Thread: Shave number the second...

Ding Ding... Round 2.

Much better this time.

1) I shaved after showering, rather than just after the hot towel, and it was a quite a bit shorter.

2) I really re-stropped it, making sure I kept the strop taut, I think it was 40 strokes linen, 40 strokes leather. I think it really helped.

3) I added a couple drops of palmolive to my lather, which I think really helped slick things up.

4) Shaved with authority. Like I knew what I was doing. INstead of short strokes afraid I was about to make some skin grafts, I just went for it. Lined up slow, got the angle on, and then shooooooooop. THat helped quite a bit. Instead of scritch, scritch, scritch.

5) Could definitely tell when the angle was right, it *sounded* different against my skin. Don't know how to describe it, but if the blade was too perpendicular to the skin, then I could hear it, when it was laid closer to the 30 degrees, it just shooshed...

6) The left hand/right hand thing isn't any big deal. *But* I haven't quite figured out how to get a couple places, especially along my windpipe. I took the back of the blade, and laid it there, and no matter how I do it, there's no position where the whole blade can lay at the right angle against the skin. There's too much hollow there. I can kind of play some games from the outside edge in, but I'm almost thinking if I had a smaller razor, I could do it better. Same thing right at the very bottom of my nose. So far, I stick my finger in my mouth, pull the lip out, and that works, but I look ridiculous...

7) I'm thinking I don't like soap. Probably gonna order some creme from whats-her-face. She sent me a catalog, I just gotta choose one.

8) All in all, I didn't have to use the styptic pencil, and my face doesn't look like hamburger, so I consider it a success... Of course, my kids run screaming from the room, so I may be overestimating...

9) Tomorrow gonna strop it good again, and see if it gets any better, or am I back close to original sharpness, and now just need to keep it sharp. I could live with the cut today just fine, it wasn't bad at all. Actually, it was just fine.



This is fun. ANd when you tell people, they all look at you like your freakin' nuts... Which I think is the best part.

Originally Posted by mrcpu

5) Could definitely tell when the angle was right, it *sounded* different against my skin. Don't know how to describe it, but if the blade was too perpendicular to the skin, then I could hear it, when it was laid closer to the 30 degrees, it just shooshed...

Congratulations. Sound is important --it adds another dimension to the whole thing. Kind of like when you're hand planing a piece of wood just right or when you have your arc welder set correctly. Just examples of how sound aids the operator.

Justin

P.S. Tell everyone that it is extremely dangerous and can only be mastered by a few
They'll worship at your feet.

This is a big step forward for a second shave mrcpu. Gotta like a nice steep learning curve, especially where razor sharp objects are concerned.

X

Around my adams apple I only use the heal of the blade. The rest of the blade is actually off of my neck entirely. Nothing says the entire blade must be touching. I pull the skin to the right, shave right up to my adams apple with the heal, pull the skin to the left and repeat using the heal of the blade left handed this time. Covers everything, works great.

Glad it's going better for you this time.

Tony

That's a good point, I was trying to work with the end of the blade, but there's no reason it can't jus tbe out there flapping in the breeze...