Hello! I'm new here.
I've been straight razor shaving for exactly 1 year to this day. I'm 29 years old. My girlfriend got me a straight last Christmas but gave it to me in October 2025 because "it'll probably take you until Christmas to learn how to use it". I instantly fell in love with the challenge and finesse of turning a daily chore into a surgically precise ritual. Within this year, I surprisingly learned how to hone. Bevel set to finish. I owe it all to Sean Stapelfeld and my uncanny ability to obsess over the most minute of details. Which apparently, is a solid skill for honing. I've amassed about 80 soaps, 10 brushes, and roughly 12 straight razors. My first being an extra hollow TI and my top favorite being a Gen 2 Filarmonica Novodur 13. Currently I enjoy honing vintage razors more because I've noticed their spine geometry to be a tad more consistent but that doesn't mean I've learned all there is. Which is probably the most fun part, knowledge and experience. To grow a handful of skills that I can look at and say " I did that, I can be proud of something". My only progression currently is 1k, 3k, 6k shapton rockstar; then La Lune slurry dilution into Black Shadow slurry dilution into green shadow slurry dilution, to plain water, then finally mineral oil finish. The best I can describe it as is a silky edge. I guess where it cuts hair but doesn't tickle or bite the nerves in my hair root. I do a daily 1 pass WTG shave because I just really enjoy daily shaving. My post work ritual is a shower, shave, snack, and bed time. It's the first time in my life that I've taken a moment once a day to remind myself that I'm worth the same effort I'm willing to put towards others. That daily realization is an ode to her.
Strong opinion: I rawdog tapeless razor spines on my hones ( but I do tape my more pristine or NOS razors)
Strong opinion: I really enjoy calculating arcsin() for my approximate bevel angle to be around 16-18 degrees. So far.
Everything is subject to change as I learn and grow more. This hobby has blessed my idle hands.
Hi Logan! This is sort of the old forum. Come join us at www.shavesplash.app and repost this in the forum. We have a number of straight shavers who’d love to read your comments!