Re: Mustache and Chin Area: Damn Hard to Master...
With all your tips I am making significant progress. I am doing all my mustache and chin area with minimal razor burn - and this morning I found out why I still have some residual razor burn left: my XTG pass is actually almost an ATG pass since my beard is growing east to west. This means I will go in the same way of the whiskers and my XTG pass will be less irritating. In any case, I'm finding that a SR is doing such a close job than a WTG and XTG is giving me a very close shave and may not require yet an ATG.
Can't say however I am not leaving some light stubble here and there but I am confident at this point it is just a question of practice makes perfect.
I think I'm well on my way to master this art. My big weakness us that I'm still trying to build too much speed and this is not a good idea. I'm always reminding me to slow it down and concentrate on the learning rather than beating the clock...
Re: Mustache and Chin Area: Damn Hard to Master...
I continue to make progress - I shave everyday so I have plenty opportunities of learning :)
I still need to use the DE on the 3rd pass, especially for the jaw line of the chin, but I do full face shaving wih the str8 on my first 2 passes. I have decided to forget about speed as I focus exlusively on slow, steady, precise eye-hand coordination to get optimal pressure and blade angle. I'm finding that I'll need to wake up 15 min. earlier to make up the time in my morning schedule because I'm too slow right now :p But whatever it takes. I had to go through the same learning curve when I first learned to shave with a DE: early on, I tried to go too fast too soon and I went backwards big time, with less comfortable shaves. When you try to build up speed prior to being ready, you just unlearn and get into sloppy, bad habits.
Your hints and tips are really helping me. I have even wrote down a couple of them on a Post-it that I stick on the bathroom's mirror so I remember them when I'm shaving. My wife thinks I'm nuts but I know you guys recognize my symptoms as a true, dedicated beginner str8 shaver :D
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Furcifer
As for soap drying up, have you tried some of the brush shaving creams from TOBS, Truefitt & Hill or Trumper? I find that they don't dry like the soaps and the lather is excellent. I just bought a bunch of samples from all of them and have been using a different scent every day (see SOTD), but the cream lathers have all been consistent, really load up the brush well and don't dry my skin as much.
I am using at the moment Truefitt & Hill's 1805, Trafalgar, Ultimate Comfort. Also I have some Geo Trumpers Sandalwood left. They are superior creams but they will dry out at some point. Adding glycerine as suggested helped me and I don't hesitate now to relather regularly during the shave.