Thread: The Noob Chronicle - My Straight Razor Experience

The Straight Road - Interlude: RAD Strikes Again
This week is a crazy week for me, but the fruits of my SGAD binge wait for no man. Today I received three packages in the mail. One was my Trumper's Sample Pack, which contains a dizzying number of products to try. I don't think I'll have to buy a full-sized shaving product for months! The main event though, were a couple of Wade & Butcher razors I picked up from Ebay. Both are 6/8" with horn scales in some state of disrepair. I think one set of scales might be worth a try at restoring, though they are quite warped, while the other set will likely need to be replaced.

Here are the photos for your perusal and opinions (feel free to let me know your thoughts and opinions on how to work on these).















I should probably shave tonight, but it might be a DE quickie, as I have to be up at 5AM and I'm about ready for bed already!

Cheers,

Jack

Hey Jack,
Congrats on two wonderful scores . They do seem to have a S-shaped smile to the edge, but setting the proper bevel should fix the issue (you may loose some width, but not much). They should also clean up nicely. I look forward to see what you turn them into after you're done

Happy W&B dreams

_________
Cheers,
Robert

The Straight Road - Part 31: Back on the Road
It has been an insane week on The Straight Road, with two major client-related events at work, both of which required large amounts of preparation, time and energy to execute. It had left me with little time for a shave, hence my DE shave of the other evening. Last night I arrived home in a state that precluded even thinking about putting something sharp on my face, so today was the day. Thankfully, both events came off without a hitch and were wildly successful, so I ended up with that exhausted, post-adrenalin feeling paired with a sense of euphoria and lightness, having shed a great weight in the course of 48 hours. Through it all, I knew that at the end of the tunnel, there was the bright light of a long, relaxed straight razor shave waiting for me.

The Anticipation
I was nodding at my desk this afternoon when I arrived back at the office after our second event of the week. The conference yesterday and the meeting today had left me drained, but contented, but it was hard to focus on anything for the couple of hours I was in the office. Thankfully, I was able to spend a bit of time on SRP, learning more about this new hobby that I love and enjoying a wonderful article written by the eloquent Obie (http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...e-article.html). Once work was done, I treated myself to a four-pack of Guinness Draft and headed home, knowing that I would have the place to myself, given tonight was SWMBO Jr.'s ballet night and I was off the hook. After the first Guinness was down, I was relaxed enough to begin the shave.

The Prep
I heated water on the stove, filling my Robert Becker #9 scuttle full of steaming, near-boiling water. The scuttle rested on the counter while I jumped into an equally steaming-hot shower, enjoying the replenishing feeling of the hot water as it worked its magic. I scrubbed with Real Shaving Exfoliating on my face as the final touch, then I was ready for my shave. Hopping out of the shower, I picked up my Frank Shaving Richmond Silvertip 28mm and my sample of Trumper's Sandalwood shaving cream. It was time for some lather.

The Lather
The Trumper's sample pack I ordered came with 6 creams, 2 skin food samples and a plethora of EDT and colognes that are too numerous for me to name. I am also feeling a bit too lazy to walk back to the bathroom and write them down, since my legs are pretty shot after two days of constant walking and standing. Suffice it to say, I have enough samples, between my Trumper's, T&H and the ones I got from Garry, to last me well into the new year without buying another shaving product. That said, if I were a betting man, I wouldn't place odds on me not buying another before then.

My Sandalwood sample appeared to me to be a strange quantity. Not quite enough for two shaves, but more than enough for one. Given the amount of lather I got, however, it appears that, once again, my noob judgement was off. I am pretty confident that I will get two shaves out of my creams samples from Trumper's as I ended up with enough lather for at least another two passes by the time all was said and done.

My lather this evening wasn't the greatest. I ended up with too much water at the start, though it settled down later. The lather was a bit foamy and bubbly at first, but after quite some time of working the scuttle, I ended up with tons of creamy lather, more than enough for my needs. The Frank Shaving brush sure is luxurious, though I think my preference leans toward something slightly smaller, perhaps in the 24-26mm range. Overall, I think Trumper's makes a nice cream, but I'm not sure if their Sandalwood will make the cut for me.

