Thread: Still Feel Stubble

You should definitely check the sharpness of your razor, and skin stretching + proper angle matters, but after that, remember that it's shaving, not depilation!

I too get a near perfect shave with my DE and Feather blades. But the problem is that I also tend to get more irritations that way. After sufficient practice, my straight shaves were BBS, though one could argue not as tight as my DE shaves. Not a problem, since I was irritation-free.

The straight razor knows how close it must cut, and is never excessive in that matter.

I agree with what's been said here before --- forget about BBS and focus on enjoying yourself, while still getting a decent shave,

When I used cartridge razors, I could always get a BBS shave....along with irritation and ingrown hairs. That's not the case for everyone, of course....but it was a real problem for me. The result was that I shaved as little as possible.

With DE/SE razors I can get a long-lasting, smooth shave, but I don't have much fun shaving. If I'm in a hurry, I still use them.

I mostly shave with straights, though. I enjoy my shaves, and I get pretty close, comfortable shaves. There are still problem areas, where I cannot get the shave as close as with a DE, but the difference is minor.

My skin is loving the straight shaves.

@1sgtscot: That's interesting. I too have found that my Mach 3 shaves are much improved after applying the techniques learned from straight shaving. My neck is also harder for me than my face, that is why I am experimenting with my cheeks to see what works and then I will figure out how to apply it elsewhere.

Originally Posted by Fbones24

Also, I have noticed that approximately 1/2 hour after shaving, after your skin calms and tightens, the whiskers settle and what you thought was a sub par shave actually turns out to be pretty smooth.

Yup after like 1/2hr feels like the stubb actually sucked back into my face. Especially after the alum block.

I don't think you have a problem necessarily, either with your razor or your technique. I think also that your experience is probably about average and certainly squares with mine.

I used to shave with a Brush and Soap but with a Pro Fusion. I got great shaves very quickly with that setup, certainly BBS, and with little effort or concentration. When I moved on to a Merkur 34C, I had to endure the learning curve, improve what little technique I had, and it was two weeks before I got to BBS shaves again.

When I moved on to straights, I started with a Dovo Shavette with DE blades, and now I use regular straights both honed by myself and various honemeisters. I've been at that for a month and a half and am not yet at the point that I can get a truly BBS shave. Straight shaving takes much more work, thought, and technique than either of the first two methods I used. As a result, it does take time to get really close shaves, and I'm not quite there yet.

I don't think your blade is necessarily at fault, nor even your technique. I'm not unhappy with my shaves even though I could beat them in a heartbeat with a DE or even the Pro Fusion. I started with straights not because I could get a better shave, and in fact I doubt I COULD get a better shave than I was routinely getting with a DE. Maybe I will eventually, with time. But even if the shaves are not as good, I feel like straight shaving is better for a long list of reasons, and none of those is the shave, at least at this point not for me.

I would rather work at a decent shave with a straight razor for 20 minutes than rip off a perfect one with a DE in 5 minutes. It's just more enjoyable. I think with time and practice, you'll make improvements. I've found I can live with a little stubble. It's not all about the shave, it's about the experience, the journey, not the result.

I often read things like, "You need to work on your technique." And while I always agree, I think it's important to note that the "technique" referred to is the technique for that specific razor. There is no all-encompassing, one-size-fits-all technique. What I mean is, each straight razor out there is a little different--weight, length, width, grind, point, balance, etc--and each requires a little different technique. And that's a big part of the fun. As long as you keep adding new straight razors to the collection, you'll always be learning! (And that's important to learning-obsessed INTPs like me!)

Me

This morning my results were much better. For this first time with a straight I can honestly say I have true BBS on my cheeks. No stubble detected in any direction! (I knew it was possible otherwise so many people around here wouldn't be talking about it so much.)

Here is what I tried:

I once again pulled out that straight that I had been saving. To this point I had only used it one on one cheek so far and actually never stropped it so I would have a comparison of what a good professional honed edge felt like. I used it on my right cheek and used the other SR I had been using on my left cheek and the rest of my face. As far as I can tell the end results are the the same (both gave me a great shave today), but WOW the new fresh one just glided over my face! It was awesome! And it made less noise as a full hollow as my half hollow! A touch up may be in order for my others.

I very carefully tried scything strokes and focused on stretching and light touch. I also used a lower angle ATG than I had been.

I did my ATG pass with cold water. I think this made a big difference. (I definitely have a seemingly endless supply of cold water in my pipes with this weather)

These suggestions I received really did the trick. Thank you.

Now to apply what I have learned to the rest of my face.....

@CJBianco: "So the guys at SRP suggest that in order to continue improving my technique, I need to buy lots more razors." I wonder how that would go over with SHMBO. (HE HE)

Originally Posted by Roguepiano

@CJBianco: "So the guys at SRP suggest that in order to continue improving my technique, I need to buy lots more razors." I wonder how that would go over with SHMBO. (HE HE)

Who said anything about telling her?

Originally Posted by ace

Who said anything about telling her?

+1

Or lie about the value of the razors. "Honey! I just snagged a $150 razor for only $65." Women, or at least my wife, are hard-wired for bargains. She'll dig your mad shopping skills.

(My wife just read the above...and agreed.)

Christopher