20 Something Shaves Later

I've used a straight razor now for over 20 shaves. I appear to be improving and learning a little each time. I have yet to nick myself, but I know that day will eventually come, because over the 50 years of shaving I've nicked myself several times (usually through some careless move) with a DE razor, so this is certainly inevitable. I've yet to do a complete 3 pass shave because I'm still trying to figure out the ATG pass on some places (like my neck) where the razor wants to hang against stubble. I think I need some sort of skin stretching technique that would have been devised by Edgar Alan Poe, but I imagine it's just technique and I'll get there eventually. When the blade starts to hang, I stop for that session. Little by little I get a bit farther each time.

I've been doing an ATG cleanup pass with the Merkur 34C with a Feather blade to get to the BBS state. Today, after doing a WTG and and XTG with the straight razor, I did 3 passes with the Merkur to see if I was missing anything. Both WTG and XTG was simply the razor sliding over smooth skin, so that's good. I picked up a bit of stubble with the ATG passes on my neck and jaw line. I have noticed that except for the ATG pass, gradually straight razor shaving is starting to seem more like..ah.. just shaving -- except better.

Sounds like your doing well, don't get all hung up on that 3 pass shave, you can get a DFS without going ATG on the tougher parts like the neck, as long as you stretch well it gets the whiskers. But I understand , on the weekends and special occasions I will do it too, but you have made it this far so hang in there you will figure it out. Tc