progress question

I have been at this for about 5 months now, and it has been a fairly smooth ride; but at least once a month I use the DE, I guess as a measuring tool. Now, every shave with the straight gets better, but they still don't compare with my DE shaves. That said, I have about a year more experience with a DE and my straight shaves are exceptional no doubt; but only the cheeks and below my sideburns get nearly as smooth as a DE shave. It makes me wonder if 1) my razors need a touch-up honing, 2) if my stropping technique, which I think is fine, is not so great, or 3) just need a little more time. Just looking for some experienced opinions, hopefully from other former DE shavers. Comfort wise my straight shaves are on par with DE if not better; no burn, bumps or ingrowns. Just can't get the same closeness and smoothness.

Thanks,

JLW

I came into this from DE as well, and I have had similar experiences with smoothness. In fact, what you described is pretty much identical to me except that I only had 6 months of DE before I switched to straights, and I now have 6 months straight experience. The similarities I have experienced lead me to give this advice: give it a month or two.

I have only in the past month or so been getting the smoothness on my neck and jawline that I had been getting form the DE. But, like you, without the irritation. I think it's a matter of technique, or at least it is for me. If you're getting BBS on your cheeks and sideburns without pulling or problems, then your blade and stropping are probably OK. Your razor might benefit from a bit more keenness (I imagine after the initial hone that's probably true for most razors, except those in the hands of true experts) but in my case, and maybe yours too, it's more a matter of getting just the right angle for the tricky curves outside of the flat planes of my cheeks.

Like I said, this is my experience, but you did say a lot of things that were all true of me, as well.

i'm only about 7 shaves into a str8. i use a merkur futur de. for me it's like i'm all thumbs. either my hand blocks my vision and i'm shaving blind or i can't get the right blade direction for my beard. i know the cut i want to take with a certain area it's just that i can't decide on which hand to put the razor in. sometimes when i put the blade to my face at a direction that i know will clean the beard off i realize that if i do it i'll cut myself. so i shave with the de for touch ups.the tuff spots for me are on both sides of my adam's apple. i just can't seem the get the blade in there at a good angle. the de is no problem. i get less irritation with the str8 but when i do a touchup with the de i ruin the irritation free shave that i was getting.

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Originally Posted by gil3591

...the tuff spots for me are on both sides of my adam's apple. i just can't seem the get the blade in there at a good angle....

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Try this. With the rest of your neck free of lather, put some lather on the tough spot. For the left side of the adam's apple, hold the razor in your right hand, with the blade horizontal and edge upward, scales pointing toward the floor. With the left hand, fingers together and pointing upward, plant your first three fingertips about 2 inches left of the adam's apple, and push firmly toward your ear. This will pull the skin over to the left, putting the whiskers that were on the side of the apple out onto a flatter spot. Bring the blade around and use the toe of the blade, either straight up or at an angle upward to the right. :) (Reverse everything for the right side.)

By my calculations I only have about 2190 shaves under my belt. I usually get closer and more complete shaves with a straight now. What makes a big difference for me:

1) Using a really high grit hone with no concern for whether I might be using too many strokes.

2) Taking a serious look at all stropping and being really critical; not about whether its right or not, but about whether it improved the edge or not, as well as never doing any dulling with a strop. This can only be assessed by knowing how the blade shaves before stropping.

3) Giving myself the prep time that I'm convinced I don't need. I lather up 2 to 3 times with one minute in between.

4) Using a really light touch when shaving. If a light touch doesn't do the trick, adding pressure will not help.

5) Having a 30 degree angle "memorized" between what my eye should see and how my hand should be bent, on every place on my face.

6) Knowing what a near perfect honing/stropping should feel like and immediately stopping if anything is suspect, fixing it quickly, and moving on

7) Taking my friggin' time. I'm convinced that our forefathers got good shaves because they couldn't afford a wristwatch.

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Originally Posted by AFDavis11

By my calculations I only have about 2190 shaves under my belt. .

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So I guess you're still pretty new to this also?:roflmao

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Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I'm convinced that our forefathers got good shaves because they couldn't afford a wristwatch.

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This statement is great. If I just applied this to much of my daily life, I believe my life would benefit. Today's world is so fast paced that we try to cram more and more into it. If I was to just slow down and enjoy/do less things in a day, then I believe my life would be better for it.

I know this is bad, but I am going to butcher a story, because I believe it possess relevance to the quoted statement. I read somewhere (here begins the butchering) the CEO of Microsoft...Motorola...??? (here continues the butchering) only sets four goals to accomplish each day. He does not load his day beyond functional limits and he successfully runs a huge corporation. For me, SRS is one of my four things. Besides, those peaceful minutes spent shaving are some of the only minutes in my day where no one wants anything from me. After the kids wake-up (around 0630 hrs), my time is not my own.

You might laugh, but really, I still am pretty new at this. I still think I learn a little every day.

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Originally Posted by ReardenSteel

So I guess you're still pretty new to this also?:roflmao

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Originally Posted by AFDavis11

You might laugh, but really, I still am pretty new at this. I still think I learn a little every day.

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:) As do I. I got my first ATG pass on my neck today without any razor burn or nicks! I do learn something new everyday thanks to all the support of the members like you on this fantastic forum!

JeremyLee,

The BBS shave with a straight will come in time.

I have been shaving with a straight the same time as yourself, and I am now at the stage where a three (3) pass shave with straight is almost as BBS as a six (6) pass shave with a DE (using Feather blades).
The only place where the straight shave is not as smooth is on my neck around the Adams apple. However the staright shave is far more comfortable, and the after-shave stings so much less !
The straight shave is also so much more enjoyable, and "I start the day in a very much better frame of mind" (to quote Mr Abrams!)

So please give it time :)

Best regards

Russ

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Originally Posted by JeremyLee

but only the cheeks and below my sideburns get nearly as smooth as a DE shave.
JLW

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Congrats on your progress! For me the biggest tip was that on the ATG pass you should stretch the skin upward in front of the blade path (the opposite of WTG stretch points). That's what got me from clean shaven to bare-faced.

I hope it works for you.

Cheers and Good Luck,
=)