Thread: Sometimes you just nail it

I had a Top 5 all time shave this morning.

Same setup as two days ago, and the shave before that (I'm travellling, so am working with a fixed setup for two weeks...)

Not sure what was different, but when all was said and done I had experienced one heck of a shave. Little to no alum block sting, smooth BBS skin all day, just barely starting to feel a hint of stubble if I press a bit now 14 hours later.

I felt a bit like a pitcher taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning: I had had excellent WTG and ATG passes (I abandoned XTG passes a while back..), and the shave just felt "right". The Tabac & Tabac superlather and underlying shave oil had the razor gliding along "in the zone".

I could have left it at that and it may have been fine, but I went ahead and did some blade buffing as well to really put the shine on. Part of me was saying "you'll pay for it!", "the alum is going to punish your insolence, you're pushing your luck", yet I have become obssesed with getting an absolute BBS shave or I feel cheated.

Two days ago the same razor, superlather, etc left me feeling a bit rough around the edges.

Today it was perfection.

Isn't that great when that happens!

I've heard it said, and I have experienced this myself, that as we grow in our hobby, what was good a year ago, is not accepted today. What we thought was a great shave, and what we thought, or said, was BBS, is not today. In other words, we become better and better, at this great hobby (or compulsive behaviors) of ours, we no longer settle for middle of the road results, due to the fact that the "BAR" keeps rising. I can remember getting, what I thought were wonderful shaves. The best! It just can't get any better than this! - and, yet, .........it does!

How can that be?

Perhaps we are raising in consciousness!

LOL, LOL!!

Steve

Originally Posted by Seraphim

I had a Top 5 all time shave this morning......

Not sure what was different, but when all was said and done I had experienced one heck of a shave. Little to no alum block sting, smooth BBS skin all day, just barely starting to feel a hint of stubble if I press a bit now 14 hours later.......

Two days ago the same razor, superlather, etc left me feeling a bit rough around the edges.

Today it was perfection.

I'm glad you had a good shave. You seem to have nailed it pretty good.

Its strange how when we have a good shave its our own doing but when its a bad shave its the razors fault....

Seriously though, good job soldier!

Not the razor's fault, it's just that you haven't spent enough money on a proper set of Shaptons, Natural Japanese stones, Spydercos....

pasted strops......

perhaps some new creams?......


a new brush couldn't hurt........

In fact now that you're thinking about it you do deserve that new Zowanda you've been promising yourself.....

A man after my own heart....

I deserve it.

I just can't afford it!





Actually, Mr. Kidney I'm back in Japan and hoping to get to that iron monger's store you told me about in Kyoto on Saturday....

Am very jealous indeed. Please tell me all about it. In fact Old_School might appreciate hearing about it too since he lives not far from Kyoto and has yet to go to the store. Its quite difficult to find and very small- I only found it by accident! Good luck and tell me how it goes.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

I had a Top 5 all time shave this morning.

Same setup as two days ago, and the shave before that (I'm travellling, so am working with a fixed setup for two weeks...)

Are you travelling with a strop? My first thought was, perhaps he isn't stropping the razor as much, and what was once a too-sharp razor is now a just-right razor. What, exactly, is different from your travel setup than your regular setup?

Maybe it's because you aren't rotating through your set of razors, and are getting skilled with this one...

Just guesses, but food for thought! Congrats on the great shave!

Originally Posted by paulo

Are you travelling with a strop? My first thought was, perhaps he isn't stropping the razor as much, and what was once a too-sharp razor is now a just-right razor. What, exactly, is different from your travel setup than your regular setup?

Maybe it's because you aren't rotating through your set of razors, and are getting skilled with this one...

Just guesses, but food for thought! Congrats on the great shave!

Yes, I brought a strop with me.

I think what was different is that I started using some skin moisturizer twice a day.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

I had a Top 5 all time shave this morning.

Same setup as two days ago, and the shave before that (I'm travellling, so am working with a fixed setup for two weeks...)

Not sure what was different, but when all was said and done I had experienced one heck of a shave. Little to no alum block sting, smooth BBS skin all day, just barely starting to feel a hint of stubble if I press a bit now 14 hours later.

I felt a bit like a pitcher taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning: I had had excellent WTG and ATG passes (I abandoned XTG passes a while back..), and the shave just felt "right". The Tabac & Tabac superlather and underlying shave oil had the razor gliding along "in the zone".

I could have left it at that and it may have been fine, but I went ahead and did some blade buffing as well to really put the shine on. Part of me was saying "you'll pay for it!", "the alum is going to punish your insolence, you're pushing your luck", yet I have become obssesed with getting an absolute BBS shave or I feel cheated.

Two days ago the same razor, superlather, etc left me feeling a bit rough around the edges.

Today it was perfection.

I haven't needed to do XTG passes since I started shaving with a straight, either. The first WTG pass with a straight seems to do as much beard redcution for me as a DE does after a WTG *and* a XTG pass. So two passes for me: one WTG with a straight, followed by one ATG with my DE (I still don't have any of my straights sharp enough for ATG use yet. )

I'm still looking for a good pre-shave oil. I love Tabac (although I must admit I hate the smell), and would love to find a good pre-shave, beard softening oil to precede it. I've been using Proraso pre/post shave balm as a pre-shave prep and haven't been overly impressed with it. What oil would you recommend?