First 3 shaves...Finally!
Well gents, I made the plunge! Having used a DE given to me by RT for a few weeks (maybe just a couple weeks, actually. :o ). I decided I couldn't wait anymore, even though I haven't ordered my strop yet from Tony (rude of him to go on vacation, don't you think?). I stropped with a leather belt a Genco Red Cross that Ed honed up and sent to me (all hail ForestryProf!! :D ), took it into the bathroom.... I won't bore you with the details, but will try and make some general statements (and invite general advice).
1.) In his video, Lynn makes this look MUCH easier than it is. Thanks a lot, Lynn! Just kidding. For you newbies out there, Lynn does make it look effortless, but the video is indispensable.
2.) The first shave, I had trouble getting the razor to move. It didn't cut me, but I would place it somewhere with the intention of downward motion, and it would just stick there like my face was magnetized. I was afraid to force it, but when it did move it shaved pretty well. In retrospect, I thought I was using a too-steep angle even though it didn't look like it. I'm sure my newbie perception was way off and I was actually at 45deg vice 30. This proved right on the 2nd shave; I brought the spine closer than I thought I should and it worked like a charm.
- I think it's a tribute to ForestryProf's honing skills that I should have felt scraping, but the razor shaved instead. Further proof is that on the second shave, I did manage to cut myself just below the left sideburn, just by placing the blade on my face. I didn't even get a chance to move the blade, but I must have pushed on it.
3.) When I open the razor to 270deg and try to get the sideburn area (like Lynn does in his video), I have trouble seeing where the edge actually is, like the scales are in the way. Does anyone else have this problem, and a solution?
All in all, it was good. I didn't win any baby-butt smooth awards, and had some irritation, but I'm anxious to keep going and learn to use this as well as I've learned to use a DE.