Thread: Matt's shave journel

Well I almost made it to page 2, we can't have that. It's been an interesting few days with work, a seminar, grandparents medical stuff. So I'm back, well sort of. Don't flog me too bad I went back to the dark side today. I was short on time so I cleaned up 2 days growth with my DE so I wasn't late for work. I'll be back with my straight tomorrow.

Carl, again I can't thank you enough for all the advice you've provided so far.

Well we'll see how it goes tomorrow after a brief break.

Matt

No worries, Matt. A DE isn't the dark side; I felt light a traitor when I used my first DE after taking The Vow, but we appreciate the light a little more after a dark night...

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

No worries, Matt. A DE isn't the dark side; I felt light a traitor when I used my first DE after taking The Vow, but we appreciate the light a little more after a dark night...

~"The Vow"~ I'm still a newb, is that something I missed? Is there a ceremony that goes with it, like becoming a "made man" with the mob?? BTW, I'm liking this thread, I'm just lurking, and learning a lot!!

take care guys, keep it coming!! donv

When I started, a few days in, I posted that I'd taken The Vow. Of course, The Vow is that one will use nothing else but a straight razor for the rest of one's life, and if one can't use a straight razor, one shall not shave. Unfortunately I broke that vow in essence before I ever shaved with anything other than a straight. I broke it when I clicked the Pay Now button on a lovely Mühle R 89.

I wrote a post about yesterday's shave and apparently it didn't upload...so after today's shave I'll update with yesterday's and today's shave.

Matt

Shave 6 and 7:

Work has been hectic the last 3 days. I'm going to keep this a little short cause these graveyards have me beat down.

Shave 6 was with the Morley and sons razor. It was a good shave for where I'm at technique wise. I felt a little more tug and pull I believe.

Shave 7 I switched over to my shave ready Clauss. I had less growth but it was smoother then the Morley. I may try the Morley on my pasted ruprazor Filly strop to see if it comes back.

Both shaves were irritation, burn, nick, and cut free which is always a plus. I'm still trying to figure out how to make from my chin to about mid way to my left ear, just under my jaw line, look as good as the rest of my face and neck. For 2 N-->S passes everything is acceptable but that one spot sticks out just a bit.

Matt

Originally Posted by Mdixon2124

Now for my one real question at this point:
On the right side of my neck and throat the hair grows chin --> ear. Should I be pursuing shaving WTG that way or just North to South for the time being? Or is there even really a way to shave chin --> ear WTG and ear-->chin with a straight razor?

Hi Matt,
You've gotten some great advice so far. As your skills and confidence improve, your right brain will lead your hands into the correct stroke, blade angle and skin stretch for challenging areas like your neck. Don't rush it and it will come to you in an "AHA!" moment.

On that part of my neck my beard growth is exactly like yours. Here is what works for me:

1st pass: I do a diagonal pass that is somewhere between a WTG and an XTG pass. Razor in my right hand, edge down, toe pointed toward, but somewhat below, my right earlobe, I work my way across my neck from below my chin to below my ear using short guillotine strokes that move in a heel-to-toe direction that is illustrated here, with NO pressure at all. NOTE: I need to go from below my chin to below my ear several times, overlapping, to complete the first pass.

2nd pass: Nearly identical to my 1st pass, but I hold the razor in my right hand edge UP, toe pointed as above, I work my way from below my ear to below my chin using short guillotine strokes that move in a TOE-TO-HEEL direction this time. Again, NO pressure and I need to repeat a few times (overlapping) to complete the pass.

3rd pass: I do a good ATG here. I have fun with this pass because my hand gets in the way to the point I can't see the edge of my razor contacting my skin. I solved that problem by closing my eyes (-_-) and going by feel alone. I hold my razor in my right hand, using Grip 1. illustrated here. The tail of my razor is up, the toe pointed toward the base of my neck between my clavicle and trapezius muscle. That gives me a pretty decent ATG pass. I use short guillotine strokes with a toe-to-heel direction, working my way from below my ear to below my chin. Again, as above, I do several narrow overlapping passes with NO pressure to complete the ATG on this part of my face.

Please do not assume that I'm instructing you to copy my technique. I had the exact same problem with my neck when I started out that you have. As my confidence and skills developed, my right brain led my hands to the strokes I describe above. This is what works for me, for my beard, and for my skin. With time and practice, your right brain will provide you with a solution that works for your beard and your skin. I am just demonstrating that that is what will happen.

