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Just can't seem to get the hang of the smiling blade. Slight smiles I do OK with, but I always get the best shaves with a straight edge. :shrug:
Is it because I'm used to straight edges or is my face inclined to prefer the straight straight? :thinking: I'd really like to love the smiling blades, they're so fun to use, but I can't get BBS everywhere, theres always a couple of "acceptable" patches I suppose DFS, not sure what the difference is.
Leighton, could be your honing. A slight smile hones the same as a straight blade. A more pronounced smile will require a rolling honing technique. I've seen discriptions and videos of the rolling X honing stroke so a search may provide an answer.
Here is the thread "The Rolling X" that Russel Baldridge posted some time ago. I have also found Lynn's suggestion of a heel leading 45 degree angle to be effective on some blades depending on the extent of the smile. As far as shaving with them I prefer the smiling blades. I seem to have to be more careful with the straight profile. That may be purely psychological as I rarely get a nick with one or the other.
I agree it may be the honing.
I find the smile on a razor helps to stretch and smooth out the skin as the razor glides along, much as you would smooth out a tablecloth or something.
A straight edge is OK, and a frowning edge works to bunch up the skin in front of the blade, thus resulting in a crappy shave.
First thing I do with a new razor in the rotation is to put a bit of a smile on there, 'cause I roll like dat...:nj
How do you put a smile on a straight blade such as a DOVO.Quote:
Originally Posted by Seraphim
I think the smile would help with getting the area next to the adams apple which for me is concave...
Same situation for me with the Adam's Apple,
ericstki. I can stretch the skin to get this part
relatively smooth, though.
I don't think that there's a good way to impart
a smile on a straight straight, but I could be
wrong...
- Scott
Its not the honing, the razor is perfectly sharp at all angles. I know what I'm doing, thanks.
I only get a DFS rather than a BBS in the same two places. Left and right sides of my chin. Right at the edges. Rather annoying to have to go over it again half an hour after I shave when I realize I didn't quite get it perfect.
I know i am a straight razor newb, but what are you guys talking about? What is a smiling straight razor? Thanks!
do you go ATG IN THAT places?Quote:
Originally Posted by Leighton
i do stretch the skin and go against the grain
Yeah. Its my achilles heel. 80% of the time I get BBS there, but sometimes I miss.Quote:
Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl
My own thoughts on the matter is that the smile of the blade imparts a lower surface contact with the skin, so I am probably just not contacting the stubble there with the smiling blade and need to work on technique and/or go over the area a few more times to make sure I make contact with all the stubble.