Originally Posted by
markdfhr
avilam,
I'm not coming at this like an expert, but as a fellow experimenter and student. I have been shaving with a straight since September.
I cannot get my beard hairs to shave xtg right now. The razor I'm currently using is in great shape and I think is sharp enough for the job. I'm just learning new things every time I shave, and I think one day things will work out for me.
However, each pass you do is about beard reduction, not elimination. When I've been going atg in my chin area, the blade just stops. I've been experimenting with angles and direction. I've been using the guillotine method where the travel of the blade is not quite perpendicular to the blade itself in an effort to increase the blade's slicing ability (as opposed to just chopping through hairs).
I've come to the conclusion, for me, that I still need to reduce the hairs more, so I've been buffing both wtg and atg and getting a DFS out of it. I've a feeling that when I get fair at this, I may be able to finally go xtg, should I ever need to.
However, and others have posted about this before, you can go too far. Your hairs may shrink or retreat a bit after your shave, so you don't necessarily have to get that so-called BBS feel during your shave. It could be that BBS is just too much to expect, anyway. Don't seek perfection, just seek satisfaction.
If you don't have a block of alum, get one. Using that after your shave will give you an idea of where you're trying too hard, because you'll feel razor burn that otherwise you would have missed. That's great feedback.
Also, I've seen others post about using Barbasol, having that soak on your beard during your shower. I've yet to try this, but it's supposed to really soften your beard. You should consider giving that a try, as should I.
Good luck to you, sir.
-Mark