Thread: How are you coming along?

Originally Posted by STOGIE

I'm going to have to find another type of soap really soon!

Any recomendations that are better and more soothing than Old Spice aftershave?

For soap, I would recommend trying Colleen's soap. I absolutely love the lather I get from her soaps, and I find myself sniffing the bristles of my brush frequently. LOL!

Also, I would recommend trying an AS Balm. Or Trumpers Skin Food. Much more soothing and better for the skin. Then, for scent you can add a little alcohol-based AS like Aqua Velva or Clubman or OS around the ears and lower neck.

~Chris

Originally Posted by honedright

This is very familiar..my impression is your stropping is not yet quite up to par.

Maybe just a little more pressure while stropping on the leather pulled out firmly. And, if you feel comfortable with it, try speeding up the stroke a bit. Some alternating with the linen side would help as well (best to end with stropping on the leather side if you do this). Just make sure you keep that razor flat and slightly angled (point moving ahead of the heel).

The #827 is a good strop and should do the trick. Hairs should be falling off instead of popping off. Keep at it, you're almost there.



Scott

Interesting..... I have beenstropping with the angle while leading with the heel.....

As for the pressure....I was thinking that I was using too much pressure.... I say this because I can the ridges on the back of the strop..... However I can't seem to get away from that, no matter ho light I try it......

One other question - currently the only place I have to anchor my strop is my towel bar whis is about 4" off the ground..... now, I'm only 5'-6". Shoud the anchor be higher or lower than the handle?....... or is this just a preferance?

Thanks!

I'm assuming you mean 4 feet from the ground? From personal experience, it is easier to keep the blade flat and light if the strop is about waist-high.

Originally Posted by STOGIE

Interesting..... I have beenstropping with the angle while leading with the heel.....

As for the pressure....I was thinking that I was using too much pressure.... I say this because I can the ridges on the back of the strop..... However I can't seem to get away from that, no matter ho light I try it......

One other question - currently the only place I have to anchor my strop is my towel bar whis is about 4" off the ground..... now, I'm only 5'-6". Shoud the anchor be higher or lower than the handle?....... or is this just a preferance?

Thanks!

I'm assuming you meant to post that you can feel the ridges as you strop? As long as you can feel resistance between the razor and strop, and you are keeping the razor flat, you're probably using enough pressure. Don't try to push the razor into the strop. Alow the weight of your arm and a bit of tention from your thumb on the razor shank to control the pressure. Try re-adjusting your razor angle as I mentioned before, and maybe just a tad more (or even less - experiment!) pressure, and see how it goes.

You'd probably be more comfortable with your strop anchored at a point at, or just below waist level. Having your strop at a point too low, or too high, can dramatically affect stropping performance.


Scott

Well, I completed my first ever straight razor shave last Sunday evening. Using brand new, “Lynn Abrams sharpened (LAS)” Dovo 5/8 razor. It was difficult, but I was able to get the right half of the face done in 30 minutes. Severe razor burn and these little red bumps followed, all was gone by morning though, never got the BBS. Used AOS pre-shave oil and shaving cream. Did about seven or eight passes in various directions. Shaved about 20 minutes after shower, no hot towel just rinsed face with hot water and began.

Monday night shaved left half of face after performing hot towel treatment per Lynn Abrams video. Less razor burn and red bumps than Sunday night, but both were still plenty and very noticeable, that is why I shave in evening. No BBS. Did about five or six passes in various directions (WTG, XTG, ATG, WTG, XTG) Used pre-shave oil as well. Stropped a straight for the first time ever…about 4 hours before shave.

Last night, shaved right side of face immediately out of shower and used pre-shaved oil. Much less razor burn and red bumps, getting a little closer to BBS. Did only three passes and am beginning to realize perhaps more passes are necessary but in very localized areas. Had to use Mach 3 to shave chin area, always get near BBS using Mach 3, but visible stubble of outline of beard area on face always remains, even though stubble can’t be felt (unless you wait until three hours later). Stropped razor about 4 hours before shave.

Tonight, will go with left side again, no pre-shave oil, right out of shower and see what happens.

