Thread: The Ponderings of a Beginner

Beard prep
:In the shower, I washed my face with TGQ lavender/oatmeal bath soap and a hot towel treatment.

Edge test:

Thumbpad test shows a very keen edge so I only stropped 10x on the leather. Test again revealed an even keener edge, suitable for the test as I posted earlier.

First pass WTG

Smooth, long strokes on the sides from sideburn to jawline. When ready to shave the jawline, I moved my stretching hand down to mid-cheek and stretched again. This gave me the result of moving the whiskers on the jawline up onto the the flat part of the cheek. This makes the cut easier for the jawline whiskers.

When finished, I rinsed and dried the razor then tested the edge. The test revealed an edge that was just slightly less keen. I did 10 strokes on the strop and tested again. This stropping brought the edge back to the pre-shave keeness.

Second pass XTG

Stretching the skin with the free hand behind the razor. The difficult part is the chin. This is where I use a heel leading stroke done very lightly with the blade at a very flat angle (meaning the spine is almost on the skin but not quite). This first and second pass on the chin gave me an almost finished shave in that it was very close and smooth,

XTG on the upper lip is very difficult. I used a heel leading stroke and a completely flat blade. I go from corner of mouth to center both on the left and right sides. The strokes here are VERY lightly done.

Third pass ATG

Relathered with a thiner covering of lather. I use a cross hand approach in that the right hand shaves the left side and the left hand shaves the right side. Starting on the base of the neck and continuing right to the sideburn. I stretch the skin with the hand in front of the razor (being very careful). I find this raises the remaining stubble for the blade to cut correctly.

The chin is done by using a flatter blade and cutting up and diagonally following the jawline (yes for each side of my chin, this is ATG). I then stretch the center of my chin with fingers on both sides pushing away from the center and using a light stroke.

Finally, I rinse off with cold water and run my hand over my face then use the blade to catch any spots I may have missed or just want a little smoother.

A little witch hazel and call it a day.

The TGQ shaving cream is fabulous, it doesn't really dry out on my skin and my blade just glides over my face.

Issues

1. I still have some trouble getting really close on my upper lip. The method I used today gets as close as I've ever gotten but I'd like it closer

2. I can go over and over my underside of the chin and never not hear a cutting sound. This seems to be where the bulk of my razor burn happens when it does. I get a really close shave with the 3 passes so I wonder if what I'm really hearing is just the blade scraping skin.

My pondering for the day:

I noticed that, while I always pay attention to what I'm doing, because of this thread, I am paying attention even more closely than normal. After my shave today, I applied witch hazel as an aftershave and this was the first day my hands couldn't glide over my face. I think I've also gotten as close as ever today. Perhaps paying even more attention to detail itself made a difference in the quality of my shave.

Also, part of my routine for the first five shaves is to use long strokes. I will admit that the only place I noticed any benefit was on the XTG on the chin. It seemed to help going from the middle of the jawline straight through to the center of the chin in one stroke but on the sides of the face, a long stroke didn't seem to offer anything substantial

Anyway, that's my rant for the day. Now, I'll give you a topic: Rhode Island. It's neither a road, nor an island....Discuss....

TGQ lavender/oatmeal bath soap? Is that breakfast to go? Good report Steve, oh boy.
I'm kind of digging the witch hazel also. Simple and effective (or is it affective). And Rhode Island , that's a state right? Now here's one: the progressive era --it was neither progressive or an era. Now discuss amongst yourselves. (Saturday Night Live : Coffee Talk with Linda Richman) Later,

Justin

P.S. hey, how do you manage to do a cross hand ATG on the right cheek --I can't get it. Don't have to answer this one , just showing a little respect.

Originally Posted by jaegerhund

TGQ lavender/oatmeal bath soap? Is that breakfast to go? Good report Steve, oh boy.
I'm kind of digging the witch hazel also. Simple and effective (or is it affective). And Rhode Island , that's a state right? Now here's one: the progressive era --it was neither progressive or an era. Now discuss amongst yourselves. (Saturday Night Live : Coffee Talk with Linda Richman) Later,

Justin

P.S. hey, how do you manage to do a cross hand ATG on the right cheek --I can't get it. Don't have to answer this one , just showing a little respect.

