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Thread: Why?

  1. #21
    Straight Shaver Apprentice DPflaumer's Avatar
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    I guess there really are a lot of people who actually enjoy the round point. They just aren't the ones who answer the polls about point preference.

    I guess it makes sense too that more Spanish/Barbers/French/Spike points end up photographed on here since they are more rare, making it seem like they are a real preference.

    Interesting phenomenon.

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by DPflaumer View Post
    I guess there really are a lot of people who actually enjoy the round point. They just aren't the ones who answer the polls about point preference.

    I guess it makes sense too that more Spanish/Barbers/French/Spike points end up photographed on here since they are more rare, making it seem like they are a real preference.

    Interesting phenomenon.

    I think you hit it on the nose. We talk about the interesting stuff, we use the basic stuff.

  3. #23
    Senior Member AirColorado's Avatar
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    Jimmy I guess my pic isn't all that good but we have a similar face structure. I had the most problems early on with the area just under my nose, under the tip of my chin, and under my cheekbones. The area under my nose got really easy once I started to use a spike, Spanish, or French tip. The chin and cheekbones were tackled with technique. My approach to my chin is nothing special - just a bunch of pulling skin and a light hand. The cheekbone turned out to be a technique where I sort of "round out" the pass. Start at the top of the cheekbone toward my ear, go across and down but in a rounded stroke and I can get most of it there in the first pass. On the second pass I go vertically down the cheekbone (stretching the skin pretty hard) to get what was left in the hollow there.

    Funny but I saw something like that on Monty Python's Meaning of Life - that part where the Brit commander is using a straight while his men are fighting the Zulus all around him :-) He did it on his jawline (a circular sweep), I adopted that as well, and worked it into my cheekbone process too.

    Ookla I have a great solution to your TI problem. If you're interested PM me. It involves copious numbers of 5/8 full hollows. Better to have them get some use than gather dust in my shop area. Large numbers of them... :-)

    Finally the OP - I have to agree that it's a combination of economics for the manufacturers and convenience for users that have not acquired a taste for other than FHG and rounded tips. Admittedly they're good to learn with, but it seems we all have to go custom, fleabay, or serious restoration to find something else. I guess new razors are all like McDonalds fare for new straight razors these days. Not saying a FHG rounded tip is bad, but that's about all you can get when buying new - mostly. Like McDs, where a burger is the same in Boston as it is in Honolulu. There are some notable exceptions like Revisor but they're small houses and don't put out many per year as compared to TI and Dovo so they won't show up as often. I guess that simply makes finding a good blade that's different from the normal fare all that much more fun.
    Last edited by AirColorado; 11-05-2009 at 10:27 PM.

  4. #24
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    I'm still under a year at this, but I've bought and honed over 25 blades of wildly varying sizes, grinds, toe geometries, etc. -- everything from square 8/8 wedges to the ubiquitous 5/8 round fulls.

    Have to say, I don't have any "favorite" specifications. For me, edge sharpness and finish are the keys. Maybe as I get more experience I'll have preferences in blade architecture, but I don't see any sign of it yet.

  5. #25
    Senior Member blabbermouth JimmyHAD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AirColorado View Post
    Jimmy I guess my pic isn't all that good but we have a similar face structure. I had the most problems early on with the area just under my nose, under the tip of my chin, and under my cheekbones. The area under my nose got really easy once I started to use a spike, Spanish, or French tip. The chin and cheekbones were tackled with technique. My approach to my chin is nothing special - just a bunch of pulling skin and a light hand. The cheekbone turned out to be a technique where I sort of "round out" the pass. Start at the top of the cheekbone toward my ear, go across and down but in a rounded stroke and I can get most of it there in the first pass. On the second pass I go vertically down the cheekbone (stretching the skin pretty hard) to get what was left in the hollow there.
    I do that coup de maitre under the nose. Works well for me. I've never been able to do the ATG 'fool's pass' and have no desire to conquer it. Like you I also come at the upper lip from the side. I do a first pass down on my cheeks and a second pass up. I don't have as much trouble under the cheekbones as I do behind them. They jut out and kind of drop of and I have to be careful.

    On the tip of my chin are some tough whiskers and I do the same as you describe. There and on either side of the windpipe are my toughest areas. A combination of trying different stretches and angles of attack finally conquered those..... and a shave ready razor.
    Be careful how you treat people on your way up, you may meet them again on your way back down.

  6. #26
    Straight Shaver Apprentice DPflaumer's Avatar
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    Does anyone try the ATG pass under the nose?

    I see 2 problems with it:
    1: It hurts there. I tried it ONCE with a DE and had no desire to try again.
    2: If your blade should skip, you just connected your nostrils.

    The trouble spots for me are the corners where jaw, shaving neck, and real neck all meet up. I stretch like crazy, but it is still hard to get the very corner with a round point. Still a work in progress though. I'm a crazy fast learner, but I have only been at this for a month and a half.

  7. #27
    Senior Member Jantjeuh's Avatar
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    I used to do it, but if you nick yourself there it's very obvious and not great for going to work. I mean you have a red line under your nose... Never did it again, just going WTG and XTG there is more than enough for me. I alsi find it a strange (unpleasant) sensation when it is super smooth there, call me crazy

  8. #28
    The only straight man in Thailand ndw76's Avatar
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    When ever I shave with a round point, even though the razor is sharp, it feels like I am shaving with a honed butter knife. But with a square point that threatens to slice off my ears, slit my nostrils and gouge my cheeks I feel like I am shaving with a real razor.

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