this is the story of my 5th shave, happen just last night because I can't sleep during assignment and in the middle of depression, strangely enough, then I decide to do my 5th shave, it's a 2-3 days beard and mustache, a hard brush like hair.
I wrap my face with hot towel for some minute to see the effect with this beard (before I tried hot shower and 30 sec hot towel prep), strop my razor 20-30 lap(I'm still learning, I learn my mistakes by trying to strop it fast like they always shows in youtube lol, I nick several places in my strop, now I strop quite slow, and pay attention to my x pattern)
whip my cassel-massey sandalwood soap (I read negative stuff about them but it's the only soap I got and it's a give) then started to use the brush to deliver the lather to my face.
first pass I do the area with most hair first which is my mustache and chin (I cut myself there frequently, each in my previous straight shave, countless with mach3 and vector, numerous time even with electric shaver), I did WTG 2 pass there, it's a bit hard to maneuver, maybe my technique, but I find my razor is to long for my tiny face, the blade size 5/8 is perfect, I'm glade I choose her from the classified. What I learn in straight shaving at this time is confidence...at this time I didn't even have any cut, not at all, I still have the mark here 3 cut in the chin 1 in the cheek just because I doubt about the angle when I first started, now I don't really think about the angle and adjust them each time I shave different area in my face...back to the shave, I continue to have 2 pass WTG in sideburn and cheek, when the number of hair has significantly reduce, I then start to lather again, because the soap is now a bit dry (you know, it waits too long hahaha)
3rd pass, I tried to do XTG and ATG, depends on the contour of my face (it's tiny and some funny angle), when I finish I didn't satisfied, I lather again and does the 4th pass, now I didn't just wipe any area with the soap with my razor, infact what I did is to do surgical work with the tip of my razor (spike point really help), I use the tip of the razor to clean the mustache area, I no longer hold the scale but the shoulder of the blade, I close my distant with the mirror and start to work, when I satisfied (which is faster than I think, less than one minute and I have a very smooth feeling in that area), now the chin...it's hard, WTG is ok, ATG is difficult, wrinkles in the chin area, I need to stretch here and there, but again, the blade is too big and I'm not that good my hand, then I started to do small stroke again with the tip of my blade, stretch and small stroke with the tip, really help, there's blood but not a cut, it didn't hurt, it's quite common in my case, I have a funny skin, the follicle in that area, chin and jaws, is just like mountains, un noticeable but you just know it when shaving, this is the reason my I always have problem even using safety razor or electric shaver (yeah! electric shaver still bleed me, it's not a fancy braun or so, just a NOS panasonic, don't ask, I tried my uncles braun and it still cut).
now the biggest problem of all, some area in my neck actually near the adam apple, the problem is that the grain is differ each other, now I really got a cut, not a big one, most likely because it's quite shallow area (it's the throat anyway) I can't use the whole blade to work there, again the tip, and I really need to work with mirror here, I have problem with such angle and a mirror, the hand position is just funny, I cut 2 places there, blood here and there...and there is something I forgot, the lather is not there anymore, I just shave with cold water, because with lather I can't see if I've cut them or not...I love shaving gel, but they're just too expensive, so yeah, it's just a cold water but I have no worry, the skin is still moist from previous lather, after some minute I finished with 2 cut, 3 spot of bleeding and a very smooth shave, takes time and effort but definitely in this 5th shave I learn a lot, hope I can improve the technique with my hand in the future.
5th shave - use tip of the blade, don't rush.
update. this morning (it's morning in sydney) I check the shave, it's still smooth, I like the feeling, but the area where I cut myself isn't as clean as I thought there are several hair around 0.5mm I dunno if I miss them, but they just visible if I rub my palm in my nect XTG, I don't want to spend time with lathering, I use cold water and some massage (a bit painful because I have 2 cut there), the hair is hardened and now is visible, quickly I use the tip of my razor and cut them ATG with no effort. so now I guess :
5th shave - use the tip of the blade, confident, don't rush, don't hate cold water, and yeah I want a razor with shorter blade
