Thread: My first proper shave, thanks to Bart!

Hey all,

I had my very first shave with a 'shave ready' razor, made shave ready by Bart :-)

First of all, I want to express my gratitude towards Bart again for inviting me in his home and showing me how to hone a razor, and honing my razor! All the reading in the world could not have taught me what you taught me today, and I can not thank you enough for this and your hospitality!

Second, I'm not going to write about the entire honing process my razor went through at Bart's, because I'm sure he can explain it far better then I can (I hope he will actually :-)). What I can say is that my razor was honed only two weeks ago by a 'specialist shop' and he quickly showed me it was not done properly, and he took over three hours to show me how to properly hone a razor, truly fantastic. We looked at the edge under a microscope, when switching stones he showed me the differences this made to the edge, showed me how the water runs up the edge, how each stone's made up etc... it was like the perfect episode of 'how it's made' on discovery channel :-D Bart, thank you very much!

On to the shave!

WTG was very very easy this time, with the razor being... sharp XTG was also trouble free, except under the chin area, I didn't cut myself but I did 'skip' the razor there once. Then came ATG, no problem in the neck area and for the cheeks. However, the under-the-chin area was nearly impossible to go ATG. I'm not quite sure if I should lower the angle or increase the angle how I'm shaving there, but what happens is just that the razor seems to get 'stuck' a little bit under there. I think I'm holding the razor a little bit too loose, I will practice some more tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and.... For now some parts are very smooth on my face (the neck is amazing, and zero irritation, that never happens!), and then the chin area feels more or less like any shave with a mach3.

I used TOBS (Almond) shaving cream and just rubbed the alu stone on my face after the shave. I nicked myself just a tiny bit directly under my nose when I made my first pass there, the razor never cut me there, but it was never sharp either :-)

The shave took me about 20 minutes I think

Thanks again Bart!!

That experience has probably saved you about 10 hours of reading & several more crying over hones, razor in hand, that just won't make the razor sharp the way other people manage to! Invaluable no doubt.

I personally wish I had someone to show me first-hand how to properly hone. I'm sure it was a LOT easier when every man shaved with a straight, because you would have a lot of people to help you in person (i.e. fathers). If it wasn't for this site, I don't think I would have made it this far and given up a long time ago, since I don't know anyone who uses a straight that can help me!

Dave

Originally Posted by StraightRazorDave

I personally wish I had someone to show me first-hand how to properly hone. I'm sure it was a LOT easier when every man shaved with a straight, because you would have a lot of people to help you in person (i.e. fathers). If it wasn't for this site, I don't think I would have made it this far and given up a long time ago, since I don't know anyone who uses a straight that can help me!

+1 on this statement. i am really hoping i can find a place where a barber will actually give me a shave so i can compare. a honing teacher would be even more amazing, yet even more unprobable.

congrats on the great shaving experience Jantjeuh!!

Originally Posted by Jantjeuh

Second, I'm not going to write about the entire honing process my razor went through at Bart's, because I'm sure he can explain it far better then I can (I hope he will actually :-)).

A few months ago, I purchased a barber chair. My two daughters (8 and 10) showed great interest to be in the chair and receiving a shave. So, I dulled a razor that needed restoration anyway, whipped up a nice bowl of lather and "shaved" those precious silky faces. I'm telling this little story, only to state that Jan's razor was dull, dull enough that I would have gladly used it to play-shave my kiddos. I astounds me that a store that specializes in old-fashioned shaving gear, calls something like that "sharpened". Inspection of the edge under magnification showed a massive presence of corrosion pitting. Their was no actual rust, but the pits were clearly recessed in the bevels' surfaces. I suspect they gave the rusted edge a good pasted stropping, when Jan turned it in for rust-removal and sharpening. Maybe they turned it over the edge while doing that, rendering the razor completely dull. Who's to tell.
The tip and heel regained a good bevel pretty quickly, but the middle part stayed behind a long time. I started out on a very fast Coticule and jumped a few times back and forth between that and the DMT 1200. (something I do for practicing patience. Both hones are about the same speed)
I ended bevel correction work on the DMT, aiming for a positive HHT. It passed but not without some effort. For that reason I decided to continue with the Naniwa Chosera 5K, instead of my normal choise, the Belgian Blue. The Blue is a much gentlier hone, more pleasant in use, but the Chosera 5K has the kind of sharpening power I was after, finding the bevel complete, but slightly subpar at that stage. After about 30 laps on the 5K, I did about the same on the Chosera 10K (staying on the synthetic route). I finished with 10 laps on a Coticule and gave the razor a good stropping. I also tried a few very light swipes on a taut loom strop with CrO, just to give the development of a fin a head start, and stropped again. Based upon the TPT and a decent HHT it did not make much difference in this case. After a last inspection at 40X magnification I declared the razor shave ready. There was no time left for a real test shave, but I'm very confident that it's a smooth and keen shaver.

