Thread: The Noob Chronicle - My Straight Razor Experience

Thanks for the kind words, Steve. I will say this, the glycerin has really made a nice difference for the comfort of my shaves. I think that I will try a soap this evening, either Tabac, DR Harris Arlington or maybe even the T&H shaving soap, if I get time to stop by their shop this afternoon. I have found my better lathers come from soaps so far. I find the T&H cream lathers a touch thin, which probably means I need to work on my cream technique.

Jack,

May I humbly recommend Straight Razor Designs Soaps? I got the sampler recently and enjoyed them all. Their sandalwood was excellent, I really fell for the Vetiver also. But they are all good, the scents are fantastic!

I have been eyeing them

The Straight Road - Part 17: The Power of the Pig
It was a busy night, what with lapping my hones on my new DMT 325 grit plate and a glass lapping plate, but finally, they were smooth and flat, so I set them aside and decided it was shaving time. Although I had paid a visit to Truefitt & Hill on my lunch hour, I decided not to use my new Luxury Shaving Soap, mainly because I didn't have a suitable bowl for it, which I plan to remedy by hitting that same dollar store tomorrow and cleaning them out of little ceramic dishes. Meanwhile, it was shaving time, so I pulled out the Arlington, my DOVO 6/8" with ironwood scales and my Omega 10005 boar brush.

The Anticipation
I had decided I was going to go for the boar today. Despite all these fancy badger brushes I've picked up, the Omega still holds its own in the rotation. I was still elated from my successful hone-lapping endeavours, so I was looking forward to winding down with a shave. I find it refreshing that the humble $15 Omega can stand up to the performance of brushes in my lineup that cost more than five times that. Every brush has its place and I enjoy each one, but I really do get a kick out of the boar.


The Prep
With no scuttle to pre-heat, I was ready for action. I hopped into a hot shower, paying special attention to my face and beard area. Once I was out of the shower, I was pretty much ready to go, aside from the interruption of the arrival of SWMBO, who had left her keys behind and needed to be buzzed in at the building entrance. Soap dish in one hand, the Omega's beech wood handle in the other, I was ready to go.

The Lather
I am really liking my soaps lately. My full supply Mitchell's Wool Fat is already on the way, I quite enjoyed the DR Harris Marlborough soap yesterday and I think I liked the Arlington even better, today. A half a dozen swirls of the boar bristles brought forth enough soap for three full passes of lather and touch-ups. And what lather it was! I think I prefer the Arlington's scent, though the Marlborough soap's scent is pretty faint, so it's hard to tell. I might have to try the aftershave version of each scent, just to be sure. Too bad no samples are floating around like with T&H. As I worked the exfoliating bristles across my face, the lather built and built, taking more water with ease and eventually forming a creamy cushion on my face. The smell was wonderful and the lather didn't dry out at all over three passes. I don't know why I can't get the same results from creams, which are supposed to be easier, but I guess I need more practice.

The Shave
The shave was alright. Not my best ever, that's for sure. The first pass was alright on the cheeks and neck, but then, so excited and eager was I to face lather, that I forgot to finish the moustache and chin area on the first pass. So I started to lather up again, while still having the lather on. I decided to shave XTG on cheeks and neck and WTG on the 'stache and chin area, which went alright. But now I needed another pass, so I went for a full XTG all over my face. This is probably what contributed to the burn on my neck and under my chin, though I suspect there was one other thing which caused my shave to be less than smooth. Have you caught it yet? Note that, in the prep section, there is no mention of stropping. Usually, I strop right before or right after the shower, but the arrival of SWMBO threw my routine off to the point where I completely forgot to strop before my shave! I do think that could be another factor in the burn I'm feeling, ever so slight, some 45 minutes after finishing.