The Shave
Tonight I chose my TI Le Canadien 6/8" in Black Horn, the one with the inclined nose. This is one of my better shavers, especially with the edge that the estimable Maxi has put on it. I have been meaning to make the effort to get a honing session in with him, under his supervision, but it's amazing how life manages to get in the way. A very great man once said: "Life is what happens to you while your busy making other plans", and I believe it. Now I also have reason to pick his brain for his considerable knowledge on restoration. That, plus I'm eager to get a chance to check out his shop, which I understand is quite nice. All in good time.

The shave tonight was a pleasure. I have reached the level where the spike point no longer gets away from me and I am pleased to say that it didn't bite me tonight, though at one point it did fire a warning shot across the bow, as I felt it start to dig into my chin. Luckily, my touch was light enough and I was paying enough attention to ensure that no cuts or nicks resulted from this. The shave was smooth, close and relatively easy, though I can say that straight shaving is far from ingrained in my muscle memory. Having not shaved with a straight in a few days made me feel a touch more awkward than usual, but I still got my three passes in without much trouble or razor burn. The only mishap was the tiniest ding on my chin, right around the scar area.

The Movember Report
The spike point is a delight for 'stache grooming, as I was able to actually put some shape into this monster on my face by using the very tip of the blade. I also shave some from the top, giving the mo' a more uniform look overall. I owe a photo after day 15, so here it is:

The Post
My shave today ended with a lukewarm water rinse, which was followed by the application of alum. That done, I rinsed another three passes worth of lather from my brush and scuttle and dried them both. The scuttle went back on the shelf while the brush was relegated to the back of the line in my little brush rotation area in the den. Seven brushes for seven days in the week should be enough, right? That AD doesn't seem to have as firm a hold on me as SRAD, though it's still pretty strong. I then applied my Life Brand Witch Hazel, which soothed my skin and hardly stung at all. That done, I rinsed with cold water and applied another of my samples, Trumper's Sandalwood Skin Food. I must say, I am not overly impressed with Trumper's rendition of sandalwood. TOBS is more what I have in mind when I think of sandalwood, while T&H isn't really a traditional sandalwood, but it still smells nice. I've read that, of all places, AOS has one of the more pure sandalwood creams and aftershaves, so some samples might be in order. Overall, despite the tiny ding on my chin and some red bumps on my neck which seem to be par for the course with my sensitive skin and noob technique, I ended up with a smooth, relaxing and rewarding shave experience.

The Straight Road isn't always smooth, but when it is, it's well worth enjoying the ride.

My restorations are calling to me. The Manhattan Cutlery needs a few more polishing sessions and a honing to be ready to go, though I am also considering making some new scales for it out of bocote. The W&B's that I acquire are really nice blades, so I am contemplating having one or both of them done by a more experienced restorer, while I learn the ropes. I still have a few more pieces that need to get here from Ebay and other SGAD stuff, then there will be a moratorium on purchasing unless I see a kamisori, a big W&B chopper or maybe a Dubl Duck that I absolutely love. That's a decent shopping list, one on which I feel I can take my sweet time and get what I really want. There's time. This is a long road, not a short sprint.

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Jack

Looking good Jack

If I may be so bold as to suggest the following post treatment:
Follow your warm water rinse with a cold water rinse. That will help shrink the cells around the pores (essentially closing the pores), making skin tight and firm. Also, no need to rinse the WH off skin once you've applied it. Go with AS or whatever your heart desires

Just my 2 cents


___________
Cheers,
Robert

Originally Posted by BladeRunner001

Looking good Jack

If I may be so bold as to suggest the following post treatment:
Follow your warm water rinse with a cold water rinse. That will help shrink the cells around the pores (essentially closing the pores), making skin tight and firm. Also, no need to rinse the WH off skin once you've applied it. Go with AS or whatever your heart desires

Just my 2 cents


___________
Cheers,
Robert

Thanks for the tip. I actually missed a step from my post-shave routine, which I also missed when proof-reading, which is a cold water rinse after the alum, before the WH. I will try not rinsing after the WH and going straight to whichever AS I am using and see how it goes.

The Straight Road - Part 32: Tabac Revisited
For those of you who read my ramblings regularly (for which I am grateful and by which I am humbled), you will remember back in The Straight Road - Part 22: Lessons Learned that I had not been positive about my first experience with the full Tabac lineup I had purchased. Though I have, since then, kicked around the idea of putting some or all of the products up for sale, I decided that they need another chance or two before passing final judgement. Today was the day for giving Tabac another go.

