Armillary...

...lunch table.  At least that's how the squirrels are using my armillary sundial this winter.  As you can see from the pic on this rare sunny day, it's 1pm, lunchtime is over, and the little buggers did not clean up after themselves.

So the "be a real man" adventure of shaving with a straight razor is coming along.  I think I've finally settled on the right combination of razor and shave cream now, and I'm really enjoying this daily task.

I started with a Dovo shavette, which was pretty good...very lightweight razor, uses disposable single edge blades, fairly easy to use without becoming Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street:

What I didn't like is the little red, plastic, insert they use to hold the single edge, disposable blade...besides looking weird - red, the color of blood, yes? - it's not all that stable and the last thing you want with a straight razor on your throat is for the blade to shift.

Surprise!  Gonna need a bigger styptic pencil for that one...

So then I bought a Solingen straight razor...

...this one is a true straight razor...permanent blade, does not use disposables.  They told me at "The Art of Shaving" store I could use it for 10 or so shaves, then should get it professionally sharpened, and after that it would last for 6 months before needing to be sharpened again.

Wrong...tried it as it came from the store, and it pulled and bit too much...definitely not sharp enough.  So I had it sharpened, and it was better, but still not as good as using a disposable single edge blade.

Began experimenting with different shave creams...brush styles in a mug, hot lather, etc...but just didn't like the shave I was getting...was about to go back to the Dovo shavette when I happened onto this:

That's an AVA Barber straight razor, and I really like it...uses disposable single edge blades, and the mechanism that holds them in place is 100 x better than the Dovo...very solid and secure, no slipping or vibrating.  Plus, it's a little heavier than the Dovo, I like the way it feels in my hand, and love the stainless steel look:

Ok, so it takes a little longer than a safety razor, and yes, I've nicked myself a few times as I've been learning the art and science of this style of shaving...but every man should have a few scars and for crying out loud, don't be such a wuss!  Move toward the fear...

For the ladies in the audience who are puzzled by this, remember: if it has tires or testosterone, you're going to have problems with it.

For the men in the audience who are puzzled by this, I'm writing a book just for you...stay tuned...

Flying away to Palm Springs in the not too distant future...

Can't wait for some sunshine and warmer temps...

Later, mcm fans...