9 month mark - update and tips
Geez, has it been that long?
I suppose I should update you all on how I'm going.
I started with a very nice ern/crown and sword 11/16 round point that was scaled beautifully in walnut burl that I bought from philadelph back in January. I also got him to send me a tony miller travel strop which started me off.
The plan was, stick to one razor, stick to one strop, I don't need to spend too much. I had a badger brush and some cheap proraso shave soap.
It took me about a month, give or take, to get a good comfortable shave with a straight, through much trial and error. Cuts, bleeders, and well styptic came in handy..
I discovered the body shop products early on, discovering that with their razor relief and shave cream, so long as the bleeder/scratches weren't too deep my face would heal the same day. I highly recommend both products for newbies as the shave cream lathers easily and is very moisturising, whereas the razor relief can be a life saver.
I still use razor relief to condition the skin after a very close shave.
Somewhere along the line I changed up and started using the de/electric along side the straight when I didn't really have time for a proper shave - some people will "poo poo" this but in reality it has been a lifesaver in terms of getting to work on time. That said, the de doesn't see much use these days and it's almost always the electric(about once a week) or straight. I find the electric gives my face a much needed rest when I get a cut also
In terms of gear, the first purchase was something to keep the edge of my ern going and to do this I bought a coticule bout secondhand from gugi. While I was originally going to go with pastes and a paddle, I discovered that the price would have been prohibitive getting it all shipped out here to Australia, so I settled on the next best/most versatile solution I could find in the interim considering my limited budget at the time.
The coticule allowed me to keep the edge on the ERN more than sharp enough to shave with, and taught me a bit about honing.
Somewhere around here I got an artisan strop and a new brush. This was also about the time when I found TOBS shave cream in Melbourne, Australia (Henry Buck's if you're looking for it). It lathers and shaves about on par with the body shop shave cream, but smells better. I like the Eton college flavor.
It was about this time I got my new job, and started getting back into shaving with the straight in earnest.
I got curious about stiffer grinds and bigger razors... so I started asking questions and bought a griffon carbomagnetic from Don, honed by him. This is a half hollow, 13/16 and for all intents and purposes it is a fantastic shaver, so much so I decided to part with the ERN and traded it with BeBerlin for a (huge, 7/8- feels more like 8/8) Timor.
Now, I've always wanted to have a fillarmonica, so you can imagine my surprise when I found out the Timor had been ground from a filly blank. The thing shaves like nothing else and I love it to bits. At the moment, I must say it is my go-to razor when I want the closest shave I can get. The Carbomagnetic on the other hand gets used when I am in a hurry or need a more gentle shave, due to how it shaves and the fact it is more forgiving.
From here? - well I have some diamond pastes on order to try out with balsa, I want to see if I can get a finer edge on these razors just because I can. I also have a Japanese waterstone on its way to play with.
I also have my eye on those new TI razors, as I've always said that I want 3 razors in my "stable".. I now have two, one of which is a definite keeper (the Timor, could be tempted to part with the Carbomagentic if I find something else more interesting). :w
I have gotten one of my friends to try straight shaving and put a nice edge on his blade with the coticule alone so I consider myself no longer a newbie when it comes to using that hone.
So what have I learned that I'd like to pass on?
1. I've learned that styptic pencils break, wahl make a styptic liquid which is dirt cheap and works well, highly recommended (use a q-tip/cotton bud if you have a bigger bleeder!)
2. I've learned that a sharp razor is a good razor and the final shave is more dependent on the person shaving than the type of razor
3. I've learned that the right pressure to use is almost none at all
4. I've learned that a coticule is an amazingly good hone/polishing stone for a beginner and it's very forgiving.
5. I've learned that 3 passes is better than two, even if the third pass is just a second WTG pass
6. I've learned that 2 passes is generally enough to be "clean shaven" and 3 is needed for bbs but bbs is not required for work/work days.
7. I've learned that a comfortable shave beats a close shave, hands down, every time.
8. I've learned that a hot shave mug makes lather better than a cold one
9. I've learned that using slightly more shave cream than not tends to allow you to whip a nicer lather
10. I've learned that the optimal number of passes on a strop (imo) is about 30-35 with 25 being not enough and 40 being probably a little too much
11. I've learned that a 3 inch wide strop doesn't require an x pattern so is easier to use generally.
12. I've learned that glycerol (glycerin) is good for a beginner but is of limited use if you use creams and get better at making lather
13. I've learned that it can be expensive to shave with good products, so the more creams/after shaves/colognes you use, the worse off you can be financially - work out how much you want to spend per day and average it out.. it adds up. Which is why I use after shave balm only when I need it now.
14. I've learned that using less in terms of products can be better for your skin overall as well as cheaper
15. I've learned that no matter what you will occasionally scratch and or nick your strop, just as you nick your face and there is no point worrying about it - but a bit of neat foot oil will get out all but the worst scratches/nicks.
16. I've learned that using shave cream is my preference over shave soap generally (but I haven't tried colleens or mamabears so I can't comment there - they are just too far around the world to ship stuff at reasonable prices)
17. I've learned that you can "go up" on the neck, but it requires careful positioning
18. I've learned that shaving every day is better for your skin than shaving every second or third day in general.
So.. in summary, I've learned a lot, and I've had fun doing it, and intend to continue doing it for years to come.
To anyone who reads this thread - Good luck shaving, enjoy it, don't push it and don't try and learn too much too fast as you'll just end up with blood on the blade.
