The Mach Delivers ?!

Took today off the Mach to try out my new custom impressively hand crafted by Douglas Cutlery...

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Very nice smooth shave with no rough spots until I decided to do an ATG cleanup with my trusty DE. Bit on the chin... that'll teach me to mess with perfection ;)

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Originally Posted by csrund

Please suffer a "noob" to chime in, as this thread is highly interesting.

I'm a recent SR convert, but I've been unable to get the BBS results between neck and jawline with the straight. It's agonizing to make the ATG pass below the jawline--it really tears up my face, and the long SR blade is difficult to manage at that awkward angle. Consequently, I can't get a full BBS reduction with the straight, which has been disappointing.

The closest, cleanest shave for me has been with cheap store-brand, triple-blade disposables with the lanolin strip. About a buck each, no irritation and the shaves are close enough to last two days. Try using them with a guillotine/diagonal stroke, up and down in an X-pattern. Also, try using fingertip control to make a scything stroke. Use a feather-light touch. The reduction you can get is amazingly complete and silky.

HOWEVER... like most of you, I'm addicted to the other aspects of SR shaving: collecting vintage blades, honing, soaps, fragrances, etc., not to mention the indulgence of a 25 minute spa treatment with hot towels, balms, etc. Then, there's the actual act of precisely drawing a bare blade over the face. Makes you feel a kinship to granddad and his pals who came of age when men were men. Gives you a sense of having cultivated a rare skill.

So for me, it looks like I'll have to keep some triple-track disposables around for the BBS finish. But I'll always enjoy shaving with a straight a couple or three times a week.

Sounds not unlike some of the other replies in this thread. Anybody else have a similar experience?

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Hi csrund,

I know you've received a few responses to this comment.

I am a recent SR convert, too, and I also have a problem with getting that perfect shave. My beard above and under my chin is especially coarse, and I have dark hair. Not only that, but the hair under my jawline grows sideways, not up and down, making anything other than ATG very difficult for me.

I do not have a DE or SE razor to fall back on, I only have a cartridge; and I've not used that cartridge after my third shave. Maybe one day I might get a DE for travelling, but I've forsworn myself off cartridges forever.

For most of the time I've been using a SR, I've not had the best of shaves. I've been presentable most of the time, but especially on my chin and underneath my jaw, it's been very difficult for me. My technique has been improving, but I felt that if I didn't get a good enough shave or if I left patches where there should be none, I wasn't going to correct them with my cartridge, or even a SE if I had one. This might not work for everyone, especially a person who is in sales or does presentations or otherwise must look immaculate at all times, but it left me with no crutch. I had to, and still have to, improve my skills or I suffer the consequences and live with my shame for all to see.

I guess I've dedicated myself to this cause. I could probably get a better shave now with a cartridge because my prep work is heads and shoulders above what it once was; I've learned a lot about wet shaving simply because it's a necessity for straight razor shaving. But I'm not in this for the perfect shave. I'm in this for the straight razor shave; and I think that the perfect shave will come along soon enough.

I have experienced other benefits that other members have noted. My face and skin are healthier; my razor bumps along my neck are almost gone. I don't experience ingrown hairs, even where I do get that often elusive BBS. This may not be every members' experience, but it has been mine. Also, if it weren't for straight razor shaving, as I mentioned, I would have never learned the joys of wet shaving in general, and the general pride one gets in learning this art. At some point I plan on getting into honing, and maybe even into restorations.

I really like this hobby and I'm glad I ran across SRP. There's no way I would have taken this up without all the information available here and all the nice people willing to give good advice to someone like me.

So Mr. Gillette can stick his cartridges someplace I'll never see them again. I'm on a new journey down what others have styled The Straight Road. And I'm not looking back.

-Mark

I am just getting started too, I have maybe 2 SR shaves under my belt (with my shavette) and I find it's quite the learning curve, But it's well worth the effort, you will learn more about your face and what works best for you as you progress.

What I am doing is that I have a DE that I used for a while in order to learn the grain of my facial hair and understand how I should shave (passes etc) now that I have the SR I do one WTG pass with the SR then the rest with the DE, gives me a BBS shave most of the time.

Once I get my technique for the WTG pass down, I will take on the ATG pass (and still do the touch up with the DE) over time I will find myself using the SR for everything

If your face is hurting then your technique needs work as does your prep, one thing I have learned is that there is no hard and fast "way to do things" everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you but you need to experiment to find what works for you :)

Hope this helps!

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Originally Posted by markdfhr

Hi csrund,

I know you've received a few responses to this comment.

I am a recent SR convert, too, and I also have a problem with getting that perfect shave. My beard above and under my chin is especially coarse, and I have dark hair. Not only that, but the hair under my jawline grows sideways, not up and down, making anything other than ATG very difficult for me.

I do not have a DE or SE razor to fall back on, I only have a cartridge; and I've not used that cartridge after my third shave. Maybe one day I might get a DE for travelling, but I've forsworn myself off cartridges forever.

