Thread: It keeps getting better

Hello again all. I've reregistered (is that a real word ?) from the crash, and have been doing a lot of lurking, reading, and practicing. It really is amazing how much good information and advice can be found here. I offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone on the forum - you really can't imagine how much help you have been.

Anyway, I have been shaving with a straight exclusively since my first shave on New Year's Eve. While that first shave wasn't what I would call bad, it wasn't exactly great either (the results, anyway - the experience was way cool.) I kept reading and practicing, and along the way I corrected so many things I was doing wrong. I learned the importance of proper prep, and what happens when I skimp. I also learned about proper stropping, or more particularly that 10 or 15 laps is NOT the same thing as, say, 50. (I think I am starting to see a pattern here regarding shortcuts.) I have even managed to hone a couple of my razors to a point where I can get a decent shave from them, though I still have a loooong way to go on this skill.

The upshot of all this is that pretty much every shave has been an improvement on the last - some big, some small, but an improvement nonetheless.

Then, Sat. night, I had a breakthrough. I had been having a bit of a problem with razor burn (OK, a real problem with razor burn), and I had been blaming it on the razor. As I lathered up, I remembered someone's advice that too much pressure/incorrect angle could also cause burn. I made a minor adjustment to my angle, and a major one to the amount of pressure I was using, and presto - a nice close shave with no razor burn at all. It wasn't BBS, but it was dang close, and far better than any I ever got with my Mach3/Fusion. I could hardly wait for last night (I only have to shave every other day now). I showered, prepped, and shaved. Son of a gun, I did it again - no razor burn ! If it get's better than this, I don't think I can stand myself.

By the way, the wife is tickled pink that I'm shaving so much. I used to put it off as long as I could, shaving only when I had to or when my beard got to that itchy phase. Now, for the first time, I really look forward to shaving.

I apologize for the long post, but I had to share my excitement with you good folks on SRP.

Dave

Nice one Dave

Soon you'll be wishing your beard would grow in quicker!

James.

You sound like me....I absolutely HATED shaving with a cartridge and got to the point where I'd shave only about once a week. Since I started straight shaving and using the different soaps etc., I shave almost every day now AND look forward to it!!

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Nice one Dave

Soon you'll be wishing your beard would grow in quicker!

James.

I already do ! I catch myself feeling my 5:00 shadow wondering if I can shave it yet.

I catch myself feeling my 5:00 shadow wondering if I can shave it yet.

So do I, now that I have a properly sharpened razor (Honed by Mike_ratliff). I made the mistake of buying a warped blade from a junk shop & trying to hone it myself w/ an [unlapped] Arkansas stone--gave up real fast & went to DEs--much better shave than the "Crap-3", but I still wanted to give straights a proper go--so this time, I did it the "right way" with a shave-ready blade. Makes all the difference--2nd shave w/ it & some spots are already smoother than the DE could do! Some aren't, but it should get better. I also noticed the pressure/angle thing this morning! I think a major case of RAD is right around the corner!

Erik