A Typically Kind Gesture

Svashtar

Svashtar

Joined
Dec 28, 2003
Messages
4,793
I mentioned on a thread that Howard started about straight razors that I had been doing a lot of research and wanted to get a decent daily shaver, without spending a lot of dinero. I was looking at some beautiful 7/8 and 8/8 Henckels, but they are a bit out of my reach right now.

Today I opened up a package from Texas, and unwrapped a beautiful Wade and Butcher straight razor. It's in great condition, and what's more it was in an elegant little handmade leather pouch!

So, not to put this kind person on the spot, but what do you get when you to combine straight razors + pretty leatherwork + Texas? ;) :D

Thanks Sarge! :thumbup:

Sarge mentioned that he picked this up at a gun show, but knowing what to look for is the skill I'm lacking, so I appreciate his keen eye and expertise. What's more he put a killer edge on it, and it's ready to go.

Just thought I would post some pics for your enjoyment:

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This is just the latest kindness among many: Teo Barahon who used to post here regularly, sent me a magazine back in early 2004 that I was missing from my collection. Kismet sent me some great antler chunks for my antler Uddha sword fix, and Rick (Noah Zark) sent me a bunch of titanium dioxide pigment to mix with epoxy. The all refused to accept payment. I'm positive that there have been other small gestures that I have simply forgotten, and I'm not even talking about all the great advice and how-to info I get here.

The kindness of those on this forum is something I will never take for granted.

Norm
 
Thanks for sharing, Norm. Some great stories happen here.

I can light a fire without matches, shoot, & sharpen fairly well, but I'll draw the line at shaving with one of those.

Just not happening. No. Anybody that can straight-razor shave is one up on me, and staying in the lead.

Me + the Mach 3 = :)


Mike :foot:
 
It's just amazing how some people are so generous. We often get caught up with the fact that so many people are such absolute bast**ds, that its so easy to assume everyone is like that.

I'd like to make a suggestion - though this is straight off the top of my head and is likely to be absolute garbage. However, the more clever among you might be able to rework it so it might be reasonable.

I'm thinking something along the lines of a specific donation drive where a percentage of the donation (maybe 33% ?????) is set aside for a fund to honour the "more generous or helpful members" every once in a while. This may be quarterly or something similar where an award is made. To encourage paying members, perhaps you could make some sort of rule where all members can nominate someone, but only paying members (eg. Platinum, Gold members etc) are eligible for an award.

Depending on the money in the fund, they may get an engraved knive or similar, even perhaps made by one of the members.

As I say, this is off the top of my head. I'm sure someone has waaay better ideas - but I'm just thinking that something like that may make it more of a closeknit community.

Irrespective, well done Sarge. It's great to see someone even recognised on a thread for their generosity and humanity.

Cheers
omniphile
 
Norm, don't mean to let the wind out of your sails pard, but that's not a Wade & Butcher. It's American made and dated around the late 20's, early 30's. It's a good one though, sharp as a mother in law's tongue, and I figured you'd like that unique notched end (the notch is obviously there to assist in opening/closing the razor). The case is an old piece of scrap leather I stitched together one rainy day at my parent's house in Florida (always carry needles thread and awl in my possibles bag, and always got a sharp knife handy). It doesn't fit that big 7/8 cut throat properly, because I actually made it for the German 5/8 I was carrying at the time. I just didn't want to send you a razor without a case, because it ain't good for you or the razor to just toss 'em in your shaving kit and let 'em rattle around.
Alright, now you've got a razor that's sharp and ready to go, time to git 'r done. I'll give you the best advice I know about getting started shaving with a straight razor. At first, just do the easy bits, like your cheeks, and finish up the trickier parts like your upper lip, chin, etc., with a "safety" razor. Yup, practice on the plains before you take on the hills and valleys. As you start to get the feel for it, start gradually shaving more and more of your face with the straight razor, and less with the safety razor. In time, you'll be squaring away the whole deal with the straight razor, with confident proficiency. You can't lose with this approach because you get to learn at your own pace, without the stress and frustration that causes many first timers to go sour on the deal and give up. It won't take all that long to get the hang of it, but like other learned skills, you've got to give yourself time to learn how to do it right. My oldest brother is a classic example. I gave him a couple of straight razors, all stropped up and ready to go. After a few days of scraping his face raw and getting all nicked up, he decided straight razors were for the birds. Any fool could have told him you ain't gonna just pick up a violin, and two days later play a concerto. ;)

Sarge

p.s.: I'm glad you like the razor, and thanks for the kind words
 
Svashtar said:
Just thought I would post some pics for your enjoyment:
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Post some pictures of your face!

