Another Shaving Journal....

[cameraflier]

#14

Good shave today, approaching DFS. And it was a hotel shave too. The difficult parts were my chin, and the hollow of my left cheek. For the cheek, that's my weak-hand side, and the ATG pass keeps giving me trouble there. I get 2-3 little micro-weepers most days. Gotta get more delicate with my non-dominate hand. The ATGs are getting easier, but only by fractions. A slightly lower angle and some sythe/gillotine action works wonders.

It was a high pressure shave too. I nearly wimped out for the DE. Because today I visited...(Drum roll please)... Planete Rasoir. I had to giggle when I walked in the door. That guy from the website, he was there, sitting in the very same chair. Yes, I'll be returning with a suitcase full of MdC. They had lots of TI straights in the display cases. A few were real beauties, something to aspire to. ...

In today's travels I also spotted a big wall of AdP products that I hadn't seen before. More hardware and more scents. The brush I had seen, but on the Champs Elysees they wanted 470 Euros for it. (?!?)

I'm keeping my eye out for more shave shops. I keep a tube of SC in my travel kit, and it's well over half gone. Musgo Real is on my watch list. not French, I know. If not that, I'll find something....

Shave on....



#15

Personal best fast shave, but I'm still paying for it. Today is my second day in France, and the second day is always the hardest day for me. Jet lag hit hard. Getting out of bed was a struggle, and I didn't leave myself much time. I debated the DE, but went for it anyway. It's a good shave, maybe even DFS, but I'm still burning an hour later. No blood, and no blatant irritation, but my cheeks are tight, dry and warm. I blame part of that on walking in a wicked cold wind for 30 minutes this morning, but I know the major fault was all mine. I didn't strop-up before the ATG this time. I wonder if that cost me....? Tomorrow might be a DE day, with extra balm.

No, I didn't crack into the MdC. I'll do that from home. I'm still trying to kill off a tube of Bigelow. MdC will be a home product.

An observation about Paris: I've seen a lot of DEs in pharmacies here. One little store on St Micheal had at least 15 models. The shocker is the number of very long handle, presumably lady's DEs. It was the same in Planete Rasoir. Are there proportionally more wet shaving women in France? More wet shavers in general?


#16

After yesterday's burn, I decided to try something a little different today. Rather than WTG, XTG, ATG, I tried a WTG followed by two opposite XTGs. At the same time I focused on keeping pressure to a minimum. My goal was a CCS.

After the three passes, I rinsed and assessed progress. It was disappointing. I lathered and went for an ATG, really trying to make it delicate. The previous passes had helped, so it was an easier ATG than most. Still, I felt some skipping in a few places. I've been stretching my face more, and making more faces, all to get taughter skin. That seems to help.

This was my first four-pass straight shave. The result was pretty close to DFS, and nearly CCS. (Still a little burn, and a few micro-weepers on my cheek. So it's the 'comfortable' that's missing.)


fine shaving fellas....

[cameraflier]

#17

I've been experimenting with stropping 20 or so laps between passes. It makes a difference. I'm trying to remember to do this before the final ATG, but I often forget.

Still, I do manage to cut myself. During today's XTG, on my upper lip, I got a good one. Ugh. I'm waiting patiently for that one good DFS that's weeper/nick/burn free.

Three passes today, WTG, XTG, and ATG. Nothing remarkable. I'm focusing on delicate. The end goal is comfortable, not close. Getting better.



#18

Targetting CCS again today. I did three passes, WTG followed by two opposite XTGs. My goal was to move slow and delicate. I shaved over a few places, but not enough to call it buffing. I was only trying to avoid the need for an ATG pass.

I did better today. It's an SAS product, with as much comfort as I've had yet. That upper lip nick yesterday was a real blade magnet. I cracked it open again when the blade crossed it. I hope not to pay that debt much longer.

Flying home tonight. Looking forward to home sink advantage.

[cameraflier]

#19

Back home for a lazy Sunday morning shave. I even had breakfast and coffee before the shower, so there was no need to rush. It was pure decadence friends, topped off by my first shave with MdC.

