how long it took...

So I was wondering, after a confortable but less than perfect shave, how long will it take me to get that perfection among perfect things that is the BBS... I've been shaving with my faithfull little Dovo since february and I am still to achieve that. Don't get me wrong... my shaves are better, smoother, more confortable than ever, but I always feel that I am falling short of perfection.
I know there's a learning curve. Right. And technique is tough to master. Also right. And figuring out your face is an endeavour on it's own. Right right! But when?! No frustration, though... just curious.
So... when? After how much time, since the day you first held a straight to your face, did it take you to achieve perfection?

October 2007 for me and I'm still trying, but that's the fun part for me. I have WTG comfortable shaves closer than an electric and if I add XTG to my cheeks, as close if not closer than a cartridge or DE with no irritation. I have no need for ATG and don't dare to do ATG on my neck even with a straight (prone to ingrowns).

Bottom line, if I really take the time (which I do sometimes), I can get as perfect as I want but it takes me 30-40min. Most days then, under 30 min for WTG & XTG and it works just fine. I don't need perfection every day.

Up until recently I did have BBS as an ideal I thought I had to reach every shave or I failed in some way; it's a trade off with time, however. As much as I like the ritual and the time it takes to slow down to shave with a straight, I also like sleep and have familial obligations in addition to work.

Chris L

Everyone is different. There is no formula. The old shaving manuals say between 6 mos and a year however some get BBS shaves in a month or so and some need the full year. As they say YMMV.

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Originally Posted by fpessanha

After how much time, since the day you first held a straight to your face, did it take you to achieve perfection?

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80 shaves haven't been enough for me. It's not so much a matter of time as it is a matter of studious practice (I'm not qualified to make that statement since I haven't achieved bbs, but it consoles me nonetheless)

Well then you'll all hate me. I did it the first time and haven't cut myself since. That was a month of daily shavings ago. :shrug:

It probably helped that I've been shaving with a DE for the last 35 years and doing it by braille because I'm too near-sighted to use a mirror. I recognized what felt and sounded right when I got the correct angle. That being said, there is a spot to the right of my adams apple where the beard grows in a whorl and every direction is ATG so it only gets nice and smooth instead of BBS.

Too bad I'm not as lucky with lottery tickets.:w

I started shaving with a straight in September 2007. I get better shaves than ever before, but it's still improving. I suspect I'll never get the ultimate shave, but it's worth trying, - every day! Way too much fun! :cool:

When I started year and a half ago I would have loved the shaves I get now. My shaves are always improving but the bar is always getting higher. By nature I will never achive perfection.

Don

Hello all!

I have been shaving with a straight razor since, well, last February with a C. Friedr. Schmidt REVISOR Solingen...

Of course, as I started, (even if, as usual, the seller assured me that the razor was shave-ready....) I didn't know at all the proper shaving technique, the stropping, honing, etc.... and as a matter of (painfull):gthfact, I turned my face in a very red kind of pepperoni...:cen

Nevertheless, I knew that I had to keep going and try... try... try... and try again... Everyday or two , I was getting near to the perfect shave...

It had been a painful experience at the beginning... also frustrating (my girlfriend was laughing at me :w) and of course, the people around me were almost all saying that I was mad to shave with a such a thing....

But what I can say, now that we are in June, is:

- I start a collection of straight razors (I have more than 20 of them by now)

- I learned a lot of things about shaving and not only, here (thanks to all of you by the way) and there..:bow

- I am finally getting more than very very very close to a BBS after only 4 months (and I am not using my strop anymore :shrug:.. Green polish paste on a balsa piece of wood, 10 strokes and I then stop my razor around 10 times in my palm... and that's it...)

- The people around me noticed that and are starting to ask me questions and getting interested as well..:cool:

- I don't recall why I got interested in SRs and bought my first one, but I do know that I LOVE IT and I am always waiting to have my next shave....

Once again, thanks to all of you to have shared your knowledge.... BTW, I heard once this sentence somewhere:

A knowledge that is not shared, is..... a DEAD knowledge...

Wish you all a great day!

Going to have to start from the begining again. I had a great carbon steel dovo for a month before I learned that the thing needed to be sharpened by a master to be ready for me. I sent it off for the sharpening last week when I get it back in a few weeks hopefully I will get a better shaves then I had in the past. The hair was coming off but it did not approximate a good shave. I had previously chalked that up to the learning curve but members assure me that the learning curve has nothing to do with it at the moment. Will report in with my experiences when I get it back and start working with it. Fro now I am forced to rely on my rather extensive collection of double edge shavers.

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Originally Posted by Karakoup1

I am finally getting more than very very very close to a BBS after only 4 months (and I am not using my strop anymore :shrug:.. Green polish paste on a balsa piece of wood, 10 strokes and I then stop my razor around 10 times in my palm... and that's it...)

A knowledge that is not shared, is..... a DEAD knowledge...

Wish you all a great day!

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Hello!

The paste is far more abrasive than than a leather strop is - if you find your razor edge needing frequent hone tune-up you might reconsider using the paste more infrequently and using the leather more often :)

Glad to know you are getting along alright and with great shaves !

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.

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Originally Posted by Tfaust

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

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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.:shrug: