattoo was a bloody nightmare...

[PH14]

Thanks. I really like them- they are all different and each one has its virtues. Just picked up this one- my first coated tang razor:



The tang is covered in inlays of Mother of Pearl and it was made by Torrey of Worcester, MA:



My oldest son is sporting that 3,4 day growth that is apparently in at the moment.

Brian

I used an old safety razor similar to the one in this picture for years. I still have it and use it from time to time. I had a friend who used a straight razor, I love them although I haven't practiced enough to get proficient with one.

I will admit to using a Braun Wet/dry razor usually now since it is convenient for quick shaves while traveling. If I use it wet, or at least right out of the shower, it gives me one of the closest shaves of any blade or razor I have tried. If I use a blade, I like to use an olde one like the old safety razor. I have been looking at straight razors for a while but haven't acquired one. My brother has a few but when I went looking with him last he bought the ones I was interested in before I had a chance. 

[mvjr1904]

A younger coworker of mine overheard me talking about shaving and the price of razors and long story short, he said he's been using a straight razor to shave for several years. I told him about the forum discussing shaving and using a straight razor.

He said he has a silvertip badger brush and he rattled off several straight razor names.
There is a store in San Diego that specializes in "shaving".  I didn't realize there is a cult following on shaving, I thought only motorcyclists did that with there bikes.
 
http://www.theartofshaving.com

[B.D.F.]

That safety razor is a Gillette adjustable, known colloquially as a 'slim' because it followed the 'fatboy' but had a smaller diameter handle. That razor was made in '64 and is in excellent shape- I started shaving with one of those and but only recently (this year) acquired that one. One of the things that some people do is to acquire their 'birth year' razor- mine would be '58 and they didn't make Slims at that time, only Fatboys and Toggles. Toggles are really slick but command way too much money- a decent example will fetch $300, $400 and nice examples go up from there.

Here is a funny story though: Gillette patented and uses the 'barn door' or 'silo door' butterfly mechanism. Classic American design, known the world over. But the German maker, Merkur, uses a removable top cap design that has a screw in the handle to draw it and the blade down. There is a subtle difference between the two razor maker's geometries and I cannot use the Gillette without razor burn and some scritch on my face but the two Merkurs shave me BBS (baby's butt smooth) without any discomfort whatsoever. I really, really tried to like the Gillette and wanted it to be the better razor but it just won't work for me. So I leave the Gillette on the shelf because it represents a bona fide piece of American history but shave with the Merkur because it works. By the way, I only use a DE (double edge) razor under my jawline because I have a full beard and cannot shave against the grain with a straight. I do shave my neck / jaw with a straight but make two final passes with a DE just for that last 3%.

Gillette has not made a DE razor since the late 80's but Merkur has made them continuously since way back and still makes them new today.

Brian

I used an old safety razor similar to the one in this picture for years. I still have it and use it from time to time. I had a friend who used a straight razor, I love them although I haven't practiced enough to get proficient with one.

I will admit to using a Braun Wet/dry razor usually now since it is convenient for quick shaves while traveling. If I use it wet, or at least right out of the shower, it gives me one of the closest shaves of any blade or razor I have tried. If I use a blade, I like to use an olde one like the old safety razor. I have been looking at straight razors for a while but haven't acquired one. My brother has a few but when I went looking with him last he bought the ones I was interested in before I had a chance. 

[B.D.F.]

Yep, there is a whole band of people out there doing this as a hobby (obsession?). There are shaving forums, on- line suppliers all over the world, razor blade manufacturers (double edge blades, not modern stuff) made just about everywhere except the US (not sufficient profit). There are artisan shaving soap makers all over the place. Shaving brush makers in Italy, Germany, England and several other countries. Why we even have a secret handshake.    I am actually going over a gentleman's house on Sunday to look over some shaving gear, possibly test drive a brush or two and compare notes.

It is not for everyone but if one appreciates learned skills, and appreciates gaining abilities, it can be quite satisfying to wet shave the older way (safety razor or straight). Funny as it sounds to most people, straight razor shaving is really quite soothing and relaxing, and part of a bigger sequence that all must be mastered or at least become adequate doing. It is probably a lot like those who make their own beer or bread, etc. Most of us just buy those things but there is a certain accomplishment in controlling the individual facets of the actual production of the product.

I think it might appeal most to those who try to ride a motorcycle with precision and do their own work on their own bikes, just as an example. It yields a sense of accomplishment that just cannot be had using any other method, just as doing one's own bike work is not the same as dropping the bike off at the dealer.

By the way, there are several people I often spend time with at COG functions that use straights.

Brian

A younger coworker of mine overheard me talking about shaving and the price of razors and long story short, he said he's been using a straight razor to shave for several years. I told him about the forum discussing shaving and using a straight razor.

He said he has a silvertip badger brush and he rattled off several straight razor names.
There is a store in San Diego that specializes in "shaving".  I didn't realize there is a cult following on shaving, I thought only motorcyclists did that with there bikes.
 
http://www.theartofshaving.com