MdC: With only one shave with this soap, I'm not confident enough to proclaim this as the ultimate product, but it's tied for first place in my book (with AdP). I thought it lathered *very* easily. I added more water, expecting it to break down, but instead it just fluffed up into a wonderful lather. On my face it felt oddly light, but it was still thick feeling when I tested it between my fingers. Great scent too. This stuff is a keeper. I had brought back an extra jar as a surprise for my brother in law. Now I'm having second thoughts. The shocker: while in Paris, this stuff was cheaper than TOBs creams. I guess it's all about the shipping and duties.

It was a good shave. I gave it three passes, WTG and two opposite XTG. It was maybe SAS at that point, but I was having so much fun with the new soap, that I lathered up for another pass. I did an ATG, and was generally happy with the results. CCS achieved, and as comfortable as I've done yet. I give credit to the soap, and the relaxed patience I brought to the sink.

Out of curiosity, I took the blade to my arm hair for a quick assessment. It's not nearly as sharp as it was a few weeks ago. It still seems to cut fine, but it's obviously not popping them off as easily as it once did. mmmm..... what to do next?... I'll keep shaving with it for now. It has definitely lasted longer than the Torrey, so I guess my shave and strop skills may be improving. But I'll have to do something fairly soon, or I'll be stuck with two dull straights.

Along those lines, I came home to find a box waiting for me. I had ordered some lapping films. I see this as an easy entry into honing. We shall see. Hopefully I can get some practice on the lesser blade before the W&B needs a tune-up.

[cameraflier]

#20

Oh, so that’s what ‘sharp’ feels like… says the guy holding the styptic pencil.

Today I went back to the loaner Feather AC ss that’s been in my cabinet. I’m due to return this jewel soon, and I’m beginning to notice the edge fading on the W&B that I’ve been using for the last dozen shaves. I picked up the Feather today, with the goal of learning what a sharp blade is supposed to feel like. It worked. The Feather AC is an impressive piece of hardware. I did nick myself once on the cheek, but the resulting shave was my best yet. I’ll declare it a DFS, and pat myself on the back. The final ATG pass was noticeably easier, less drag and less burn after the fact. I blame this on the keen edge. I guess I should start lurking the honeing subforum.


My philosophy has been shifting over the last few days. I’m focusing more on the process, and less on the product. I do three or four passes and take what I can get. Touch-ups only on critical days. I trust the BBS will arrive when it wants to, and there is no point in over-stressing about it. This is supposed to be a relaxing process anyway, right?

[cameraflier]

#21

I've been hitting the local junk shops, looking for cheap restorable straights. I've had some luck. I managed to clean one up, and last night I started trying to hone it. I used 1000 grit followed by lapping films.

After about 40 minutes it was passing a HHT on most of the blade, about 1/3 of the time. It's defiantly not wicked sharp, but it's a first try. I suspect I can make it better with some more time.

This morning I gave it a go anyway. I did 4 passes, and focused on enjoying the process, not so much on the end point. It shaved ok, but not as sharp as it needs to be. I got an SAS out of it. Maybe tonight I can give it some more hone time. Also, I had re-pinned it during the restore work, but not as tightly as I should. I stopped when I cracked the scales. It's still a little floppy. I'd like to figure a way to safely tighten it up.

I like this razor. It's about the same size as the W&B, but it doesn't feel quite as delicate, and makes totally different sounds. It's not better than the W&B. I'm not skilled enough to make that call yet. Still,... I'm gonna have fun exploring different blades.


#22

Ahh... the joy of a freshly honed razor.

I spent an hour with the Gem last night. Most of that time was on the 1000 grit. I kept working until it would wipe hair off my leg, WTG,with zero pressure. Then I progressed through 5, 3, and 1 micron lapping films, with less time on each as I went. The result was a brilliantly polished edge. It gleamed like a bad movie special effect. (Really cool.) I stropped it on wool felt, then leather, and shelved it for the night.

This morning I lathered up and gave this razor a second try. It was four passes, slow and patient. I got a little close in the hollow of my neck, and scalped myself a bit. I have a small strawberry there that wept for a minute. Beyond that, it's a DFS. A fresh edge makes such a difference to the comfort and ease. The final ATG was not nearly as cumbersome. Adding just the slightest scythe or guillotine to the stroke really smoothed things out. I could get used to this. I may become a hone-junkie. I see HAD in my future...

When I finished the shave, I stropped 40 on felt, and 60 on leather. A check on my arm showed the edge was still there. This razor is just a tad heftier than the W&B. I wonder how that will affect the longevity of the hone-job. .... Curious....

