A honing/shaving experiment with Bart

A few weeks ago I started the thread Super sensitive skin!, in which Bart kindly offered to send me a razor to see if my skin would respond differently to a less aggressive hone than I had been shooting for. Offer I couldn't refuse!

I had my first shave with this razor (a Colibri 3/4 hollow ground Solingen steel 6/8") was on 9/15. After three shaves in six days (most recent today, 9/21), I dare say it's making a difference.

Just wanted to document the process with some pictures and see if others have some feedback to add.

First, photo of my neck about an hour after shaving with my normal straight. I will admit that I honed it myself, and I am no master, but it was rather sharp (HHT good!) and polished, and looked good under 100x microscope. Also, this photo is representative of my neck after many shaves no matter who has honed my razor.

Taken 8/31:

Here's my neck after my first shave with Bart's razor. I had waited 2.5 days between shaves, which is on the short side for me. I usually wait 3 days or more due to irritation.

Second shave with Bart's razor, 9/18, 3 days later:

I skimmed through your linked post first, but those pics you posted look like my neck if I use too much pressure.

Have you tried the ol' "razor lightly held between two fingers" trick on the neck area?

I shaved today, about an hour ago. It's hard to get a good picture because it's dark out and my bathroom doesn't have the brightest lights. Here's a decent photo.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by joke1176

I skimmed through your linked post first, but those pics you posted look like my neck if I use too much pressure.

Have you tried the ol' "razor lightly held between two fingers" trick on the neck area?

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Too much pressure was my first thought as well. OTOH, we aren't all shaving the same whiskers. I've never had that much of a problem with mine. Lucky I guess. :shrug: An edge off a coticule is more forgiving IME and Bart is an expert honer. That makes a difference too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by joke1176

I skimmed through your linked post first, but those pics you posted look like my neck if I use too much pressure.

Have you tried the ol' "razor lightly held between two fingers" trick on the neck area?

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I try to minimize pressure. Even when I shave very very lightly, I still get similar irritation, but there are whisker stubble mixed in : )

I should note that I have done my best to keep all other factors the same. All I switched out was the razor. Same routine down to every other detail.

looks like YOU need to get some coticule action going on then, right?

Perhaps 2 or 3 of them to find the "perfect" stone, eh? Eh?:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by joke1176

looks like YOU need to get some coticule action going on then, right?

Perhaps 2 or 3 of them to find the "perfect" stone, eh? Eh?:)

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Hehehe... we all see where this is going! : )

That's very cool that it seems to be working for you and Kudos to Bart for offering to help.

That red patch on the left side of your neck toward the bottom, your most aggravated area in the first picture. Have you inspected that area very closely, preferably after letting the whiskers grow for 2-3 days? I have a similar patch on the right side of my neck in roughly the same location. The whiskers on my neck in that are grow UPWARD while the whiskers in some areas on my neck grow in a horizontal direction toward my my ears.

Anyway, that quarter sized patch I speak of on my neck gets trashed if I shave downward even with a straight. I have to shave that one little patch using an upward stroke from the get go. Very light touch and no XTG and certainly no ATG.

I don't know if that's part of your trouble, but the neck is often a whirly pattern of whisker chaos.

Chris L

Yeah, the worst part of my neck is the bottom-right of my face. It grows primarily from left to right (ie the hairs point toward my right shoulder). It's a real pain to shave and is always a bit irritated, even after a few days. This may also be due to rubbing against my shirt collars or something similar... not sure. The other side doesn't have this problem.

After a number of shaves with Bart's razor, I am definitely considering a coticule. He is going to hone my other razor, so we can compare on a single razor rather than different ones.

Anyone got any deals on coticules? : )