Hey guys
Ive been straight shaving daily for about two weeks now. Although I am new to the world of straight shaving, I have been getting a straight shave from my barber for years. I have very sensitive skin on my neck and I noticed when I had my neck shaved by my barber, I had very little irritation. This realization is what initially led me to purchasing my own razor.
Now I know this guy's skills and mine are miles apart... but I can't help but notice pretty substantial differences between when I do my own shave and when I have it done by the pros. For one... I noticed today that my barber is making fewer passes and my skin feels much less irritated then when I do it myself. It was tough to see everything he was doing because they wrap a towel over your eyes, but I'm pretty sure they use shavettes there, not that I would think it would make a big difference.
I also noticed he did some ATG passes with much less pull then when I do them myself. Once the shave was over, My skin felt significantly less irritated and "burned" as it does when Im shaving myself.
This makes me wonder about my razor... I have a Dovo 5/8 Buffalo horn I got from SRD honed in house. I notice when I shave I am leaving hairs on my face after each pass. Even sometimes when I go XTG or ATG. I also get a lot of jumping and resistance when I am going XTG.
I've got my razor pretty vertical, about a blade's with away from my face as is recommended. I use Truefitt&Hill cream and always wash and prep my face in a hot shower before shaving. I, like most of the newbies here, struggle around my chin, but i figure that will get better with practice.
So why is there such a different experience between my self-shaves and getting them done at the barber. Could it be that my razor is already dull?
I am also looking for a second razor to add incase one needs to be shipped out or I am traveling for a long period of time. I was thinking about a TI eagle 5/8 or 6/8. Any pros/cons would be welcome.
Thanks in advance!
Brad