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I have been shaveing with a straight for most of the summer now. I have even had some really great shaves but sometime have to use a saptic stick to take care of a nick. And some time have a little rush on the neck. Which is best for getting relaif on the neck area? Is a Alum block better on these areas without the burn of a saptic stick?:confused:
Jeez. Don't know. I would try and figure out the cause of the burn/irritation.
There should be no burn or irritation with a straight.
I would consider trying aloe vera and skipping both.
this is interesting... I have also head that there should be no burn with a straight.
However, I do get burn on my neck if I do too many passes. I never get burn on my cheeks or my upper lip. Is this a problem with technique or could this be from an improper stropping technique.
I'd get burn on my neck when I started using a straight, but it went away when I got the hang of the angle and pressure.
I am talking about the burn caused by the us of the stypic stick. I only got some rush on my neck some of the time. I use Wicth Hazle after I shave then shave balm. :idea:
Alum does have less sting then styptic. Its also a little less effective. It would still be my choice, mostly because its clear.
I like using an alum block. I only use styptic if I have a small cut! I use alum all over my face after I shave. Now as far as burn you are going to have a little but it should not be bad. More than anything its probably you are using to much pressure when you shave. If you use to much pressure your after shave or in your case the styptic pencil will burn like all hell!! I am no pro by any means but I know when I use to much pressure. The aftershave always reminds me of it :D
Alum blocks are cheap and the only way to know if they are for you is to buy one and give it a go!!!:gl:
Quote:
Originally Posted by catackett
Sorry I should have read more!!!
If you cut the skin the alum block will burn but in my experience its less than a styptic !!
Try experimenting on how you stretch the skin of the neck-- it took me a while to find the right angle that gives me a nice smooth shave there.Quote:
Originally Posted by catackett
I use Nivia Balm For Sensitive Skin after my shave. So far so good.
-Chief
As time goes by, and you get more shaves under your belt, this will become a non-issue (I hope). My first year of straight razor shaving I lived with the alum block and the steptic pencil. + witch Hazel, Coral Skin Food, Balms, you name it. Since I have learned to go lightly and not press, plus learning the concept of just reducing the hair with each pass - and proceeding to the next pass to pick off what I left on the previous pass; I no longer need these products! I rarely nick myself or cut myself, and when that occurs, it was because my mind wasn't paying attention to where the edge was. I have, also, learned the characteristics of my skin and my face. You will find there will be places on your face you will seem to cut yourself (or nick) on the same place. You will learn to be very careful when shaving that area and to use the proper angle and pressure of your blade.
It will get better! Give yourself time to learn these things. The best is yet to be!
Go lightly my friend!!
Steve
try alcohol free thayer's witch hazel. comes in rose, lavender or lemon.
Try some Ogallala Bay Rum.
:overkill:
I mean DON'T try it. :)
You never felt burn until you tried that stuff.
First, let's talk about burn. As far as I know, there are only a few things that cause burning and most of them have been already covered. Tighten the skin, Lower the angle of the blade to maybe 20 deg., make shorter passes, are you doing a prep, is your soap wet enough, use way less pressure, is your razor sharp enough? All of these seem to be causes that I have found to cause razor burn. I have tried the alum block and nivea, but the best product that was suggested by someone here was Corn Huskers Hand Lotion. It seems to work best for me.
When it comes to cuts and nicks. I just buck up and hit it with the styptic pencil and go with it. Doesn't happen that often anyway. I think I am on my 206th shave without a cut, so far. Knock on wood.
Good luck,
Ray
I get a little on the neck on the outer part of the shave area. I have been using a mixture of AS, Witch Hazel and a few drops of shave secret from Wal Mart. Works great. The Shave secret is an oil mix with menthol. Very soothing.
Figure out what's causing the burn. Your face should be accustomed to a straight razor shave by now unless you have very sensitive skin. Things to check into: the razor's edge ... what are you honing/stropping with? the lather soap is a possibility as some dry out the skin; are you using a pre-oil? They can help.
I tried Corn Huskers lotion for a while as a pre-shave/during shower and found that it seems to over soften my skin and make it more sensitive to razor burn.Quote:
I have tried the alum block and nivea, but the best product that was suggested by someone here was Corn Huskers Hand Lotion. It seems to work best for me.
I just bought one of the $12 pocket telescopes sold by Radio Shake and used it to inspect the edge of my daily shaver before my first honing session and found that it had a slight wave and the edge at 100X looked like a miniature hack saw. After bread knifing the end of my hone (Chinese 12K) and many, many passes I was able to straighten the edge and sharpen it considerably. This resulted in my closest shave yet with the least number of strokes over my whisker area of my face. Less irritation and less rash. It is amazing how much irritation can come from microscopic serrations.Quote:
Originally Posted by Howard