Originally Posted by Jantjeuh

On to the shave!

WTG was very very easy this time, with the razor being... sharp XTG was also trouble free, except under the chin area, I didn't cut myself but I did 'skip' the razor there once. Then came ATG, no problem in the neck area and for the cheeks. However, the under-the-chin area was nearly impossible to go ATG. I'm not quite sure if I should lower the angle or increase the angle how I'm shaving there, but what happens is just that the razor seems to get 'stuck' a little bit under there. I think I'm holding the razor a little bit too loose, I will practice some more tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and.... For now some parts are very smooth on my face (the neck is amazing, and zero irritation, that never happens!), and then the chin area feels more or less like any shave with a mach3.

Don't tighten your grip. A supple, yet decisive grip is best. Under the chin you need a minimum of momentum. That takes confidence, growing with more practice. When the razor stalls ATG, lower the angle. ATG generally asks for a bit of a lower angle. Image lifted from the wiki, by courtesy of the author

Originally Posted by Jantjeuh

Thanks again Bart!!

Most welcome, Jan. I had a great time. Hope to see you again some time on a future "shaving night".

Bart.

Hey I have a little update after my secopnd shave with the razor :-)

I went out and got myself a proper strop, they didn't have the non-handle one in stock so I ended up with the one slightly more expensive (I drove one hour and was not going home empty handed :-)).

As Bart also showed me how to properly use the strop, which I'm pretty sure I was doing a little bit wrong (too agressive), and I also am now using a good strop (it truly is a huge difference from the tiny loom strop I had), the shave was better! It did seem to need a little bit more momentum under the chin, and I did not cut myself there at all.

I did three passes, wasn't quite BBS which is not a problem for now, and I had zero irritation! My face did feel kind of 'weird' for an hour or so after the shave, but I think that's mostly because of the Alu block, it does that always when I use it. If I go straight to the nivea balm it feels just normal immediately.

The only problem I had was my girlfriend calling me a 'lady' for spending so much time in the bathroom... What can I say, the shave took me around half an hour :-D But I truly followed all your info and guides to the letter, I even folloed the strokes directions from the Barbers manual, that sideway stroke around the chin is quite the challenge..

Slightly off-topic: Bart, how's the shaving stick?

3rd shave, the angles linked by Bart certainly nailed it. Lowering the angle when going ATG worked A LOT better. The razor is certainly shaving, thank you Bart :-)

I still didn't manage to shave ATG under the chin, it's quite funny, my face is smooth and neck and the sides of the chin, but directly under the chin it might seem I'm growing a goatie I'm sure I'l get the courage to get some momentum up and shave that area ATG.

Or is there a way to just go XTG under the chin? I haven't quite figured that out yet, not really easy making a sideway stroke under the chin. But if that's easier then going ATG, please do tell

Bart revived my, now favourite, razor.. he is helping me a lot learning how to hone my razors....and I realy like all the stuff he puts on the wiki..

Thanks Bart!

