First shave and first cut (ouch!)
I got my shiny new Wapeinica in the mail Saturday. I put some lather on the slate hone (also from Wojo) and gave it 20 laps. I then did 20 laps on the linen side of my Zeepk strop, and 20 on the leather. (The strop is not high-quality, but I bought it before I discovered this forum. And honestly, the leather isn't bad although it's thin and the hardware is crap. I lay it on the counter and use it like a paddle strop.)
After stropping I plucked a hair from my girlfriend's head (hers are coarser than mine and easier to see) and touched it to the blade. With just the lightest touch, it sliced cleanly in two. "Wow," she said, "that's sharp."
Prep: I took a nice hot shower. I washed my hair, then cleaned my face with Nivea for Men Razor Defense Face Wash. Then I put conditioner (Suave Lavendar and Lilac) on my hair and my beard.
I left the conditioner on while I washed the rest of myself. Rinsed off, leaving the conditioner until last. Dried off, leaving my face wet, and went to the sink.
I filled my shaving mug (an old WB Network coffee mug with a picture of Michigan J. Frog on it) with hot water to soften the Williams soap, and placed my BurmaShave boar bristle brush in to soak. While the sink was filling with hot water, I put a hot cloth on my face.
Sink full, I emptied the mug, worked up some lather, and lathered up. My girlfriend was sitting on the toilet watching me. Two swipes down the right side of my face... was I really shaving? I couldn't feel any tugging or pulling, but the shave cream was wiped off. I reached over with my left hand felt nothing but smooth skin! Cool!
Now for the left side. I changed hands. My left was not as steady as my right. Halfway down the cheek I stopped. I couldn't see the blade in the mirror, and wasn't sure of the angle. I moved my hand to get a view of the blade -- bad move! As I pulled my hand away from my face, I was angling the razor so that the toe caught my cheek. I got an inch-long vertical cut about an inch away from my left ear. I had no styptic pencil (I have one now!) so I just put pressure on it with a wet washcloth. It seemed like it took a really long time to stop bleeding, and I finished the shave with my Mach 3.
I was planning to wait a week for it to heal before trying again, but this morning I just had to give it another go. I did a with-the-grain pass on both cheeks and the flat part of my neck, and finished up with the Mach 3. No blood this time, and the straight is actually more comfortable and smoother than the M3. I wear a goatee, so the chin and upper lip aren't issues for me... I'll be doing away with the Mach 3 very soon!
