I Need Some Knowledge, Please

In short, it appears I am working too hard to get a close shave.


Here are the givens:
Newly sharpened and stropped quaility blade.
A pre shave regiment that has been with me since before I began using a straight razor: wash, hot towels, pre shave (AoS Oil or Proaso Pre Shave), hot soap applied in a swirling motion with a quality brush and always plenty of water.


The results:
With, against and cross shaves are not enough. I still need some more work to get the whiskers off.
Pulling the skin does help.
I’ve worked to ensure my blade angle is correct, and even tried different angles, to no avail.
I have no burn, no ingrown hairs, no cuts or scraps. When all is done, my shaves are as expected with a straight razor -clean and smooth.


But after some observations I believe my whisker growth which is not thick or dense, seems to simply lay down, making it more tedious to find the correct angle to attack it.


My Questions:
Am I ok with the reworking of areas a few time in order to get it clean or does my pre-shave need some changes? I believe I need to use a different pre-shave product to help the beard stand up as my oil or cream, plus shave soap may be too heavy for the whiskers. I love the romance of the straight razor, and have long dismissed my days of the three minute shave, but I think something is not right.


Being only three months into this deal, any input would be great.


Thanks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AndyPic

I have no burn, no ingrown hairs, no cuts or scraps. When all is done, my shaves are as expected with a straight razor -clean and smooth.

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I think you're doing fine . The longer you shave , the better you will get . Be patient , and don't risk tearing up your face trying for a perfect shave .

Hmm, sounds to me that you are doing a good prep indeed.
With the thinner and softer whiskers I tend to focus even more than usual on the stretching.
Both how much, and of equal importance, from what direction.

One thing that isn't quite clear to me from your post is how you perform your actual shaving strokes.
Do you use a buffing motion at all? I find short buffing strokes, combined with good stretching, tend to really get the most of the pesky soft ones;)

I'll agree with Dave.
Shaving with a straight razor is a skill that needs development. Expecting a full BBS is not very realistic, period.
You need to learn your face, your hair growth, and the proper strokes to remove the hair efficiently. Just keep going, you'll get closer shaves as you progress.

On the plus side, it really sounds like you are going great. No irritation, no cuts, no discomfort - just a few not-so-close areas.
For me personally, there are some small areas that require more difficult strokes to get full BBS, (scything) but they are difficult to master and will probably lead to cuts.

Best of luck.

There are a couple sections of my neck where my whiskers are pretty much completely flat to my skin. I don't usually recommend this, but ATG could be your friend in this situation. There are some tricks you can do in addition, like blade buffing, short strokes, stretching in front of the blade (very carefully, of course). You also need a very slick lather and wicked sharp edge to do it correctly. It sounds like sensitive skin is not an issue for you, so experiment with this and see what happens.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AndyPic

In short, it appears I am working too hard to get a close shave.


Here are the givens:
Newly sharpened and stropped quaility blade.

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By another? What's the finishing hone? Paste? Clarity is important here.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AndyPic

A pre shave regiment that has been with me since before I began using a straight razor: wash, hot towels, pre shave (AoS Oil or Proaso Pre Shave), hot soap applied in a swirling motion with a quality brush and always plenty of water.

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Sounds good. I don't know the consistency of the AOS oils but they seem to work for others, of course if that and/or lather gets too thick it could interfere with the closest cutting, through no fault of their own (too much protection).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AndyPic

The results:
With, against and cross shaves are not enough. I still need some more work to get the whiskers off.
Pulling the skin does help.

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Are you doing the ATG before XTG?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AndyPic

I’ve worked to ensure my blade angle is correct, and even tried different angles, to no avail.

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How low do you think you're shaving on the closest direction?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AndyPic

But after some observations I believe my whisker growth which is not thick or dense, seems to simply lay down, making it more tedious to find the correct angle to attack it.

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That can be a problem. I have steeply slanted hairs that are difficult to get very close, some parts of my face are difficult to stretch the hairs in the direction opposite of their growth direction, which compounds the problem. The advantage of the open razor is the adjustability of the angle, I can get underneath the slanted hairs, it may take a closer angle (not steep/high, low and close) to achieve a close shave. If you can, try to pull the hairs in the opposite direction they are facing, this will pull them up, hopefully close to perpendicular to the skin's surface, enabling a much closer cut.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AndyPic

My Questions:
Am I ok with the reworking of areas a few time in order to get it clean or does my pre-shave need some changes? I believe I need to use a different pre-shave product to help the beard stand up as my oil or cream, plus shave soap may be too heavy for the whiskers. I love the romance of the straight razor, and have long dismissed my days of the three minute shave, but I think something is not right.

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I don't know how hairs are made to stand up by products. I think the erector pilli (sp?) does that when the skin is cold. I wouldn't depend on the pre-shave stuff, or the lather to do that job. I appreciate the build up of protective lather as it collapses with water or thickens over time (as long as it doesn't get too dry) when I'm making more aggressive strokes at the end of the shave, but also understand it can actually work against a really close shave (for me there is a relatively easy part to shave very close at the end of my routine where this is most likely to occur).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AndyPic

Being only three months into this deal, any input would be great.

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It's only 3 months. Don't depend on products to do too much, those training wheels may hamper your developing skills. Without knowing what your edge's condition is or watching your technique, or specifics of your beard type... go for lower angle. I'd hate to think you're getting too much protection which is interfering with the closest shave but maybe you could try washing off the pre-shave oil part, just at the end (spare yourself undesirable exfoliation) and give the trouble spot a shot with a fresh layer of lather? Low and gentle, like a covert ops low-altitude bomber! Don't forget to make a combination of facial contortions, including neck twists (even for the face) and utilize pulls on the skin specifically tailored to the direction of the beard growth, not the easiest stretch, the most effective. If slickness is an issue try rubbing your fingertips on an alum block for that difficult stretch.

I think you are doing very well at this stage. Take your time, relax, and work some the variables, angle, blade angle, skin streching, etc. Enjoy!

Thank you to all. I am glad to be a member of this site.

You're doing fine for where you are in the shave learning cycle. You are only 3 mos in, I am at about 5 mos now and I can get DFS often, but still cannot get BBS and find I have to use the DE to clean up my neck. Still it's all about the journey, so sit back and enjoy the shave :)