Thread: Attack and Plaster

@outback seems like you struggle with the top lip and chin!?! Would have thought starting SR Shaving so young you'd have this bit figured out by now!?! Just out of curiosity as you are of a similar age to me, what made you go straight into using a SR??? As even way back then the disposable and cartridge razors available.

@CrescentCityRazor average interesting and comprehensive read as always. I totally agree with the dry soap NOT being lather but dry soap scum, a very good point!

Me I'm slowly getting there!?! If I could get to the same stage as when I was Shaving with the DE Razor, which was a x3 pass and minimal touch up! At present I am at x3 pass with a GOODLY amount of touch up to pretty much making it a x4 pass shave!?! But that said with no blood spilt and a VERY satisfactory shave!!! Would just like to reduce the amount of touching up then I will be happy!?!

I have no problems shaving my whole face.
I choose not to, is all.

I shaved my mustache off once, iny whole life. Couldn't stand looking at myself in the mirror. I never could get a nice full beard, but I could the goatee.

Once married, my wife threatened me, if I ever shaved it off. Being surrounded by razors, in the same room we sleep in, here we are.

But what got me into straight razors, was. I was working as a farmhand at the time, and we were renovating the farmhands house, when I stubbled across 3 straights in the rafters of the fruit celler.

I'd been having horrible ingrowns, rash, u name it, using cartridges. Figured...hell, I can make a knife razor sharp, let's see if this helps....and it's manly, too. And, I'm not your typical person, either. Bubble isn't quite plumb, so to say.

@outback i have no doubt you are more than capable of dragging a thin piece of steel round your face! Now me on the other hand, it's more akin to ploughing a field!!!

As for not being quite plumb!?! Who the hell wants to be level and totally sane??? Trust me it's a boring existence and absolutely no fun!!! Sometimes you have to do stupid things and live on the EDGE!?!

My wife is 4' and a butt end and she can cause me enough physical damage with just a look!?! Hence my SR's are locked in my cabinet!!!

Originally Posted by Muttley

@outback i have no doubt you are more than capable of dragging a thin piece of steel round your face! Now me on the other hand, it's more akin to ploughing a field!!!

As for not being quite plumb!?! Who the hell wants to be level and totally sane??? Trust me it's a boring existence and absolutely no fun!!! Sometimes you have to do stupid things and live on the EDGE!?!

My wife is 4' and a butt end and she can cause me enough physical damage with just a look!?! Hence my SR's are locked in my cabinet!!!

The proverbial, POWER OF THE FUR..

Originally Posted by Muttley

@outback seems like you struggle with the top lip and chin!?! Would have thought starting SR Shaving so young you'd have this bit figured out by now!?! Just out of curiosity as you are of a similar age to me, what made you go straight into using a SR??? As even way back then the disposable and cartridge razors available.

@CrescentCityRazor average interesting and comprehensive read as always. I totally agree with the dry soap NOT being lather but dry soap scum, a very good point!

Me I'm slowly getting there!?! If I could get to the same stage as when I was Shaving with the DE Razor, which was a x3 pass and minimal touch up! At present I am at x3 pass with a GOODLY amount of touch up to pretty much making it a x4 pass shave!?! But that said with no blood spilt and a VERY satisfactory shave!!! Would just like to reduce the amount of touching up then I will be happy!?!

@CrescentCityRazor My SINCER APPOLOGIES!!!!!!......I have just re-read this post and it starts with the word "AVERAGE"....I am TRUELY SORRY, your contributions to this and ALL other threads are anything but average!!! This should have read as "A VERY......" This initial post was done on my mobile phone and i suspect Auto correct kicked in without me realising!?! Again @CrescentCityRazor my utmost APPOLOGIES for this!!!

Originally Posted by Muttley

@CrescentCityRazor My SINCER APPOLOGIES!!!!!!......I have just re-read this post and it starts with the word "AVERAGE"....I am TRUELY SORRY, your contributions to this and ALL other threads are anything but average!!! This should have read as "A VERY......" This initial post was done on my mobile phone and i suspect Auto correct kicked in without me realising!?! Again @CrescentCityRazor my utmost APPOLOGIES for this!!!

No biggie. I didn't feel no way about that, didn't really notice. And my skin isn't so thin anyway.

Originally Posted by CrescentCityRazors

No biggie. I didn't feel no way about that, didn't really notice. And my skin isn't so thin anyway.

So that is why you can shave with a 4K edge.

Originally Posted by Muttley

One of the most important lessons I have learned on my journey is once the RAZOR touches your face to shave and you feel it's NOT quite in the right place, DON'T change your mind, continue with that stroke or REMOVE the razor and replace it as desired!!! Every time I have put the razor on my face and thought hmmm it just needs to be a little more over I inevitably move the razor and as if by magic the red stuff immediatly.

What you describe here, has two elements worth thinking about: a) concentration and b) the lateral stroke.

The obvious one; a straight shave demands more concentration than any other shave.

The second one; a purely lateral move with the blade resting on your skin is a sure way to ask for trouble.
Yet, you may find one day that a small element of lateral movement during a vertical stroke will produce a closer shave, which incidentally also holds true for safety razor shaves.

But to correctly apply that lateral element during a straight shave requires concentration, perseverance, and experience.
It is one more thing a novice straight shaver needs to come to terms with, but don’t believe or get discouraged by the story that after 100 straight shavers you will have become an accomplished shaver that some people peddle.

The truth is that it is a long journey with hardly an end in sight.
After 100 straight shaves you may have achieved adequate shaves, after 300 shaves you may reach a point where your straight shaves are as good as a typical (meaning small negative blade exposure) safety razor allows with skill, and from there onwards you enter an area where you make from time to time small tweaks and adjustments to your shaving, honing and stropping routine, and start approaching shaves that cannot be surpassed with any safety razor, no matter what blade exposure or blade gap.

Some people may tell you that they became accomplished straight shavers after 100 or less shaves, but I do not know how they define an impeccable shave and I have been doing this long enough to know how late in the game some new ideas pop up in one’s mind and how pleased I am when they produce what by now may be minute improvements, but improvements nevertheless.


It’s the journey that matters, not the destination…


Apologies for the rather long write-up.



B.

In short...there will become a time when all fear of the straight just goes away. And you become very comfortable using a straight.

That's when the tweaking begins. At least it did for me, then came experimentation with everything, till I found what works for me. I just shave, now. Nothin to it.!

Never take your eye off the blade