Thread: OK Razors Sharp! Now what?

The last few days I've been shaving w/ freshly honed razor sharp razors.
I'm at the point where sharp is getting pretty easy on most razors.

However when it comes to shaving...

There are patches of BBS interspersed with patches of not quite BBS but what there definitely is consistently is exfoliation.

I seem to be better at shaving fine layers of dermis off than hair. For the first couple of days this feels great but it wears thin after a while. There's no redness but I feel windburned after shaving at this point.

I think it might be a good idea to remove more hair and less skin.
Can someone point me to a good link or a manual for a close shave without the scrubbing effect?

Thanks,
Bob

Bob,

Is this after ATG passes? Are you stretching "north" of the way the grain lies on the ATG pass (eg: for me, my cheek hair grows downwards toward my neck - so I often stretch by pulling the skin on my cheek up toward my head to get the hair to stand up)?

Have you mapped out the direction of the grain of your hair on your face?

Any chance that, in those areas you mention, you're making unconscious angle changes or using excess pressure or going over them a few extra times to try to get the hair?

And, what are your shaves like if you leave it a couple of days? Same thing happen, or are they better?

Sorry for so many questions and so few answers.

James.

If you are shaving dermis I wonder whether you don't use too much force. If you need so much force I am afraid your razor is not sharp enough.

Kees - I've got a shave ready custom from Joe and a couple that are sharper although less comfortable so sharp enough is not the problem at all.


Jimbo Thanks for the questions:

3 pass shave I started using more stretching and it certainly helps under my nose. The rest doesn't seem to require much stretching as by the 3rd pass I can get pretty darn close. Neck is tight without stretching although I do pull up to get a nice cut along the jaw line.

Direction yup. Only one wierd direction on my neck area that I'm still learning to shave. Backwards from the rest.

ANGLE CHANGES HMMM. I MAY VERY WELL BE USING TO AGGRESSIVE AN ANGLE or ANGLE CHANGES - What is an appropriate angle?

Great questions and some good clues.

I will try decreasing my shaving angle a bit and see if that helps.

-Bob

Originally Posted by RobertFontaine

...

What is an appropriate angle?

...
-Bob

Well, for me it depends. Have a twiddle with the angle when you come to the areas that you mention and I'm sure you'll find what's best for you. Just as a guide, when I go against the grain I tend to use a shallower angle than I would otherwise, as a general rule. But I couldn't put an exact figure on it... maybe between 10-20 degrees

One other thing - I found that 3 passes was too many for me in terms of skin irritation. It may not be an issue for you, but if you could get a 2 pass shave to BBS it might help a bit too. Maybe...

James.

Sharpness is not the problem then.

How about fewer passes? If I do 3 passes cut off my dermis! I have never been able to do 3 passes but most here seem comfy with it. May I suggest that you start with one or 2 passes befor you do 3? It took me a couple of months for my skin to get used to a straight after I started straight shaving again after an 8 year interval.

Originally Posted by RobertFontaine

ANGLE CHANGES HMMM. I MAY VERY WELL BE USING TO AGGRESSIVE AN ANGLE or ANGLE CHANGES - What is an appropriate angle?

Great questions and some good clues.

I will try decreasing my shaving angle a bit and see if that helps.

-Bob

I suggest that you start with the blade flat on your face , and gradually increase the angle until the razor shaves close . Don't worry about getting a BBS shave , it will come with experience .

IIRC Lynn recommends 30 degree angle. His video is very instructive and highly recommended.

I have Lynn's video and have been straight shaving for a few months now or at least long enough to have somewhere around 45 blades in various states of disrepair.

My improved honing skills are making my poor shaving technique more obvious.

-Bob

Sounds like you're doing well actually. I wish all I'd had to worry about when I started was a bit of skin removal!

James.