My Elegant Shaves

I've been working lately on creating the most perfect shaves I can muster. I've been achieving near BBS shaves; but more importantly I've been leaving my face with a sort of mystical glow. It's been very nice.

So, for you beginners, this is just a rambling post to describe what I do. This is kind of a teaching tool in reverse. Instead of someone describing a problem and us describing corrections, I'm doing things the other way around. The shaves I'm getting are noteworthy. And this post describes what I've been doing. I will try to write this with the beginner in mind.

The night before:

I still pay a lot of attention to my razor before shaving. I'm sure many of you do the same. I do not do any kind of sharpness testing really. Technically, I've learned that sharpness isn't really all that important. It's a simple problem set. If the razor isn't sharp you just hone the darn thing, starting with a few circular honing patterns to ensure it isn't overhoned. Then I progress to only using a finishing stone and using a very, very light touch and I do 6 or so passes on the stone. Then I'm done. I might, if needed, do a few more passes on the stone. Two, or three, of these sets should be all that is needed. Less in this case, is better. If honing like this isn't working, you need help. No downward pressure is applied. Instead I use my hand and the scales to ensure they remain in the correct position to leverage the blade downward onto the stone.

Honing is a very unusual act, perhaps once every few months. The blade though needs to get calibrated. You also need to have some confidence that the blade is sharp. If you have any doubts about sharpness, your shave will not work out. Your lack of confidence will de-rail your shave completely. We spend way too much time focusing on honing.

Much more importantly I spend time "testing" my razor on my strop. The way I do this is by using a taut strop and using very, very little pressure. I strop the blade CAREFULLY on the strop. I use a light CAREFUL touch. I feel the draw and the sensations. I become one with my razor and strop. I listen to what they are telling me. If, as I suspect, this is a sharp razor, the sensations should be exactly the same as every other sharp razor stropping sensation. Here, the thinness and lightness of my strop give me some advantage, but your strop and razor are trying to tell you the same things. Now, strangly, I can angle the blade in many interesting ways down the strop. I will feel the textures, sensations, draw, pull, etc. The razor goes down the strop at various angles and I "swirl" the blade as I go down the strop.

Note: I think, but, I'm not sure, that stropping at a variety of angles is helpful to me.

I developed this feel and read from violin playing, to help you a little with understanding. When you use a violin bow you have to feel the tension created by the strings. The same thing applies while stropping. It's subtle, but important. Also, for you more logical types the razor will move over my face in various ways, so the razor should strop smoothly in various angles. Make sense? My most important objective though: don't screw up the edge! Think of it this way, the best shaving blades will have been stropped using the least abrasive technique. So, with very, very little pressure and remaining completely flat, I am stropping the blade in many differing directions and angles. The blade will be moved in a slight figure 8 pattern, carefully. Point leading, heel leading, middle leading, all the while I'm feeling for any catching or odd sensations. In some ways, as I strop in a variety of directions and angles there should never be any adverse feedback! In other words, the most common feedback and test results is little sensation at all. In some ways my strop is the ultimate tool for testing before shaving. I feel no adverse feedback, therefore the edge must be well formed. The draw that I feel is very, very subtle, but it is there. It does not, though, bang the beginner in the head.

Shave day: Shower, and then dry off, leaving the face wet. I like to use very hot water for my shave so I get the water going as appropiate. I like to soak the soap in hot water, but it can also dissolve this way so be careful about how you put your lather together. You can begin the process, but, make sure that nothing you do in the lathering process makes you rush when you strop your blade up again. Do whatever it takes to learn how to put together hot lather. It helps, because I'll be using no pressure when shaving. NONE.

Just before shaving I strop the razor again, this time only a few strokes. Let's say usually 10 passes. You can do more, but, your lather is also important. Just do not rush the stropping. You already stropped carefully and thoughtfully last night, so the blade is well prepared. You just need a little touch up stropping.

Then, I finish my lather ritual. The razor is lying closed near the sink. I'm applying lather carefully, and completely. The lather feels warm and it can not be seen through. The lather must sit on the face, and so, the lathering with brush is a one minute affair, minimum for me. If you want to pre-shave strop now, you could but:

Note: Do not rush the stropping for any reason, including your lathering routine.

Shaving: I am now working at keeping the hand and my razor very dry. I use a tissue now to wipe the blade. I'm doing more of this now though so that I treat the blade/razor gently and with more respect. I use a very, very light touch and no pressure applied into the face. I shave the whiskers in only a very small 1 x 2 inch patch. That is a thin facial section, with a two inch long stroke. Very small patches are important to me. I focus on the smallest patch and I watch those hairs get shaved. The least contact between blade and face is important. I do not want to induce any drag at all. If I induce drag, by using too much cutting area, I will, without even noticing, begin to apply pressure. The razor must shave the whisker with the least amount of skin contact possible. If I apply any pressure while shaving I know I will fail. The point of my shave is to leave my skin with a new born sensation and no whiskers. In order to do both I must use short, careful strokes with no pressure against the face. This stroke takes a long time to perfect, but is well worth the effort.

Note: This stroke is developed only when you have full confidence that the razor is wickedly sharp and well stropped. You must accept that the razor will cut hair if presented at the right angle. If this does not work, go back to honing tonight a little more, and try again at not screwing up with stropping. Only a properly honed razor by an expert, stropped without screwing up the delicate edge will shave correctly. Razors only have two options. Perfect, effortless shaving or nasty poor quality results. Unfortunately, although straight shaving becomes easy, initial mistakes while learning have very dire effects.

Finishing up: I dry my face when done. Aftershave? You kidding? That stuff if for amatures. When I'm done my face feels golden smooth. I chose a shave soap/cream scent for a reason. Not to be out sniffed with aftershave. My shaves are wicked close and leave the skin feeling new born. I don't like to mess with that formula too much. If you are applying something to help with any razor burn I think your doing something wrong.

Finally, I dry my blade and I often strop it up a little on the linen side to clean it up and start the stropping cycle again for later tonight.

Note: All of this care and attention, with the pre-stropping the night before not included, only takes me about 10 minutes. As a beginner to the world of perfect elegant straight shaves though I focus on shaving the sides of my face and leave the goatee area alone. I have to go to work, afterall. A full shave should take a bit longer, but, the emphasis on quality requires an investment in my time. I do not believe this can be skipped.

bump the thread!

Well thought out and written, as well as just another excuse to bump the thread.


Mick

'tis not my purpose to belittle or to offend. Rather, I mean to genuinely inquire to the end of genuine curiosity.

Is it not cheating to leave the goatee? I've been shaving with a straight razor for a month or two now and even I, someone who admits to having great trouble in and around the chin area, am able to get a wonderfully elegant shave on the rest of my face.

In fact, I don't think I've ever managed to screw up the cheeks, it's just the easy part, isn't it?

I'm not sure that shaving all but the goatee is actually shaving at all. More like just trimming your beard, isn't it?

Just kidding! All in good humor! :)

...but seriously, you're cheating;)

It might be cheating, but I for one, look like an absolute tosser without my goatee and moe. A chinless wonder, So I would rather happily be accused of cheating just so long as I can keep...'Trimming around my beard'...:D


Mick

i enjoyed reading this story and quite interesting theory on aftershave.