Some questions

[taz575]

I have done a few SR shaves lately. The WTG strokes are fine and I am learning to control the point and stretch the skin more. Cheek shaving from sideburns down to jaw bone isn't bad at all. I am learning the chin and neck areas, but I am always having left over hairs on my neck. When I use a cartridge (Pro Fusion), I have to go exactly from ear to middle of the throat usually from each side after the WTG and ATG strokes and that still doesn't get them all. With a SR, it's very awkward to do these strokes, so I tried doing angled strokes, which didn't do much. Any ideas how to get these pesky hairs?? Is it possible to get a BBS with only WTG strokes??

Lathering has been a challenge lately. I don't think we have hard water, but the lather just doesn't seem to be happening. I've used Proraso a couple times and the SRD glycerin soap once. I put the boar brush into a ceramic mug with very hot tap water and put some water on top of the soap and let it soak while I shower. I dump the mug, pour the little bit of water that was sitting on top of the soap into the mug after I take the brush out, shake it out to get the excess water out, swirl it on the soap till it's loaded well (20-30 seconds). Then into the mug and try to lather. I swirl back and forth, different directions, add water, etc and it still doesn't seem to make much of a thick lather. I tried less water and got less volume of lather, added a little more. Seemed good, then when I put it onto my damp face, it seemed very very thin, not a thick lather. I've watched Lynn's video and I don't see what I am doing differently?? I am going to get some bottled water today and try that tonight to see if it is the water. We use a water softener, but I am wondering if the water is still too hard. Should I try a cream to see if that lathers easier? When I shave with the cartridge, I just use some Lever 2000 soap on my face and rub it in for a few minutes and I can do all 3 passes with just the 1 application of soap with the cartridge. Even with that soap, I don't get a ton of lather, it's a thinner coating.

I honed and stropped my 4 razors. I can tree top arm hairs with the edge angled down towards my arm a little, and the hairs really pop. I have a buzz cut, so not much hair for a HHT test, but when I use my Omega boar brush hairs that fell out, I can pop the hair if I drag it perpendicular to the edge, it drags, catches and then pops. I am wondering if the razors are fully ready? Looking at the edges under a 20x eye loupe, it looks like the bevel is set and goes fully to the edge/apex of the edge. I go up to an Ozuka Asagi JNat stone, then strop on balsa with CBN .5 and .25 micron, then strop on linen and then leather. Tree Topping arm hair still makes the hairs grab a little and then pop a lot, should it cut cleaner thru the arm hair? I am thinking of sending at least 1 of the razors out to a pro so I have something to compare my others to.

[mglindo]

Great idea on sending one out for one to compare too. Maybe better idea is to send two since you have four razors. One spare.

[MattCB]

Well here is my two cents.

For the throat area I have the same problem. Most of the hair direction runs from West to East. This makes it hard to perform true WTG, XTG, and ATG passes. For my daily shave I perform a North to South pass and then a South to North pass on my neck. I actually do a little bit of SE to NW pass directly under my chin. This ends up getting most evrything and and results in a close and comfortable shave. The other thing I have noticed is what you will hear over and over. Practice makes perfect. Some of it just takes time

As far as the lather issues, each soap and cream is unique and takes time to master. The water quality, type of brush, and quantity of water all make a huge difference. One thing that jumps out at me is you are using a Boar brush to lather in a bowl. While this is possible, boar is much better for face lathering. To get a good lather in a bowl you will hvae much better luck with a badger brush. You can also practice lathering at other time in the day. It's a skill like any other. Sneak into the bathroom and take 5 minutes and try different amounts of water.

Most of all, just keep at it. Keep asking these types of questions and trying new things. It all comes together eventually.

[taz575]

I tried to lather on my face and it ended up with much thinner lather?? It went on thicker and as I worked it on my face, I could see the skin under the lather?

[MattCB]

Face lathering, load your brush for 30 to 40 seconds. Wet your face well and perform circular scrubbing motions over your face with the brush. Go over both sidees 2x. Dribble a little more water on the brush and repeat. At this point you should have built up quite a bit of lather in the BRUSH. Use a "painting" motion, apply this built up lather to your face. If there is not enough, you either need a touch more water and "scrubbing" as described above or you need some more soap loaded in the brush. As I said, a little practice can really help. If gives you the chance to take your time and be objective instead of being rushed to get it done and on your way.

Give me a few minutes and I will try to find a post I saw that really made this all make a lot more sense to me.

[MattCB]

I don't have the post I was thinking about, but this is a great step by step way to obtain a great lather.

1. Place brush in water and a layer of water on top of soap (not applicable for cream )

2. Let soak for 10 to 15 minutes (or while taking a shower)

3. Remove brush, dump water from mug and dump water off of soap. Squeeze the brush bristles well to get out the water, do NOT shake out the water as we want some to be left.

4. Load brush for 30 to 40 seconds on wetted soap. Apply a little pressure so the bristle spread a bit, but dont crush it down. (or apply your dab of cream to the brush).

5. Turn your sink faucet on so on a bare trickle is running.

6a. If face lathering, wet you face very well (after all this is wetshaving!)

7a. Pass you loaded brush under the trickle of water to get a little bit on it.

8a. If face lathering, procede to use circular motions on your face to start building a lather in your brush.

9a. Quickly run your brush under the water again and repeat step 8a.


6b. if bowl lathering, pass loaded brush through the trickle and start working the brush in a circular motion in the bowl.

7b. Do this for 30 seconds and then get a dab more water.

8b. repeat steps 6b and 7b as needed.

9b. I recommend runnig some of the lather through your fingers after each 30 second session so you get an idea of how it feels.

10b. If you are practicing this by sneaking into the bathroom and think you have it just right... add some more water and see what it feels like with to much water.




I know thats a lot of text, but it is a step by step procedure that really helps you learn how to work with the soap, water, and brush combo you have. Some soaps just don't work well for some people. For the life of me, I can't get Cella to face lather well for me

[Razorfeld]

Time for some possible heresy. I am not against hot lather, or hot water. I just find that lukewarm and/or cold water is doing it for me as far as lathering and shaving goes. I soak my brush (Badger, Boar or Horse) in tap water cold while I shower. I usually use a continual uber lather (base of MWF and Maca Root), add a couple drops of glycerin and a bit of what ever I want to add (a little more Macca Root, Vit E, Tree Tea Oil, or whatever), shake out my brush, dump the cold water from the top of the MWF, swirl 30-40 seconds and go to town in the bowl achieving more than enough lather in about a minute, adding water as needed.

Shaving starts with a cold water splash followed with a small amount of Cremo or Kiss My Face finger rubbed all over. Damn best pre shave I've found. Then lather to my hearts content. Let it sit while stropping razor of choice for that day, re lather and enjoy (with or without music, coffee, a good brandy or a cigar if you are into that.)

[taz575]

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I will work on the lather more tonight.

[taz575]

Tried the SRD soap again, just took the dry brush, dipped in water, loaded with soap, put a little water in the mug and then lathered in the mug. I had much better lather results if I moved the brush back and forth halfway up the side instead of doing full circles in the mug. I then moved it to my wet face and worked it a little on the face as well. Shaved and it went better, less irritation, but still having problems at the jawbone down the neck. Cheeks are nice and smooth, it seems that some of my neck hairs grow facing diagonally back towards my ears. I tried a 45 degree stroke (edge to face, kinda like from the lower neck under the ears to the bottom of the middle of the chin from each side and that did the neck area better, so tomorrow I will experiment more with the jawbone and below area. I am going to try a diagonal stroke from the ear to the lower throat area to try to get the hairs below the jawbone.