For most of the time I've been using a SR, I've not had the best of shaves. I've been presentable most of the time, but especially on my chin and underneath my jaw, it's been very difficult for me. My technique has been improving, but I felt that if I didn't get a good enough shave or if I left patches where there should be none, I wasn't going to correct them with my cartridge, or even a SE if I had one. This might not work for everyone, especially a person who is in sales or does presentations or otherwise must look immaculate at all times, but it left me with no crutch. I had to, and still have to, improve my skills or I suffer the consequences and live with my shame for all to see.

I guess I've dedicated myself to this cause. I could probably get a better shave now with a cartridge because my prep work is heads and shoulders above what it once was; I've learned a lot about wet shaving simply because it's a necessity for straight razor shaving. But I'm not in this for the perfect shave. I'm in this for the straight razor shave; and I think that the perfect shave will come along soon enough.

I have experienced other benefits that other members have noted. My face and skin are healthier; my razor bumps along my neck are almost gone. I don't experience ingrown hairs, even where I do get that often elusive BBS. This may not be every members' experience, but it has been mine. Also, if it weren't for straight razor shaving, as I mentioned, I would have never learned the joys of wet shaving in general, and the general pride one gets in learning this art. At some point I plan on getting into honing, and maybe even into restorations.

I really like this hobby and I'm glad I ran across SRP. There's no way I would have taken this up without all the information available here and all the nice people willing to give good advice to someone like me.

So Mr. Gillette can stick his cartridges someplace I'll never see them again. I'm on a new journey down what others have styled The Straight Road. And I'm not looking back.

-Mark

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I had much the same problem when I first started using straights, until I found out why smiling razors where so popular. If you're using a flat cut blade the underside of the throat is going to be very difficult, a smile allows you to get into the hollow under the chin and neck with full blade contact. the shape of your blade should be based on you beard type, facial hair style, and face/neck shape. If you wear facial hair you need a French point, Spanish point, or any protruding point so you can trim easily. If your beard is heavy you need more smile, if it's fine. less smile. The amount of smile should never be less than the shape of the hollow on either side of your wind pipe with the skin held tight (for most men this is very little, that's why most can use a flat edge with no problem). These are things that used to be taught but where lost when straights lost there popularity.

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Originally Posted by bishpick1

I had much the same problem when I first started using straights, until I found out why smiling razors where so popular. If you're using a flat cut blade the underside of the throat is going to be very difficult, a smile allows you to get into the hollow under the chin and neck with full blade contact. the shape of your blade should be based on you beard type, facial hair style, and face/neck shape. If you wear facial hair you need a French point, Spanish point, or any protruding point so you can trim easily. If your beard is heavy you need more smile, if it's fine. less smile. The amount of smile should never be less than the shape of the hollow on either side of your wind pipe with the skin held tight (for most men this is very little, that's why most can use a flat edge with no problem). These are things that used to be taught but where lost when straights lost there popularity.

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I actually have been using two different razors for this exact reason. I have a smiling W&B which works wonders on my neck but I don't care for it on the rest of my face and that's where my square point friodur takes over.

And as a side note on the original subject, I have been sick over the past few days, to the point I hadn't shaved for three days which is a long time for me. So last night I took my shower but was still feeling crappy. Enough so that I wasn't comfortable shaving with my straight so I dug out the pro glide I swore was permanently retired popped in a new blade and shaved. WHAT A MISTAKE THAT WAS! I've got razor burn, a huge pimple and not to mention a down right terrible shave, not even close to bbs. Never again I say! I don't care how crappy I feel.

8th shave this morning and not as bad as the 7th suprisingly. Still DFS with slight sting to the alum and I can feel it and hear it struggling with the whiskers going XTG along the jaw line where my beard is heaviest. Not a bad shave still and surprisingly not the end of the cartridge.

One interesting thing to note here is how the degrading of quality is not linear. Might have a poor shave one day and a decent one the next. I have kept all prep and product consistent and so there must be other factors involved.

What post shave procedure are you doing to the Cartridge? Could it be you are drying it off differently or it's getting different treatment resulting in a different shave? *(Like if one didn't strop before shaving or put a SR away wet etc....)

Just thinking out loud :)

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Originally Posted by mcgyver74

What post shave procedure are you doing to the Cartridge? Could it be you are drying it off differently or it's getting different treatment resulting in a different shave? *(Like if one didn't strop before shaving or put a SR away wet etc....)

Just thinking out loud :)

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actually nothing... just rinse and shake and let it sit on the towel on the counter. I am guessing it would probably be better for it to dry it somehow but I never have with a cartridge so I figured I wouldn't start. They don't seem to rust up ever either way. I think the instructions say to just give it a shake.

I wonder if that would make a difference..... Just curious as I still prefer my DE or SR :)

I have nicked myself with various shaving items..yea even the Gillette new blades also...hehe,,,last time I used a Maach3..just out of curiosity I actually had the habit of wanting to skin stretch..wow!

I last week gave my Gillette Guard and Mach3 blades to my dad..as his eye and hand coordination isnt so great as it once was about 20-25 years ago...I like rotating my various straight razors and "touching" up with my DE's or til I can finally get those left n right sides of my neck that spiny hairs grow right to left and just around the middle spot around my adams apple..using my straight razors take me back over 100 years..the feeling...when I used to use my de's alot..it brought me back about 60yrs back..sounds odd..the but the feeling..ohh man...:beer2: