My straight razor abilitys

Well guys, i dug thru my list of razors and found one i hadnt used in 3 months. It was keen and gave another great shave. 5/8 Griffon with a smile. When cleaning up and putting things away i was thinking that its been a while sense ive had a bad shave. Like a few months now.

Im starting to get the feeling that ive gotten to the point that i can shave with any size and shape or grind of razor and come out on top. Now i dont want to jinx myself so im going to say that i still ha e much to learn, but ive been shaving with straights now for 18 months and i dont think too much about it when i shave. I just shave.

Its nice to realize that ive finally gotten to the point of no return and dont worry about putting one of the sharpest things in the world to my throat. Im not an idiot! I do pay attension to what im doing but i dont have to think hard about it any more.

So, im posting this to help ease the mind of some newbies out there. Yes! It takes time before you get to this point of shaving, but if you keep at it, dont give up when you have a few bad shaves in a row, try to learn with every shave and DONT worry about getting that BBS shave, you will get to the top of the hill and start coasting on the flat top.

Thanks to all who have kept me pushing forward, learning to shave and restore and hone. Its been a fun ride and i dont think i will be doing any less in this hobby we call shaving.

I know how ya feel, after 30 some years of shaving with a str8, its like breathing air for me.

I still typically pick my razor for the week. In the begining if a changed them too often the shave went down and then back up. So to get the greatest number of perfect shaves I decreased how often I switched razors. I can switch every day now, and do if I have been doing a lot of honing, but typically I still stick and stay for a week. Unless my edge is off, they are pretty much all great shaves now. It does not take a long time to get used to shaving with a straight, three months or so I think is about when I was getting pretty good at it, I still get aha moments but they are smaller and further apart.

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Originally Posted by outback

I know how ya feel, after 30 some years of shaving with a str8, its like breathing air for me.

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Makes you wonder if you took all those stubbles and placed them end to end how long it would be.:D

October this year will mark my 48th anniversary of shaving with a straight.:dropjaw:

I like to rotate thru them all. And this had a lot to do with the learning curve being bigger but i kept at it. I keep thinking about a special group just for my rotation but i just cant decied what to choose. Plus with the restoring i always seem to have so.ething different to shave with. Maybe when i slow down buying and resoting ill pic a handful but for now, i look at my log, find one that has only been ised once or twice and thats the one i choose.

Excellent review, Gasman. I’m coming up on three years in June. I’m going to write a Year Three Anniversary Diary in the next couple of weeks like I did at the end of the first year. You expressed many of the sentiments I’ve been thinking about lately.

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Originally Posted by Benz

Makes you wonder if you took all those stubbles and placed them end to end how long it would be.

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That is so random and meaningless. I laughed out loud. Thanks.

Jerry

Congratulations! It is great when you get to the point you do not have to think about gripping the razor, shave angles, etc. However, don't get so confident you go on full autopilot or you might end up like some of those self-driving Uber taxis.

This makes me feel good. Im definitely not effortless in all areas yet. But, I did notice last night things that really bugged me and kept me apprehensive are now seamless. Simple things like a consistent good lather or my upper lip simply flow. Overall only about two months in and I feel extremely confident.
Getting my korat with a French tip (probably too early) as my second razor really forced me to take it up a notch quick too. Im in a regular rotation and my neck first three passes go super easy. Looking at my desire to conquer ATG like a beast im looking forward to a long trip still.
Even with all that the luster and enjoyment I feel is still there. Every new shave feels great and exciting. Gas thanks for letting me know it keeps getting easier and never loses the fresh fun factor. All you long time shavers im glad to know the long term is bright too.

I thought i was to that point too, until i started nicking myself again(seems like once a week).Came to the conclusion it started when i started using a 12k. Must have developed a sloppy technique that didn't show up till now. Doesn't matter how careful i am. Any advice?

I knew I was getting comfortable when I got up the day of my daughters wedding (which I was officiating) and shaved with a straight without giving it a thought.

I'm coming up to my 2 year mark in July. While I still very occasionally have a bad shave, it's almost always due to not being patient enough with my lather. The thing that I appreciate the most about SR shaving is the fact that you're forced to take the time, be patient, be observant, and be mindful on a regular basis - and if you skimp on any of these, it's usually immediately apparent in some way. The other thing I appreciate is that there is always something to learn and something to get better at, no matter what level you're at.

It almost sounds like a religion....

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Originally Posted by joelkerr

I'm coming up to my 2 year mark in July. While I still very occasionally have a bad shave, it's almost always due to not being patient enough with my lather. The thing that I appreciate the most about SR shaving is the fact that you're forced to take the time, be patient, be observant, and be mindful on a regular basis - and if you skimp on any of these, it's usually immediately apparent in some way. The other thing I appreciate is that there is always something to learn and something to get better at, no matter what level you're at.

It almost sounds like a religion....

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Agreed. I consider shaving part of my mindfulness practice. Meditation in motion if you will.

I don't know if this holds for other veterans, but over time your skin becomes conditioned/ tempered to the str8.

I can use more pressure and angle without any ill effects.

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Originally Posted by outback

I don't know if this holds for other veterans, but over time your skin becomes conditioned/ tempered to the str8.

I can use more pressure and angle without any ill effects.

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I agree with this Mike. I find the same thing even though I've not come close to the amount of time with the blade as you.

Gasman, fantastic post, thank you for that.

I'm a 45 year+ wet shaver (DE, SE, brush, traditional soap) but a relative newbie with the straight razor. Just passed 200 SR shaves.

What once seemed impossible to do (shave with my non-dominant hand? shave against the grain? get a BBS or near BBS with just a straight?) now seems relatively effortless. Sure, it still takes attention, but it no longer feels 'mechanical'.

When I was playing a lot of golf, there was a time when I focused on technique while I was playing. Actually, I was playing 'golf swing' rather than golf. Once those new aspects of the game were integrated, I could get back to playing the game.

Like that, I don't have to focus on the mechanics of SR shaving as much: it feels like just shaving. It's not that I don't have a lot to learn-I do. But what a difference a few months and persistence makes!

I'm grateful to this forum for all the great info and discussions. In fact, just last week, one of the intrepid moderators shared about what worked for him on a third pass with a straight. I put that into practice the next day, and what a difference in the quality of the shave!

Thanks so much, gentlemen!