The Post
The alum block punished me for the scrap-job I did on my skin tonight by stinging me to hell and back. That was some burn! After a lot of cold water rinsing, I applied Witch Hazel, then more cold water. I cleaned up the amazing boar brush and laid it aside to dry. That done, I cleared the countertop, dried my razor and took the steel to the Premium IV, with 25 passes on the web and 50 on the bridle leather. Setting it down on the stand beside its partner for the day, I pulled out another low-cost performer from my cabinet: Real Shaving Aftershave Balm. These guys make decent, nice-smelling shaving products that I am enjoying so far. I haven't tried the shaving cream, but the face wash and the balm are both nice. I should pick up a tube of the cream next time I'm at the pharmacy. After that, I applied a few dabs of T&H Spanish Leather, which is probably the scent I like the most of the remaining samples I have, as I find the 1805 and the Grafton a bit too sweet by comparison. Then it was off to the living room to relax with a glass of wine and recount my foibles on the forums.

The Verdict
Stropping is good. Make sure you do it. My face still burns. As for the humble Omega brush, don't underestimate a boar brush and don't look down your nose at them because of price, as I've found it to be a great part of my shaving lineup ever since I bought it to lather my Proraso when I started DE shaving. There are a lot of great products out there in every price point, which is part of what makes this so much fun. Finding what you like and what works for you, discovering new things about shaving and about yourself, enjoying yourself the whole time.

The Straight Road is a wonderful journey and should be enjoyed.

I am almost through my goal of a full week of straight shaving, then I think my face needs a break. The DOVO did a number today in terms of burn and I think there are a few ingrowns and the nick under my nose that need a rest.

Nonetheless, there will be lots to report as I start the honing adventure!

Thanks for reading.

Cheers,

Jack

Haha I just realized my last post should have been "Part 18".

Anyway, that was my 7 days in a row! I think I might go for the DE today, just for a change of pace.

The Straight Road - Part 19: Double-Edged Sword
After completing my goal of seven days in a row, I decided today would be a good day for changing things up a bit. I hadn't touched my DE razor since I started this journey, so I was getting the itch to give it another go.

The Anticipation
I have been enjoying straight razor shaving so much over the past few weeks that I have neglected my DE, which I was still just learning, when I bought my first straight. You might say that my Noob Chronicle is a journey into traditional shaving in general, not just straights. I still haven't made it through my first round of the test blades I purchased for my Merkur 38c. So today I decided to include the DE shaver in my rotation, just to change it up a bit and see how the DE stacked up.

The Prep
I filled my scuttle with near-boiling water from the stove, dunked my brush in the reservoir and headed into the bathroom for my shower. After the shower, I was pretty much ready to go straight to the lather, which felt a bit strange after having to strop every day for a week. I had chosen my Frank Shaving Richmond Silvertip 28mm for today and it was time to try Tabac soap.

The Lather
There was a lot of it. I think I may have gone a bit overboard on the water, as it was slightly foamy, but it didn't dry out and it gave me all the smooth glide I needed for my DE shave. The aroma was pleasant, though I think my brush still has a whiff of badger in the abundance of hair packed into the large knot. Hopefully a few more uses will take care of that. The huge brush, combined with the nice lather from the Tabac, worked to give me three full passes and touch-ups, with very few issues. I am very impressed with Tabac. It has a great scent which I enjoy and I am curious to try their aftershave products. I think it will take a few more attempts for me to master the lather, but this is shaping up to be a keeper, if one shave means anything.

The Shave
It's very easy to shave with a DE when compared to a straight. My touch was very light and the Merkur blade was very smooth. So smooth, in fact, that I had to stop and check that it was shaving off stubble. Thankfully, it was, so I continued my shave on my WTG pass. I kept thinking to myself "this is so easy". The straight razor tends to feel a lot more like a sharp blade passing over your face than the DE. I like the feeling of the straight, as you really get the feedback from your skin about what the razor is doing, while the DE is more of a gliding sensation. Or maybe my touch is still too heavy with the straight. The second, XTG pass was just as easy as the first, so I went for a third, ATG pass, something I have yet to do with my straight. I had a tiny spot of blood come through the lather on the third pass, though I hadn't felt it and it didn't bleed much. The ATG pass felt very smooth, though it did leave me with a touch of burn on the jawline and around the neck. This level of burn is about the same as what I was feeling from my XTG yesterday with the straight.

