Shave journal

**cleanshaved** · 12-16-2011, 01:31 PM

I had my first straight razor shave this morning.
Weapons of choice: Muhle silver tip badger brush, Trumper GFT and most important my new Dova Best Quality half hollow.
I had been looking forward to this shave all week as my razor arrived on Monday. wanted to savor the moment, so Saturday was the day.
prep done I took hold of the razor and proceded to shave my right cheek. This did not feel right, felt like it was pulling. started the stroke again. this time I found the sweet spot. Guees it could have been the angle or I had the razor with too little pressure through the stroke (lifting off skin?)
This was not the razor but me as with some adjustment I got there.
There was no way I was only going to do the right cheek only so I passed the razor to my left hand. no problem there, smooth strokes, clean face.
now the lip. had 2 goes at this (guess it can not be all smooth sailing 1st time out). 1st time stopped as was pulling. shaved the neck and chin no problems. just the lip to complete. 2nd attempt no problem.
result was not too bad if I say so myself. being the sort of guy I am also done a XTG and finished with ATG both with the straight.
on final wash and check I had just a couple of spot to clean up. just 2 very small nick. cold water rinse took care of that.
Finished with Spieck AF splash.
Plan from here is to straight shave tomorrow. Then back to the DE until my cheap strop arrives. Then hit it every day over the XMAS holidays as I will have all the time the task requires to move up the curve.

**global_dev** · 12-16-2011, 03:39 PM

2 questions.. was it honed other than factory sharp? and you waited 5 days?!!.. too long

**kiwichris** · 12-16-2011, 03:44 PM

Excellent work Chris - sounds like it was a huge success. I've also only had one straight shave so far and am looking forward to having 21 days off work so I can get plenty of practice in without rushing.

**cleanshaved** · 12-16-2011, 04:23 PM

Jon. razor was professionally-honed "shave ready" from The Superior Shave.
waiting 5 days was not easy but I felt it was the best for me. I don't want to use my new English Bridle strop until I have a few laps done on my poor mans strop without cutting it. The cheap strop has yet to arrive (expect it to arrive this week) so will shave without a strop for the weekend and then wait.

**global_dev** · 12-16-2011, 04:34 PM

great. heard nice things about superior shave... def' don't want to ruin a nice strop...

**cleanshaved** · 12-16-2011, 07:17 PM

KiwiChris. good to get the first shave under the belt bonus it was not a blood bath.
must give a lot of the credit to the good people on this site and a few youtube shaving clips. without I would not even have picked up a straight razor let alone applied the correct technique.
Do enjoy the 21 days of shaving with no time presure.

**cleanshaved** · 12-16-2011, 08:09 PM

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my razor and strop. The strop has only seen a butter knife so far.

**Kentos** · 12-17-2011, 11:31 AM

Very nice Chris! Those strops and razors are asexual and reproduce on their own....before you know it you'll have a big family :)

**Brent** · 12-17-2011, 02:35 PM

Smart move on waiting for the cheapie strop. I didn't when I started and feel bad whenever I look at my latigo. Sounds like you are ahead of the curve! Pulling is usually angle and good to see you recognized and found the sweet spot quickly.

Let us know how it goes over the holidays.

**cleanshaved** · 12-19-2011, 08:34 PM

shave #2. 1st stoke on right cheek felt more pull than cut. played with the angle still no joy. all I could think of was strop it.
So after all my telling myself I will wait for the cheap strop, a little voice inside my head told me to grow a set. use the nice new strop just hung up the day before.

Well I am glad I did. started stropping slowly, 25 passes on the cotton then approx 50 (lost count just eyes & mind on form & function). no nicks YES and one shave ready razor.
reapplied the shaving cream as had dried up and continued with the shave.
Noticed my left hand produced a more comforable shave than my donimant right hand. I was pulling the razor down the cheek with a very slight slice angle (left hand).
Not sure if I should straighten my left hand up to a 90' or do the same slight angle with my right? don't want to peel my face off just the wiskers.
need to work on my neck line just below the jaw as still a bit rough (alway had to redo this area with the DE as well).
decided not to push my luck to far with the strop so back to the DE shave short term.
Well at least until Saturday.

**Brent** · 12-20-2011, 11:04 AM

I also have found it my non-dominant hand does better. Not sure how that is.

I would just try to mirror what your'e doing on your left with your right hand. If what you're doing with your left hand works, then don't change it. Actually what you're using there is called a "guillotine" stroke. Very useful stroke. There are no hard rules with a straight. It's always do what works for you.

Good job not nicking the strop. I chopped mine up when I started out.

**strop** · 12-22-2011, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by Brent

I also have found it my non-dominant hand does better. Not sure how that is.

I've experienced the same thing in my short time with a straight, and have seen this commented on by many. My theory is that I tend to concentrate more with the nondominant hand, and at times may even be overconfident with the dominant hand, as that is where I tend to get more burn from too much pressure.

Mark

**Brent** · 12-22-2011, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by strop

I've experienced the same thing in my short time with a straight, and have seen this commented on by many. My theory is that I tend to concentrate more with the nondominant hand, and at times may even be overconfident with the dominant hand, as that is where I tend to get more burn from too much pressure.

Mark

Good theory.

