After a month, a complete shave!

I have been added for a month, but unable to shave the chin without using a DE.

Well, today I got the whole face shaved with only the str8. Took me about the same time. I was carefull but quicker, on the cheeks and neck.

Achieved 90% bbs on the cheeks and neck, the chin and mustache are, well, presentable.

The blade was refreshened with .5 diamond spray on felt. 7 lapse on diamond felt, 20 on untreated felt, and 60 on the latigo strop.

It felt good to finally use the sdr8 straight razor for the whole face.

Double O

Congratulations!
Sounds like you are progressing well. Nothing wrong with using the DE for touching up or getting an area you are having trouble with. I started that way and I've read many others have too. Soon you won't need the DE for touch ups. I still use mine if I'm pressed for time or just for a change of pace.
Enjoy.

That is some fine progress right there!
Congratulations!
And the really god news is that it will get even better:)

Well done I've been using the st8 for about 2 months still only able to manage a 80 percent BBS, but enjoy the challenge. I think my main problem trying to get a sharp razor.:gaah:

Double0757,

You're doing things right by going for a slower progression and not rushing things. Small steps will pay big rewards.

-Mark

Are you shaving with a factory edge, or did you have it honed by a professional?

Also, stropping correctly takes a lot of time to learn I've found, but it is essential that it's done correctly.

Congrats ! Like others have said , it gets even better . I don't worry about the BBS . I get better shaves than I ever got with a Mach 3 or any other razor I've ever used , and that's good enough for me . Not only that , shaving with a straight razor is just plain more fun .

Congrats! It only gets better from here :)

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Originally Posted by supersco

Are you shaving with a factory edge, or did you have it honed by a professional?

Also, stropping correctly takes a lot of time to learn I've found, but it is essential that it's done correctly.

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I got two razors, same steel, one from Vintage Blade LLC and the other order 3 weeks latter from SRD (with the life time honing). Both proffecionally hone for shave ready.

It is a good learning tool, to have two razors. I use one for comparison when the other strart messing and pulling my beard. Then I go back and strop some more or like I did a week ago , refresh the blade.

My stropping is not all there for me yet. I can honestly say that out of 10 strops maybe 6 or 7 are good, where I can hear the same sound up and down. Other times is not even or spine comes up a bit on one side (that's when I try to go faster). So I slow down and go at it again. The blade I use for comparisson (SRD) have only been used three times and I'm carefull with the stropping.

I want to thank Lynn and crew for kepping up this forum. Without it I wouldn't have started str8 shaving. And I whant to thank also all of you who participate on this forum. Because with out participation the learning curve would be much steeper than it is. I also know better, to listen to sound advice, even do I will like to start honing, I'm patiently holding back till I have at least a year of good shaving and stropping. In the mean time, I'll keep reading, watching videos and learning. Thank you again Double O

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Originally Posted by dave5225

Congrats ! Like others have said , it gets even better . I don't worry about the BBS . I get better shaves than I ever got with a Mach 3 or any other razor I've ever used , and that's good enough for me . Not only that , shaving with a straight razor is just plain more fun .

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Thanks Dave. I came from many years (25) of electric shaving, so I'm already getting better shaves, exepts for my chin and occasional stragler on the mustache, but you are 100% on being more fun! I have never look foward for a shave as when I was 16 and wanting to shave, but now I look foward with atticipation for the next shave. Double O

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Double0757

My stropping is not all there for me yet. I can honestly say that out of 10 strops maybe 6 or 7 are good, where I can hear the same sound up and down. Other times is not even or spine comes up a bit on one side (that's when I try to go faster). So I slow down and go at it again. The blade I use for comparisson (SRD) have only been used three times and I'm carefull with the stropping.

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I think you're on the right track! One of the most important things to do is only change one variable at a time, so you can see what the effects of your changes are. i.e. don't try a new soap AND a new aftershave at the same time. Good luck and happy shaving!