I just finished my second straight shave. I got the usual, several nicks and one small cut. Not a big deal.

The big deal was that i got a more enjoyable shave the second time. I did prep better. Shaved after a shower for the second shave, the first one I put a hot towel on my face several times in about 10 minutes. I used the same shave soap, hand made lemon grass from Hawaii.

The first shave I used urleebirds project razor. It's at least 150 years old and it is a wedge. Stropped it and shaved. The second razor was also from urleebird, but it was a 4/8 or 5/8 hollow ground. The wedge pulled at the hairs more than the hollow ground. Actually the hollow ground (sorry I can't make out the brand) didn't pull at all. I was able to take a longer stroke and do so with a greater amount of comfidence than the first shave.

I have always been a razor blade shaver. I started at 15 with a DE and moved through various other razors until I got a M3. Have had that for several years but thought that it was "lacking". Then I moved into a brush and soap. And finally back to a real blade, a straight.

Does anyone think that the wedge was just an inferior steel? From everything that I have heard urleebird is an awesome razor honer. I might have done something wrong when stropping, but I was careful and used a paddle strop, so that I wouldn't dull the edge somehow.

Please let me know what you think. I really like the wedge, but not the shave I got. I'll try it again when I get some pastes.

Thanks for the feedback,
Tim