Almost Straight on my Birthday

[strangehat]

Sounds like things are off to a fantastic start for you - nice!

Great photos too, keep them coming. Loving the look of that Henckels. Juan makes a great point about knowing when to call the shave done, and it sounds like you've worked out just the right pace/progression for you. There's lots of minutiae that need to come together just right in shaving with a straight, and it's good to take your time figuring these things out.

I look forward to following your progress, keep it up!

 

[martym]

Gorgeous razor

 

[Al_S]

Great job so far. I have little to add as I'm only a couple handfuls of shave ahead of you & others have already given great advice. You might want to pick up a styptic pencil or alum block in the event of a cut (unless you already have one). Know when to continue, know when to stop.

When it comes to stropping, as others have said, yes it is important. When I was starting out, I was very tentative with stropping, only doing bare minimum recommended as I was afraid of rolling my edge. Then reading through the journals I found some stropping many more passes. I tried this and it led to much smoother shave. be careful with stropping, but don't be afraid of it. How do you like that plain vanilla strop?

 

[Rogbo]

It's odd what crosses your mind when you pick up a new interest. While making my first straight shave attempt, I flashed on the old guys in the movies all suddsed up, mirror tacked to a barn or porch post. Then I flashed on a nail driven in to a tree where I had camped in the spring and thought it would be the perfect out door shaving post down by the lake. Circumstances and stars aligned quite by accident but here is my third shave setup tacked to a tree at Lake Hogan just like my heroes of yore.

 

[strangehat]

Very nice indeed! How'd it go?

 

[rockviper]

I don't even think that's a mirror, unless he's a vampire. (ps. I'm watching Buffy from '92 this evening ).

Okay, I'm just jealous

 

[martym]

Nice. Well done.

 

[Rogbo]

Ah yes the shave, got Carrie away with my John Wayne impression pilgrim. The shave was mediocre and a bit frustrating. Sideburns to throat between OK and good. The problem is the chin/lip area just does not want to be straight razor shaved. The same blade that made quick work of cheeks and neck was unusable from nose to bottom of chin. Well sure the blade was as good, but the blade runner is lacking. I hung my head in defeat, loaded a Gillette platinum in the DE, to finish. One more shave on the tree in two days before heading back to the world.

 

[martym]

It was a beautiful shave. Look at that background! A bad day shaving is better than...........

 

[SciTX]

how cool! great idea!

 

[Rogbo]

Shave 004

Razor: Henckels 72 straight / Gillette plastic wonder
Soap: Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Shaving Cream
Brush: Colonel Clink
Rinse: home lavenderized witch hazel
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman

For my fourth shave I started writing a plan up prior to laying blade to face to help my focus. Plan of the day below.
- watch some experts:
Chimensch's 30th Anniversary Shaving Video
MrMagnus latest
- STROP!
15 (25) cotton
50 leather
- 3 'quads'
- Start middle quad
(note I need music and a play list)
- remember to stretch the skin everywhere!
This worked fairly well. I started with the middle of my face while I was fresh and washing and hot towels went at the middle. The problem was the middle was even to large to get to my 4 quads going to break up my lip and chin into quads. The lip went way better than I thought it would and with two passes I was happy enough to call it done. by no means baby butt but good enough for wife facing applications. The chin, oh my god, the chin. Will I ever win this one? I took two failed half, maybe quarter passes around my chin then went to cheeks and jowls.

Cheek to neck to to mouth had been a pretty good straight shaving area for me both left and right handed. Tonight was pretty much the same though oddly enough i drew first blood in the flat of my right cheek with my right hand. I have never been a bleeder so there was not much blood, but glad to have got that out of the way. I am doing well enough north to south and south to north, but still mystified on out of normal angles but I am sure that will come as I grow more comfortable with the razor.

I read a lot of forums both shave journals and the wiki and need to take notes to give credit where it's due. Yesterday I read one where the guy just keeps his soap going and soaps as needed where needed not worrying about pass or direction. I incorporated this last night and it worked well and will continue this during my learning faze. Having fresh wet soap in problem areas was a real key tonight.

So the freeking chin. UGH! It would just not give up a smooth flow. I tried north to south, east to west, north to west, south to east, you name it no luck. At some point Mrs. Rogbo came in and suggested maybe this is the real reason people grow those soul patches. Anyway about an hour in, tired, happy with all other areas, I gave in and ran the little plastic Gillette across a silver dollar sized patch from just under the chin up to the bottom of my lip and called it a night.

Decent shave, a little razor burn on the chin. Really Really wanted this to be my first straight straight razor shave.


Tonight's getup.
Notice the home lavenderized witch hazel rinse in the 25 cent garage sale bottle.

