Thread: Tell Us Your Routines

Hello All,

I'm very new to straight razor shaving. Glad to be here among the masters and fellow newbies. My gears are on the way, they are a 5/8 Dovo Special Imititation Tortoise (honed by Lynn), the practice Filly strop from Ken, Proraso preshave cream, Tabac soap, and a badger from Art of Shaving. I've been trying to compile as much information as possible from the posts here, but I am still unsure about some details, as though I'm losing the clear picture of the step-by-step routines for daily shave.

I thought it would be great to start a thread containing what people actually do daily in the step-by-step format. Perhaps the format could be something like this?

GEAR:
Razor(s):
Strop(s):
Hones:
Soap/Cream:
etc.

PRESHAVE:
1. (Which strops do you use, how many passes for each strop, how do you break in your razors before shaving daily, if by hand-rubbing, how many times)
2. (Lathering technique)
3. etc.

SHAVE:
1. (Which part of the face you begin with)
2. (Do you rinse your razor with water while shaving? Do you wipe it out?)
3. etc.

POST-SHAVE
1. (Post-shave stropping? Using which strops? How many times)
2. (How do you dry and store your razor)
3. etc.

A newbie like me would be very much benefited from knowing and understanding the daily shaving procedure from many different people with different rationale. If this sounds good, perhaps later we can create threads for strop maintenance, honing, etc. in the similar format.

Thanks a bunch for your help, folks!

I don't think this would really work (there's already SOTD and most people hate repeating the same thing over and over) but I'll tell you my way

Originally Posted by aristotle

GEAR:
Razor(s): 1 to 4 (out of 150) (when I'm testing)
Strop(s): 1 (out of 10 or so), sometimes linen sometimes just a minute or so on the leather i.e. 50-60 laps
Hones: no way if the razor is dull it gets honed but not as a routine
Soap/Cream: definitely soap, 1 (out of 30 or so)
etc.

PRESHAVE:
1. (Which strops do you use, how many passes for each strop, how do you break in your razors before shaving daily, if by hand-rubbing, how many times): see above, but it happens after lathering; generally don't rub the strop with my hand
2. (Lathering technique): Wet the brush at the end of shower, shake, leave on top of soap while drying myself except the face, load the brush (swirl as necessary for 10-20s), build lather on face
3. strop
4. relather

SHAVE:
1. (Which part of the face you begin with): right side/right hand start at sideburns finish the motion at the bottom of neck
2. (Do you rinse your razor with water while shaving? Yes
Do you wipe it out?) Yes on my finger
3. etc.

POST-SHAVE
1. (Post-shave stropping? Using which strops? How many times) may be 10 on linen
2. (How do you dry and store your razor) with a toilet paper, then leave it open on a shelf
3. etc.

There's a wealth of info in the Wiki section that will address a lot of this and lead you to more info and other links. Check out Jockeys video's: Videos - Straight Razor Place Forums

Sounds like you got a pretty good handle on the gear part. For the rest read the Wiki and do some forum searches for specific questions. Give it a try and if you still have some specific questions post a new thread. It's sort of like a treasure hunt. All your questions have been answered multiple times...you just have to do a little reading.

Best advice I can give at this point in your shaving "career" is to not skimp on the beard prep. If you just spash some hot water on your face, lather up, and shave you won't have a very good first experience. Do a hot towel, put on your preshave and leave it on with a hot towel for a couple minutes, then lather up and shave. You might also do a couple practice runs building lather so you don't spend a lot of time with that and let your beard dry out.

While you're waiting for your gear a worthwhile thing to do is pattern your beard to see which way the hair grows and maybe even simulate shaving with a pencil or something to get a feel for the best way to attack your beard.

strop 60 x on leather
hot towel for 5 min
lather up mamabears soap
apply lather
shave sides wtg
shave neck wtg
do xtg, atg
touch up
hot rinse
cold rinse
dry blade, strop apply oil
clean shave den

Here's my usual,

1) start hot water into the sink with later cup and hot water bowl and brush
2) take 10 min shower
3) fill shave bowl with hot water, swirl brush tip in soap a few times
4) make lather
5) splash face with hot water lather up
6) strop 30 linnen / 50 leather
7) WTG / XTG / ATG
8) rince face with cool water
9) after shave balm

woohoo

- Tam -

hot shower
razor, any number of about a dozen, but often my 7/8 half hollow W&B smiling spike w. desert ironwood scales
strop 12-20 laps on Illinois 361 linen (optional)
strop 60 laps frequently on the Illinois 361
lather TGQ Leatherneck & Edwin Jagger BBB
(sometimes) Trufitt and Hill 1805 & custom SST badger brush w. maple burl handle
1st pass directly ATG on my neck sideburns and cheeks, then WTG on goatee
I rinse, then wipe the blade when it is loaded
lather with the soap again (cream needs no second lathering, just a splash of hot water
2nd pass ATG on the goatee only
water only touch up (hunt & peck)
cold water splash, pat dry
Thayer's Witch Hazel Skin Astringent with Aloe as AS
Lush Celestial moisturising cream
usually Nigerian Green Musk EO as a scent
wipe the edge with rubbing alcohol
strop about 20 laps on the TM Red Latigo hanging from my wardrobe

... or variations along that theme.

Today I did an ATG pass with water only and my DD Special on my neck sideburns and cheeks after stropping 60 laps on the Proforma strop which just arrived.

Hope that helps.

X

Thank you all for being so nice and helpful! I will take a look more closely at what's already available in this forum.