Flamewing's Straight Shaving Journal.

[flamewing]

Yesterday was my first day off since the strait I got off BST came in. I wanted to wait till I had plenty of time and was in no hurry. I think my angle might have been a tad aggressive as my face was on the tender side after the shave. The majority of my nicks is the section between my bottom lip and the chin. I'm glad I've been perfecting lather building for a week or so prior and using it with my MBM(fusion). I've read about how as soon as you mind starts to wander odds are a good you're going to get bit and I've got about an inch long cut just below my side burn as a reminder. On the upside it's one of the smoothest shaves I've ever had to date. My cheeks already have recovered my next and under my jaw are still unhappy but they tend to be unhappy with a cartridge too so I think I need to better map the grain in these areas and find a different line of approach. After I finished I realized I got a bit of a rush out of the shave. It's an interesting feeling knowing how dangerous a strait can be and you've just used it to shave with. I'm looking forward to more shaves and I think cut throats are likely to be an AD for me, but don't tell the wife that :)

[thatsilverguy]

Good observations and good plans for the future. It's apparent that you have read/watched some form of tutorials. Now that you have tried straight-shaving, go back and re-read, re-watch those tutorials and see if you don't have a couple "Aha!" moments.

You make a good point about staying "in the moment" while shaving. I have difficulty with that level of awareness first thing in the morning so I shave before I go to bed. It's good enough for work.

Looks like you are on the right track. If you have any questions about products or techniques don't hesitate to ask. We love to give feedback.

Go 'Jackets!

[Eric V]

Bravo! Shaving with a straight is a bit of a rush ... a private accomplishment that works every time for me. I do take my time, though. I don't rush, but I do GET a rush.

[flamewing]

Thanks guys. Today was better luck on the irritation front. The section just under the jaw line is happier though I didn't venture down onto the neck today. I don't think I got as close today as I did yesterday but there's not the same amount of irritation as there was on the cheeks after the first shave. No cuts to and a couple of minor nicks, the section below the lip and before the chin still hard to get without nicking. Is it possible to rename the thread to make this a shave journal or should I let this die off and spin up a new one?

[Blix]

Congrats, seems your off to a perfectly normal start, it's a but rough those first times! .

PS. Hit enter now and then when finishing sentences , you posts are very hard to read.

You could PM a mod about changing your title.

[flamewing]

Today was shave #4
I tried XTG on the cheeks and getting close and comfortable. The under Jaw is still tricky to get close and I just realized the side of of my neck grow S-N so I've been shaving ATG thinking it was at worst XTG.
I'll try a different approach next time I shave the neck and see if I can get irritation free.

[Price]

Thanks guys. Today was better luck on the irritation front. The section just under the jaw line is happier though I didn't venture down onto the neck today. I don't think I got as close today as I did yesterday but there's not the same amount of irritation as there was on the cheeks after the first shave. No cuts to and a couple of minor nicks, the section below the lip and before the chin still hard to get without nicking. Is it possible to rename the thread to make this a shave journal or should I let this die off and spin up a new one?

This was my biggest problem area as well when I first started. N-S it was fine, but XTG or ATG always ended up bloody no matter how far I jutted my chin out. What finally worked for me was to rinse off the throat area, then grab both sides of my neck around the windpipe with my off hand and pull down. This got me that extra "tautness" I needed to go ATG on the chin, and I've been good ever since. Everyone's face is different (which is why YMMV is such a common statement here) but this may help you too. Good luck!

[Brent]

+1. I found the extra tautness really helped when I started out. Facial contortions help too. Keep it up!!!

[Gustav]

Congratulations on completing your first shave, you are on the right track and it will only get better.

[sanfranciscian]

congratulations, FWIW i have just started to experiment with very minor adjustments on my skin stretching, after having settled in to a routine or more likely a rut I spent some time getting a better handle on the directional growth pattern and it really has been the largest leap in shave quality in some time. Seems kinda basic and probably why I let it go for too long. Good luck and have fun.

Ian

[flamewing]

Shave #5

My neck is happier shaving S-N, though it's trickier to get the right angle and hold on the razor to make that work. It's going to take some more work to get it going well.
Under the Jaw is coming along too it seems to work better if I come down over the jaw at almost a 45 to the jawbone vs parallel. This is the angle of the blade length not the shave angle.

I notice the lather almost seems tacky on the blade at times. I'm wondering if the Lather's a tad on the dry side. You guys got any thoughts?

[tboyer]

Shave #5

My neck is happier shaving S-N, though it's trickier to get the right angle and hold on the razor to make that work. It's going to take some more work to get it going well.
Under the Jaw is coming along too it seems to work better if I come down over the jaw at almost a 45 to the jawbone vs parallel. This is the angle of the blade length not the shave angle.

I notice the lather almost seems tacky on the blade at times. I'm wondering if the Lather's a tad on the dry side. You guys got any thoughts?

Yes the Lather maybe a tad dry, perhaps a pre-shave treatment with oil, what I do is save my chin for last, then strop my razor and relather.

