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Going back in time .

Well I am starting this blog to record my return to an older type of shaving . Like most of us I at present use the ubiquitous supermarket disposable razors , and have done so for , well I don't really know how long . When did these disposable and cartridge type of razors come about ? I guess I have been shaving regularly since I was around 16 which ,as I was born in 1953 , make it around 1969 when I started . I have a memory a very faint one I admit , to having a razor that twisted to open and receive a double edge blade of the kind that came in little rectangular boxes . I remember that the blades came wrapped in paper and the used blades were posted into a slot in the back of the box . Now that is all I actually remember of these things and as soon as the more modern types , disposables came out I started using them. Well you would wouldn't you how many teenagers want to do things as their Fathers do most of us wanted to look modern I guess , well I did anyway .

So where is all this rambling leading to , I am glad you asked ! As I am getting somewhat better at sharpening knives My poor weak mind seems to be taken with the idea of buying a straight razor from an antiques centre ,something from the 1880's to around the demise of the Old Queen , in 1901 I think . I admit that I only knew the date of Queen Victoria's death from watching my favourite John Wayne film The Shootist . So the thought of going from a modern razor to an inexpertly sharpened cutthroat is for me a daunting prospect and unusually good sense has prevailed and instead of leaping straight back to the end of the nineteenth century perhaps the 1950's may be a better place to start .

I have now checked out a few video's on YouTube and have found that the razors that I remember from my youth are indeed called DE or double edge . In fact this whole retro shaving lark is alive and kicking without me knowing anything about it . Youtube is awash with helpful young fellows scraping the whiskers off their finely honed chins with razors that they certainly don't remember from the first time round . Mind you I have learned an awful lot more about shaving than my Father ever taught me ,I guess it must have been him that showed me the ropes though I don't remember the lesson .

So I now have an Edwin Jagger DE89 razor and am waiting for those fine folks at Amazon to deliver the rest of the not inconsiderable amount of gear that it seems I must have . A styptic pencil ,what a word from the dawn of history , anyway I have forgotten to order one so in the short term things may get bloody !! The razor looks nice and I am thinking that it is probably of a lot higher quality than I would have had in the late sixties. I would likely have had an old one of my Dad's to start .

I hope to return to this blog in the future , blood loss allowing , and record my return journey to the shavings of my youth and hopefully back in time to the days of the Old Queen and a wonderful straight razor . Got to get through my lack of a styptic pencil first , can't imagine what a young girl in the chemist will think if I ask for one of those .

Tags: ., DE, Ramblings, Razors, Shaving, Time, Travel

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Comment by John Bamford on July 11, 2016 at 6:19: As I mentioned to my friend Dale below , if you go on any of the shaving sites you will see people sharpening their razors with some wonderfully exotic stones . One that is often mentioned is a cool $500 and if you were to dip your toe in the wonderful world of Japanese Naturals , well if you need to ask the price you can't afford it as they say . I am speaking as an ordinary working class guy here of course and some of you folks may be able to find that sort of money . Buying the odd pocket knife was thought to be bad enough by someone around here who's name I will not mention , will I Sue , but then when" he started buying razors and soaps and more soaps and then more razors ........"

Well I am sure guys were a little more thrifty when straight razors were all they had , so I have had to go along that route as well . The next instalment will detail the cheapskate sharpening kit that I have assembled and whether it works or not , it does !

Comment by John Bamford on July 11, 2016 at 5:58: Dale I would love to try any of those razors and would be willing to pay a fair price for any you don't want .

I have 1 Dovo , 5/8s

1 Two Horses ,11/16s

1 Kropp , 6/8s

1 Osgar ,4/8s

3 very cheap un-named razors bought to play around with .

Dale you are a practical man and obviously very skilled with your hands you really would be able to use a razor without too much difficulty . It is a wonderful way to shave and once you got a little confidence you would not regret the time and effort used to acquire the skill . Now we have all the information available at the touch of a mouse endless video's on Youtube about shaving and required equipment etc it really isn't that difficult , just a little research and you are away.

I can suggest cheaper ways of sharpening than the sometimes ridiculous priced stuff the recommend on the internet . I am sure you would get a lot of satisfaction from the sharpening of a razor alone , then of course you would naturally want to use it !!

If you really don't wish to give it a go then the Case razor sounds very interesting to me , not so keen on the idea of a SPIKE I am not that brave . In fact I am not brave at all so if I can do it etc !!

In Memoriam Comment by D ale on July 11, 2016 at 5:31: !!! .. You're a braver man than I .. !!!

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When I first started seriously collecting .. i.e. when I left college and landed my 1st engineering position & FINALLY had some expendable income .. straight razors could be had for in the $1 ~ $4 range. SO0oo .. I have a few. Mostly .. w/ old stampings I found desirable.

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Long story short .. I tried shaving w/ a straight razor .. twice to be exact.

Scary is not the word.

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Addendum .. have you a CASE ACE ?? A Union Cutlery Co (KaBar) SPIKE ?? If you've an interest .. give me a chance to dig 'em out .. I'd part w/ one for shipping.

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Enjoy

D ale

Comment by John Bamford on July 11, 2016 at 4:10: What a great thing it is to have developed a little confidence with this straight razor business . I have gone through the stage of "FEAR!!!!" to "fear !" and now I am really beginning to actually enjoy the whole business . When Mr Hickok 45 demonstrates an old firearm on Youtube he usually says how just handling the thing takes you back to a previous era . I find the same thing with a cutthroat razor , no no Sweeney Todd doesn't come into it !! It is just the whole process of choosing the soap , yes I do have a few , whipping it up into a wonderful creamy lather , must get a nice shaving bowl or a "Scuttle" I nearly had one from 1936 on Ebay the other week the year of the three kings apparently . I am not a great royalist except when it comes to shaving equipment, guess it is some form of nostalgia . I wouldn't really like to travel back in time as I like modern conveniences , I remember my Grandad's house with the tin bath and coal fires to well to want to live in the past . I did live in a rather similar fashion for some years but that was when I was young and foolish and is a story for another time. Now that I am old and foolish I like comfort too much and when I am in a hurry , not very often according to my better half , I use a safety razor but oh how I would miss the enjoyable ritual of straight razor shaving if I was always in a rush . It would be a great thing if all chores could be transformed from boring routine to interesting rituals , with just enough danger to keep an armchair adventurer satisfied .

The left hand , what a mystery it is !

I didn't like the idea of using my left hand to shave the left side of my face , I didn't like it at all . The razor felt even more clumsy in that hand it was bad enough trying to use it with my right hand and after all the right hand is called that for a reason . Just recently my left hand has started feeling possibly better than the right one sort of more sensitive somehow and if anything produces a better result . Last week as I was sharpening my new Grand Portage on the Edge Pro the bevel I was producing using the machine with my left hand seemed to be more even than the one I had done with my right hand . I felt equally clumsy using the Edge Pro at first with my left hand just as I did with the razor . I guess it isn't a surprise that you can become competent with the non dominant hand but for that hand to be capable of doing a better job , that I didn't expect .

Comment by Jan Carter on June 22, 2016 at 11:37: Just be careful LOL!!

Comment by John Bamford on June 22, 2016 at 9:58: Ah yes you are just saving it up till you can no longer stand the hairiness . If you want to try one I have a spare cutthroat that you can borrow Allan .

Comment by allanm on June 22, 2016 at 9:54: That is a good thing John, the sign of a very sharp blade!

When I took the tip off a finger many years ago with a very sharp Japanese kitchen knife, I didn't feel a thing, just saw red spurting and realized I could not hide that from my wife. :-) Duller / blunter knives have always hurt me more.

I'm still holding onto my November 2015 deer camp disguise, I have not shaved since prior to October 31st so while I'm interested, I'm not trying your techniques any time soon!

Comment by John Bamford on June 22, 2016 at 9:53: Well now one big difference that I have noticed of late has been the welcoming of cuts , little cuts !!

I used to occasionally cut myself with a modern razor curse a little and stick pieces of toilet paper on my face and then watch in dismay when the bleeding restarted again as soon as you peeled it of .

Well not any more I don't I got two little cuts and was almost cheering as the red stuff appeared ! Strange you say , yes it would be if I wasn't learning the whole razor sharpening business at the same time as trying to master the art of straight razor shaving . Let me explain , as I expected to do quite a bit of bleeding whilst starting this old fashioned shaving , I took the trouble to arm myself with an Allum Block and a Styptic Pencil . The Allum Block stops tiny bleeds and closes the pores after shaving and if that doesn't work then the Styptic is the one to go for . If that doesn't stop the bleeding best check that you have made a will !!

Yesterdays cuts were catered for by the Allum which stopped the bleeding straight away and in truth these were very minor wounds . The main point and the reason for celebration was that I didn't feel a thing as the small amount of red stuff appeared , not a thing , nothing , nowt .

I must be getting the hang of this sharpening business .

Comment by John Bamford on June 17, 2016 at 17:00: Thanks Jan , it has been an interesting trip that only started in February . I have learned what appears to be an awful lot about razors and sharpening in that time , though I am sure there is a long way to go . If this helps others to see that it isn't as scary as you may at first think and if I can revive some old razors that craftsmen made some years ago then anyone else could do the same .

Comment by Jan Carter on June 17, 2016 at 14:02: John,

LOL...You don't need to use a stone made from unicorn dust on a full moon .

Well that is a good thing!!

I just re read this from the beginning and I just love it. Watching you take each next step and onto the sharpening aspects. I am going to watch the edgepro video. I have been wondering if it would work as well as it does for knives