Damn...

[HColl]

Just had my fifth shave with my shavette. Used the green holder with single edge Personna blade for the first time. I wanted my gf to see part of the process before she left. I ended up rushing the hot towel treatment a bit and making a lather that ended up being just a tad too dry. That coupled with the using the longer blade for the first time ended up as a bad combination. I think...

At first I thought it was the blade not being sharp enough, but it passed the HHT, not perfectly(it pulled the hair just a teenie bit before cutting it) but it passed it. And it was cutting the hairs just fine, unlike the Dovo DE blade I used last time which were pretty bad. It wasn't as sharp as the Feather blades, but only by a fraction. The blade is a little thicker than DEs too.

The first pass went fine, but as soon as I started the second pass after rinsing and re-lathering, I the right side of my neck area stinging bit(this is my most sensitive area). And I saw two dots of blood on two different spots which I hadn't even felt or seen during the first pass. Weird. By the time I finished this pass the aforementioned area was red and stinging quite a bit, especially after I applied the styptic pencil(I had a couple of nicks). Now most of my neck area is a little irritated, right side still a little red, even after applying aftershave balm(Nivea) and a little lotion.

I'm not sure what went wrong. It might be the blade but I doubt it, it was sharp enough to make a really clean, shallow, almost blood free cut on my left cheek by only resting the blade for a half a millisecond. That and it passing the HHT make me think it wasn't the sharpness, but maybe I'm wrong? The lather wasn't my best, but it was better than my first one, and on my first shave I didn't get this irritation. I want to think it was my lousy shave prep. I only did a hot towel treatment without lather, and no shower.

I'm gonna try again in a couple of days. DO a better shave prep, maybe use some Extra Virgin Olive Oil(EVOO as Rachel Ray would say :P) as a pre-shave oil, been considering that.

What do you guys think it was?

[AxelH]

Too fast on the prep and dry lather are a good mix. Your first guess is probably the best. Now you will get to make a really nice lather, then spend a nice long time softening those whiskers and give yourself a good shave. Don't rush on it. I don't think your GF really needs to see you do it. Most wimmins aren't interested in it much. Let them gabber on about their own worthless, petty problems. That's what's important!

[HColl]

Too fast on the prep and dry lather are a good mix. Your first guess is probably the best. Now you will get to make a really nice lather, then spend a nice long time softening those whiskers and give yourself a good shave. Don't rush on it. I don't think your GF really needs to see you do it. Most wimmins aren't interested in it much. Let them gabber on about their own worthless, petty problems. That's what's important!

Haha, I simply wanted her to see and feel the lather since she's been arguing it wouldn't be any different than the canned goo I used before. Suffice to say she was impressed with how it felt, even if it wasn't my best, but she was in a rush.

Anyway. I plan on using the same blade next time. I've heard these stay sharp a little longer than DE blades due to their increased thickness. Plus if I get a batter shave I'll definitely know it wasn't the blade.

Question. When using a pre-shave oil such as olive oil, I assume you rinse your face, towel it dry and rub the oil in; then apply the lather over it?

[Lazarus]

The stinging and the two weepers could also be a result of being a bit too aggressive with your angle and or pressure.

[HColl]

The stinging and the two weepers could also be a result of being a bit too aggressive with your angle and or pressure.

Perhaps. I applied basically no pressure, but I may have used too steep an angle on some areas. Will watch that more next time.

[Bill S]

The stinging and the two weepers could also be a result of being a bit too aggressive with your angle and or pressure.

This sounds right to me. In my experience as the angle of the blade gets steeper you need to use less pressure. This is one of the main reasons that the chin and neck areas cause us so much grief.

Sub-standard prep tends to to magnify other technique problems, so you may have had a "perfect storm" kind of situation.

[Rekonball]

The stinging and the two weepers could also be a result of being a bit too aggressive with your angle and or pressure.

I agree I think you might have used too much pressure, especially when you rush your shave.

[HColl]

Careful, dem wimmins have been known to appropriate shaving gear... first it's "Can I borrow your soap?" or you wonder why your soap is being worn away so quickly... then it's "Would you like to try shaving my legs with that thing?" or your pre-stropped razor isn't shaving as smoothly as you know it should..

I wouldn't mind, as long as she'd let me teach her how to strop properly beforehand.

I agree I think you might have used too much pressure, especially when you rush your shave.

Yeah, I'm thinking that was probably it; along with bad angle in some areas. Will probably shave again tomorrow. Maybe even later tonight if I feel like it. My alum block(RazoRock, neat product) just arrived too

[AxelH]

Haha, I simply wanted her to see and feel the lather since she's been arguing it wouldn't be any different than the canned goo I used before. Suffice to say she was impressed with how it felt, even if it wasn't my best, but she was in a rush.?

Careful, dem wimmins have been known to appropriate shaving gear... first it's "Can I borrow your soap?" or you wonder why your soap is being worn away so quickly... then it's "Would you like to try shaving my legs with that thing?" or your pre-stropped razor isn't shaving as smoothly as you know it should..

Anyway. I plan on using the same blade next time. I've heard these stay sharp a little longer than DE blades due to their increased thickness. Plus if I get a batter shave I'll definitely know it wasn't the blade.

I don't know.. the edge is the edge. The major difference is that you can strop these things.

Question. When using a pre-shave oil such as olive oil, I assume you rinse your face, towel it dry and rub the oil in; then apply the lather over it?

Yes, and the consensus is using very little and spreading it thoroughly is the way to go.

Sub-standard prep tends to to magnify other technique problems, so you may have had a "perfect storm" kind of situation.

Absolutely, why didn't I put it like that?

[LinacMan]

I don't think your GF really needs to see you do it. Most wimmins aren't interested in it much. Let them gabber on about their own worthless, petty problems. That's what's important!

Hmm, oldschooltools may disagree with you:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...tml#post754372