global_dev straight journal

[Zephyr]

At least it's better than a badly honed razor that leaves you with lots of nicks.

You're getting close to the one hundred milestone now, how do you feel the progression have been the last 25-30 shaves? Has there been a noticeable improvement, or do you feel it have stalled a bit?

 

[global_dev]

At least it's better than a badly honed razor that leaves you with lots of nicks.

i actually thought about that (and how bad it could have really been), but when i first glanced at that straight, the edge look fine, and it appeared, with my quick glance, a pretty small bevel... i guess not..

You're getting close to the one hundred milestone now, how do you feel the progression have been the last 25-30 shaves? Has there been a noticeable improvement, or do you feel it have stalled a bit?

the shaves are consistent and good for a while now, i'd have to go back and see what i wrote to remember. I really don't know exactly what will give me my next increment.. I am making though the educated guess of I need to do certain passes like ear to nose and ATG to step it up, but the 2 passer i typically do gives me a great foundation for the next shave right now.. or maybe my honing skills will improve and maybe the next level of sharpness will improve my passes.

I will say that I don't think I need more than 10 straights. I can't even remember the last time i used some of them are... and i just got another one in the mail today. a 13/16 scalloped spine wedge (or near wedge) ...

 

[global_dev]

so having been sick earlier in the week, i was taking my time with shaving and knowing that my 100th was upon me, i decided I wanted the 100th to be on the weekend, where i could take my time and really enjoy myself, so I grabbed the Feather portable (astra) and Merkur slant (dorco St300) and got some really great shaves on Wed and Thurs, and was planning on the 99th for Saturday morning... and so it began mid morning Sat, which for me is about 8:30AM.

Stropped up the Harrison Bros, grabbed a new Simpsons 2 band Tulip 2, and AOS unscented soap (i really like the wood bowls they come in). the blade was really sharp and i could feel it, especially after not having straight shaved in a couple of days..

The Tulip 2 is really kind of small compared to my other brushes, almost feels like a toy, but it lathered up great. The two band was soft, had some backbone, it was sweet... I don't know if i'd give up my big brushes for it though...

on the first WTG pass, I noticed that my sideburns have started to grow longer south after some weeks of shaving. I decided to trim them back and, wow if a straight doesn't just wipe it all away, clean and tidy, no clogging of blades and sticking out the razor head of a DE or cartdrige..

I was transitioning from lower cheek and side of mouth, to upper neck and gave myself a nice cut. I knew it happened, I could feel it and was hoping it was my imagination, but there it was about a 1/2 inch long and slowly bleeding... applied some styptic and wondered if I should continue, i was clearly slightly rattled and wondering if my brief hiatus was the cause of this.. I regained my composure, relathered and kept on going..

another pass XTG and I felt great, the cut wasn't bleeding and some A/S though told me it was still there. no worries, life goes on, cuts heal.

so today will be 100th if all goes well. I don't think I am going to make a big production out of it with a new to me razor, just something familiar and enjoyable...

 

[global_dev]

a milestone of sorts, started at 11 AM or so... i twas hard to decide what to use and finally went back into my box of shave kit...

great 2 pass DFS++ shave, which is really all i am aiming for!!

finished off with DC1913 EdT and DONE!!!

now to just figure out how to do this at around 5AM..

 

[MrHipHop]

Great journal!
I just read from beginning to end and I am very encouraged about my own journey!
I have book marked this so i can refer back to it and compare my shaves.

Thank you for taking the time and putting so much detail into it. I dont think I could have done that.

 

[Gustav]

Congratulations on your 100th shave anniversary!

Have you ever tried honing with the BBW stones? They are dead cheap and according to a recent study provide just as good an edge as its costly coticule sibling. The downside is apparently that it is slower than the coticule but it also has the advantage that the slurry never gets thick enough to dull the blade.

 

[Skrymr]

Congrats on 100 straight shaves, and an excellent shave journal.

 

[Luc]

Awesome work mate!

 

[global_dev]

Congratulations on your 100th shave anniversary!

Have you ever tried honing with the BBW stones? They are dead cheap and according to a recent study provide just as good an edge as its costly coticule sibling. The downside is apparently that it is slower than the coticule but it also has the advantage that the slurry never gets thick enough to dull the blade.

don't have a BBW stone, all my coti seem to be slate backed... i'll look into getting one, maybe someone has a a <2 in wide one they want to get rid of...