My low budget honing kit seems to be working out. It's a big square piece of glass, repurposed from an old glass top table. It's fairly heavy, and large enough that I can affix strips of sandpaper and a series of lapping films. It's handy to rotate the glass as I work through the progression. With zero cost for the glass, and the spray adhesive sitting in workshop shelf already, I probably have $20 invested in the package. It all went to lapping films and half the coast was shipping. Sure, it lacks the old-school tradition, which is part of the reason we're here in the first place, but it's certainly a low impact solution to honing.

[noahpictures]

Great job honing. I can't wait to get some wet/dry sandpaper.

[cameraflier]

#23

Today was a good shave. I did four passes with the Hot Springs Gem, though not in my usual order. My brain misfired and I swapped passes 2 and 3. No worries though. It was still a DFS. I left some behind on my chin, and a spot on my left cheekbone. The best news: no blood anywhere. Not even a weeper. That's spectacular.

I do have a little burn today. I'm not really sure why. I've been trying to use up some old AoS balm lately, and I know that stuff brings a little burn of its own. I did shave slowly today, but perhaps I wasn't as delicate as I should be. Stiil, today marks a new personal best straight shave.

I've been snooping around for any history on this razor, with no luck. It's not on the straights manufacturer list, and Google hasn't been much help. The 'Germany' stamp is reassuring, and the scales appear to be bone. Beyond that, I've got nothing. ...but a DFS today. :)

[cameraflier]

For those curious or hesitant, this is my entire $20 honing set. (described above, with shave #22). I'm very happy with it. The big glass is great. I can leave films and sand paper stuck to it, and simply rotate around the glass as I progress. This makes it easier to back up when I need to. Putting everything on the edge saves my knuckles. I put the entire thing on an old towel to catch drips. Not so old school and elegant, but super easy, super cheap, and effective.

[Grips]

Good stuff man. There are some really good journals going on right now and yours is one of them.

[cameraflier]

#24

Whoever said that it takes about 25 shaves to start getting good shaves, was quite correct. Today was a good shave. DFS in four passes, with a little weeper on my cheek again. I'm like the old lady that always bumps the curb when she parks. That spot is seldom close, until there's pink in the lather. I should change my direction in some way. You'd think I'd learn.

I like weekend shaves. I can take my time. There is less pressure to rush. I'm sure that helped. I also took time for 30 laps between passes 3 and 4. I tell myself that midshave stropping helps, but on weekdays I seldom do it. I forget. I'm not sure if it's the stropping, or the fact that having the patience to strop midshave, also means I'm patient elsewhere. I suspect it's some of each.

It still takes four passes. I look forward to the day when I can ease off to three. I've been rinsing between and checking progress. At some point I hope to declare 'close enough' without the ATG. It's a dream.

I have a few more junk shop restore candidates. My plans are to start cleaning those up soon. In the pile is one oddity: A Rodgers & Sons 3/8's hollow with bone scales. It's a rapier of a razor, and too cheap to pass up. I also scored a 6/8 Henckels that shows promise. I have my eyes open for a Craftsman or a Revisor. Gentlemanly restraint? Bah!

[cameraflier]

#25

I had the house to myself this weekend, and some time restoring a new razor. Sunday morning I gave it a go. It’s thicker than any razor I’ve used yet, a tad under 7/8, hollow, with a round point and a fairly short edge. I like it. The rounded end makes it easier to shave round my ear, and in the hollow of my neck without fear of gouging myself on the point. The extra width is tricky under my nose, but I can figure it out.

I did 20 laps on leather at the halfway point. I’m not 100% clear on what good that does, but I did it anyway. I got a DFS product. I can tell I’m creeping up on BBS, but it’s not there yet.

As I get more comfortable, it gets difficult not to start blade buffing. I’m tempted to fight for BBS just by piling on the strokes. With the DE, I could buff-up the last pass until the razor was silent. It’s an enticing thought. I know it’ll just end in burn, and potentially nicks. I restrain myself, but the temptation is strong.



#26

It was a good shave today. I used the round point again. I think I like this razor. It’s user friendly. I’ll see how long the edge lasts and report back.

My only issue today was the furnace vent in my bathroom. It’s full-on winter here, and that vent blows too near the mirror. It means I have to shave the left side of my face first, and build wetter lather. It’s mildly frustrating, but survivable. It’s a 50’s house, and the controller thingy on the vent is busted. If it doesn’t warm-up soon, I’ll have to engineer some solution.