I figure I need the oatmeal to help my new breasts that the lavender develops stay healthy Once they come in, I'm taking a vacation in New Mexico

Trivia on Rhode Island: it IS a state, the smallest in the country in fact and it IS an Island (of sorts). The official name is Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Rhode Island refers to the Aquidneck islands (ie - Jamestown), the main land is actually the plantations part of the state. I think you got it, but that Rhode Island discussion point was an actual comment made on Coffee Talk.

The witch hazel is wonderful, very refreshing and cooling. It has no scent to speak of so it doesnt' clash with cologne. I've made a mixture of witch hazel and Clubman aftershave that I'll use if I'm not going to wear cologne (say at nightime or maybe weekends)

Steve, from what I've seen (from a far distance), Rhode Island is a beautiful state. I tend to like all the coastal states (I'm kind of bias to it). I believe you have colorful autumns there and I believe you speak English but it's a very old , archaic form ,or is that Maine . Yeah --I think "road" is pronounced "rod" and "take" is pronounced "tik". Yeah and you worship Steven King and bury pets in old Indian burial grounds..
And you take baths in Clam Chowder or is it oatmeal? It's probably Maine. Seriously, beautiful state -hope to see it one day. Being from Louisiana, I have a daily ration for producing readable English --so later.


Justin

Wow. Your shar do have RI confused with Maine, ayuh.

Stephen King is from Maine and can stay there, too. Our RI politicians are enough of a horror show without throwing Mr. King into the mix

Since you're from Loosianer, I better say this to not get myself in trouble

GO LSU!!

If you ever make it up RI, let me know and I'll show you a right hospitable time...I ga-ruhn-tee

Yes sir --Mr. Steve --It's good to see we can all a have a little fun and share information in the process.


Justin

From here on, the posts should be much shorter (and the crowd went wild!!)

I have set my normal procedure in shave #1 so I will no only post difference in the results.


Speaking of dfferences, I had to use TQG cake soap because I ran out of the shaving cream. My shave was not as good. I did not have the same lubricity as I get with the cream. I also noticed that it dried on my face more quickly than the cream. Lastly, my face felt very dry for a while after the shave, which doesn't happen with the cream. The cream actually leaves my face feeling healthier.

Everything else seemed to be about the same but the end result was a shave that wasn't as comfortable or as close.

Ponder of the day

I once read about Sherlock Holmes, after retiring, had his former assistant Dr. Watson over to his apartment. Holmes asked Watson if he had seen the stairs leading up to his apartment. Yes, he had. Holmes asked, "how many were there?" and Watson said he didn't know. Holmes' reply: You see but do not observe.

Doing this log as made me observe my techniques and the various results. I was paying careful attention to my stropping and observed the following.

1. I coud hear a rasping sound as I stropped the razor
2. I could sense a "suction" feeling when stropping and as I lift the edge to flip it for the return pass, it felt like I had to break a vacuum seal. This was more noticeable on the upward (toward the swivel) pass than the return pass (toward the handle) but I think I noticed a little on that pass too.

I've read that this is desireable and an indication of a keen edge. What say you? Am I headed in the right path?

I hear the rasping sound as well and tend to aim for that sound. As my stropping has improved I've also noticed a slight suction on the razor. I've been using my razor for over a month and all I do is strop before and after every shave. I still get great shaves and the razor will pass the HHT ---so I think I'm doing something right.

Justin

Originally Posted by jaegerhund

I hear the rasping sound as well and tend to aim for that sound. As my stropping has improved I've also noticed a slight suction on the razor. I've been using my razor for over a month and all I do is strop before and after every shave. I still get great shaves and the razor will pass the HHT ---so I think I'm doing something right.

Justin

Way to go! keep at it!

Hey, Steve. How long did it take before you had to use a pasted paddle strop --- before you could no longer get the razor shave ready just by stropping?


Justin