The Anticipation
I'm sure that by now you're tired of hearing me moan about my tough week, so let's just sum it up by saying that today I was very happy that it was Friday. I had a fairly relaxed, easygoing day at work and, by the time I picked SWMBO Jr. up from her daycare, I was already anticipating my evening shave. I have set up a rotation with my brushes, where I intersperse my three superbadger or silvertip brushes with my three boar brushes. The seventh day I use my black badger scrubber with the bocote handle, which I like for being different, though I don't think I'd want to use it every day. It's actually scrubbier than my boar brushes on my face. So after the Frank Shaving Richmond Silvertip 28mm yesterday, I was due to give the Omega 10005, my first ever brush and a humble boar, a run out today.

The Prep
SWMBO did me the favour of putting the kettle on while I showered and, when I emerged from my bathroom, smelling of Tabac Body Wash and with my face freshly cleaned with Real Shaving Creamy Face Wash, I had a steaming scuttle of near-boiling water ready. I dunked my brush in the reservoir for a couple of minutes while I puttered around the bathroom, getting ready for the shave.

The Überlather
Tabac is a great soap, but I'm not 100% convinced on the cream. I think the next time it comes up in the rotation, I might leave the cream out of the equation and see how the soap does on its own. I also added two drops of glycerin to the mix, creating a rich überlather that exploded in the bowl, almost overwhelming my small Omega. That said, I found the lather to be a touch sticky, which seems to indicate that I might want to use a bit less glycerin next time. I suppose I'll have to do some more experimentation. I find überlather strange, as it can sometimes seem thin in the scuttle, but turns thick, creamy and a touch sticky on the face. I have had good results with Tabac on its own in the past, so I will give it a go on its own. The soap also has a more subtle scent to it, rather than the cream which tends to punch you in the nose and loudly proclaim "I am Tabac!". More on nose-punching later.

All in all, I got a great lather, if a bit on the sticky side, which lasted me for two passes and touch-up, which is all I did today as I had had a very nice close shave yesterday.

The Shave
The H&H, as I have probably mentioned several times, was my first razor, purchased from Obiwan at B&B. I have somewhat neglected this razor lately as I have been using my new TIs and my Dovo. But I have to say that this razor is not deserving of such treatment! Even though it's not the prettiest, it shaves quite well and I did enjoy the smoothness of the edge that Obiwan put on it before setting me on my way on The Straight Road little more than a month and a half ago.

The first, WTG pass was almost flawless, with smooth glide and no tugging or pulling. I made sure my angle was shallow with this keen edge and was rewarded with glide and whisker reduction with no scraping or discomfort. The XTG was equally comfortable, though I did find that I had to be careful with this blade as I went across my lower lip and chin, as I felt like it wanted to grab me and bite. The same happened on the chin touch-up, where I include a S to N stroke up under the point of the chin. I felt the blade start to grab and immediately pulled it away, thankfully avoiding a cut. Smooth, easy and pleasurable are some of the words that come to mind when thinking about this evening's shave.

The Movemeber Report
I used the razor to trim around the edges of the 'stache a bit, as it's getting long enough that it's starting to need some shape. I've always preferred my mo' to be a bit angled above the mouth, ending at the corners or just below. Considering my facial hair isn't the thickest, I have to make sure I don't overgroom the 'stache, otherwise I end up with a mess up there. The H&H got the job done and I actually like the way it looks today, though I still think SWMBO will be wanting it gone on December 1st. We'll see, I guess.

The Post
I rinsed away the überTabac with lukewarm water, then applied alum. After that, I immediately rinsed it away with very cold water, taking my time and making sure I rinsed clean and soothed my skin. That done, it was time for the Tabac splash, which surprisingly stung very little, if at all. I guess the cold water helps! Once I had applied the splash, I let that set for a while and cleaned brush and scuttle, returning them to their appointed spots in the den. The Omega 10005 may not be the prettiest or the fanciest, but I will say it again, it is my number one recommended brush for noobs and I bet some vets wouldn't do too poorly with it, either. For $15, you just can't go wrong, as it has proven to me many times over. Anyway, brush laid aside, I applied the Tabac balm, which actually stung more than the splash. I can also say that the balm is another punch-you-in-the-nose Tabac product. Much more so than the splash, at least for me. I am going to try a Tabac day with just the soap and the splash to test my theory and, if I am correct, those two will be up for grabs.