Howdy Fellow Newbies!

Cobo, what comes after obsession? This thread is a good idea, but don't be shy about jumping in out there - it's really a friendly group. Allow me to jump in here and say that is is good to see you are all doing so well. I started using a straight after dumping my electric razor. I hated to shave when I was anticipating that stubble tug-fest in the morning.

I was supposed to be saving money, but that is now a moot point. (See "RAD" - ) What has happened is that I am really looking forward to shaving now.

I hear you Cobo about the chin being difficult. It remains the toughest part of my face to get shaved smoothly. (I have kept my mustache intact - it took too long to grow! ) My experience confirms what I've read about really stretching the skin helping to get a close shave. I just need to remember that firmer pressure while doing so doesn't help. I've felt the razor burn on my chin more than once because I keep getting overanxious.

Have any of you reached the point yet where you want to do any restoring? I am giving it a go, and it is both frustrating and fun. Seeing the miracles the other forum members perform is amazing to me, and I have a whole new respect for anyone who can hand sand to a mirror finish.

Obsession is when you don't feel right unless you hear the constant "skritch-skritch" of sandpaper on metal as you are watching TV, or seeing scraps of smoothed out sandpaper all over the place, or having so much MAAS on your fingertips that they actually shine when you wipe it off. Well, enough of that!

Good luck with your stropping - take your time. I never worry about speed when I strop, I just try to keep from rolling my edge. It's too late to worry about the nicks on the strop.

My experience is pretty good so far...

I have been at this for about three months so far and here is my status:

I have not done an ATG pass yet and I may never. It is way to rough on my skin no matter the angle or the blade.

I thoroughly enjoy my process and I love refining and trying new things

I can shave decently in about 10 minutes after beard prep.

I do still experience slight irritation in a few spots right after the shave but it goes away with the alum block and about 10 minutes of recovery time.

I recently shaved with my second shave ready blade ever and I am a little spoiled by it! The longer blade length is a bit hard to maneuver but the shave is really smooth.

Originally Posted by STOGIE

[*]Stropping - I have the Illinois Russian Leather #827. It seems that when I strop my razor when my strop is hanging, it sucks! I get much better results when I lay it flat on my table. either way I can't pass the HHT unless I "smack" or "chop" the hair with the edge of the razor. When it does cut the hair, there is an audible pop.

My strop is nick free, but, I did have to figure out how to hold it. I have the Illinois Russian too and if I grab the handle, it cups on me. I fold the handle over my pointer finger and pinch it between my pointer and middle fingers. By keeping my fingers straight while doing this, I get a nice flat taunt strop to go to work on.

I, too, started using a straight fairly recently, about a month or so ago. I have found that the technique of actually using the razor comes along from the repetition of shaving every or every other day as is my case. For me the most difficult part of this whole enterprise is keeping the razor sharp enough to get an effective shave. If the razor has been properly stropped I do not have too many problems shaving with it. However, if it is not sharp enough, which has been the case on more than one occasion, then the shaving part becomes frustrating simply from not being able to cut through the beard. Again, like acquiring technique for using the razor, only practice and repetition will improve the technique of sharpening the razor. As always, patience is certainly a virtue here!!

Originally Posted by mrbhagwan

Have any of you reached the point yet where you want to do any restoring? I am giving it a go, and it is both frustrating and fun. Seeing the miracles the other forum members perform is amazing to me, and I have a whole new respect for anyone who can hand sand to a mirror finish.

Yes, I have started to dabble in restoration myself. I have an unknown razor I picked up at a flea market, as well as a Wostenholm & Sons IXL that I'm working on.

As stated before, I'm even working on a prototype razor box made of red oak with red velvet lining, inset mirror and mortise lock. The first box is going to Chady, but I'm sure I'll be making more!

~Chris

Originally Posted by sicboater

My experience is pretty good so far...

I have been at this for about three months so far and here is my status:

I have not done an ATG pass yet and I may never. It is way to rough on my skin no matter the angle or the blade.

I am curious to know, how do you have then, probably first with the grain, the across the grain (XTG), then....?