Thread: Does it get this sharp?

Originally Posted by ocelot27

I only shave S>N on my neck - everything else is WTG. No matter who hones the razor I've never been able to go ATG on the upper lip - my skin just can't tolerate it. I could go ATG on the cheeks but I'm happy with the closeness I get WTG.

-john

I cannot shave ATG on the upper lip with a new Fusion cartridge or a new feather blade in a DE. A new feather pro in my AC DX can shave ATG but not so comfortably. With a well-honed straight razor, I shave my upper lip ATG almost every day. I may only get 2 or 3 shaves from that blade before it needs touching up; however, I can shave even my toughest whiskers comfortably against the grain with a well-honed blade.

ATG on my upper lip was a challenge. I found hitting it WTG then ATG first the key as the whiskers are very short then pay attention to the blade angle and I get a very close shave.

This journey is still pretty new for me but I am really enjoying it. When I take the time for a 3 pass shave and several clean up areas I'm very pleased with the results. My issue now is my beard doesn't stay as smooth as long as when I shave with my DE. Now mind you DE shaving is super easy for me similar to cartridge shaving and the results are the best.

It just seems lately even after a smooth SR shave I feel stubble much quicker than when shaving with my DE. I guess the bottom line is the DE shaves deeper and I don't even do all the skin stretching as I do with the SR.

Like I said this is a learning journey and I'm progressing so all is good.

Originally Posted by DarthLord

+1 to this. For me, it's my head hair (though it is thinning in terms of population, my head hairs are thick, straight and wire-tough). I've learned quickly that if I don't shave my head every day, it will murder a straight (it probably murders my DE blades as well, but I'm not so concerned about those.) It doesn't totally wreck the edge, just makes it noticeably duller.

And yes, I'm careful about angles and stretching.

Won't hair be just as tough whether it is a day old or a week old. A piece of 4x2" is still 4x2" whether it is a foot or ten feet long?

Actually, it's easier to shave a weeks growth compared to a days growth.


Mick

Originally Posted by MickR

Actually, it's easier to shave a weeks growth compared to a days growth.


Mick

Yeah, I was surprised at how easily the mo came off at the end of November, and I shaved that dry.

Against the grain is definitely a measure harder than With and Across. My experience has that I have not had to got against on most of my face to a DFS, even BBS.
I find that during the shave what feels like existing stubble actually retracts after the shave. Now, my neck, that is a different story. I have a hard time under my jaw line, the beard grows I odd directions, so it is hard to get it close. Recently I have taken to doing what I call, for lack of a better term, a Coup d'maitre-type move, from neckline up to jawline. Multiple repeats of this move, a little at a time with very light pressure, and my neck is finally real close.

The beard "crowns" at the Adam's apple much like the swirl at the other end of your skull, and then there's that moving bump!

A non-perfectly honed razor (i've never had one honed/prepped by anyone but me-and i'm improving mucho rapido) can be quite dangerous ATG with any scything in the stroke. The whiskers can "accentuate" the scything motion just enough to cause a good nick. Axe me how i know.


I'll go ATG anywhere but upper lip. Get it plenty close WTG, XTG.

Originally Posted by fuzzychops

I think this absolutely true; however, some of us have whiskers that will reduce that well-honed blade to dull in short order.

This is what I have dealt with since day one of my straight razor journey. I have a fairly thick beard, so when I get a shave ready edge from a pro, it goes dull in a few shaves. So then I switch to another razor, same result. Then I started to invest in high quality strops, and mentorship from members here. The edges lasted a little longer, and I learned a lot and got a few more shaves out of my blades as my technique improved. After awhile longer the edges just didn't hold up and I moved into the honing world where I am still fairly baffled but learning every day, but that's just what is necessary for my beard, and every man has to figure out their own threshold. Good luck, I still send my blades out for professional attention when I can't get it right.

You guys with heavy beards, have you tried Double-taped honed?
What about Wedges?
Not really an issue for me, just throwing out some ideas.

Originally Posted by souschefdude

You guys with heavy beards, have you tried Double-taped honed?
What about Wedges?
Not really an issue for me, just throwing out some ideas.

I don't have any wedges, and so far only hone with one layer of tape, mainly to protect the spine. What is the benefit of a narrower bevel created from additional layers, versus the original un-taped (or single taped) bevel?