Plain Stropping - Looking for Advice

[David Barnett]

SWMBO says she may allow me to get one of those; she wants to know more about it. She wants to know about the quality of the espresso and how many shots it can do at a time.

She said we can get one if it does decent shots. (just play along)

Tell her it's not just the machine—it starts with high quality freshly roasted coffee—I roast my strictly hard bean (SHB) Tarazzu in a doggy bowl with a heat gun. See? Right there you'll save enough to get at least an optically reasonable Chinese knock-off of my Olympus SZ60 espresso machine on an articulated boom.

One of these days I predict you may wake up late at night, go to your micro machining room and imagine that you see me there in the room attempting to steal the zoom-boom micro scope.

That would be the Cold War B&L SK, which would serve you well.

GRATUITOUS GLOAT ALERT: I got my SZ4 head off eBay with the SK boom stand that cost our government a hefty four figures in the early 1960s—weighs a ton, extends to a 4½ foot radius which covers a lot of taped-together U2 recon photos, and when updated with modern synthetic damping greases*, moves as smoothly as the yoke on a Gulfstream II. Set me back $150 + 60 crating and shipping. Add a cold halogen illuminator with dual gooseneck fiber-optic spots or an LED ring-light and now you're cookin' with gas.

But... but... but...

it is only a dream
it is only a dream
it is only a dream

"... and here's your large coffee, sir... and please pull to the side and we'll bring that Egg McMuffin right out to you."

*Terrific for hand plane adjusters—box and cabinet hinges, too.

[Winton Applegate]

SWMBO just watched that Youtube with me.
I think the micro is on hold for now.
She does not think I am sent from above.


I did notice the orchestra musicians who were properly shaved using properly prepared straight razor and soaps and brushes on a proper schedule of rotation. The others looked like mere barbarians in comparison.


I wasn't able to determine if the violin player had the superior razor shave but I would like to investigate further.


I enjoyed seeing your microscope and faceting machine. Thank you for taking the time. I had a good time watching the Youtube.


SWMBO , primed for lift off by the wrinkly strop comments, walked away to do something more exciting, she said, like wash her hair muttering something about "no matter how old they get they don't get past their 13 year old sense of humor".
What do you suppose she means by that ?

[David Barnett]

SWMBO , primed for lift off by the wrinkly strop comments, walked away to do something more exciting, she said, like wash her hair muttering something about "no matter how old they get they don't get past their 13 year old sense of humor".

What do you suppose she means by that ?

My father, a pastor, was bedside with a very old parishioner whose family had gathered around for his final moments. The dying man dropped his hand to his youngest grandson and whispered "pull Paw-Paw's finger." His grandson complied and Paw-Paw performed the indicated response then passed on with a final breathy chuckle.

Maybe she meant that.

[David Barnett]

SWMBO just watched that Youtube with me.
I think the micro is on hold for now.
She does not think I am sent from above.

One must admit it's not often one hears an opera-trained German baritone perform a Britney Spears cover in the same style as Die Moritat von Mackie Messer.

[Winton Applegate]

Paw-Paw passed on with a final breathy chuckle

I'm laughing and crying at the same time.
There's a hint of Robert A. Heinlein there somewhere
videlicet :
Lazarus Long
Time Enough for Love

not often

No but I am glad it still can !
How did you come across this treasure ?
You remind me of my mentor. I called him the cultural Mecca of the town I grew up in. He always had his finger on the pulse of ART and Technology. And was miles down the road of anyone else I came into contact with in that town.

[bridger berdel]

I have been getting up to speed with soapmaking. for a couple of bucks I can make a *very* good facsimile of a $60 shave soap. it's taken me about a hundred bucks to get up to speed though. I now have supplies for several thousand dollars worth at boutique prices.

[David Weaver]

Which shave soap is it that you'd call it similar to?

I have enough material to make five pounds of shave soap, but it'll be years before I get a chance to use any of it. Unfortunately, I have sandalwood essential oil, but I'm getting tired of sandalwood smell.

[Stuart Tierney]

Then get to making it and stick a cedar or cypress shaving in the soap as a marketing gimmick.

Stu.

[David Weaver]

I've heard that the first batch never turns out like you expect it to and you often get a billowy lather that dries out fast. It might end up being some bentonite based bath soap.

[Tom Vanzant]

Several years ago while in Trinidad overseeing the re-fitting of a drilling vessel, I had to make do with a locally-produced body wash gel for shaving. I haven't a clue what was in it, but it was pretty good. No nicks or scrapes, and in the tropics, you know when that happens!

[bridger berdel]

martin de candre

[David Weaver]

Several years ago while in Trinidad overseeing the re-fitting of a drilling vessel, I had to make do with a locally-produced body wash gel for shaving. I haven't a clue what was in it, but it was pretty good. No nicks or scrapes, and in the tropics, you know when that happens!

Probably a lot of glycerine, but there's usually a lot of glycerine in shave soaps.

[Federico Mena Quintero]

To open up a potentially dangerous can of worms for my budget, what would be a reasonable expected cost to get started with straight razor shaving and actually be able to enjoy it?

I found this quite useful: http://www.shavemyface.com/downloads...azor-Shave.pdf

And these too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDR_1hg-xNs (how the guy doesn't slice himself while talking so much is still a mystery to me...)

The way I got started is by getting a USD 80 razor from Amazon (a Dovo double hollow-ground). It said "shave ready" but being a proud neander I first took it to my 8000 water stone, and a little paddle strop I made (some random leather, smooth side up, glued with yellow glue to a flat piece of wood). Shaves very well, and I have been using it for about a year. I strop and shave every time, and I can get about 10 shaves that way before needing to go back to the 8000 stone.

You can probably find a used/rehabbed razor cheaper than mine.

I started without a brush, special soap, or a mug. They are nice to have (and I eventually got them), but I *think* the main thing behind having a brush is that you can lather your face in the middle of a shave without actually getting soap on your hands - you don't want slippery hands while holding a razor. Before I had a brush, it was a bit awkward to lay down the razor, lather again, rinse my hands... but it's no biggie.

I started with normal soap and about a spoonful of glycerin (ultra-cheap from the pharmacy); it works quite well even if it doesn't have the magical musky smell of double-distilled unicorn armpits.

[Mel Fulks]

Federico,I have found those sites useful ,too. Razor stropping has been difficult for me .Making some progress ,but I can tell I'm never going to get any speed and be able to make that loud peculiar racket that I remember from childhood visits to barbershop. As for the shave creams,I bought one David reccommended and found in pharmacies . It took the skin off my palm in a full strength smell test,so I haven't dared put it on my face. Shaving with a layer of olive oil topped with a layer of canned Barbasol.

[David Weaver]

Shave soap effect seems to be such a random thing. The real shave company stuff sold for 5 bucks at rite aid is one of my favorites, but all of the soaps I like are pretty gentle.

MDC is the most random smelling of the bunch, but it is artisan stuff and it's probably more like a cream that's happens to be as hard as a soap.

The best soaps stay wet a long time, aren't that sensitive to how wet the brush is, cushion the shave well and rinse off of the razor immediately when they go under the faucet. MDC and the $5 stuff at rite aid meet all of those, but proraso doesn't. Most cheap soaps don't.