Originally Posted by Bart

A few months ago, I purchased a barber chair. My two daughters (8 and 10) showed great interest to be in the chair and receiving a shave. So, I dulled a razor that needed restoration anyway, whipped up a nice bowl of lather and "shaved" those precious silky faces. I'm telling this little story, only to state that Jan's razor was dull, dull enough that I would have gladly used it to play-shave my kiddos. I astounds me that a store that specializes in old-fashioned shaving gear, calls something like that "sharpened". Inspection of the edge under magnification showed a massive presence of corrosion pitting. Their was no actual rust, but the pits were clearly recessed in the bevels' surfaces. I suspect they gave the rusted edge a good pasted stropping, when Jan turned it in for rust-removal and sharpening. Maybe they turned it over the edge while doing that, rendering the razor completely dull. Who's to tell.
The tip and heel regained a good bevel pretty quickly, but the middle part stayed behind a long time. I started out on a very fast Coticule and jumped a few times back and forth between that and the DMT 1200. (something I do for practicing patience. Both hones are about the same speed)
I ended bevel correction work on the DMT, aiming for a positive HHT. It passed but not without some effort. For that reason I decided to continue with the Naniwa Chosera 5K, instead of my normal choise, the Belgian Blue. The Blue is a much gentlier hone, more pleasant in use, but the Chosera 5K has the kind of sharpening power I was after, finding the bevel complete, but slightly subpar at that stage. After about 30 laps on the 5K, I did about the same on the Chosera 10K (staying on the synthetic route). I finished with 10 laps on a Coticule and gave the razor a good stropping. I also tried a few very light swipes on a taut loom strop with CrO, just to give the development of a fin a head start, and stropped again. Based upon the TPT and a decent HHT it did not make much difference in this case. After a last inspection at 40X magnification I declared the razor shave ready. There was no time left for a real test shave, but I'm very confident that it's a smooth and keen shaver.


Don't tighten your grip. A supple, yet decisive grip is best. Under the chin you need a minimum of momentum. That takes confidence, growing with more practice. When the razor stalls ATG, lower the angle. ATG generally asks for a bit of a lower angle. Image lifted from the wiki, by courtesy of the author




Most welcome, Jan. I had a great time. Hope to see you again some time on a future "shaving night".

Bart.

I've got to spend some time looking in the Wiki. I'm glad I'm not the only one that finds a blade nearly flat against my face works best for ATG! Sure prevents any razor burn too, eh?

Originally Posted by Jantjeuh

Or is there a way to just go XTG under the chin? I haven't quite figured that out yet, not really easy making a sideway stroke under the chin. But if that's easier then going ATG, please do tell

That's how I shave under my chin. XTG and the skin pulled very taught. ATG under my chin even with a low or no angle gets me smooth but I get weepers; I think it's because the skin under my chin has more cushion to it (hey a double chin gives character don't cha know).

Chris L

Originally Posted by Jantjeuh

Slightly off-topic: Bart, how's the shaving stick?

Thanks, again Jan, for the nice gesture of donating me a stick of Tabac shaving soap.
Whenever someones starts a thread about "the best shaving soap" here on SRP, Tabac is always top rated. So, without being much of a connoisseur in shaving soaps & creams, I was very keen on trying it. So far I have used Plisson Shaving Soap, and have been quite happy with it. I also have some Italian "Cella" Crema Sapone, which looks and smells like marzipan. And I have used Crabtree & Evelyn a few times (Lime, if think it was).
One difference with these soaps that I imediately noticed, was its lathering power. I'm a "face latherer", meaning that I don't build the lather in a separate mug first, but that I swirl the brush on top of the soap and then transfer it to my face, where I build the lather with massaging motions of the brush, adding drops of hot water to the brush as required for the structure of the lather.
The coat of lather I got with the Tabac, formed quickly and easily, and was more than twice as thick as I'm used to with my other soaps. The slickness was superior, and the lather stayed very well on the blade prior to rinsing it off. The whiskers were plenty softened, allowing for a smooth blade action. I'd say the onset of the cutting stroke was a bit easier on the more demanding parts of the face, especcialy the corner of the chin.
I 'm not very fond of the shaving stick concept, but that's easily remedified by grating the saop into a dedicated mug.
I find the scent of this soap neither appealing nor appalling. Lacking an inspiring scent is the only real shortcoming, but that of course is a strictly personal observation. Technically it is clearly the best soap I have used so far.

Thanks again,

Bart.