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strop's shaving journal

strop

Now half as wise
My razor and strop from WhippedDog arrived in yesterday's mail...after the morning shave so today was the first straight shave (or partial shave as the case may be!) of my wetshving experience.

I took Larry's advice and did the first reduction pass with a DE. I then did 2 passes with the straight, trying to remember all the things I had read and all the videos I watched in preparation for this. Funny how your memory seems to fade a bit as cold steel touches your face for the first time!:w00t: I kept a firm wrist, light touch with short deliberate and quick strokes. I quickly lost the apprehension and settled into intense concentration, trying to do a WTG pas then a XTG pass. The second turned out to be some mismatched combination of WTG, XTG and ATG. Lots of indecision in deciding how to hold the razor for each area of my face, though I think that's something that will come with practice.

At that point I had near BBS and certainly DFS on the cheeks and SAS below the jawline and neck. No nicks or cuts and only one little weeper below my chin that didn't even need the styptic. All in all, I was very satisfied with my first straight shave. I did another pass with the DE since I'm so used to a near BBS shave that I knew it would drive me nuts the rest of the day!

I did some stropping tonight. So far no nicks in the strop. Tomorrow morning will be the true test of my stropping however! We'll find out how the edge held up!

I plan to do the first pass with the DE for several more days and try to concentrate on how to hold the razor for each part of my face. Although I've been practicing using the DE left handed, the straight still feels really awkward in the left hand. It seems that some parts of the face will be a lot easier if I can master that however.

Can't hardly wait until tomorrow morning. I'm worse than a 5 year old on Christmas Eve!
 

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
Sounds like that was a very good first try! Any pictures of the equipment?
 
Great job! My first experiences were also with all Whipped Dog equipment, and the razor he sent me is still one of my very favorites, if only for sentimental reasons. I've been at this about two months, and still have those turn-the-razor-this-way-and-that, "how the hell do I get this area!?" moments. I can understand now how it might take a good long while to really master the straight-shave, but the learning curve has been fun to traverse, so who cares how long it takes?

And congrats on not nicking the strop... I pride myself on having pretty good hand-eye coordination, but I nicked mine - I kid you not - on my first stropping stroke.
 

strop

Now half as wise
Shave #2 today was better...and worse. I must have done OK stropping since the edge did not feel any different than yesterday, and still no cuts on the strop! Did 2 passes with the straight as before. Was able to get the chin area a little better and XTG on the cheeks was great. I tried to do more than I should have on the neck and ended up with a little razor burn, though with less stubble remaining than yesterday. In going back over things I'm sure I did not stretch the skin enough and probably got a little carried away with too much pressure. Hard to concentrate on so many things at once. I know eventually, as with the DE, eventually you won't even have to think about things like pressure, and angle.

And speaking of angle, it seems I do better with the blade almost flat on the skin...can't be more that 5 deg. I see people talking about 20 or 30 deg angles. Is this just for the more experienced, or for the last pass?

As requested, a pic of my setup. Arlington, Thater, Barber's Delight and Castle Forbes ASB. I usually use ASL, but had a little razor burn to soothe.
 

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... and try to concentrate on how to hold the razor for each part of my face. Although I've been practicing using the DE left handed, the straight still feels really awkward in the left hand. It seems that some parts of the face will be a lot easier if I can master that however.

Can't hardly wait until tomorrow morning.

i think i am only at 2 types of hold per hand per side of face.. i guess total four.. which souds like a lot, but no more than my DE style.. the non-dom hand will get there, it seems easier than trying one handed now...

wait until you get to the point your shave is good enough and you wonder what a different razor will feel like...
 

strop

Now half as wise
Four days in and I'm hooked. Still doing the 1st pass with the DE, but today did 3 straight passes with no DE cleanup. WTG, and 2 mixed XTG, ATG in a couple places, and some "Solingen Slide" (as in Gilette Slide) passes where I was brave enough. Actually easier to do than explain the motion. Managed to get the obligatory nick on the earlobe and strop on the same day! My usual DE shave was WTG,XTG,ATG, and blade buffing below the jawline. I would categorize todays shave as "Visually Acceptable" on the upper neck and near DFS everywhere else. Passed the alum block test with flying colors, and used a splash instead of balm today. 5 o'clock stubble isn't any worse than it was back in the cart days.

I hope to be doing straight passes only within the week. I'm already getting the itch to start honing (I have all the needed stones from my woodworking). I'm trying to discipline myself not to get a good strop until I can go 2 weeks without a nick!

I hope this isn't too boring for all you veterans out there, but I'm learning a lot from reading others startup experiences and hopefully this will convince someone else that straight shaving isn't as intimidating as it seems.

Mark
 
Sounds good to me! Stop doing the first DE pass I'd say, cleanup with the DE instead if needed. :001_smile

Which honing stoens do you got?
 

strop

Now half as wise
I was planning to drop the initial DE pass on Saturday when I have plenty of time, but may try tomorrow.

I've got the Norton 800, 1000, 4000, 8000, and a Chosera 10,000 and more CrO2 than all of us could use in a lifetime!

Mark
 
I was planning to drop the initial DE pass on Saturday when I have plenty of time, but may try tomorrow.

I've got the Norton 800, 1000, 4000, 8000, and a Chosera 10,000 and more CrO2 than all of us could use in a lifetime!

