What was I thinking....Cosmo

Cosmo_3

I heard about the balloon thing. But you would think maybe it would be best on a person, or maybe even a pig!

I think it is a lot easier shaving someone else because it is easier to see what your doing. That was the difficult part, I couldn't really see what I was doing.

I really want to be able to do it myself, so I guess I will try again tomorrow....

Cosmo

Cosmo_3

Am I the only one who does stupid stuff like this?

One day while at the barbershop I asked to have a shave using the straight razor. My barber then explained that although he uses a straight razor to touch up around my neck, and sideburns he doesn't offer full shaves.

My last barbershop shave was back in 2000. I was in the village that my old man, and mother grew up in on an island in Greece. After cutting my hair, the barber opened a cabinet and I saw a silver mug, two shave brushes, and four straight razors.

First thing he did was to place an almost scalding hot wet towel on my face. Then he proceeded to pour a little hot water into this silver mug that had a piece of soap on the bottom. He then worked this water into a thick lather using one of the shaving brushes. It took him a good 2 minutes until he had an over filling mug of an extremely thick lather.

He removed the once steaming hot towel off and applied the lather on my face, working it in using the brush in a kind of swirl like fashion. When he was satisfied that there was enough lather on my face, he turned around and placed the mug and brush on the counter.

Now was the moment I was waiting for, the barber reached back into his cabinet for Excalibur, one of his straight razors! I asked him how old it was and he said this one had a long history. His mother gave it to him the day he returned from mandatory Military service back in 1957. His father had passed away while he was gone
and this straight razor was one of the things that the barber inherited. It was a prized possession, this razor was first purchased in 1924 from a refugee of the Greece/Turkey population trade in 1922. He didn't know how old the razor actually was. He had my full attention while he talked to me about the history of the razor as he stropped it's edge on a piece of leather, back and forth, back and forth. After maybe 40 or so motions he turned towards me and reapplied more lather on my face.

Then he started shaving. It was unbelievable how he was able to float the extremely sharp edge over my face, wiping my face smooth of stubble. Not even a single cut or even discomfort! I was amazed, it was the closest shave I ever had, and my face felt refreshingly clean and smooth.

So this brings me to my story today, I just received my brand new straight razor! After reading as much as I could about the subject, I decided to buy what is called a "Feather Razor", it is made in Japan and has a replaceable blade. I learned about it from some different website forums I had been on about wet shaving, and it was unanimous among guys that had tried the Feather razor how happy they were with it. So I spent 100 bucks on the razor, and 9 bucks for a pack of 20 blades. I even bought a mug with the special soap and a 30 dollar "super badger-hair" shaving brush. I got the lather on, and I was ready to shave myself with a straight razor for the first time!

The excitement I felt in that moment paled in comparison to how disappointed I was when I was finally finished......

I cut my face at least 20 times, and my whole face is on fire!

So now I am sitting here wondering what I did wrong....and I realize just how difficult this will be to master.

At least the blade was sharp, I remember learning in Boy Scouts how a cut from a sharp knife heals quicker than with a dull knife........

Try try again!

Cosmo

Mark Hunt

Oh my!


I hate to laugh Cosmo, but.......that is one funny story!

My brother raves about his first "barber shave".

My dad was a barber before he went to work for GE and I remember the leather strap(a multi-purpose tool that worked on razors and my behind)

I hope you feel better soon and may I suggest practicing on someone else a few times before you subject yourself to another shave.

How do you get along with your brother-in-law??

Mark H

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hr

Sounds like operator error!

Guess you already knew that

I had my hair cut at one of those "Too Hotties" franchise places last week. Imagine my surprise when this 18 year old gal whipped out the straight razor! She did a great job, however.

Wonder what they use for practice?

hot rod

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Mark Hunt

More important


How many times do they have to screw up before they get fired????

I think they practice on balloons or, if possible, relatives.

