Thread: A bit confused

Aztec,
About a minute or so is all you need to start lathering after you apply the pre-shave oil.
Also, strop before each shave. After the shave, the hairs on your face leave microscopic ridges on the edge. Not only that, but the pressure of the blade on your face also dulls the edge somewhat. Stropping before each shave, therefore, reconstructs the blade's edge from the previous shave. I also strop after the shave, about 10 strokes on each component, but that is to further clean and dry the blade.
Stropping before the shave is essential.

Originally Posted by Obie

Aztec,
About a minute or so is all you need to start lathering after you apply the pre-shave oil.
Also, strop before each shave. After the shave, the hairs on your face leave microscopic ridges on the edge. Not only that, but the pressure of the blade on your face also dulls the edge somewhat. Stropping before each shave, therefore, reconstructs the blade's edge from the previous shave. I also strop after the shave, about 10 strokes on each component, but that is to further clean and dry the blade.
Stropping before the shave is essential.

One thing that I notice is small hairs near my Adams apple area, I try to shave as much as possible but seems like I cannot get them out. It feels a bit bumpy like sand paper.

Originally Posted by aztec87

One thing that I notice is small hairs near my Adams apple area, I try to shave as much as possible but seems like I cannot get them out. It feels a bit bumpy like sand paper.

Aztec,
A good way to shave these hairs is to hold your swallow for a few second, a practice that flattens the Adam's apple area, and shave in short buffing strokes.

Remember, neck hair for most of us grows in multiple directions. It does on mine. I have a difficult time getting a perfect shave on my neck because of this problem. I suppose I can with five or six passes, which is bound to fry my skin, especially since I have a heavy beard and sensitive skin, so I do the best I can in a maximum of three passes and call it quits. In the past couple years I have trimmed my shaves to two passes with some cleanup. This applies to other parts of my face, too: three passes maximum, two passes preferred.

Comfort over perfect defines my straight razor shaving: I would rather have a comfortable shave than a perfect shave.

10/4 on the comfort vs perfect!
Make comfort your goal through the learning curve. Perfect comes after we die!

You'll always have stropped your razor before the next shave if you stropped it after your last shave so always strop after each shave..................k?
Hmmm........I'd say pre-shave oil comes in handy if you're the type to take a shower before a shave. Especially if you wash your face (stripping the oils) So the pre-shave oil is used to replenish that IMO, leading to maybe a less abrasive shave. If you don't wash your face before shaving what would be the point of a pre-shave oil? you all ready have an oily face....

There is probably no product that folks either love or have no use for more than shave oil.

I tried it years ago and I didn't like it. I have always felt your face should be clean before shaving. I guess with an electric it's important to have that dry lube on your face. A lot of folks do enjoy it though.

Just experiment and see which side of the fence you are on.

Somebody very kindly bought me a small bottle of shave oil but i never used it. Not wanting to waste the gift i tried adding a few drops to shaving lather and i quite like the extra glide it gives to Arko shave soap - although, I'm willing to bet that a fes drops of liquid glycerine would work equally as well.

With your neck you may have to make diagonal passes. You may also have to stretch your skin differently. Instead of raising your chin to taught the skin try raising less and pulling the skin to the side with your hand. Short gentle strokes. As for oil, I found the AOS pre shave oil to be too tacky for my liking. I use pure grape seed oil. It won't clog your pores, it's thin, light and slick. A little goes a long way. I find the grape seed oil at my local health food store. After my shave I rinse with cold water and relather to wash off the remaining oil. It has some staying power, absorbs well in the skin, and will moisturize long after you think it's washed off.

The only AOS product I use is the pre shave oil. I like to heat the small size container in a glass of warm water, then apply the oil to face. I let it "settle" for about 2 to 3 minutes while I set up the sink for shaving. This product is really thick. You can purchase lots of other less thick pre shave oils, or ones with different scents. I do think the pre shave prep really makes for a good shave experience.
Best of luck with the product