Thread: Help with technique

I know I've been here a few months and I know it says senior member next to my name, but I am still a newbie and here's some questions I have.

Background:
I just got three razors back, two Solingens (1 Buntenbach Tambour, 1 J.A. Schmidt and Sohne), a touch over 5/8s I believe, hollow as hell, and a Jo Rodgers, it was just under 7/8s or so at it's smile I believe but it was nicked so I dunno what its at now, I dunno how much wedge is a quarter wedge but this is close to a triangle end on so I'm gonna call it a IV or a III or maybe a II on the scale thingy. Previously I have shaved with not so shave ready (shave, but not honemeister shave) Solingen hollows around 5/8s and a wedgy (1/4 wedge?) 4/8s Solingen sharpened by hi_bud_gl (=sharp, though he said it wasn't that sharp, and I now see why).

Things I noticed different:
-The two Solingens don't ring. They sound like buttering burnt toast with a rasp. Previously I've heard my hollows ring ever so slightly. I'm guessing this is because the less than perfect edge was snagging back a bit and springing forward, vibrating. And now its just cutting cleanly.
-The Sheffield in a way feels like the wedgy solingen, silent and smooth plowing through hair.
-The big smile on the Sheffield requires rolling/slight side ways movement or else only like a cm of blade touches... which is a pain.

Things I now need help with:
-The Solingens left my face ultra smooth first pass, just a bit of stubble feel-able when I rubber ATG. No questions asked. At first I was cautious- I tested each of the blades with an area on my right cheek (right handed=right hand has more control) and I decided to do the rest of my face with my favourite of the two, the Buntenbach based on looks. Whipped it out in half the time, no nicks. VERY nice. However... atg seemed to catch a little around the chin and moustache. I have always had problems here and I guess the newly sharpened blade did much better, but any help/advice is useful. I can't find a way to make a face or stretch to get the chin taught enough.... I think this is my problem....
-Though I did most of my face with the Buntenbach, I tested the smiling Rodgers in the hollow patches under my jaw and near my trachea. The blade fits here nicer than the straight blades, but It got my only nick from its spik-ish toe. It didn't do flat surfaces well though... had to do a slight sideways thing that I'm not too comfortable with I feel it's asking for a slice. Any help/ideas?
-I am having some troubles with my lather. Its good for 5 mins, then it dries/becomes a bad lube so I have to rinse and relather. I moved away from the VDH... I'm in a Vulfix Burlington (part of the London series, pure badger) and Rivivage Traditional European Shave soap, both from Classic Shaving. The lather is like ten times better than the VDH, where I also had the drying problem, but then I blamed the soap a little. I use TONS of water when lathering, and the lather is really rich and fantabulous when I make it... I love just wiping it around my face (I start the lather in the bowl, til most of the big visible bubbles are gone, then finish on my face so its like whipped cream) Any help or is this because I am a slow shaver, or am I working the lather too much?

These are my main issues- I feel they might be minor because I am getting shaves consistently better/on par with my Fusion, and definitely better than the Mach 3. Very BBS very consistantly, so I'm happy... I'm just looking for better, and I know its my technique. Also, since I haven't learned with/practiced with a heavy Sheffield smiling wedge, I need all the advice I can get on how to effectively shave it.

THANKS ALL!
PS: The two Solingens were $35 for both and a little more for honing (one was free through Utopians deal). BEST money I ever spent. My Goldedge si still my favourite, the way it shaves now once its honed I can't even think about, and my Leader looks so good too, but I spent more on each of them than I did on both of these! Truly a testament to being able to find absolute gems really cheap.

I can't help with the chin because I wear a goatee.

As far as the lather, you probably should NOT be using "tons" of water. Using lot's of extra water will make a light lather with lot's of big bubble pop up real fast, but it's not much good for shaving with, and it will dry quickly.

Try using just barely enough water to create lather. You want a lather that is comprised of the tiniest possible bubbles, and feels thick and creamy. It should be thick enough that even a very thinly applied layer is enough to cover your skin.

What I do is use a lot of water and most of it runs off in the first stages. I know about the problem you mentioned... the lather I make end sup having no visible bubbles, even close up. It feels like cream. Like sun block. So its not thin. Its thick and creamy, and only about 1-2mm coverage on the skin- the stubble pops out, but it is thick enough that skin is whited out from view, only black dots are visible.

Ive only been at it for a month or so, i cant really help you much. But as far as your lather problem goes....you said you were a slow shaver. And from what i have learned in my short time is that slow shaving=dry lather if its on your face.

What i do is lather my whole face for a quick wtg pass (the only pass i do right now), then i lather each spot on my face and shave it...rinsing and repeating until im finished. If i leave lather on my whole face and really concentrate it drys up. Try that out and see if your lather seems to provide more lubrication

Not sure how long you are taking to shave but when I first started I too took so long that the lather would dry up and I would have to rinse and relather. With practice my speed improved and that became a thing of the past.

On my chin I found a post where a fellow recommended holding the thumb and forefinger in a U shape on either side of the chin. Stretch towards the ears and gently shave the chin (point) using whatever direction, angle works for you. I don't try going ATG on my mustache BTW, it works for me in some areas and not in others. WTG and XTG are fine for me but ATG just where it works comfortably.

WTG pass= 5ish mins, no trouble. XTG (if I do it, WTG is normally close to BBS) is also 5ish mins. ATG pass= 10? 15? mins depending. I think it is taking too long and letting it dry cus its great stuff at first.

Thanks for the advice, I'll try it. Sitting here doing it and feeling the skin thats a huge improvement.

I really think I'm "splitting hairs" cus the WTG pass is good enough that if I'm in a rush or lazy I'll just leave it at that, maybe some XTG where it REALLY needs it. If I bother with ATG its usually to get it to the point where there is no feel-able stubble any more. The only spot there is still feel-able stubble is on my chin and mustache, and 9 out of 10 nicks and cuts occur ATG in aforementioned areas. The other 1 out of 10 occurs on my neck in the hollow parts of my neck when a spike gets me.

Also for the chin, I read in barbers manuals and seem to believe that you get better results using the heel end of the blade for that area where you are constantly adjusting for new angles of attack. This helped me after I read it and took it to heart.

The more practice I got the more my stretching improved. It is still improving, just not at the same rate that it did before but I find new ways to stretch problem areas as time goes on.

@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.
@JimmyHAD- yeah I thought so, and this has been the general trend, but its been what, fourish/fivish months now and I'm still having this issue so I thought I'd ask. Thanks for the technique you mentioned.

Originally Posted by khaos

-The big smile on the Sheffield requires rolling/slight side ways movement or else only like a cm of blade touches... which is a pain.

Lots of barbers preferred the smiling configuration and Jimmy often posts a link to the barbers manual that describes how to hone to create a smiling blade. The smiling blade lends itself very well to the scything stroke.

I had to use a wet grinder to remove that rather large chip and deliberately left a smiling shape to the blade because of the location of the chip. If you really don't like the smile, you can either sell the razor or I can straighten the edge for you.