Thread: Survived!

I started to use my SR's again. I had tried previously and got 1 OK shave, but the razors didn't feel fully sharpened. Most were Ebay Razors or hand me downs from my great uncle and weren't shave ready. I tried honing them before, but they weren't quite there yet. Picked up a Norton 4K/8K and used that after the bevel set, then went to a J Nat and then the linen/leather strops. The edges are pretty much there and all 10 that I sharpened recently passed a shave test! Some weren't the most comfy to shave with, but I was pretty happy with the fact they they shaved without pain or blood. I used them all on the WTG passes to make sure they shaved and to see how they felt. My 2 favorites are 2 Challenge Razors made in CT so far; they have the smoothest shave. A Hartford Razor was third and is a very very thin 5/8" razor and worked decently for my chin on the XTG/ATG passes.

Facial cheeks were shaved very nicely and BBS smooth, my neck still continues to give me problems. My hair grows in all directions on the neck and I am usually left with stubborn stubble after the 3 passes and a 4th clean up pass. I didn't do as much beard prep as usual, so next time, I am going to pick 1 razor to use for the whole shave and do the full prep and master 1 razor WTG, then go to the different passes with it so learn how it works, skin stretching. I have a fat soft face, so there is a lot to stretch to get the hairs to stand up to be cut!

The neck is an ever evolving area for me. Occasionally I hit it just right and it's magic, most of the time it is a very close and comfortable shave. I have on occasion got my angle wrong and wound up with a razor burn on my neck. I too hone for myself and can get some pretty stellar edges. I use to think that I had the honing all figured out and dialed in. With a little more experience I found that I have so much to learn. I have some razor that for reasons I cannot understand are problem children. I have a stash of razors that I have had other people hone for me, both paid professionals and honing exchanges with other member. These are important bench marks for me. I use them less all the time,but the take me to where an edge should be. These days more often than not they are very similar to my edges. I hope you continue with your success in honing and shaving, for it it is an ever evolving journey.

Yeah, I have a soft fat neck with hair that grows in multiple directions. It's a wiry hair and coarse, not very fine. Even after a week w/o shaving, I still have a lot of skin visible, so it's a pretty sparse beard, but very wiry. Tried some really full hollows and some near wedges, wider blades and narrower blades. I tend to like at least a 6/8" blade and wider is good, too. Wedges/heavier blades are a mixed bag currently. Some did well, others not so much. I took all of the blades to an Ozuka Asagi J Nat, then 30 on linen, 60 on leather strop and shave. Edges under 30X looked pretty smooth to me, better bevels than my previous attempts.

The neck can be such a pain to get BBS. I use a scything stroke on mine and usually just settle for DFS around my adam's apple. Stretching and angle are the key though, because some days it all works right and I'm BBS everywhere.

I love my Challenge razors and knives. The steel seems to be harder to get the bevel set on, but once it is set the blade will hold an edge for a long time. I found that for them that after the 12k, I can take them to .25 micron diamond paste for 10 travels and then 10 travels on CrOx, then linen and leather and that leaves them wicked sharp.

Originally Posted by taz575

...snip...

Facial cheeks were shaved very nicely and BBS smooth, my neck still continues to give me problems. My hair grows in all directions on the neck and I am usually left with stubborn stubble after the 3 passes and a 4th clean up pass. I didn't do as much beard prep as usual, so next time, I am going to pick 1 razor to use for the whole shave and do the full prep and master 1 razor WTG, then go to the different passes with it so learn how it works, skin stretching. I have a fat soft face, so there is a lot to stretch to get the hairs to stand up to be cut!

I have finally tried to describe how to shave my neck and some other passes one handed.
If you normally hold the blade by the tang with the blade pointing toward your thumb and wrist...then try holding with the edge pointing toward your index finger away from your arm for some of the passes that gave you problems.

Also if the scales are tight, straighten the razor and make it a kamisori to get some passes under the chin and toward the front or odd places. ( Seen in a WWI war newsreel and a Tommy in the trench was doing just that!)
~Richard
I see another answer beat me..have to read it now!

Sounds like you're enjoying the shave!

It's fun when I don't get sliced! I only SR shave when I am not working so I can take my time and do it right. Work days, I use my DE. I have been playing around with grips and angles and even with the DE or Cart. razors, my neck is still a PITA. I used to have to do at least 5 passes on the neck with a ProGlide Gillete cart razor to get the hairs under control there.

I do my neck with short strokes (I've heard them described as "scythe like") - going up (AGT) on the outsides and then aiming towards the middle of the neck as I approach the esophagus because the hair grows outwards there. For the upper neck, under the chin, I place a thumb down by the adam's apple to stretch the skin. I've gotten to where I can get a better shave on my neck than my upper lip, because I don't like AGT near my nose.