Shave #2 not much better

Well, I did shave #2 and got the same results. :td

1. I shaved after a nice shower
2. Used AOS sandelwood soap (had a nice wet lather)
3. Stropped the razor (I had to use my 100% leather belt as some said to do)

My face still dried out pretty fast (as it did with the first shave with a straight). I still had that "pulling" sensation on my whiskers (keeping in mind I had 2 days growth). Between my face drying and the pulling I had to stop after one pass and go to the Fusion and got a close shave. No bumps no razor burn. I applied Proraso pre/after shave cream and then a small amount of Anthony oil free mouisturizer. I got my other razor from Lynn today and will try that razor in the morning with my Crabtree & Evelyn almond oil shave cream. I dont know what else to do about my face getting so dry so fast :shrug:. or the pulling :(

Do you mean you have really dry skin , typically, or do you mean the lather dried out?

Wait for the strop to arrive.

I'm also a bit confused as to whether you mean your skin or your lather drying out, but as the latter is probably the more likely, you perhaps have too much cream in the lather? Should be like the consistency of egg whites when you beat them to make mirangue (at least that's how I like it).

As for the pulling, I remember my first few shaves felt like I was scraping myself, so it might just be a matter of your face adjusting to a new sensation. Alternatively, a razor that pulls is usually a sign that it's not sharp enough and may need a hone.

James.

My skin is whats getting dry. I worked up a really good lather this morning and it felt nice. It's my skin thats getting dry. I wet my face over and over with nice hot-warm water but, it still starts to dry :(

Canman,

Sorry, I jumped to the wrong conclusion. :fim:

I have no personal experience of this - my lather keeps things pretty friction-free and I worry about dryness after the shave. But, I think I've heard some other guys on the forum mention using moisturising cream under their lather...? I might be wrong there.

Also, I've never had much luck with soaps on my face. Perhaps a cream might work better.

Best of luck,

James.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimbo

Canman,

Sorry, I jumped to the wrong conclusion. :fim:

I have no personal experience of this - my lather keeps things pretty friction-free and I worry about dryness after the shave. But, I think I've heard some other guys on the forum mention using moisturising cream under their lather...? I might be wrong there.

Also, I've never had much luck with soaps on my face. Perhaps a cream might work better.

Best of luck,

James.

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Where can I get this moisturising cream at? I have not heard of this kind of product before. It might be what I need.

I'll reiterate my point. The shave will be much harsher without using a strop. That's what's drying out your skin.

I don't know if this is what you are doing, but it sounds like you lathered, then stropped, then shaved. I find it helpful to lather, then strop, then rinse (or hot towel - whatever) and re-lather. Maybe your lather is drying a bit while you strop.

I also refresh the lather after each section. So I do my cheeks, then refresh my chin, neck, and 'stache. Shave my chin, then refresh neck and 'stache etc.

You can also use the Proraso Pre/Post cream before lathering.

You're going to struggle the first few shaves until you get better at the mechanics involved - even with perfect lather and a sharp blade. It just takes some practice. You'll find a way to make it work. Keep at it.

Jordan

Jordan makes a good point. It helps to rinse your face off after each application of lather. If you apply lather to dry skin, it won't lubricate as much as if you re-wetted your face first.

I also tend to add a tiny bit of water to my brush before I relather each time. I just dip the very tip of the brush into the sink and then relather.

I had similar problems when I was starting out. My razor would stick and skip, especially on my chin. You just have to find a process that'll work for you.

Josh

I have a couple of possible concerns:
1) The leather may be 100% leather but the surface may be treated to make it unsuitable for stropping
2) Working with such a narrow surface may be difficult for a new user.
3) Your technique may need some work.

In the short few weeks I've used a straight, I've found that effective stropping seems to be very important. Tony Miller sells a starter strop for $23: http://shop.thewellshavedgentleman.c...6&categoryId=2

Good Luck!