Thread: Help with technique

Sorry the "which is a pain" was directed at the 1cm at a time thing... meaning I'd have to learn this scything that you talk of. But scything makes me nervous because thats the same stroke I use to carve big thick slices of turkey breast....
Which is why I'm asking about technique. I WANT to learn.
I think what I established is as shaves go I love full hollow Solingens. But honestly, touching that thing to my face teleported me back 100 years. While all my razors are vintage, that thing felt the most real. Like I felt it was the 1900's and I was shavin' it old school. It was Nostalgic. Sure all my razors make me feel cool and are fun and stuff but thats the only one I thought of as an antique or old. I'll probably end up with a few Sheffields for my RAD and display, and it is mandatory in my opinion that they are big wedgy and smily cus thats what makes em 19th century ballah'. And I feel buying something useless is stupid... so I want to learn how to shave with all my blades. So while I like Solingens and will continue to spend more than I can afford on them, I'll keep an eye open for nice display Sheffields... but I have to learn how to shave with those beasts first...

You gave such a long question and I hope that this longer post helps.
Lather is very important. I use Penhaligons English Fern and it lathers like almost no other soap for me. I use many creams but a good one is expensive and day in and day out, for me, soap is the way to go.
I have found that when I shave with a straight the whole process is needed to complete the shave. I use an extremely light touch with a very sharp and smooth razor edge so I can get away with a lot of passes after the hot towel treatment.

1. First pass: I go WTG first using short overlapping strokes which I believe to be the standard considering what I have read and it certainly works for me. This includes the chin and the neck... all of it. You are trying to reduce the stubble.
2. Second pass: If my skin is dry or I feel that the first pass was just not the most comfortable because my beard was not softened enough I go another pass WTG. I use a slight variation and go XTG on my jaw line by for the most part WTG. I really concentrate on my chin. It does not take a lot of time for the second WTG pass because the stubble for the most part is gone.
3. Third pass: I go XTG from the chin to the ear because of the way that my beard grows. I have a chin area where the hair grows towards the ear so this is really a WTG in this area. I shave my neck with a very light ATG neck single non-overlapping stroke to just kinda knock it down I have to go extremly light because my beard in this area is very stiff and the skin is very soft.
4. Fouth pass: XTG from the ear to the center of the chin. Like I said close to the chin I will be going ATG but I have knocked it down with the third pass. I let the lather soak into my neck to get ready for the real ATG.
5. Fifth pass: I am ready to go ATG. I go ATG all the way up and have found a little trick lately. I don't clean the blade off coming off my neck. I stretch my skin pulling down on the sideburns and side of my face but I take a couple of more strokes stretching the skin from up top, this really stands the hair up. The blade full of lather kinda "dumps" a little so that I can hit it again. I wait till I have gone over it once because it would dig in and hurt to much if I stretched from the top at the start of the final attack.
6. Clean up! I usually takes me about 15 minutes including stropping making lather and all the while I am wearing my hot microwaved towel tucked in around my neck and beard.

I get shaves that are very close and almost no irritation. The secret for me has been the honing that I do and the almost zero pressure that use. I can use an alcohol base AS if I wish and get almost no burn. I choose to use a really good finish of which there are many. Your shaves will improve and should blow away anything a DE or a plastic wonder can give. They just don't have the physics or the adaptability that a straight has to give potentially everyone a shave that is not to be believed. The reason that I posted this long thing is that for me it has taken a long time to get something that works for me. It will a little different for everyone but the basics are the same.


Take Care,
Richard

If you're having trouble stretching because of slippage, then you should try the alum block trick. (You DO have an alum block, don't you?) Just before you pick up the razor, dampen your hands, then rub the alum block between them as if it were a bar of soap and you were washing your hands. After about 20 seconds of this, put back the alum block and wave your hands a bit to dry. This will make your fingers "grabby" (like wearing one of those rubber page-turners), and you can really pull the skin taut.

NO alum block... just a little pencil.

Originally Posted by khaos

NO alum block... just a little pencil.

A styptic pencil is not made of alum. An alum block might stop some very tiny nicks, but it's not intended to replace a styptic pencil. Some people like to rub their face with it after the cold water rinse, to close the pores and tighten the skin.

I thought they were both Hydrated Potassium Aluminium Sulfate... commonly known as alum. Thats what my pencil is at least...

Originally Posted by khaos

I thought they were both Hydrated Potassium Aluminium Sulfate... commonly known as alum. Thats what my pencil is at least...

Most styptic pencils are made with titanium dioxide. While alum could be used as a styptic pencil, it wouldn't be nearly as effective as titanium dioxide. What I'm talking about you can see at this link.

Originally Posted by khaos

@Utopian- this makes a lot of sense... thanks for letting me know. Didn't think about it but now it seems obvious, its just a matter of levers... if your wrist/hand/arm/whatever moves two degrees at the heel this is only say .25", at the toe it would be like 1" so yeah I bet you have tons more control. Thanks.

Yes, exactly, you understand it perfectly. I do hope it helps.