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