Congrats on 100 straight shaves, and an excellent shave journal.

Awesome work mate!

thanks , guys

i wasn't going to keep it going, but i figure i'll will just for my own chronicles of my technique and gear evolution..

 

[global_dev]

Forgive me for I have sinned, it has been 7 days since my last straight shave. I accuse myself of the following sins:

• shaving with a vintage slant for 4 out of the last 7 days
• not shaving at all for the remainder of those days
• not polishing any old blades in my possession
• not honing any blades that could use it
• not procuring any new straights this week
• not procuring any vintage straights this week
• buying way too many brushes this week
• not visiting woodcraft/harbor freight for looking at exotic wood blanks and tools
• not using the pinning supplies, i just found locally

so a week after my 100th, i decided to take a short hiatus and wow time gets away from me quickly..

here goes No.101
seraphim shenanigan-style 6/8ths - what a great blade
C&E nomad soap
M&F blonde
MyChelle Splash
Pen's Endymion

2.5 day growth. 2 quick passes pre-shower, the blade easily wiped away the beard and a great DFS+ shave.

 

[global_dev]

i have 3 spanish blades needing attention on my way to me... sometime...
can't wait to see what they like in person...

a couple of shaves lately... TI in horn, very nice, but maybe could use a polishing. it took off a 3+ day beard with no effort..

and today i honed a NOS Toyo 777 on the 7-2 coticule bout from Natchez dilucot style, no other polisher. what a sweet blade. very easy to hone up on that stone compared to a near-wedge sheffield i have been working on... stropped on the horsehide srd 3", i love the pattern in the grain that's developing as the leather darkens...

2 passed with it and some Proraso ASL definitely let me know it had some menthol and alcohol in it...

a couple shaves with Cella and nice, easy and quick for a DFS+.

 

[Luc]

[cough] pictures? [cough] Toyo 777 [/cough] [/cough]

 

[global_dev]

[cough] pictures? [cough] Toyo 777 [/cough] [/cough]

sorry, forgot about this.. it was from telly

 

[global_dev]

hadn't straight shaved in a couple of weeks... (maybe 3 at most) just was either too tired or on travel, but having just finished up a restore of a Palmera 14 that i was very excited about, i got down to honing.. it took a while to get an initial bevel that would cut arm hair. i went back and forth between DMT F/VF plates and coticules trying to what would be effective (to no discernible info for me, unfortunately) and finally got to an edge that would cut. moved on to dilucot on a coti bout and then a la nouvelle coti and then to my maruka kiita nashiji w/ tomonagura... i probably could have stopped after the first or second coti, but i just felt like i wanted this progression.. stropped on nylon/horsehide and started shaving.

grabbed M&F horn 2 band and AOS unscented and wonderful lather... was a bit nervous about the short hiatus from straights as to if I still have the skills, but alas 3 passes and DFS++, i think a small part of the near point edge needs some additional work and i'll get to that tonite or this weekend..

slapped on some Proraso ASL, great refreshing feeling and wife loved the feel and scent.

​

 

[Brent]

so a week after my 100th, i decided to take a short hiatus and wow time gets away from me quickly..

here goes No.101
seraphim shenanigan-style 6/8ths - what a great blade
C&E nomad soap
M&F blonde
MyChelle Splash
Pen's Endymion

Wow, where did you find that razor?

 

[global_dev]

Wow, where did you find that razor?

off of seraphim here... this one is very understated compared to his recent creations.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

Man dude...you've come a long way! Nice to see you kept the journal going too...I've found more time for B&B again lately so I'm catching up where I can...congrats on your 100th shave...that's fantastic!

 

[Luc]

That's one nice razor!

 

[global_dev]

thanks guys, I think the Toyo might need different scales... and it's probably time to get rid of some straights that haven't seen use in a while or have fallen out of favor....

this morning i broke out the hart and some AOS lemon cream and while it was a very nice shave, it felt like the hart needed a touch-up. the size and heft of the hart is just so nice IMO. As i was shaving, i thought I might go order another one.... what color scales, or maybe polished instead of satin...

 

[global_dev]

this mornings shave

TI 6/8 in horn
cade
wee scot

the cade (face lathered) was not as bad this time as past performance, but still not what I am looking for. maybe the wee scot size was a plus for the lather... it didn't dry up as fast, but it is also a different season from the last time i tried it...

the scent is very refreshing and enjoyable..

2 passes and DFS.