The Verdict
Despite being punched in the nose by aftershave balm and shaving cream, I ended up with a pleasant, smooth and comfortable shave. I feel like my technique is getting better, but it's definitely not at the point where I can relax my vigil. The relaxation of my shave doesn't come from the ability to let my mind wander, but rather from the requirement that I maintain ultimate focus in order to avoid slicing myself up. I quite enjoy this type of escape from my daily pressures.

The journey down The Straight Road just might be The Great Escape for some of us!

I will have some time tomorrow to finish polishing my Manhattan Cutlery, finally. I think I am going to leave it less than mirror finished in order to save some of the character, and also because I don't have the required tools to go mirror yet . I also look forward to honing and shaving with my first restoration ever, especially because the blade promises to be a nice one, given the nice smile and 1/4 hollow grind. I must say, if this were a 7/8"-8/8" blade, I might just consider it perfect. Nonetheless, I think it will find a place in my rotation for many years to come.

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Jack

"" The soap also has a more subtle scent to it, rather than the cream which tends to punch you in the nose and loudly proclaim "I am Tabac!". "

When I read that in my head It was read in a Quebec French accent, I have no idea why but I nearly fell of my chair laughing.
good read as always I must say I have learned a fair bit from your posts keep it up.

The Straight Road - Part 33: Not Quite There
This post comes almost twenty-four hours after my shave, as it was quite late and today was one of those days where I didn't have the time to sit in front of the computer and blog about shaving until now. Last night's shave was a bit strange. Wonderful shaving products and great scents combined to produce only a mediocre experience. Why? Read on and find out.

The Anticipation
It wasn't the most restful Sunday, as we had a veritable mountain of laundry to do. With the elevator in our building out of service, we decided to take the loads of clothing to my mother's and make use of her facilities. This took the better part of the day, after which we arrived home rather late and tired. I hadn't shaved since Friday, so there was no way I was skipping yet another day. My newly-minted rotation called for my TI Le Canadien Snakewood today, so I was going to test my honing abilities once again.

The Prep
My prep is pretty standard these days. Initially I played with hot towels and other such things, but I find a hot shower to be the best thing, allowing me to be clean and fresh and ensure my face is exfoliated and my whiskers hydrated. Real Shaving Exfoliating Scrub did the job and I was ready to get to lathering in my steaming hot Robert Becker #9 Scuttle.

The Lather
I opted for my Geo F Trumper GFT shaving cream sample and it turned out to be a treat. The citrusy scent is great and not too overpowering. I think this one is going to be a keeper, especially since SWMBO was quite pleased with it. The cologne is nice, too, with good longevity and a great complementary scent. A winner all around. And the cream lathers well, too. Having learned from my previous Trumper sample not to go overboard, I used about half the sample, the equivalent of about an almond-sized dollop, of cream. This got me lather for three passes and touch-ups, with some left in the bowl and in the brush, as well. The lather was smooth, cushiony and fragrant, an utter delight! The PC Woodcraft Super Silvertip 24mm Snakewood is one of my top brushes, though they are all very good, and it did its job admirably.

The Shave
This is where things started to go south. The shave wasn't bad, per se, but I am used to some pretty well-honed razors, so my impression is that this one isn't one of them. Realistically speaking, I shouldn't expect it to be. After all, I have four razors honed by experienced and knowledgeable razor honers, whereas mine was honed by some noob who just bought his first straight less than two months ago and still hasn't even come close to a hundred shaves. Anyway, it was a bit rough, but I soldiered on, wanting to be sure. By the time I got to pass three, I was sure. The razor shaved, but it wasn't smooth. It probably needed more work on the hones. My lack of experience in both shaving and honing was probably letting me down here and I am currently tempted to shelve the hones for six months and get my razors honed by someone who knows what they're doing. This will help me get the feel for a well-honed razor so that I can get better edges on mine. I say tempted, because I am probably too stubborn to actually do it.

Anyway, the shave ended up fairly smooth, with not a lot of razor burn. It took a couple of extra touch-ups around the point of the chin, which did leave a bit of burn. On top of that I had more red bumps than usual on my sensitive neck area. All in all, it wasn't the smoothest shave, even though my skin ended up pretty smooth. A contradiction? Perhaps, but that's how it felt. A smooth result from a slightly rough shave?