And don't forget to stretch your skin!
Namaste,
Morty -_-

Shave 8:

I gave the Morley razor 30/70 again just to see if I had a bad day or it was really giving me some tug and pull. I had about a day and a half growth. On the first N-->S pass there was some tug and pull. On the second pass it was provided a smooth glide. Every once in a while I'd stop on both passes and check the lather built up on the razor. Every time, evenly throughout the blade, the lather was full of whiskers. So I turn to the pro's here. Should I give it 5 to 10 laps on the pasted ruprazor strop, send it to be honed, keep using it and don't let my beard grow more then a day? I just don't know if it's dulled a bit after 7 shaves or what the deal is. Couple that with me still learning to strop, and shave I could very well be the problem.

As far as the shave it went well. I missed a spot on my neck but things seem to be improving each time. And again no nicks, cuts, or burn so that's always a plus.

Matt

Hi Matt,
You're going to get a lot of opinions, and that statement is even more astonishing when you realise you;re going to get three different opinions from one person!!

Giving it a few laps on the pasted strop would not be a bad idea; though I've never used a pasted strop.

Sending it to be honed would not be a bad idea, though I've never sent a razor to be honed

Many people would say I'm wrong, but I'd buy a Norton 4/8 and a Shapton 16k and learn to use them.

The easier option is sending it out, the second easiest is using your pasted strop and the hardest is honing. But one day, if we want to be REAL men, we learn to hone :-)

Oh, BTW, I think one should expect just a small amount of tugging sometimes, not every shave is perfect...

Originally Posted by Mdixon2124

On the first N-->S pass there was some tug and pull. On the second pass it was provided a smooth glide. . . . the lather was full of whiskers. . . . I just don't know if it's dulled a bit after 7 shaves or what the deal is. . . . As far as the shave it went well. . . . again no nicks, cuts, or burn

Hi Matt,
Like carlmaloschneider, I've never sent a razor out to be honed by someone else, but you have enough on your plate right now just learning how to shave. Unless you had a burning desire to learn how to hone before anyone mentioned it to you, I would suggest you wait a while and concentrate on developing your shaving technique for the time being.

When we are new to straight razor shaving, the problems we have can nearly always be traced back to our technique -- because we are still learning. You note above that your shave went well with no nicks, cuts or razor burn and that your second pass was a smooth glide. That does not sound like a dull razor to me.

While it is possible for poor stropping technique to adversely affect an edge, I don't think that's the issue here. Just the same, it would be a good idea to check the wiki and compare your stropping technique to what you read there.

Off the point, when I was first learning, it always seemed like I would get more tugging and pulling if I went two days between shaves and less if I shaved every day. Why? I haven't a clue (mostly because I was still learning).

How is your beard prep? A hot shower or washing your face with hot water will begin to soften your beard but there is much more you can do to prep your beard and make your shave easier and more comfortable. After washing your face, work some hair conditioner into your beard and leave it there for a couple of minutes while you make your lather. Then apply a hot towel for a minute or two. Rinse the hair conditioner off your face and work 3 - 5 drops of shave oil into your skin. That will help lubricate your skin and minimize razor burn. Then apply your lather and shave. And do go back and read the section on beard prep in the wiki. The better your beard prep -- the better your shave will be in closeness and in comfort.

Your shaving technique. The angle that you hold the blade will either cause more or less pulling and the angle will be different for each pass. Straight razor shaving, however, isn't like "paint by numbers." It's more involved than just "keeping the color within the lines." With time, your right brain will lead your hand into the proper angle for the least amount of pulling without you giving it any conscious thought. For now, just try your best to use the angles described in the wiki and trust that your right brain will pick it up as you gain experience and confidence.

The stroke you use will have a major effect on the comfort of your shave -- which includes pulling and tugging. Earlier I mentioned that I use a guillotine stroke when shaving my neck. I use that stroke on maybe 85% of my face. When properly done, it makes for smoothly slicing off the whiskers, rather than hacking them off the way you would hack a branch off a tree with a hatchet. The same section of the wiki also describes the scythe stroke, which is very similar to the guillotine. Both of those strokes -- when properly done -- will virtually eliminate tugging and puling when shaving.

But there is a reason why those advanced strokes are not mentioned in the instructions given to beginners! Remember: this is not "paint by numbers." There are other areas you need to work on before incorporating advanced techniques.

For now, work on your beard prep. Work on training yourself to use the best angle for each pass. Work on using the least amount of pressure. With a straight razor, the less pressure, the better shave you will get. Work on your stropping technique. And then, as your skill and confidence increases, begin to add advanced strokes like the guillotine stroke. But don't rush it. You will know when you are ready. Until then, it's okay to live with a little pulling and tugging. Just be patient along the way.
Morty