Hi Guys,

Today was my 5th shave with the straight, a new Dovo carbon steel (their cheapest most simple model). I am getting very confident and the blade dances across my face every time with more style and grace. But the shaves are getting worse. What I really don’t understand is that the razor just came from Lynn and I have a TM strop. Now I will be the first to admit that at first I may have put too much pressure on the stropping and totally spoiled Lynn’s honing, but I am very good at it now. I do 25 laps on the cotton (which has a little white Dovo paste) 30 laps on the Latigo and 25 on the horse leather. I am also doing 10 laps cotton and 10 Latigo after every shave. Am I over doing it? The funny thing is that it will pass the HHT with no problem, cutting even the smallest of hairs as soon as they touch the blade. The first pass is OK but nothing spectacular and during the second pass ATG it pulls on my hairs so it hurts (mind you I have thick black hair). The easy parts such as my cheeks & sideburns will end BBS (after 3 passes!) But my upper lip, lower lip, neck and chin I must confess I have to finish with the Mach3 to get the desired effect which is not the purpose of the exercise!! Is it time to take it to the Chromium Oxide? Or am I using the incorrect angle/pressure in the difficult parts and thus not getting the right results?

I have heard that many people don’t believe in the HHT and say the only test is to shave. Unfortunately I am getting good at shaving now and was not very good at it when the razor came fresh from Lynn so it’s hard to compare. When it first came I was scared of it now I swing it from hand to hand and upward and side way shaves are part of the routine…I wish I had a second Lynn razor now….