Walkin' Horse 3" English Bridle with Linen Strop

Overview
Walkin' Horse Strops are handmade in the U.S.A and can be difficult to come by given stock inventory levels are generally low. The English Bridle hides are tanned in the United Kingdom.

Full disclosure: I have little credibility in writing a strop product review. This is my first strop and I am still fairly new to straight razors (63 shaves completed), so I have nothing to compare this to.

Walkin' Horse 3" English Bridle with Linen Strop | Image Credit: West Coast Shaving

Welcoming Prayer

Overview
Last Saturday, Ashley and I attended a Centering Prayer workshop on the "human condition" led by Fr. Bill Sheehan. This event was fostered by the Contemplative Outreach movement founded by Fr. Thomas Keating. In addition to time for practicing Centering Prayer, Fr. Bill Sheehan concluded the workshop by leading us through the practice of Welcoming Prayer.

Mary Mrozowski, one of the founders of Contemplative Outreach, formulated the Welcoming Prayer based upon the 17th century French spiritual classic, Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade, as well as Fr. Thomas Keating's teachings and her own lived experience.

The Welcoming Prayer focuses on consenting to God's presence and action in in our physical and emotional reactions to events and situations in daily life. This method of prayer seeks to heal wounds by addressing them where they are stored - in the body. One is called to pay closer attention to the body and interior state because the mind can deceive while the body does not lie. Every thought, feeling or emotion has a corresponding body sensation. Each experience is imprinted in every cell of our body. Centering Prayer is a receptive form of meditation whereas Welcoming Prayer is relatively more focused and concentrated.


“Welcoming Prayer is the practice that actively lets go of thoughts and feelings that support the false-self system. It embraces painful emotions experienced in the body rather than avoiding them or trying to suppress them. It does not embrace the suffering as such but the presence of the Holy Spirit in the particular pain, whether physical, emotional, or mental. Thus, it is the full acceptance of the content of the present moment. [In] giving the experience over to the Holy Spirit, the false-self system is gradually undermined and the true self liberated.” - Fr. Thomas Keating

Contemplative Outreach Logo | Image Credit: Saint Richard Catholic Church

My First Straight Razor Honing

Overview
After 27 straight razor shaves, I decided it was finally time to hone my Dovo. Of course, the folks over at The Superior Shave honed it for me before shipping it my way, but now the task was up to me.

So why hone now?

That's probably one of the most asked questions of beginners to straight razors. The cadence of honing sessions depends upon numerous variables: care and maintenance up until that point, stropping technique, use of sharpening pastes, etc. Ultimately an experienced hand learns when it's time to hone. Just to be clear, I do not fall into the category of "an experienced hand." I'm new and still learning.

After reading a lot of chatter on forums at Straight Razor Place and talking to The Superior Shave, I decided one month of shaves was a good point to give honing a shot. Plus, after 27 shaves, I had a fairly consistent technique down, and noticed that my straight was becoming slightly less effective at passing through my beard. So here we go.

Straight Razor with Belgian Hone | Image Credit: Straight Edge Razor

Dovo Best Quality 5/8" Half-Hollow Ground Round Point Straight Razor

Overview
The Dovo "Best Quality" is an entry-level straight razor made by DOVO, an independent German company founded in 1906 based in Solingen. Given this is a German-made straight razor, "entry-level" comes with a rather high standard of quality.

"Best Quality" razors come in two sizes (5/8" and 6/8"), two grinds (full-hallow, half-hallow) and three colors (black, white, blonde). All are made from carbon steel and rounded at the toe. Each is relatively plain-looking with a very basic plastic handle, but they shave wonderfully. It's a good beginner's straight razor, which is why I choose it.

Full disclosure: I really have no credibility to write a sound product review on this razor. This is my first straight razor and I'm still new to the game (only 27 shaves completed) so I have nothing to compare this to.

Dovo Best Quality 5/8" Half-Hollow Ground Round Point Straight Razor | Image Credit: Traditional Shaving

Fun Facts

Overview

This post will updated on an ongoing basis and contains fun facts I have learned, primarily via Stuff You Should Know, a podcast by How Stuff Works. Topics are organized alphabetically.

Stuff You Should Know, a podcast | Image Credit: Wikipedia

Literary Words of Wisdom

Overview
This page is a collection of some of my favorite quotations from books I have read. It will be updated on an ongoing basis. Sadly, I began this post far too late and am missing countless gems I have happened upon along the way. Nevertheless, it is necessary to begin chronicling such literary words of wisdom at some point. This collection began on February 3, 2013 while reading Vita Nuova by Dante Alighieri. All works are ordered alphabetically by author last name, then book title.

Old Book | Image Credit: Web Ring

Straight Razor Shaving Time Log

Overview
Now that I have successfully moved away from the safety razor, I decided to log the time it takes me to do a complete straight razor shave in order to track progress. "Complete shave" as I describe it includes the pre-shave, three-pass shave, and the after-shave.

• Pre-Shave: strop, splash hot water on the beard, apply pre-shave cream, and wet the brush. 
• Three-Pass Shave: with the grain (WTG), across the grain (XTG), against the grain (ATG).
• After-Shave: rinse the straight razor and brush under hot water, splash cold water on the face and neck, dry the straight razor, apply alum block, after-shave balm, and cologne, put all supplies away, and dry the counter.

Stopwatch | Image Credit: Mark D. Roberts

This time log began on February 2, 2013 which marked my third shave entirely with the straight razor. I will update this page on an ongoing basis.

Lucky 13

Overview
This morning marked my thirteenth straight razor shave, and the first time I shaved entirely with the straight razor alone. Up until now, I had used my Gillette Fusion safety razor to finish trouble areas including my chin and the hallows of my neck, as well as do a general clean-up.

Now, I won't say that I finished off with the closest shave of my life today, but it's pretty decent for straight razor shave #13 so I'm feeling good about it.

13th Straight Razor Shave No Longer Required Use of Safety Razor

How to Make Whisky

Overview
This post will explore the ingredients, equipment and process used to make whisky. Special attention will be given to Scottish whisky.

Whisky Distillery | Image Credit: eHow

Johnnie Walker

Overview
Johnnie Walker is the most widely-distributed brand of blended Scotch whisky in the world. Dating back to 1820 in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, Johnnie Walker is sold in nearly every country in the world.

Johnnie Walker Striding Man Logo | Image Credit: Wikipedia

This is the first Scotch whisky I ever tasted. In this post I'll explore the history and products associated with the Johnnie Walker brand.