Thread: Feelin' the Zen

Well, part of it anyway. I've still got a lot of work to do on technique, but so far, one thing I can say is I love to stop my razors. Is that odd? Sometimes I find myself stropping them a few times a day. Can you over-strop a razor (assuming your technique is good)?

So, the Zen is certainly there with the strop. The shave's another story. I'm good on my cheeks. Anywhere else, especially my chin, the razor sticks and grabs. I don't think it's a sharpness issue as one of my razors was honed by Lynn.

Perhaps I'm too timid with the blade? It is still a little intimidating having such a large sharp object dragging across my face. I'm currently not getting any cuts or nicks. If I am being too timid, I'm having trouble reconciling the notion of not pushing too hard/stubble reduction versus elimination/allowing the blade to flex a bit in your hand versus the notion of being too timid with the blade.

I don't think prep is the issue, but I'm open to suggestions. Currently, I wash my face in the shower and leave the soap in my beard for a minute or so. Then I put conditioner on my beard for the duration of my shower. Immediately after my shower, I lather up, strop my blade, rinse my face, re-lather and commence shaving.

Any thoughts to help smooth out my shave?

You might find this article by Sensei_Kyle useful: The Zen of Straight Shaving - Straight Razor Place Wiki.

Your preparation sounds good, but you never know. I have recently re-discovered Castle Forbes's pre shave, and it adds that extra bit of comfort. That said, even the best preparation is moot without a good lather, so there may be quite a few things still off. You will find out eventually, trust me. Experimentation is key, and having someone around who can actually watch your technique is priceless.

Since the razor was honed by Lynn, you can safely take it out of the equation, unless you dulled the edge by stropping. It can happen quickly. If in doubt, just get another shave ready razor, and keep it as a reference.

Regards,
Robin