The Movember Report
The 'stache is pretty much in now. It could use some trimming, in fact. I owe a new photo at the 2/3 point, so I'll have to bug SWMBO tomorrow. I don't think the mo' is going to stick around past the end of the month, as I've already been told, in no uncertain terms, that it would be better if it didn't.

The Post
The alum did it's burning, stinging work on my neck, cheeks and jawline. Smoothness came at a price yesterday. The soothing cold water rinse helped bring things under control and the witch hazel calmed the rest. I then applied the wonderful Trumper Unscented balm and followed that up with some Real Shaving Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer. The finishing touch was the GFT Cologne, which is delightful and most definitely has earned a spot on my shopping list along with Trumper's and T&H's Spanish Leather and T&H Trafalgar. As of now, those are my keepers in the ASB and Fragrance department.

The Verdict
An uncomfortable lesson and one that had me browsing the DE classifieds on SRP and other forums as well as Ebay. Maybe I was trying to do too much with straight shaving on my sparse beard and sensitive face. My thoughts were a bit too glum, so I decided to read a book and enjoy the scent of GFT as SWMBO and I talked about our upcoming week before drifting off. Some shaves are going to be momentous, others forgettable. This one definitely fits in the latter. Luckily, I found new motivation by the inspiration to rehone. I'm not giving up that easily!

The Straight Road will have its moments, I'm sure, but as long as I keep my perspective, I know I'll be on this path for many years.

I honed my Snakewood Le Canadien again this evening, so hopefully I'll give it another go tomorrow. I made sure to take it slow and concentrate on technique, so hopefully that pasy off. Tonight was a no-shave night for me, as things were busy and I still got a pretty close shave yesterday, despite it not being the most comfortable. I could have had a shave, but I decided to give my slightly irritated neck another day of rest. It's a balancing act between the razor bumps and the ingrowns. Sometimes shaving every day actually helps. I guess I still have a lot to learn about honing, shaving and skin care when it comes to this new hobby of mine. At least I have time to learn! Patience pays off.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers,

Jack

The Straight Road - Part 34: Of RAD and Frustration
After skipping my Monday evening shave, I was feeling a touch scruffy today. I don't have the most abundant beard, which at times has been vexing, though I suppose I should be grateful, since my brothers and father are all balding with heavier beards, while I have a full head of hair. Still, even with my somewhat sparse cheek whiskers, I still find I like to be clean-shaven and, especially since I took up traditional shaving, I like to be clean-shaven every day. Today was also the day I also received the final two razors from my Ebay RAD binge. They both turned out to be beauties, so I am quite satisfied with my haul. I now have enough W&B razors for more than a week's rotation. Here are a few shots of the latest. They both are in great shape and should clean up wonderfully, keeping their original scales, if I'm lucky. I took some pointers from Glen tonight in chat about cleaning them and applying some neatsfoot oil to the horn scales, so that should also help. Here are the pics I took before cleaning at all:

The pair unveiled


7/8" For Barber's Use


11/16" Bow Razor

I now have enough razor restoration projects to last me for several months, so my next step will be to move away from RAD and probably suffer for a while with RRTAD (Razor Restoration Tool Acquisition Disorder). I've already scoped out a folding workbench which isn't too big and should work in my apartment. There is also a nice benchtop drill press I've been eyeing, which coincides nicely with the upcoming season. Of course, then maybe I'd have to forego the T&H gift certificate. Ah, it's nice to have choices! Anyway, once I'd cleaned up the Barber's Use with some Chlorox and an old toothbrush, I rinsed and dried it thoroughly, then rubbed the Neatsfoot on the scales and laid it aside for a while. There's still a shave that has to happen tonight, eh!

The Anticipation
Of late, my nemesis has been the Thiers-Issard 6/8" Le Canadien Snakewood that I honed myself. I freely admit to a stubborn streak, so I had, after having a bit of a rough shave with it two nights ago, gone back to the stones to try again, resetting the bevel and starting over. This took place last night, so you can bet by the time this evening rolled around, I was ready to go with the razor, not to mention needing to get rid of some stubble. Before I could shave, I had to cook, putting together an Irish stew recipe with Guinness I had been wanting to try for some time. That done, I was ready to go. Shave time!