Sarge had good advice on getting started on the easy parts. I've been shaving around the corners of my mouth and under my nose with an electric the last couple of days to give my skin in those areas time to recover. I've still been using the straight on the cheeks, chin, and neck (where the skin is undamaged). In a few more days I should be ready to tackle the difficult areas again. The damage is not cuts but removal of the top layer of skin.

I'm at the stage of screeching out Mary had a Little Lamb on my violin, but I'm having a heck of a lot of fun. I am gaining skill too, slowly but surely.
 
Even after all this time, the genuine niceness of this forum never ceases to amaze me. Take Sarge's advice about the shaving Svashtar, you don't want a first straight razor experience like I had. This is what happens when you just jump in with both feet (WARNING, not for the faint of heart or queasy of stomach.) So be careful!
 

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I have sometimes been at ends with people who confuse class with style .
They think someone is a class act when in reality , perhaps he has a certain style . This does not preclude the reality this person has no class at all .

No such distinction need be made as far as the Sarge is concerned . He has a style and flair that is apparent in everything he does .

A class act in everything he does .

( I,m not too sure about the " pink codpiece thing . )
 
Kurt...you look like you lost an arguement with a weedwhacker.

I used to use a dispoable straight...got tired of messing with replacement blades and never found a *real* one (no internet back then). Need to get another when I can I guess...wouldn't want to be the only one here not shaving like a barber.

You be careful Norm...
 
Methinks my old face has too many bumps and crevasses too use a straight razor. If I did and should have as many nicks as Kurt I'd bleed out in half an hour with the Coumadin I take!!!! :eek: :rolleyes: ;) :D
 
Yvsa said:
Methinks my old face has too many bumps and crevasses too use a straight razor. If I did and should have as many nicks as Kurt I'd bleed out in half an hour with the Coumadin I take!!!! :eek: :rolleyes: ;) :D
Click to expand...

Perhaps a specially designed serrated or wave edge would help glide over or at least smooth out those bumps . As for the laugh lines ? We,ll leave those .

On a separate note . I think you will be cutting down on that medication . With Doc,s approval of course .
 
Great show Sarge!!!! The generocity here is certainly unparalelled Norm. You are correct. I love the pouch with it.
 
Don't forget next time at the drug store pick up one of those old-fashioned styptic pencils (alum) to staunch the bleeding when someone pops in the bathroom, "oops, pardon me. I didn't know you were in here shaving."
 
I love that razor. How about some pics and instruction on sharpening?

Thanks.
 
Sarge, thanks for the info on the razor, and the instructions are very welcome. I was going to try and broach the subject here online with you or Howard, but here you went and anticipated me again. :D

Guess I should have looked more carefully instead of just repeating what you said in your PM. The razor is marked with a numberal "3" and the words "The Wheel" on the left side, with a wagon wheel logo between the words, and "W.P & R Rochester N.Y." on the right side. I do like the square edge and the opening notch very much, and it is sharp as hell.

So I hadn't shaved since Thursday, in the hope of this arriving. The last time I tried shaving with a straight was at least 15 years ago, and it was a piece of junk compared to this one.

I lathered up my best Col. Ichabod Conk's soap in the Frankenstein cup, and went at it. The sideburns and cheeks were as smooth as a baby's butt, and I was making good progress. Then got to the corners or my mouth and nailed myself a bit, and the chin wasn't happening at all. Ended up with a total of 3 cuts. Two of them were small, and one was that I poked myself somehow with that big old square end! I did the right side of my face with the right hand, and figured I would be in trouble with the left side of my face with the weak hand, but for some reason that side went very easily. I got the angle just right.