[Brent]

S-N I had problems with on my left side. I found that the problem was what looked like the proper angle was the culprit. I think that was due to the angle of the neck made it look like the correct angle but wasnt. I started to shave with a much steeper angle to my eyes and it cleared it up beautifully.

[tboyer]

congratulations, FWIW i have just started to experiment with very minor adjustments on my skin stretching, after having settled in to a routine or more likely a rut I spent some time getting a better handle on the directional growth pattern and it really has been the largest leap in shave quality in some time. Seems kinda basic and probably why I let it go for too long. Good luck and have fun.

Ian

Hi Ian, I live in San Francisco also, close to the old armory which is now owned by Kink Videos, some day I should try to call a razor meet in SF

[Kentos]

Less pressure=less burn.
More passes= sometimes more burn
Dry lather=more burn
Dull blade=more burn
Info in this post=my opinion

Good luck on your continuing journey!!

[sanfranciscian]

Hi Ian, I live in San Francisco also, close to the old armory which is now owned by Kink Videos, some day I should try to call a razor meet in SF

I definitely have pondered that for some time now. your close by, I'm at 16TH. Dolores, apologize for the thread hijack. holler if theres anything i can help you with. And flame it sounds like you are already starting to make the critical assessments and adjustments needed. Great job, you are going to love the learning curve at this stage.

Ian

[flamewing]

Shave #6
I almost made it through a nick free shave today till I was a tad distracted and gave my right cheek a matching cut to the left from my first shave. It stopped bleeding after the cold rinse and a couple of passes with witch hazel.

It wasn't my proudest moment. It was also my first shave on a work day. It's good to know that I have time to shave with a straight and still make it to work on time.
The under the chin is getting closer as I get more comfortable with getting the right angles there.

To day is the first shave of my neck that didn't irritate it. It's SAS and feels smooth running hands over it WTG. I don't think I have this mastered straight shaving but I think I'm on my way. If I can get a nick free shave I'll be happy.
This would be a lot harder if I didn't have a goatee.

[flamewing]

I've lost track of which shave I am on my first nick free shave was followed by one of the worst cuts I've given myself, I was able to clean it up and get it to stop bleeding fairly easily. I'm getting pretty close all the way around. I've started ATG passes on the cheeks and neck.
The neck is still touchy to irritation after the shave but it's getting better. I'm getting fairly close and comfortable shaves and occasionally a DFS. The underside of the jaw is coming along fairly well/. I'm finding it easier to to reach if I stretch my lower jaw open and use my off hand to pull the skin taught from the lower neck. I'm still really enjoying this. I'm curious to branch into shaving creams. I'll be looking around locally for something not too pricy to start with.

[flamewing]

Today I realized how important the post shave routine is. Mine has gotten more involved as I've added more things to my shave den. My current routine for a straight shave is as follows.

Pre-Shave:
1) I fill my lather bowl with hot water and put my brush in to soak and drizzle some water on the shave soap puck, Van Der Hagen soap, brush and bowl I got as a set.
2) I hop in the shower and massage my face and neck with my finger tips using a bit of soap to clean the area and get the blood flowing a bit better.
3) I heat up a wash cloth in the hottest water I can stand and hold it on my face and neck for a few minutes
4) Strop the razor, 50 passes on the leather strop, and make my lather

Shave:
5) I start with WTG passes on the cheeks and normally strech my jaw downward and continue to just past the jaw.
6) WTG pass on the neck, for me this is S-N
7) I do a XTG on the cheeks, I wear a goatee so I don't do chin or upper lip
8) ATG on the cheeks and neck.

Post Shave:
9) Clean up the face with the very cold washcloth to clean the lather off my face and close the pores
10) Go over the shaved area with Thayers Rose Witch Hazel as an astringent
11) Apply a light coat moisturizer, currently using head slick matte will be looking for something better soon.

Once I get an alum block I'll be looking into adding it before the witch hazel I think. My shave routine has come a long way from just running a fusion over my face during my shower and calling it a shave. My post shave routine has gone from nothing when I was doing lather prior to using the MBM while I was waiting on my straights to arrive to what it is now because of making the jump to straights.
Since discovering the growth patterns of my neck I generally get a lot less irritation when shaving there and it no longer freaks out when I try to shave ATG.
I'm also looking to branch into some other soaps and see what creams are like. I might also look into picking up a better brush as well though I'm not entirely sure where I want to start. I prefer bowl lathering and leaning toward something in best badger as it's not as pricy as the top end hairs and it's a bit softer than pure, which is probably softer than the VDH boar I'm using now.
I also will be looking into some sort of scented after shave as well just not sure where I'll be starting with that.
That's todays shave update and random thoughts on the topic.

[Blix]

Great stuff Scott

I always use an alum block after the first cold water rinse, it's great stuff. Another great bonus feature of a alum block, is that you can use it for increased grip when stretching, just rub wet fingers on it before stretching, and the grip increase a lot. Once you start doing it you will never go back!