The Prep
My weapons of choice for today were my newly arrived T&H Trafalgar Shaving Cream and ASB, my SOC Boar in Cherrywood and my Le Canadien Snakewood. Before getting down to business, I had boiled a kettle of water, which went into the scuttle. A quick shower was all I needed this evening, softening up my face well enough, then I was ready for some lather.

The Lather
Underwhelming. That's the word for my lather this evening. I really, really like the scent of T&H Trafalgar, which is why I jumped to buy this tub from a BST thread, but this isn't the first times I've had issues with lathering a T&H cream. The Semogue brush is a really nice boar brush, but I almost find it a touch floppy. Can a boar be floppy? The bristles are quite soft when compared to my inexpensive Omega 10005 and that seems to almost work against this brush. Of course, this is only the second time I've used it while shaving, so I might need some more practice. It did wonderfully when I was whipping up some break-in lathers, so I think it still has potential, but it doesn't have quite the backbone of the big Omega Pro 49 or the little 10005. Despite being a less than ideal combination of brush, cream and technique, I still got a passable lather that helped me through two passes and touch-ups. Only two, because by the end of the second I hardly had any lather left. I will try to use a touch more product next time.

The Shave
It was kind of blah. I am frustrated with this razor because I don't think I'm getting the best edge on it. It seems to pass all the appropriate tests and it still shaves me, but I feel slightly irritated by it. The somewhat thin lather probably didn't help matters, but I do think I need more honing practice. Luckily, a fellow SRP member lives nearby and is very helpful and willing to show me some tricks, so I should get better some day! Meanwhile, I went through my two passes with relative ease, not trying anything too fancy and sticking to what has been working for me through my first thirty-two shaves. When I got to the chin area, things went a bit weird and, for the second shave in a row, I nicked myself on the chin. I now have two tiny cuts relatively close together there. Nothing major, for sure, but slightly annoying. It's in that area where the blade tends to catch instead of gliding, but it's probably a technique issue, as I am still exploring that area, trying for the best method to tackle the whiskers there. Overall, I ended up with a decent shave, a small amount of burn that has already faded for the most part, and a healthy dose of frustration.

The Movember Report
This is one part of the shave that went quite well. The razor does well with trimming around the 'stache, which now has some shape and has been groomed. SWMBO didn't take my mo pic tonight, so I still own one for this week. I can't wait to get this thing off!

The Post
I kept it simple. A warm water rinse, followed by alum, then cold water, then the T&H Trafalgar ASB. I interspersed the applications of product by cleaning out my scuttle, rinsing my brush and drying off the sink. The SOC brush puffed out nicely and it really has bloomed, but of course not like a badger. My face felt alright and the Trafalgar balm is wonderful. I love the scent and the soothing action, so that's another small success for this eveing.

The Verdict
I need to get back to my well-honed blades and get past my moment of frustration. These past few days have put enough of a dent in my confidence that I was thinking I should just throw in the towel and go back to my Merkur 38c, which gives me smooth, trouble-free shaves. But I can't do that. First of all, I'm in this for the long run. I am fascinated by the art, the meditative state and the whole concept, I just need to get past these moments and keep focused. I realize I'm trying to do a lot, what with learning to shave, to hone and now some restoration stuff, as well. My temptation is to maybe get some of the restores done by someone else and just enjoy the shaving. There's plenty of time for that stuff down the road.

The Straight Road is long and there's no need to rush.

So some frustration, but also some perspective. I do have a tendency to jump into things and want to do it all, but this hobby is teaching me to take it slow and really learn what I'm doing. How can I tell if a razor I've honed is truly shave-ready when I am still working on my shaving technique? Anyway, things will move forward and I will learn. All in good time. My advice for others who are embarking on this journey is to take it slowly. Get your first 100 shaves in, learn your face, learn about what the blade does. Get yourself some nice products that work for you and stick with them, so you learn your face and razors well, with less variables. I've introduced so many variables into my shaves that I think I might be hampering my advancement. I think it's time to just focus on the basics.

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Jack

That last paragraph contains some of the best advice and guidance I've read. Take it slow, get your first 100 shaves in. Map your face and learn how to use and where to place the blade.

After you've figured out what works, then your shaves begin to improve 10 fold.

Nice read Jack. Good stuff indeed!