I’m as close to BBS as I’ve been yet, but I finished with more burn than I’d like. I blame it on the quick dry product, and some over-aggressive shaving. Twice I stopped myself in a near-cut, just before drawing blood. I was lucky.

Sidebar:

I take the occasional winter Friday off work to spend an all-nighter volunteering at a nearby homeless/hypothermia shelter. This is an extra shelter that only opens in the cold of winter, Dec-March. The goal is to make sure people don’t freeze and die. The impact on me: It’s a reminder to count my blessings.

In the shelter’s office we have a Rubbermaid box full of toiletries. It’s mostly hotel soaps, with the occasional cart and can of goo. Every time I stay at the shelter, there are guys waking up at 5am, and stumble over to ask if we have any more razors. These guys are sleeping on a tile floor, in a smelly room full of snores, and they’re waking up early to have a peaceful bathroom for their loaner cart shave. That alone is enough to give me pause. But then I start to feel like something between a jerk, and the luckiest man alive. Why? Because meanwhile I’m planning to meet up with a fellow B&B’er this weekend to swap my MdC for a Simpsons Chubby 2, and discuss the merits of RazoRock over AdP.


Be thankful fellas. It’s important. Step back and consider your relative affluence. Take a moment and use that humble thanks to recalibrate your Needs versus your Wants. Hug your wife. Thank your parents. Have a great shave with whatever crappy kit you’ve accumulated. Take your Monday morning however it comes, and be thankful.

[noahpictures]

^Thanks for sharing.

[beisler]

Great post camera and god bless u for vollenteering your time for giving your time

[cameraflier]

#27 Closer every day.

It was a great shave this morning. I'm still on the oddball German round point. I like how it handles. I can see us becoming long time friends. I only wish I could find some history on this thing. I'll have to take some pictures and post them to the board.

Four passes today. With 20 laps on leather after #2 and #3. The good news: no weeper in that spot in the hollow of my left cheek. Today i experimented with a slightly different direction. It required a different hold, and channeling a contortionist, but it worked. I'm happy with that. With luck, elegance will follow.

I'm considering ditching the 4th pass on my neck. I know i could get closer, but I don't know how much good the 4th pass accomplishes. The blade is pretty quiet. I just need to explore new directions for that pass, a new line of attack. Or ditch it and declare close enough. I'm not sure.

I credit mush of today's success to my lather. I recently retired my old and balding Caswell Massey brush. It was constantly shedding, and the ring of broken hairs accumulating around the edge of my soap pucks was getting embarrassing. I swapped with another B&B'er for a Chubby 2 in best. Wow. I had to learn how to lather all over again. For the first two days I wondered if I'd made a mistake. But today I hit the jackpot. That brush needs more water, earlier. Tabac whipped up into the thickest wettest loveliest lather I've ever had. Crazy thick, very opaque, and it almost jiggled. Add the extra stropping between passes, and a bit of patience, and Wha-La! A new personal best shave. DFS+ achieved, with no bloodletting.

Today I hit the road again. I'm not packing a straight time, for various logistical reasons. I am experiencing separation anxiety already.....

happy shaving gents...

[cameraflier]

Update: I've been on the road for the last few days, with hotel shaves each morning. I carried the R41 for simplicity's sake. While it's not the most user friendly DE I've used, it shaves plenty close. It made for a timely recalibration of what BBS can be. That's a good thing.

[Grips]

Good stuff man. Enjoying the read.

[cameraflier]

#28 Reality Strikes Back…

I’ve been traveling for the last week or so, with only one straight shave in the mix. The remainders were on a Merkur travel DE. Maybe it was that razor’s uber-mildness, or maybe it was my anxiousness to get back on a straight. Either way, I hacked myself up today. I got a 4-pass DFS, by the comfort rating was through the floor. After a witch hazel rinse I looked up to find a little forest of weepers on the side of my chin. My face felt warm and over-shaved until well after lunch. Thankfully, I keep a bottle of Nivea ASB in my desk drawer for days like these.

As typical, I spent the day pondering the poor shave. I got all geeky about it, and tried to post-mortem the wreck. Was I too ham fisted? Angle too steep? Blade poorly honed and ripping at the hair and face? Poor face stretching?

