Thread: ATG Blood Bath

It gets better, went from trashing a shave ready razor with just a strop to getting 80+ shaves off the hones with just a strop. A loupe helps a lot when you are starting out, and are cheap.

Maybe your edges aren't quite as sharp as Nates', leading to little pressure when using your own and Nates needs none. I've done this with my own vs hatzicho's edges. Answer was multiple shaves with the pro honed razor and I learned how much pressure to use with a properly sharp edge. Just a possibility, I'm no master.

I took a look at the edge and myself except some tiny scratches towards the end would think it's flawless. Took some photos for you guys maybe you can make something out from them. Without a digital microscope it's the best I can do

Unfortunately those photos aren't high res enough to tell much, but dmnc's hypothesis seems reasonable. It's also possible that you damaged the edge accidentally while stropping; that sort of damage wouldn't be visible until about 400x. I did that a few times when I was learning. Smiling blades can be more sensitive to the strop since a smaller segment of the blade is in contact, and that was a lot of passes on the strop, I rarely need to give a razor that many laps on the strop until it's 5-6 months out from the hone.

Today despite some irritation left on that left side of the jaw I decided to give that straight from Nate another go. 33 laps on a different SRD strop with wool felt right before that. Used Art of Shaving cream this time with a thick lather. Went on a cold shave but not that cold. I might say slightly warm. Tried to use no pressure like my life depended on it. So little that sometimes the blade would skip over a spot. Just taking off the lather with the edge. WTG - fine, XTG on the neck twice and one face - fine (because of the growth going with the grain is as hard as against the grain on the neck for me so I go XTG from both sides without any issues)

Skipped the ATG under the nose which somehow had burn already like yesterday. I did a pass ATG in the same spot that I had bloodshed yesterday and it wasn't the most comfortable pass but it went through without blood this time using just a little perpendicular stretching. The same cannot be told about the right side of the face which I bailed on yesterday. I went gently at first with the stretching and kind of got a pass. I stretched a little harder because was not satisfied with the area and how the blade cut over it. One pass and here come the blood spots. No pressure whatsoever. Like the edge is a feral dog and bites in whatever it touches. Would be happier if it actually was smooth after that pass.

The smoothness of the shave was not satisfactory to me. Had much better. No BBS spots ATG at all. Anywhere. The rest of the passes is great. Smooth with and across the grain to the touch. Something is still very wrong and I can't figure out what.

I never go ATG! I get a smooth enough shave without doing it.

Well if the other full hollows work ATG with just some technique missing for right neck side it would sure be nice to know why this razor isn't.

My advice to you is don't shave for at least three days and give your skin a chance to heal. During this time apply some ointments preferably some kind of aloe. Then give it another shot and pay extra attention to angle and pressure.

The beard on my neck also grows horizontally, left to right. I installed a pantograph-articulated and illuminated mirror at the sink, and put it above my head to shave ATG in my neck. Yes, I shave my neck looking upwards. The "sleeping potoo" or "indoor roofing job" position.
I don't do this often, just in special occasions. My everyday shave is "socially enough" type.

Yeah ,,, what he said. Let your face heal. I get the challenge but you have to give yourself a chance.

Your trying to put a puzzle together 6 pieces at a time :<0)