Thread: Enjoying my shaves so far, but...

Originally Posted by Targul

I received a package deal from Straight Razor Designs for my birthday from my wife (Dovo Master's 6/8,3" Black Latigo Strop, Simpson Beaufort B4 Badger, and SRD Unscented Soap) and have been taking my time as suggested adding one more part of my face each day. Tomorrow will be my third day of shaving my full face (WTG only) and I'm enjoying it but had a few questions.

1. Over the past couple of days I have noticed an extra shiny area in the middle of the edge between toe and heel. I thought it was possibly a slight rolled edge but I'm not sure and stropping doesn't seem to change the glint at all. What is this and how can I fix it if its a problem?

2. My cheeks have progressively gotten a better and closer shave day by day. My chin and jawline don't seem to be very close though. I've been trying to continue unconcerned as my cheeks started kinda the same way and I believe my technique probably just needs to improve. Is that likely or should I be concerned?

3. I have always needed to do a WTG and then ATG shave with the cheapo Bics that I have always used. Skipping out on the ATG would always result in a sub par shave as would using any sort of store bought shaving cream/gel. I haven't begun trying an ATG shave with my straight razor yet. Could this be part of my problem with Question 2? Is the soap lather going to cause me a problem? Is there anything else I should be doing to soften up by beard and face to make for a better shave?

4. I have also considered trying a second WTG pass instead of adding an ATG pass. Is this recommended or should I just move straight to an ATG pass?

5. There is a slight pull or roughness to the stroke of the razor at almost all times. This seems normal to me as its always been the case for me when shaving. It doesn't hurt and I have only had a couple of minor nicks over the past week+, and no razor burn to really speak of. Just making sure that this is normal, as I have read multiple posts about the smoothness of others shaving experiences. Again its slight and not really concerning to me but wanted to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong and didn't know it.

Routine (for reference): (Soak Brush, Strop Razor, Shower with Conditioner on beard, Dry Off except for face, Lather, Shave WTG rinsing razor and wiping clean regularly, clean up and let everything dry, and use Stetson aftershave)

Thank you,
Nic

1. Rolling the edge is a possibility but I would rule out technique being the problem before trying to do anything about it like honing. If you are getting a comfortable shave then its probably not the issue.

2 Your chin and jawline are the hardest parts to master. Try stretching, checking the growth pattern, and play with the angle of the blade in these areas. I have noticed that these areas take several different blade angles to get the job done.

3. After you condition your beard first by massaging hair conditioner into it and letting it sit for a few minutes, try lathering your entire face making sure to really work it in and massage your face. let it sit for several minutes, rinse it off and then reapply more lather to shave with. A pre shave oil can help a lot too.

4. I did two wtg passes before I got the hang of ATG and XTG. Its perfectly fine if it helps reduce your beard

5. Try playing with the angle of your blade. Certain angles will pull and tug more than others. Also you may need more moisture in your lather. Try adding a few drops of water at a time as you shave and see if it gets to the point where it stops pulling. Also splashing water on your face before you reapply lather for another pass helps. Just remember it takes a long time to master this and get the close shaves you keep hearing about. Take baby steps and stick to wtg until you are very comfortable and your muscle memory kicks in. It takes time but its part of the journey. Sounds like you are on the right track to me.