Mark

Awesome, then you are all set then! All you need is a DMT 325 for the lapping needs :001_smile
 

strop

Now half as wise
Awesome, then you are all set then! All you need is a DMT 325 for the lapping needs :001_smile


I've been using a granite reference plate with sandpaper to flatten stones. Works perfectly well for planes and chisels. Any problems using this with razors? I'm developing a list of questions related to honing and will be starting a thread in the Honing Forum when I get a chance.
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
It will work fine. Although some people like to hone with a slurry, so they lap the hone with a few figure eights prior to honing. That would be the only reason I can think of where the DMT would be helpful...but YMMV as always :)
 

strop

Now half as wise
Well, I started the first pass with the straight rather than the DE. Third day was definitley easier. On Wed. I only did 3 passes with no DE cleanup. A SAS on the upper neck and near DFS everywhere else. The problem, though, was that by afternoon the 5 o'clock shadow was back. Haven't had that since my last cart shave. In those days I had to shave again in the evening if I was going to a special event.

Thurs. AM, therefore, dawned with more stubble than usual. I actually managed to get thru it without any nicks, but it took a long time. Cleaned up with the DE because I just can't stand that evening stubble anymore. Today was better and had less cleanup to do, only on the upper neck. I can see that is going to be a real challenge. I make an almost E-W pass with the DE that just isn't possible with the straight as far as I can tell.

Probably rolled the edge a bit today. Was trying to go too fast with the stropping. The balsa strop from Larry should fix it though. Still only one nick in the strop!

Tomorrow will be one week. No question I'm hooked on this!

Mark
 
If you rolled an edge and are going to use the balsa strop to fix it, I guess that means I should use the balsa strop as well. Is it as easy as it looks? Guess I should read the instructions ;)
 

strop

Now half as wise
wait until you get to the point your shave is good enough and you wonder what a different razor will feel like...

It didn't take long! I've been looking at those Bokers from Jarrod. Just might have to get one and a Walkin' Horse.


If you rolled an edge and are going to use the balsa strop to fix it, I guess that means I should use the balsa strop as well. Is it as easy as it looks? Guess I should read the instructions ;)

I see from your thread that you tried it. Amazing that a little piece of wood and some colored powder can do that! Seems I got a better shave than the first...though I if I didn't that would mean I haven't learned anything in a week.

I'm really happy with how things are going. No major cuts in me, and the alum feels much better after a week of straights than it did after a week if DE when I started that. Still working on getting the lather wetter. I'm so used to making that thick fluffy stuff. Some of it may be speed but I usually have to redo some lather about 2/3 thru a pass. Have stuck to only one soap for the entire week. First time I've ever done that! All my other soaps and creams are starting to get jealous!

I've observed that if I can start the blade moving a fraction before it touches the skin it is much smoother and the areas around the chin are much easier. This requires the right angle, and that's been the difference. My first few shaves I was actually putting the blade on the skin, adjusting the angle and then starting to move the blade. This worked OK on the cheeks and some areas, but as I get more comfortable the angle and motion come simultaneously.

My BBS shaves with a DE always were 3 pass with touch-up/blade buffing under the jaw line, and lower neck. Should I expect the same with a straight. Is it unreasonable to expect more out of 3 passes with the straight when I get better?

Mark
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
I do a 3 pass plus touch ups when I go for a BBS...XTG/WTG-XTG-ATG and touch ups. I would guess your straight passes will be the same or less than a DE as you get better. It takes time but you seem to on schedule. I got good shaves after about a month or so. Close AND comfortable was my nemesis, and that took me several months to attain :).
 

strop

Now half as wise
STRETCH STRETCH STRETCH STRETCH

For all of the othe beginners and all you thinking about trying a straight, this has been my biggest revelation so far. I was pretty good with a DE. Daily BBS or nearly so with no weepers or irititation, so the concept of no pressure with the straight was not a problem. Already knew the "grain" of my shiskers, so I've been concentrating on holding the razor the same way for each part of my face to gain muscle memory, and figuring out how to approach each part of my face. Today was the best yet! :thumbup: Usual 3 passes and touch up under the jawline (same as DE) with DFS there (first time):biggrin1: and near BBS elsewhere.:001_cool: No bleeding and just a little sting from the alum.

The difference was that I was able to spend less time concentrating on holding the razor and touching blade to face and more time concnetrating on position and stretching the skin. I stretched it more today than ever before and was rewarded. I'm really excited about this as the shaves seem to get better on a daily basis.

Still have to get the lather wetter...definitley different than what I did with the DE! Also used one of my creams for the first time today. I've been using the Arlington exclusively until today...first time I've ever used the same soap more than 2 days in a row!

Mark
 

strop

Now half as wise
Day #15 today. In order to avoid frustration I'm going to have to lower my expectations a bit.:sad: Last few shaves have had a lot of irritation and razor burn.:angry: Wasn't sure of the cause so I went back to the balsa strop with my Dovo Astrale. I followed Larry's instructions that came with it, and did 50 careful laps on the strop. For the first time I felt almost no tugging on the WTG pass,:001_smile even on the chin, which has been my nemesis. Still had terrible razor burn, so I conclude that it must be technique.:crying: I think I'm using pressure to try to get that close shave, and of course I know better than that:angry:. I can see that this is going to take much longer than I had hoped. I was really hoping to avoid the DE (foolish pride maybe:crying:), but have decided to really concentrate on technique and making the straight passes smooth, and doing whatever cleanup I need with the DE.

Unfortunately, I'm so spoiled by close smooth shaves, that I just can barely stand the stubble I get without the morning BBS. I will eventually get that BBS with the straight. I am determined.

Mark
 
Happiness is low expectations ;)

I think it's much more important to avoid razor burn than to get great-looking results, especially when learning a new tool. Regular razor burn means you're building a habit of bad technique, which will take even more effort to undo later. So your decision to concentrate on technique and be prepared to use the DE for cleanup is a good one, IMO. Rome wasn't built in a day!
 
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