Thread: What are you trying to impove in your shave routine?

Like Rez I am playing with soaps. The first puck of soap I bought was Mama Bear's and it is just running out. I got a sample set of Al's shave cream but I don't seem to find it worth my time to use a cream. It's a better lather and I enjoy it on weekends when I feel like taking my time and adding a treat. I have pretty much stuck to routines I have used since I started getting a nice straight shave without blood and scratches. My first cheapo set up went piece by piece and from learning here I replaced all that with things that actually work. I guess I have spent the better part of my first year concentrating on the blade. I have used a King 250/1000 and a Norton 4/8 to hone and I think I just about have all that figured out and ready to move up to a finisher. I have the linen form an old DD strop and a piece of horse hide I bought and cut to strop with. Ha ha I just lay them on a piece on 1X3 redwood I cut out of some old fascia board I replaced on the house. I will turn it into a hanger soon with a new piece of horse. I have about 19 Ducks in rotation and I strop them all at once. So my regular morning routine is . Turn on the hot water, take my brush and wet the soap, go get coffee. Hot water on wash cloth 2 times to the face and then lather up on the face. I usually do a WTG pass and proceed as time allows from there. If I spend 20 minutes I have made about 2 1/2 passes and it's smooth in most places. I dry the razor with a towel and put it in the "to hone" drawer. Wash face, brush, sink, then AS,lotion, cologne,wax and comb the mustache. Then I say Mirror mirror on the shelf, who's more handsome than myself ? No answer means I am good to go !
What do I need/want to change ? Maybe a strop just before shaving. I mentioned a finish hone and that may cut down on my time some. I have a few razors that just seem to be sharper and those I get the same results with fewer and longer strokes per pass. For me it's still all about the blade. Everything else is working fine so why change it ?