Thread: 250 Days, 360 Shaves

As some of you know, for the first 6 months or so I shaved twice a day-mainly to develop my technique a little quicker, and also because…well…it was just fun and I liked doing it.

So now it has been 8 months since my first catastrophic attempt to shave with a straight, and as a result of the encouragement and advice I have gotten here on every topic imaginable, I genuinely love my daily shave. I enjoy honing my razors, and though they are not as finely edged as the pro-honed razors one can use, I can "see it from here" and my edges are giving me very nice shaves every day. No amount of patience in learning to strop, touch up, hone, and even restore from bevel-setting on up is wasted.

I have learned to economize on strokes. At first, i would "buff" my whole face, using little short, repetitive strokes, and it came to me that this was needless wear and tear. I have a much less "nervous" and much more smooth, deliberate stroke than I had even 3 months ago.

I also have cut down on the passes I use. I started out doing the full 3 pass shave, but now I find I can do one WTG pass and one ATG pass and aside from maybe hitting a couple areas again, I'm done. Less is more.

While I now prefer the slightly blunted spike to the fully-round tip, I still have a deathly dislike of the un-blunted spike. I hates'em, hates'em all. Every razor can cut, but the spike can also GOUGE. Fine cuts heal cleanly. Gouges don't. They leave a knot of flesh that you have to maneuver around every time. But fortunately, just a handful of strokes on the edge of the hone takes care of that problem.

The basics are what count: a sharp razor, a decent soap and lather, light but firm touch, appropriate post-shave…

thanks all for your encouragement along the way!