Thread: how long it took...

I've been shaving with a straight since last August, and my shaves started becoming really smooth a few months ago. It was just like one day BAM! Smoothest I've ever been, no nicks, no cuts, no irritation, and no red spots. After that it was all smooth, but sometimes I'd get irritation and my beard area always became red, but I figured out it was the post shave regimen that needed fixing. So now it's BBS, no cuts, no nicks, no red beard area, no irritation. Now all I need to do is shave down on my shaving time. From the time I start lathering in my bowl to when I finish splashing water on myself is about 45 minutes. Not sure what the actual shave time is from the moment the steel touches the grill to when I put the razor down for good.

I started March 2007 and have been improving in fits and starts. I'm embarrassed to say that yesterday was the first time in a long time I've used the 'v' stretch on my chin. My chin had been passably smooth with a couple of passes, but yesterday I got BBS on my chin, and repeated the experience this morning. I swear, I knew this already but forgot to use it.

This tends to be a recurring theme. Two steps forward, one step back.

I am yet another who have reached the area of satisfaction while yet what I consider to be a newbie.

I've been at this since mid-March, and after about 8 or 10 shaves reached a point where given enough careful, unhurried effort I can get as smooth as I want. A satisfactory shave for me is one that is BBS on my cheeks, chin and most of my neck. There are a couple of places where due to weird growth patterns and wiry whiskers the "satisfactory" shave is smooth but not quite BBS, but that is good enough for me, unless I feel like taking the time to go BBS everywhere.

This is not to say I feel I have nothing left to learn. I'll probably be experimenting with blade angle, scything passes, right hand vs. left hand vs. both/either and any number of other shaving variables until the whiskers stop growing.

Originally Posted by Tfaust

...yesterday was the first time in a long time I've used the 'v' stretch on my chin...

Tfaust,

Could you say more about the 'V' stretch? I haven't heard of it. Maybe I just didn't know it was called that.