 

[McVeyMac]

Don't worry too much about the chin during this very early stage. Focus on using the razor where you are comfortable using it, and in the direction that you are comfortable. When I started, I shaved every day starting with just the cheeks, and only WTG. During the work week, I then cleaned up with a DE. The weekend was where I added area, passes and technique that I then incorporated into the work week shaves. By the end of the second weekend, I was able to go straight razor only shaves during the work week. They were not great shaves, but they were acceptable. Effective straight razor shaving requires mastery of minute differences in pressure, angle and direction. The only way to become proficient is like the only way to play at Carnegie Hall, practice.

 

[Al_S]

In regards to your battle with the chin, try playing with different sections of the blade. IME, the toe responds differently than the heel, in part (I think) to the pressure from the hand holding the blade. Both areas have their advantages and disadvantages, the trick is matching the advantage with the right part of the face. With the toe, I seem to have a lighter more agile touch--this works well in sensitive areas like the corners of the mouth--of course is also seems easier to slip & cut with the toe. With the heel I seem to have more control and more drive of the blade. This helps in areas like the chin that have heavy growth and changing angles. There are areas on the chin I'll find myself using the toe where a light touch is required (e.g. dimple), but most of the chin seems to respond much better to the mid-heel area of the blade. As always, YMMV and MMMV as I'm still young on this journey.

 

[martym]

Keep enjoying your shaves and understand that there shall be better days than others. But soon enough every shave will be amazing.

 

[Rogbo]

Blade & Badger needs a big fat thumbs up button! I really appreciate all the encouragement and advice.
Who could ever figure out how to take on such a dangerous and confusing endeavor with out a community to guide them...

 

[Rogbo]

Shave 005

Razor: NTS-Solingen straight
Soap: Proraso Sapone Shave Soap
Brush: Colonel Clink
Rinsed with home lavenderize witch hazel
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman

Today's plan:
- watch some experts:
Chimensch's 30th Anniversary Shaving Video
MrMagnus latest
- STROP!
25 cotton
50 leather
- 3 'quads' (changed to 4 quads going forward - lip and chin separate)
- Start middle quad (ugh forgot and went left side first)
- remember to stretch the skin everywhere!

First time all straight razor shave and it is just ok. BUT it is a STRAIGHT RAZOR so I will take it. My 'ah ha moment for today is to make a pass or two, stop long before razor burn, and move shaving to daily from every other. This will give me something to do on the off days, yes shave, give me more shaves with less time off to forget what I learned, and probably best should keep me from shaving myself perfect (read raw). Oh yeah and I notice that the first pass on longer beard is more difficult for me so this should keep me on shorter stubble during my learning faze.

I liked the Proraso soap, it reminds me of my favorite canned soap Barbasol. I meant to start on my lip but got the left side lathered up first so went with it. I made about 3 passes down, sideways, and clean up.

I then moved to my lip. Using Al_S advice I really focused on different parts of the blade heel toe dosey doe don't ya know. While I had been trying different parts of the blade just because, trying different parts of the blade for purpose really paid dividends. Using mostly the heel on my upper lip I made quick work of stubble and got a pretty darn smooth upper lip. I continued this down into the chin area and while I did get the job done, I expect a few sand paper complaints from Mrs. Rogbo if I try to get all kissie face.

I have added a bowl of water next to my lather cup to keep my soap really wet both on my face and in my cup, this worked very well for keeping me slippery during my long sloooooowwwww deliberate shave. Especially during the lip and chin portion of my shave I kept applying more lather and mixing in more water to stay slippery and wet. I reloaded my brush a couple of times to keep the blade a slippin and sliding. If I, in my newbie state, have any advice worth giving for the next new guy it is this. Keep soppoing on slick wet lather as needed. I have stopped lathering my whole face and begun lathering where I am going next, this helps my focus and stops the drying action of these long slow shaves.

Finished with the right side in three passes similar to the left side, with the grain, across the grain, and as needed.

Done. No baby's butt in sight but no nicks ticks burns or weepers either.

On to daily shaves tomorrow.

 

[McVeyMac]

Nice work, and the shaves will get better.

 

[SciTX]

well done....you're doing great!

 

[rockviper]

Progress comes in stages. You're doing more than "just fine" in my book.

 

[Rogbo]

Shave 006 & 007

006
Razor: Henckels Friodur 72
Soap: Colonel Conk Bay Rum Soap
Brush: Colonel Clink
Rinsed with home lavenderize witch hazel
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman

Highlight: first real soap, first daily shave

Shave 007
Face wash: NIVEA Men Original
Razor: NTS-Solingen straight
Soap: Cella Crema Da Barba All'olio Di Mandorla
Brush: Colonel Clink
Rinsed with home lavenderize witch hazel
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman

Highlight: Accidentally got the Cella wet enough! Wow what a difference in glide and comfort.

Been busy with wife and kid stuff so no great entries. Just two average shaves. I have been casting about for the right soap and pretty happy with the Cella today so will probably stay with that for a while.

Also accidentally bought a Filarmonica Sub Cero 13 on ebay by not paying attention to what window I was in. But heck it looks like a beauty and I have made lots worse mistakes.