The Post
I went with the alum first, which stung me enough to know that I had, indeed, been a bit ambitious with an ATG pass. The witch hazel was next, helping to calm my face and soothe it a bit after the alum. After that, I applied some Real Shaving ASB and dabbed on some T&H Spanish Leather. The cleanup was pretty quick as, rinsing the brush and scuttle, making sure there was no gunk in my razor and drying off the sink, I was done.

The Verdict
Baby-butt smooth. I very rarely go for BBS when I shave because I usually get ingrowns and sometimes white bumps, not to mention the fact that I probably won't be able to shave until Monday. I can see why DE razors became such a popular item, eventually supplanting the straight razor as the regular man's shaver of choice, because it really is easier and more convenient to use. The ritual was still enjoyable, though not quite so much as the straight. I can definitely say that I enjoyed this shave, but I will likely only include the DE in my rotation once a week, twice at most. The straight shaving experience is simply more fun and more fulfilling, though the DE is not too far behind.

Which is a good thing, because we don't want anyone to fall behind on The Straight Road.

That was a pleasant interlude and a nice change of pace. I am glad I pulled out the DE today and I am glad it will continue to be a part of my grooming rituals. With this BBS shave, chances are I'll take a break tomorrow and be back at it Monday, though on Tuesday I'll have to shave in the morning, so we'll see. Movember is on the way, so that's a little bit less shaving that I'll be doing with either type of razor.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers,

Jack

This is such a great thread. I've really enjoyed seeing your acquisitions as you've gone along.

Hi jack, have you tried Trumpers Sandlewood shave cream?? i tried some the other night and was very happy with it. i think that i might need to send them an email or ring to see if i can cadge some samples from them!

i'm also liking the look of the dovo, do you know what model it is?

steve

Originally Posted by stevec

Hi jack, have you tried Trumpers Sandlewood shave cream?? i tried some the other night and was very happy with it. i think that i might need to send them an email or ring to see if i can cadge some samples from them!

i'm also liking the look of the dovo, do you know what model it is?

steve

I haven't tried anything from Trumper, yet, though I do have some samples of their soap on the way. As for the Dovo, I believe the blade is the same as the Bismarck, but the scales are custom Ironwood. I got it from The Superior Shave.

On another note, I just got another package in the mail this morning

A new hone I found on Ebay that I took a chance on. The seller indicated that, to the best of his knowledge, it is a Thuringian. I have posted a pic in the hones section to see what the pros think.







I should have more goodies arriving this week after my shopping and Ebay spree. Then in November it's time to stop buying and start honing and making an attempt at restoration. I needed a new winter hobby

The Straight Road - Part 20: Movember Morning
After getting a BBS on Saturday afternoon, I went through the usual throes of a post ATG shave for me. That means I had red and white bumps on my upper lip area and the stubble didn't return in force until late in the day on Monday. I have determined that I will probably not regularly go ATG in the 'stache zone. Though the temptation to get that BBS, even for one day, is rather strong, the subsequent mess of red and white bumps just don't seem worth it. My XTG shaves get that area smooth enough without having to suffer for two days afterword. Not that this will be an issue for the next thirty days, as I have embarked on my Movember mission to grow a moustache! Progress on the 'stache will follow, of course. I spent Monday evening lapping my new stone and managed to get it flat on my DMT 325, so I had to wait to shave until morning, as SWMBO wasn't about to put up with a late night shave again.

The Anticipation
Thirty-six hours without a shave felt like a lot after going for a daily shave for the previous 8 in a row. I hadn't done a morning shave in a while, so it was a nice change of pace. Of course, I had motivation to jump out of bed in the morning, surprising SWMBO, who usually has to bug me through at least three or four rounds of the snooze button. I was raring to go with my TI Le Canadien 6/8" in Black Horn and my Frank Shaving Richmond 28mm Silvertip, so it was time to get started.

