Thread: ups and downs....

I post this in the Beginners section because a) I am still one after 18 months and b) I want to encourage other beginners.

OK, so I've been doing this for 18 months (this time). I'm 66, retired (mostly) and I did it once before about 30 years ago, because I'm an "edge" fanatic...I love sharp blades.

I am the owner of at least 6 freshly honed (by experts, not me) quality razors. I have a lot of quality soaps. I have several great brushes. I have wet as well as hot and/or cold water (your choice). I have quality strops and good stropping habits. I've studied all the written and video recorded instructional material (or at least enough to know enough).

I shave with a SR 4 times per week and a DE 3 times (in total, all the days that exist). With a DE I get a DFS 80% of the time and ok for work shaves the other 20%. With a SR I get a BBS on parts of my face 40% (approx.) of the time, DFS 20 % and OK shave the other 40. Some days I get an allover DFS with a SR. That is my goal, and I'm very happy on those days. Other days, I don't, and I'm not (happy).

My conclusion...it is me...my prep, my lather, my angle, my technique, my pressure, etc.....It is NOT my razors which have been honed by people whom you all know (and not mistreated on a strop since).

My goal is to keep practicing and experimenting until I get all DFSs with my SRs. Wish me well.

I encourage you to fess up and aim for the same!

"A poor carpenter blames his tools"

I don't know if my percentages are the same as yours. I always manage to get a pretty good shave but its every once in a while a get a mediocre shave and every once in a while I get a fantastic shave. Now mind you I only shave once a week... I use to shave everyday but it takes too long for that to be realistic and still get to work on time. Plus my wife enjoys the scruffiness. I would say my percentages are probably 60% DFS and 20% mediocre (mediocre meaning better than a cartridge but disappointing with a straight knowing what it is capable of) and the other 20% being like God touched my face and smites all the whiskers away into oblivion. I think the main reason for me having some shaves on the mediocrity level is consistency. Either I didn't feel like prepping the normal way or I am experimenting with a hone or I forgot a characteristic of that particular razor.

Yep, some days those scything passes just do it right. Others your lucky if the 3rd pass over the same spot does it at all. With me, it's all about how rushed I am. When I am testing a new blade it's all about not using band aids :<0)

Think about prep and stropping. Technique for a particular razor. These have always seemed key to me. Your experience seems familiar and can only be overcome with same. JMO

If your retired,why do you shave 7 days a week?

That, my friend is a good question......I'm going to have a discussion with myself about that!

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

If your retired,why do you shave 7 days a week?

Had an interesting conversation with a fellow wet shaver, and the one thing he said that was the most important in his opinion was beard prep.

I had been having good shaves, DFS with three passes most of the time, but there were areas that were always somewhat troublesome, and sometimes, as you mentioned, things just didn't click.

I started going from just a cold water splash, to a good wetting of my beard, then I applied the Proraso pre-shave cream, made sure I worked it in to properly hydrate my beard - since I've been doing that, my shaves have been excellent and more noticeably - consistent.

So prep has turned out to be a game changer for me at least....

Indeed, in my case, I slather the beard with vitamin E oil nite before. Always results in a winner the next morning, whereupon, I do 2 hot towels over lather before shaving.
Seems complicated, but really simple and fast, as-learned!

If I include shavette use, I've been at this about a year now. I don't shave on Saturdays and usually get 2 BBS shaves, 3 DFS, and 1 mediocre shave - not necessarily in that order. It doesn't seem to matter whether I am using a straight or a DE, pretty much the same results. My issue seems to be related to how awake I am. The more rested I am, the better the shave.

80% of the time it's a perfect BBS face and neck. If not then its a DFS and I am more than happy with that too. Practice practice practice. If it's neither BBS or DFS then my razor needs a bit of encouragement on the hones. I shave even when I don't have to and would definitely shave if I was retired. Why? Because I love to shave!!