Thread: 8 months & must be doing it right

Well, it's been 8 months since I started shaving with a straight, and when I started I wasn't sure if I'd cut my head off. (That hasn't happened, as you can tell I'm still typing this.) Got a DOVO & strop kit from SRD and watched Lynn's video plus a lot of You Tube instructional videos, which helped a lot.

I've managed to follow the guidelines on stropping and have only a few minor nicks on the really nice 3" strop I got from SRD. I also picked up a barber's hone from the Bay, and got hold of a balsa wood piece that I've pasted with the red oxide on one side and the green on the other.

Once a month I give the DOVO 6 to 7 strokes on each side to sharpen it up. I keep it really flat against the hone. Once or twice a week I strop it on the balsa wood piece, about 6 or 7 times here as well. Each day before the shave, while the soap settles into the beard I do 30 on the canvas and 60 on the leather, making sure I keep things light and flat. The razor is still sharp. I also picked up a second razor that was professionally honed and I use that as a "reference razor." When I suspect my Dovo is in need of something, I'll try shaving with the reference razor to see if it's me or the blade. I have a coupon for a hone, but I think I can make it a year without getting re-honed by a pro.

I haven't gotten any really bad cuts, though I did nick my upper right cheek a few months back when I came in too high and at too steep an angle. Do two passes, not three. Two's enough for me. I occasionally cut off a pimple or get a scratch, but it's rare now that I get any cuts/bleeding at all.

I've been pretty diligent about shaving with the straight every day, except a few days when I've been in a real rush and just did my old DE thing. The toughest thing has been to get a consistent lather with the brush. I just ordered some handmade soap on line and I'll post a review once I've used it a bit. I find that sometimes my lather is good for the first pass but dries out by the second, and if I try to make it wetter it's too darn wet. I must be missing something.

Right now I would not go back to any other way of shaving, so I've become a True Believer on this way of shaving.

If anybody has tricks on how to get a good lather I'm open. I have a badger brush, and I've been using Tabac soap in the white jar.

Great to hear your straight razor experience.

You might try lathering directly on your face. I use Tabac shave soap and get great lather whipping it up right on my face. If it comes out a little dry, splash your face with a little hot water and lather up again. I also use just a little shaving cream on the soaped-up badger if I'm feeling like some "super-lather".

You'll get the hang of it.

Sounds like you are doing everything right and getting great results! Please post more. You will be a great example for other new members.

What are you doing with your brush between passes? Try adding just a FEW DROPS of water to the mix between passes, then re-lather in your bowl or on your face. That works for me.

Michael

To re-moisten the brush, I've tried this trick: When I'm softening the soap with water, after that's done I pour the water off into another mug. Then I use that soapy water a few drops at a time to freshen up the soap on the brush. I feel like I'm too wide of the mark one or the other though, because either the lather gets too loose and watery, or it's still too dry.