I shaved my throat, but couldn't get that close. I got most of the whiskers but it was still pretty stubbly. So, super smooth cheeks, stubbly neck, and I have decided to grow a goatee. :D Thank goodness I have worn a moustache for past 30 years.

It is so easy to see now why guys 150 years ago grew moustaches and beards. I had to relather a few times because I usually get it off before it dries, but this was a bit slower. I actually was fairly happy with my progress, as I got way farther that I did years ago, but now need to work on the angle on my throat.

I always shave up against the grain on the throat. Is that how I should do it with this razor? Not quite sure what angle of attack to take there. The chin just beats the hell out of me.

Took my old strop that is still in good shape, and installed an eye hook in the bathroom and hung where I can get at it easy but it will stay dry. I wasn't sure of the quality of it, having bought it so long ago from the same guy that sold me that ill-fated POS, but in researching on the internet it looks pretty good. It's the Illinois Razor Strop Company, Chicago, model #835. Stropped up the razor when I was done, and it seemed to work great.

Question: I understand that the linen "understrop" is only to be used for heavier work, is that correct? In which case I would need to add rouge to it? In that case I just treated the main strop with dressing, and just intend to use the top leather strap for this one. I had a plastic snap case the old razor rusted to death in, but despute what you say about it not being made for this particular razor, this little case just seems to fit a lot better and is just neat work.

I'll keep plugging away. I really think I can get the hang of this in a few years... :rolleyes::D It does take longer, but there's something kind of cool that's hard to define about shaving this way.

Thanks again Sarge. :thumbup:

Norm

BTW, I have an old Gillette double edged safety razor that I bought about 1973 and used for less than a year that is in perfect mint shape. It was the "high end" at the time, and is a nice piece of machinery. But my Dad always told me to find one way to shave and stick with it, because your beard will grow accustomed to a certain way of shaving, so methinks I should stick with the straight until I get it down rather than switching around. Still, I'd like to resurrect the old thing, but because it's nice workmanship. With the straight razor it's nice never having to buy blades though!
 
Norm, good things happen to good people.

Sarge, Thank you for being... I don't know, just thank you.
 
Roadrunner, God bless you buddy, that must have stung a bit, hope things are going better now. :(

Norm, here's a "war story" of a sort about that there "Wheel" razor. Field exercise, new commander in that squadron, our group commander asked me to go along as a ground observer to advise and assist. "O-dark-thirty", cold and drizzling, sun ain't quite up yet, but already looking ugly as hammered $hi+. Saw the new colonel hunkered up beside an M-149 (water trailer), shivering in the cold, trying to scrape his face clean with one of those blue plastic disposables. I walked up along side him with my steaming canteen cup (carried compressed fuel tabs in a pocket of my load bearing vest, heated a canteen cup of water just about every morning using half to make coffee, and the other half to shave), lathered up, whipped out that very same straight razor, and using my signal mirror that I carried in my field dressing pouch, began to git 'r done. He eyeballed me like I was some kind of an axe murderer; "you're the guy from the operations group, right?". . . ."yes sir". . . . "the one everybody calls Sarge?". . . ."yes sir". . . ."I've heard about you". That was the extent of our first conversation, but sometime later, when we were fairly well acquainted, he admitted that that was the first time he'd ever seen anybody use a straight razor in real life, and it pretty much scared the living hell out of him. When I say that razor's a good one, I ain't just guessing. :D ;)

Sarge
 
It would scare me too! With a straight razor I can go from ankle to knee in one quick stroke, but if I had to shave my face-forget it.

That's a very nice gift Sarge
 
Great story, Sarge. Can just see it.

Vivid memories of some of the looks I got, when maybe 10 years ago I worked out at a no-frills blackiron gym before work. I'd take out a straight razor to shave after my shower, and would inevitably find folks taking a step backwards ... but watching. I couldn't lift close to what many of the guys did, but got more respect than I deserved.:D

You really don't want to destroy the mystique and awe by encouraging folks to simply learn the skill themselves.
 
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