Thread: SRs: re-defining what a good shave is!

I shaved today with a newly honed razor that isn't quite there yet, as I found during the shave. Even after the ATG pass, it left an area on my neck feeling stubbly--when I rubbed against the grain. When I run my hand over that area with the grain, the stubble is barely noticeable. Nontheless, I found myself rather irritated, not so much at the razor not quite being there, but just that my shave wasn't BBS.

And that's when I realized how much these months of shaving with straight razors has changed my perception of what a good shave is. I came to SRs from cartridge razors, usually the cheapie all-in-one twin bladed type and a shave like this was the norm--in fact, I would have been quite happy with it. Now, a shave that leaves any feeling of stubble is quite unusual and means either the razor or I is doing something wrong!

Dan

Hey, Dan,

I wouldn't let a little feeling of stubble disappoint you after a shave. You're being too picky!
If your face looks and feels good after you just shaved, and, you enjoyed the experience...consider that the "perfect shave". Don't wreck it by searching for minor feelings of stubble. Life's too short (!)

Carry on!

Originally Posted by Ron A

Hey, Dan,

I wouldn't let a little feeling of stubble disappoint you after a shave. You're being too picky!
If your face looks and feels good after you just shaved, and, you enjoyed the experience...consider that the "perfect shave". Don't wreck it by searching for minor feelings of stubble. Life's too short (!)

Carry on!

Thanks, Ron! But most of my razors do give me that BBS shave and that's the standard I aim for, even with my newbie honing skills.

But I hear what you're saying and you are right--my bad SR shaves are way better than my good cartridge shaves!

Dan

Now there's a line: a bad str8 shave is better than a good shave by any other means on any other day...

A little update: on Sunday, I re-honed the razor, starting with my Thuringian w/ slurry, 20 laps; the same with water, no slurry, 20 laps; the Chinese 12K, 50 laps wet, 50 laps dry, and a CO pasted linen strop for another ten laps.

I shaved with it this morning and the first pass left that same area of my neck very smooth, the second pass left it near perfect. I guess this is what you all mean when you say that the best "shave ready" test is shaving!

Dan

Yes, the shave is the ultimate test. To keep my blades at optimum shaving sharp, I have one strop with linen treated with green Dovo paste, (not very fine and not as fine as chromium oxide) I also have the rough side of one my strops treated with .5µ diamond paste. I will do four or five laps over one or the other every now and then. Most of my razors see a hone maybe every four to six months. When a razor doesn't shave as anticipated after this kind of stropping. That's when I know it is time to hone.

This is roughly the same experience I had too, Dan. But as others have said, a bad straight shave is better than a good cartridge shave. I got into straights with the notion that I just wanted a shave to be as good as the cartridge shave, and I can do that now in just one pass - two passes and it's so much better than it used to be...three passes and it's bbs.

Glad to see your "normal" has shifted thanks to straights - and glad to hear you got your straight honed up nicely again!

Mark

My bad cartridge shaves are just beginning to fare poorly in comparison with my current straight shaves. My bad straight shaves are still certainly worse than even my dull cartridge shaves.

However I am delighted to see my straight shaves improving which is something cartridge shaving hasn't offered me in more than a decade.