Thread: Test of a blade..

I know it's been a while since I last posted, but we are moving into our new house and a few of my favorite things were packed away... namely my computer, a few of my straights and my shaving soaps and stuff. Which leads me to my next subject...

My stuff had been packed up for a while and even my wife just didn't know where everything is... I was sporting a new Gentle Ben Beard and since i started straight razor shaving that just didn't happen... My hair had grown back (I think she hid my soap to get me to grow my hair back) and it just wasn't the same anymore. I had been working on a restore and sharpening and stropping the bugger for days. Sooooo instead of testing it on my arm hairs I went to the bathroom, took a shower, then sat in front of the mirror.. I started with a small area and dry shaved. Man that blade slid through the hairs like butter... So I figured lets try other areas... Like the first swipe before is blew right through the hairs... I did a quick strop and then continued. Before I knew it I had a very nice BBS shave (sans the chin)... I though to myself that i would regret this with rash.. so I swabbed with witch hazel, and called it a day...

My wife noticed and ran to the garage where everything was packed then came in and said (hey how did you shave without soap?) I laughed and said i dry shaved... We both agreed i would pay for it later... Well the very next day there were no issues at all.. My face was normal.. no rash.. no bumps... I photographed my skin with my Macro set up and found no issues at all.. the hairs looked clean cut and were punching through normally...

I remember when i use to use the Machs when I had to do an emergency dry shave (yes guys when i was in the Navy and woke up late so I was racing for the base I would actually drag that atrocious monster across my face dry while I was driving down the San Diego Highway... I hate to admit it but hey.. gotta do what ya have to)... Anyway, that thing would cause the worst rash ever, and I even used Witch Hazel then too..

So it's either the Salty leathery Navy skin I developed... A REALLLY good sharpening of the blade.... or blind luck.. Has anyone ever done this or am I the rare idiot that dry shaved with a straight and liked it... I plan on trying it again (even though I now have all my stuff unpacked) to see if I can get the same results...

To my experience, a well honed razor will be able to dry shave just fine with the right pressure.
Of course using lather is better option

I'm not much for dry shaving at all - but after a shower I can get a passable shave just using water. It seems a much more pleasurable alternative to me, if no soap at all is to be found.