Mark H

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Cosmo_3

oops

bob young

they practice on peaches

frank_25

That strop

It has other uses besides sharpening a razor let me tell, ya. Back in 1960, I was a freshman in H.S. Power Memorial Academy in NYC, taught by the Irish Christan Brothers. Corporal punishment was part of the curriculum. They used a strop on our hands [tuck in your thumb before I knock it off} if you couldn't prove you were as smart as they wanted. When I complained to my DAD about it, he told me I must have done something to deserve it. BTW, in 1960, one of my classmates was Lew Alcinder...aka Kareem Abdul Jabar. Nooo, I didn't teach him that sky hook. That was Mr. Donohugh, the coach. PS, [yes] I was introduced to the strop more than once. When some of the bros mis pronounced my name, I ignored 'em. [WHACK] Yeah, I'm still stuborn, born that way.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Think of that wonderfully sharp straight razor as a Vitodens and TRVs as the skilled barber.

Brad White_110

Short strokes....

About twice a year I will take out the straight razor, just to keep alive a dying art. (Now you know why the term "safety razor" is dying out also; you never see even them anymore, so common are the disposable types.)

Illinois Razor Strop Co. #127, a badger hair lather brush and an English straight razor I picked up at a flea market in excellent condition.

Hot washcloth (without parboiling your face or do you have to?), lather up, hot towel again, touch up the shaving lather and go.

Short, 1/4" strokes. I will have to treat myself to a barbershop shave again. There is only one place that still does it around here, in Harvard Square I believe. Thanks for reminding me to check.

Last barbershop shave I had was on my wedding day in 1981; myself, my best man and my 11 year old ring bearer also got the honors. Thanks for the memories. Much better than the marriage!

Cosmo_3

ummmmmm

Yeah, I guess when the shave before the wedding is better than the marriage......well that was sort of depressing there Brad.

So your on #2? Or did I read incorrectly? Sorry if I am out of wack buddy.

Cosmo

Christian Egli_2

Just to show off my skills

I admire anyone brave enough to get near a barber's knife... my father enjoyed the real shaves like so many of you here. I wouldn't be able to keep my eyes open. Schick disposable two blade razors are enough for me.

A skill I have honed saves me lots of time: I have two hands, and thus I shave with two razors at once. Efficient. This seems barbaric enough on its own, but for added safety I extend the razor life; going on for months and months. I do take care to dry the blades real well and I store them edge up - the lime and other hard stuff in the dried up water being the real danger to cutting edge sharpness.

Perhaps people with beards can tell us something smart. Sorry about your cuts, Cosmo, and sorry about your first, Brad.

Guy_6

History

As much as I applaud your love for history, I have to stick with today's technology. I'll keep my Mach3 razor. I can't help but think that once someone cut their head off for the second time, they invented the safety razor.
I love the old coal boilers and stokers, and the Iron Firemen and Winklers are great, but I don't want to have one in my home. Not to depend on, anyway.
I drive an automatic, my laundry is done when the buzzer sounds (no wringer here), and my lawnmower has a holder for my beer. Life is good.....

Christian Egli_2

Mach3 is already history...

What about the Schick quattro and the Gilette Fusion? Three blades is soo old.

Indeed life is good, but it will so much be better with six blades, won't it?

Weezbo

as a young man i used to carry two butcher knives

strapped to my calfs. they were far more manageable than the Machette:) when i got older twin straight razors were less bulky and had the decided advantage.

shaving requires slightly different skills. there is a definite difference from a slice and a burn you can learn that effectively by spending countless hours on sharpening the edge on a strap.

a Kusari Gama has it hands down

when you can shave with it blindfolded, you can shave with just about anything with an edge:)

Al_19

It's getting out of hand. I tried the Quattro(free sample). It was like trying to shave with the bumper/grill of a truck!

jackchips_2

Never had

a barber shave. Maybe that's why I have been married 38 years in October. Since going to Norelco's many years ago it remains the method of choice.

I do have two of the old straps as reminders though, to never spank my two girls and I didn't. Boy they used to hurt.

