Thread: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

yea, and getting good lather will help when you get that shiny new straight!

Originally Posted by sunsnow

WOW Havachat45, that's very generous of you! Thanks! Unfortunately I'm stateside. I'll try sending it to one of the pros on the list to get it's hone on. Sounds like you know what you're doing and have become a proficient hone-guy. It gives me hope!

Actually, Sunsnow I was being selfish as I have never seen one of these and wanted to have a play with it....hehehe
Take a few months and get your stropping and shaving technique working for you before even considering honing for yourself (the voice of experience here) and always have a 'control' razor honed by an experienced honer to compare to.
You might want to have a look at this as it details some of my experiences - http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...-try-hone.html
Don't worry about being in the USA, us Aussies will still talk to you
Let us know how it goes.

yea don that. i sold the mine the next day he was in the mailbox.
I had lucky that i did a good buy on a flymarket the same weekend.(still have that razor)

Originally Posted by Havachat45

Don't worry about being in the USA, us Aussies will still talk to you
Let us know how it goes.

How very kind of you y'all down there not to hold that against us Yankees...

Well, I think I've got a bead on a good ready-to-shave blade in the classifieds that fits in my budget so I'll probably scoop that one up and use it as my regualr shaver/comparison blade. I'm thinking that I will most likely send out my fancy blade to be pro-honed and then I'll try alternate shaving with them and see which holds it's edge best. Months from now, when I'm feeling ready to try honing, I'll send my regular shaver out to be pro-honed and then purchase an unhoned blade to practice on. I'll definately let y'all know! I plan on using this thread as kind of a shaving journal.

I like your thinking Kalerolf... I'll check around and see what my local flea-market has to offer.

Well, it's been 2 weeks since my last shave with the new brush and soap kit and I truely can't remember the last time that I actually anticipated shaving! Maybe not since I first started. Usually I shave once a week, but I had to skip this week because it was test week and the first rule of test week is - you don't shave during test week. Anyway, in my first attempt at the brush I had a lather fail. This week, I tried to follow the directions in the SRP lather primer a little closer.

This time I did a little prep before working up the lather. Before I hopped into the shower I went down and filled a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup with water and nuked it in the microwave for 2 minutes to get it piping hot. Then I took my brush, placed it in the black shaving mug and filled it with the boiling water to soak while I showered. After the shower I emptied out the mug and lightly shook out the water. Using the proper 3 finger technique I loaded the brush and started mixing it in the mug. One problem... The lather was just as anemic as before.

Well, shoot. One thing left to do... Lets dribble in some more water to the mug. So I scooped out some hot water from the pyrex and dribbled a few drops into the mug and went back to mixing. A little better... Hmmm... Lets go back to the three finger stance and try re-loading the soap with some more water. This time I scooped out some more water and dribbled it directly on the soap in it's container and started working it with the 3 finger grasp. WOW! What a difference! The soap lept up into my brush and I could alread tell that this was going to work.

Back into the mug went my brush and the lather was building. I kept adding a little water as needed and finally found a lather that I wouldn't be ridiculed for. Working the lather into my beard I could feel that it was working better. The lather looked and felt thicker, the razor (still the mach 3) glided smoother, the re-lather and ATG shave was like butter.

MAN, I LOVE THIS NEW TECHNIQUE! I can't wait till I get my straight honed and back!

So the learning curve continues... This is the first time in a LONG, long time I've shaved twice in one week. MAN I love this! So this time I tried something new. I took the soap puck out of the plastic tin and stuck it in my mug. I tried my new and improved technique and found that it was much easier to work up a lather with the soap in the mug. The lather was thicker and creamier, and it worked up much easier. It is interesting how enlightenment strikes at odd moments, but as I re-lathered for a second pass I noticed how wonderful the lather felt on my newly shaved face, and a thought struck me. Since I haven't had the means to pick out a nice after-shave treatment yet, how would a treatment of post shave lather do me? I think next time I'll try my poor-man's after-shave treatment for a few minutes before a hot then cold rinse. Has anyone else tried this variation?

Thats my post shave right there. I dont lather up again for any reason other than the smell of the soap. It only stays on long enough to clean everything up, then I rinse it with hot water and the cold water cool down! But then again my face is not very reactive so YMMV!

Do you have aftershaves?

Nope. But it is what works for me, I could probably shave with a chunk of sandstone and nothing but water without irritation. If ya got 'em & like 'em then enjoy 'em. If you got 'em & fine without 'em then heck give 'em try, you might just enjoy 'em anyways! I wet shave for the smelly face massage, not necessity.