**cleanshaved** · 12-23-2011, 03:19 PM

Shave #4. Now that the holidays are here it's time to master the straight. Still no poor man's strop, so I again dive into the deep end and strop on my new strop. again nonicks or cuts so very happy. shave was OK just a slight feel of pull with the first pass. next xtg ear to nose. finshed with xtg nose to ear. wash and felt chin & cheeks smooth, neck line needed a bit more work. As time was on my side and i am trying to master my new shave the finsih work was complete with the straight. not 100% neck smooth but happy with result.
cold water on the face and some proraso spash, as it is a nice day here in NZ, just like that cooling feeling of proraso.
while I was having my shave my poor mans strop was delivered. don't know if I need it now but will use it for the next few weeks to be safe, guess adding more speed into the stropping will be a good and learning the X stroke.
bit of work to do with my neck line and getting the correct angle of blade but the most important thing is I am enjoying it.
Have a good Christmas

**Earcutter** · 12-26-2011, 08:53 PM

FYI - you can slice through your strop at any time lol ...sigh. I sliced through mine not to long ago seemingly daydreaming. But yeah, getting faster on a less expensive strop is a very good idea.

**cleanshaved** · 12-29-2011, 11:40 AM

Shave #5 & 6.
#5th shave was with 2 days growth and was more pulling than cutting. As I had work Wed/Thurs I went back to the DE and had a good think about all I have read.
#6 Decided my stropping and angle of blade needed some attention. Now using the poor mans strop. I believe I made some improvement on the this front. preped for shave and made a change to the angle of balde on face, just a bit flatter to the face. now that's more like it no pulling. Was it the stropping, the angle or both.
result after wtg, xtg & atg. few touch up required on the normal areas.
Have some TI Sharpening Paste and Chromium Oxide +Balsa Wood Bench Hone on order. Should have in a week or two. when this arrives I will move onto the Walkin' Horse English Bridle strop and paste the poor mans.

**cleanshaved** · 01-03-2012, 09:39 PM

after a few rough shaves I decided to have a go at honing. well I am glad I did the hone gave me feedback from the first stroke on the 8000 norton. The edge had rolled over. dropped down to the 4000 then back to the 8000 with good results. Did not pass the HHT but all I was after was to smooth out my shave and learn as I go.
#7. normal prep. stopping with a lot of focus on light pressure with blade. Shave was much better but still not back to day 1 shave smooth.
back to the 8000 hone for a few more laps. test on thumb nail was smooth with a just a faint cutting into the nail. still not passing the HHT test.
#8 stepped up to the mirror with high hopes. this was the best shave so far. The normal hard spots were so much easier to shave and required less tough ups.
must say this is my best straight shave so far.
Back to the 8000 with the aim of perfection. result just passed the HHT and cutting into my nail nice and smooth. Only probelm is I need to wait till tomorrow morning for the real test, as I have just shaved.

**global_dev** · 01-04-2012, 04:50 AM

Originally Posted by cleanshaved

after a few rough shaves I decided to have a go at honing. well I am glad I did the hone gave me feedback from the first stroke on the 8000 norton. The edge had rolled over. dropped down to the 4000 then back to the 8000 with good results. Did not pass the HHT but all I was after was to smooth out my shave and learn as I go.
#7. normal prep. stopping with a lot of focus on light pressure with blade. Shave was much better but still not back to day 1 shave smooth.
back to the 8000 hone for a few more laps. test on thumb nail was smooth with a just a faint cutting into the nail. still not passing the HHT test.
#8 stepped up to the mirror with high hopes. this was the best shave so far. The normal hard spots were so much easier to shave and required less tough ups.
must say this is my best straight shave so far.
Back to the 8000 with the aim of perfection. result just passed the HHT and cutting into my nail nice and smooth. Only probelm is I need to wait till tomorrow morning for the real test, as I have just shaved.

"The edge had rolled over." how did you determine this? wondering if perhaps the edge was just dulling from angles, pressure, what not... just curious...

**cleanshaved** · 01-04-2012, 11:06 AM

John - When I first honed on the 8000 it was like it was rough on one side yet almost smooth on the other. tested on the thumb nail felt it on the nail. lightly ran my fingers in the direction of spine to blade. In on spot I could just fell a lip on the edge. on dropping down to the 4000 I could felt the lip for about 5 laps then it smoothed out, back to the 8000 smooth strokes. either way i did enjoy hitting the hone and making my razor better to shave with. still a lot to learn but having fun learning.

**cleanshaved** · 01-05-2012, 04:39 PM

shave #9 starting to get the hang of this. shaving it's self seems to be coming together with the left hand feeling more natural.
the razor seemed to shave better after my third hone on the Norton 8k. still not were I want it to be so back to the hone after the shave.
shave results. checks & lip smooth. chin not to bad. jaw line work needed still as hard to get smooth.
#10. blade is the sharpest I have got so far off the 8k. Was able to do slightly longer more stokes with no problem. this resulted in less time shaving. not that I am timing it, just that I did not need to reapply lather during each shave.
A week ago I was thinking of doing DE for week days and straight in the weekend but with the gains I have made on shave time I will push on with the straight for whole week.
Back to the hone again today to see if I can improve the edge just that bit more. Aim is small steps to learn the feed back from the hone compaired to shave results.