Great thread, Cosmo.

Jack

Billy March

barbershop shave

My hair grows like weeds and I make sure that I have at least a 4 day growth on my face before I even consider getting a haircut. I have been going to the same barber (Santo) for at least the last 25 years. He doesn't even ask me.......he knows when the haircut is over, its straightedge razor time. I consider that shave one of lifes greatest pleasures. What can I say??? I lead a very humble life.

bob young

close shave

Been getting a shave with a straight razor and hot towels every saturday without fail for the last 25 years from the same barber. keep changing the face----mustache , beard , goatee' or clean shaven one of the finer things in life and so enjoyable. when he gets done i feel like a new man and am ready to rock-n-roll. always includes a haircut, trim or blow-out. also real convenient since barber shop is right next door to my office !

singh

First time

I ever had a straight blade shave I was in my early twenties, I asked the barber after a haircut.
You see it was a special date that night, I was going to see an opera in the city.
I don't think she noticed, but I felt great and not like a plumber's helper.

Funny thing, back then, I barely had any facial hair and a head full of hair. But the barber, went thru the full rountine. Now I have little on top, and the facial hairs grow like wild fire, plus nose, ears, back, and many other spots.

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Brad White_111

Thanks, Guys

Did not mean to be a downer, not at all! No, not married again (yet) but if my Susan is not the one, then the monastery beckons

Still single and committed! You will all be the fourth++ to know. No ring, no date yet.

No regrets on the first, but the fact that I got to keep the razor allows me to go on to the last and best marriage. Fact is I like my ex-wife's husband better than I like her.

Cheers!

Brad

Cosmo_3

i can't help it

I you ever needed another occupation in life, you could easily go into comedy.

Your one of the funniest guys I know. "Fact is I like my ex-wife's husband better than I like her." Too much man....

I guess if I ever wanted to get a couple chuckles, it would be an easy thing just to do a "Brad White" search here on the wall, and start reading your posts. Maybe one day Dan will create a "The best of Brad" compilation and sell it to make money for a good cause. I would definitely jump on that one.

By the way... I have an update. I tried it again last night. Some things I did differently were to take more time getting my face wet, I used short strokes, and did a better job of using my free hand to pull my skin taut. Still not perfect, but I am getting there!



Cosmo

Cosmo_3

ha ha

I am right with ya buddy!!

When I was younger the barber had a tough time cutting my hair because of how thick it was...

Now just like you explained, I got the stuff sprouting in all kinds of new places.....EXCEPT the top of my head!

The coup de grace was when my barber started cutting my ear hair, and my eyebrows.

Cosmo

Brad White_111

You are WAY too kind, Cosmo...

Not quitting the day job as they say, but thank you just the same.... My Susan all too frequently reaches for "The Imaginary Remote". It is an act of kindness -for all concerned.

Glad your shaving experience is a-happening! I am due, long overdue for that bit of pampering.

Pass the stiptic pencil!

Brad

p.s. I re-read what I wrote about the ex-wife's husband. Just to be clear, I do mean that I do like the guy she is married to now, Peter, better than I like her... not as in "I like my ex-wife's ex-husband", and who would that be?

Tony_23

Same here

With the "Fusion". How's a man with a visible jawline supposed to use 5 blades at once ? I'll stick to my Sensor Excel 2 blade, thanks.

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Bob_41

Better see a professional

Cosmo,

Won't you guys listen to your own advice? You bought something off the internet to save like $5 on a professional shave. I cannot understand how they could sell you professional barber tools sight-unseen. The you proceeded to almost kill yourself ... I'm picturing the Saturday Night Live skit with the slice-O-matic, remember that one?

Next time FIND A PROFESSIONAL!

How about some pics for the "wall of shame" on HVAC-TALK!!

BTW ... my Dad eventually switched to a safety razor after he caught me with his straight razor when I was 5 ... I was extremely lucky I hadn't dismembered any digits or harmed our dog who was missing a large patch of hair!!

Good luck!

Bob