Another first shave thread...

[HappyOne]

Right hand right side, left side left hand. I knew I had to learn this way so I started out that way.

[HappyOne]

Day 4 shave. More comfortable with the motions. Did both cheeks and most of the jaw, WTG. No irritation today but the razor was pulling a bit and I put a small nick in my stop up by the handle. I think I really need to focus on my stopping technique.

[Shaotzu]

Day 4 shave. More comfortable with the motions. Did both cheeks and most of the jaw, WTG. No irritation today but the razor was pulling a bit and I put a small nick in my stop up by the handle. I think I really need to focus on my stopping technique.

Add an "r" in their and it will get better . . .

My first four shaves decreased in quality a bit because of my stropping technique. (Further evidence of the "don't strop a shave-ready razor"). But once I figured it out a bit, shaves got better. Once i got the technique feeling good, I did some extra stropping before my next shave and it helped a lot. I've got the premium webbing on the backside of mine and usually do about 20 passes on that and then 30-40 on the leather. Once I got it down, I did about 40 and 60 and it really seemed to clean the edge up. Now I'm back to 20/40 and the edge seems to be pretty good.

Butter knife practice helps, and don't rush it. At the same time, I have to keep some pace to mine because if I go too slow, I have a tendency to want to pull the razor back while I flip it on the spine (cutting into the strop). So, my strop passes go from "place the edge flat, run it down the strop, speed up slightly at the end, roll on the spine, pause, lay flat, repeat." Once I got that pattern going, it started to go a lot easier. And I will say the strop I have combined with the razor, great feedback on just the sound of stropping correctly vs not.

[HappyOne]

Day 5.

I had the day off so I took it easy this morning and didn't shower/shave until mid day.

Today I took my time and tackled a full shave - two passes (WTG & XTG) and some cleanup. I tried to focus on smooth contact and shallow angle. I am pretty sure that I found the 'sweet spot' a few times when it just seemed to glide. I did cut myself under my nose and it wasn't my best shave ever but it wasn't bad. I only used a DE to come up under my chin for an ATG pass that just didn't feel right with the straight blade. Lots more stretching that with a DE. I can see that with coming at areas from different directions coupled with the stretching, you could get a really long lasting BBS. My chin wasn't too bad and my cheeks/jaw were nearly BBS. Even under my nose is pretty smooth - except for the cut and right above it. The only disappointing area was just below my chin and a bit on either side of my neck around the larynx.

[yotebuster1200]

The bottom part of my chin is the hardest place for me to get a clean shave. I have only been at it for about 3 weeks so I just keep on keeping on.

[HappyOne]

Day 6

I didn't have the time I had yesterday but I did get a complete shave in with no cuts. It wasn't very close, though. I am now wondering if my angle is too shallow and is skipping across the surface.

[Shaotzu]

Day 6

I didn't have the time I had yesterday but I did get a complete shave in with no cuts. It wasn't very close, though. I am now wondering if my angle is too shallow and is skipping across the surface.

How's the stretching coming?

[HappyOne]

Pretty well, thanks for asking. I am getting a pretty good shave now. I still need to do a better job under my chin and on either side on my larynx but the rest is close to what I can get with my DE razors in a 3 pass shave. I am pleased. I also think my stropping is coming along. I did a HHT last night and the blade passed. I still think I can do better but I feel like I am developing the 'touch' need to both shave and strop.

[Shaotzu]

Pretty well, thanks for asking. I am getting a pretty good shave now. I still need to do a better job under my chin and on either side on my larynx but the rest is close to what I can get with my DE razors in a 3 pass shave. I am pleased. I also think my stropping is coming along. I did a HHT last night and the blade passed. I still think I can do better but I feel like I am developing the 'touch' need to both shave and strop.

Honestly, as I figured stretching out a bit more, and kept the passes short, it helped with any skipping. Also, I started moving in a scything motion/slant a bit (especially WTG) and it helped a ton.

[HappyOne]

Day 13 update:

Shaving and stropping progressing nicely. Two pass shave with some clean up resulting in near BBS shave. Point of the chin, directly under the jawline (stroking from below) and either side of the neck close to the larynx (stroking from the side) still have a bit of stubble. Still experimenting with new angles and stretches to improve results but overall very pleased.

I also watch how to do a HHT and have been using this as a measurement to gauge the quality of my stropping - which is improving.