The Prep
I stumbled groggily out to the kitchen, rubbing the sleep form my eyes and flicked the switch on the espresso machine, then turned on the stove under the kettle. A couple of minutes later, I poured the steaming water into my scuttle and headed back to the bathroom. I dunked my brush in the reservoir to soak and hopped in the shower, which did help to open my eyes somewhat. I had picked up some Real Shaving Creamy Facewash over the weekend, so today was the day to try it out. I deem it a good product, light and clean, that didn't leave me feeling dry-skinned or greasy and didn't smell too strong. Also no hives or other adverse reactions, so that's a plus! I took up the steel and went at it on my Premium IV Bridle Leather, going 25 on the webbing and a further 50 on the leather. As I laid aside the razor, it was time to take brush to scuttle...

The Lather
I went for überlather today. MWF was combined in the scuttle with some T&H Sandalwood cream and glycerin, which together formed a trifecta of creamy goodness. My lather wasn't as hot as some other days, as I didn't really let the kettle get to a full boil, but it was still warm, which was alright. I am sort of torn on the T&H Sandalwood, both as a cream and the aftershave or cologne. It's not very "sandalwoody", as it has some citrusy, fruity notes over top of the wood that, in my feeling, tend to overpower. SWMBO likes it, as does my coworker, who stated it smells very masculine. I'm still on the fence and not sure I'd choose this over Trafalgar or Spanish Leather. As you can see, I'm still having a blast with my sample pack. Anyway, I got enough warmish lather for three or four passes, though I only went for two with touch-ups.

The Shave
Morning shaves are a bit weird. I remembered to respect the point on my Le Canadien, as I need to be extra careful on the neck areas. It has a tendency to sneak up and bite when you least expect it while you try to navigate the different angles down on the throat. I had a very smooth, easy first pass, the lather doing its job and cushioning nicely and no nicks or cuts appearing in the wake of the razor's path over my skin. I had determined I was only going for two passes today, both for the sake of time and because I wanted to give the irritated 'stache area a break. The second, ATG pass was also fairly smooth, though I did end up with some small nicks on the chin area that didn't really bleed much. My touch-ups were pretty horrible today, so I have a patchy mess under my chin and at the corner of the jawline. Oh well, such is life and I refuse to "clean up" with the DE. When I want a DE shave, I'll do the whole thing with a DE, but right now I am determined to master my straights.

The Post
I did my usual warm water, alum, cold water, witch hazel sequence. After that, I rinsed out the Robert Becker scuttle and laid it to rest in its spot on top of the toilet tank. Soon, it will have its own space on the new shelves I bought to house my rapidly growing collection, which can now probably be called a "den". The ASB was, of course, the same T&H Sandalwood, which SWMBO loved when I went to give her the customary post-shave "test kiss". Luckily for me, she also likes the scent of the very inexpensive Real Shaving ASB, so if I wanted to, I could happily apply that as my only post-shave and save myself some money. Like that's going to happen! Once I had that taken care of, it was time to wipe down and strop for another 25/50 rotation on the Le Canadien, the lay it to rest on the stand. Then off to the kitchen to brew a nice espresso or three.

The Verdict
I don't mind a morning shave, but I think I'll stick to my evening routine as it just seems more relaxing and I can take my time and really enjoy myself. I did enjoy this morning's shave, but I felt the pressure of the impending work day and thus my touch-ups left much to be desired. The Le Canadien is doing wonderfully and I can't wait to try its brother, which just arrived to me this morning. Now that Movember is here, I will have a nice long time for my upper lip to recover from the bumps and irritation!

We all know there are going to be a few bumps, but we don't want irritation on The Straight Road.

It was a good morning for me with the postman, as I received not one, not two, but three packages this morning. My TI 6/8" Le Canadien in Snakewood scales, an Ebay Crown & Sword which will be my first restoration effort and likely receive scales made from the bocote I purchased and finally my 12k Chinese stone, all the way from Poland in just one week!

All in all, not a bad haul and I expect more from my recent flurry of Ebay activity and product purchases. As always, I'll keep you posted and get more photos up as soon as I have the chance.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers,

Jack