Today I learned to place the alum block on the side of the sink for easier access to a wet finger swipe in face stretching. I also learned that razor bites can leave red marks, twice today I had bites, and both left a mark, a red line on the neck, and a pimple mark on the neck.
What Did You Learn From Your SR Shave Today?
- Thread starter rbscebu
- Start date
Yesterday I learned that it is not just the face I need to be mindful of the straight cutting. Also my fingers. I cut the index finger on my left hand. I am not sure when the cut occurred. I noticed the cut when transitioning from the right hand to the left hand on the first pass with the straight. The cut bled quite a bit.
Today I learned that I am able to get closer to my beard on my left side with my left hand vs my right side and my dominant right hand. Likely due to the extra attention I pay to my non-dominant left hand while shaving.
Might not just be that. I found it much easier to train my left hand to shave, than to un-train my right hand to not apply cartridge-appropriate levels of pressure.
Today, on straight razor shave number 10, I began to clearly see what I had already learned about shaving shallow. I noticed the angle of the blade increasing as I transitioned to the neck. The blade was tuggy, a reduction in the angle, and the blade moved along. I am getting as close on my neck with my N-S passes as I ever have with the DE. I tend to avoid ATG passes on the neck as I get irritation, N-S is XTG on the neck. Slow shallow shaving is knocking those pesky whiskers down very well. Ultra-low pressure, just remove the lather is what I concentrated on also. It is coming together.
Sounds like really great progress. Genuinely low pressure and low angle on every part of my face were the things that took longest to train myself to do consistently.
Today I learned that I could get fairly close with WTG passes on the cheeks if I spend some more time on the area. Today I used shorter strokes and I was able to knock off quite a bit of stubble that was usually left over for the DE razor to get. I was even enjoying the time buffing away on the cheeks to get a closer shave. The image of laying the spine flat helped me keep a shallow angle as well. It's coming along.
Today I learned, with a proper hone, I could get a very close shave with my straight. I had my Boker honed by Steve56 and it arrived back home while I was away for the Thanksgiving break. I shaved with it today. It wasn’t harsh at all, allowing me the confidence to buff on my WTG passes to knock off as much of the beard as I could. My Paul Drees was honed by the retailer, it felt sharp, not necessarily harsh, but less comfortable than the Steve56 honed Boker. It’s getting better every day.
Today I learned it wasn't the hone the retailer put on the Paul Drees that made it feel harsher than the Boker, as I just received a second straight razor from the same retailer and it shaved smoothly, just a bit less comfortable than the Boker.
Today I learned, that I could get to all of the neck, including the transition area from jawline joint to neck with the straight, but I still need to pay attention to pressure and angle. No blood, but plenty of redness in the area.
This thread had died down a few months back. I realize someone was "asked to leave" who was one of the more vocal participants on this thread. I learned much from this thread. I hope all newbies and even experienced straight shavers will share their pearls of wisdom going forward. @HeavyD, Post what you are learning on your returns to the straights.
This thread had died down a few months back. I realize someone was "asked to leave" who was one of the more vocal participants on this thread. I learned much from this thread. I hope all newbies and even experienced straight shavers will share their pearls of wisdom going forward. @HeavyD, Post what you are learning on your returns to the straights.
“No blood, but plenty of redness in the area.”
Redness/ irritation are indicators of a failing edge.
Look straight down on the edge, any shiny reflection are where bevels are not meeting or rolled edge.
Nothing that can not be fixed with a finish stone, depending on damage.
Redness/ irritation are indicators of a failing edge.
Look straight down on the edge, any shiny reflection are where bevels are not meeting or rolled edge.
Nothing that can not be fixed with a finish stone, depending on damage.
Same razor today (Paul Drees 'Sistrum"), with no redness and no blood, but stropping was different. I think that in an effort to not apply pressure to the edge, I am holding back the edge from fully setting on the strop. Today I made sure the edge was against the strop. I did not apply additional pressure on the edge, but I was not holding back. The razor was singing for the first 20-30 laps, then it calmed down and by the end (60 laps) all was silent. It did shave smoother and with less irritation. I have seen both advocated, to use no pressure and put your arse into it while stropping. Likely the truth is somewhere in between.
I'll check that out today and see what is going on. I don't see nor feel a rolled edge when I am cleaning it after the shave or when I oil the blade post shave.
What do you see when looking straight down on the edge?
First photo is an edge with bevels almost meeting, note shiny reflections.
Second photo note, no reflections.
Yea, you would not feel a rolled edge when cleaning.
First photo is an edge with bevels almost meeting, note shiny reflections.
Second photo note, no reflections.
Yea, you would not feel a rolled edge when cleaning.
Reflection is what I see. I touched up the Paul Drees on a pasted strop. I did take one of my lesser razors to the 12k Naniwa to see what it would do.
How many shaves should I get off an edge with my daily 60 laps on the strop before having to touch it up? I’ve read 3 months, others say 10 shaves. What is the general consensus?
I don't think there is a general consensus. It depends on many things, including your shaving technique -- using higher angles produces discomfort-producing mini-chips much more quickly. As I gradually got better at keeping a low angle everywhere on my face, I went from 3 shaves between honings, to 6, to...well, I don't know what it is now. I like to hone, so I don't tend to push the boundaries.
“I don't think there is a general consensus. It depends on many things, including your shaving technique”
Yup, and your stropping skill/technique. It can take a while to master stropping to the point that you are constantly improving the edge. It only takes a single miss-stroke to roll or break off the edge. Proper stropping can be more difficult to master than honing.
But it is not the end of the world. Simply Joint the edge straight and make a new edge on the 12k in 3-10 lite laps.
Yup, and your stropping skill/technique. It can take a while to master stropping to the point that you are constantly improving the edge. It only takes a single miss-stroke to roll or break off the edge. Proper stropping can be more difficult to master than honing.
But it is not the end of the world. Simply Joint the edge straight and make a new edge on the 12k in 3-10 lite laps.
For me, the better the edge the more shaves. And as your honing and stropping techniques improve, your average shave count should increase.
Today I learned I could do XTG passes with my straight. Not great but still done.
I did 10 laps on my Naniwa 12K stone last night on this razor. Both sides. And I did 10 strops in a pasted strop (Green compound paste, I had the strop already set up from my knife honing attempts.) and 10 on the cloth strop. Then the normal 60 on the leather strip. It was a comfortable edge that wacked down whiskers.
I did 10 laps on my Naniwa 12K stone last night on this razor. Both sides. And I did 10 strops in a pasted strop (Green compound paste, I had the strop already set up from my knife honing attempts.) and 10 on the cloth strop. Then the normal 60 on the leather strip. It was a comfortable edge that wacked down whiskers.
I learned today that I can retire the DE razor as I have started to do some XTG work that gives me a good enough shave. This little development will allow my straight shaving technique to develop faster as I won't have the DE to clean up the shave. I'll have to rely on the straight to make a presentable shave.
I guess like many SR learners, my bugbear has always been around the chin and under the jaw. Today I learned I can get a closer shave there if, instead of stretching my skin and tilting my head back, I just stretch the skin while leaving my head normally oriented.
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