I pulled out my lapping film kit and polished things up to a 0.3 micron shine, stropped and set it aside for the night. Then I caught up on the other shave journals from the B&B Class of 2012, taking mental notes as I read.


#29

Last night I noticed many people doing two WTG’s before progressing to another direction. I’ve not done this before. Today I decided to give it a try. Maybe two WTG’s, followed by some XTG’s would do the job, saving me from the irritation/aggravation issues of an ATG. I loaded up on Tabac, grabbed a freshly honed edge, and gave it a go. My focus was to be a little gentler today, and use a slightly shallower angle. I’m still healing from yesterday’s damage, so kindness is key. Goal: CCS.

Two WTGs, and two opposite XTGs left me disappointed. I did some ATG touch-ups. It’s a fair shave, with some burn that arrived after the ATG. I’m not being harsh on myself for today’s work. I know my face will be sensitive until I can give it a few days off. But still, I’m getting a bit frustrated this week. I’m still on the learning curve. While I’m not worried about arriving at work with a massive slice missing from my chin (I have to remind myself to take some credit for getting past that stage), I’m ready to be at the comfortable DFS stage. …. More patience….

It’s time to pull out a mantra. Focus on the process, the product will come on it’s own. Rinse, lather, repeat….

[cameraflier]

#30

After yesterday's mildly frustrating shave, I spent some time reading other shave journals, looking for ideas. Noah's excellent postings here and his thread in the honing sub-forum caught my eye. The result was an evening spent honing, with positive results.

I painted the edge with a Sharpie, and gave it 3 laps on 5 micron. The edge was wiped clean, as verified by my cheapo 7x magnifying glass. Next was an HHT. The result was HHT1, so I kept working on the 5 micron. I worked it for 40 minutes, stopping at 10 minute intervals to check my progress. When I finally started passing HHT4, I progressed down the films. I did 3 and 1 micron, about 40 laps each. Then 20 laps each on 0.3 w/ paper, red paste, wool felt, and leather. In the end I was somewhere in the HHT3-4 range, depending on how I held the hair. (Still learning the test.)

Next was the shave test. This morning did 4 passes. After the second XTG, I was impressed. I might have stopped here with some touch-up and been CCS. Instead, I stropped 20 passes and went for an ATG. This is was easiest ATG in recent history, with the least skipping. It was almost pleasant. I stropped 40 on felt and 70 on leather before shelving the razor the day.

The result might be the best total-package shave to date. It's easily DFS. I still have a little burn, but this could be a result from a rough week of shaving. It doesn't feel near as bad as previous shaves this week. Shave comfort is my weakness right now, and this is progress.

I suspect I'll be honing more this weekend. I did this work on the Hot Springs Gem, my semi-expendable straight. Once I get some more honing practice on this one, I'll start having fun with recently restored finds.

Lesson learned: Honing time is a worthy investment. I plan to spend more time in the honing subforum, get more honing practice, and be more demanding of the results.

[noahpictures]

I am also still learning to gauge the HHT results and how do to it properly to maximize accurate results. I am playing around with razors finished on 1µ film, CrOx on balsa, strop on leather versus 0.3µ, 0.1 Iron Ox, strop on leather. It'll take me a few days. I'll report the results in my journal.

[cameraflier]

#31

Second shave on the same edge, after my big leap forward in honing. Good news: it was still sharp enough to do the deed. I got a good shave today. However, I have to remember to stay focused with this thing. I gave myself two nice nicks from complacency. Shaving with under-honed razors for a few weeks cost me come vigilance. Lesson learned.

I did a HHT after the shave, 30 laps on wool felt, and 70 on leather. The result was a HHT3, mostly. So two shaves on this razor, with this post shave routine (I've not been stropping pre-shave) has made a testable dent in the shaveworthiness. I should track this for each razor. I wonder if the 'better' brands will hold their edge longer. Or maybe I need to step up my stropping game.


#32

I spent some time last night honing up my favorite razor to date. (pictures below.) It's nearly 7/8, with a round point. I don't know my grinds enough to call this a 1/2 or whatever. Regardless, I only gave it a minimal restore. Yes, that's some pitting on the surface, but it doesn't get into the bevel, at least not that I can detect with my feeble 7x glass. I had tried to shave with this one in the past, and really enjoyed the way it handled. The round point makes it less scary to shave the hollows of my neck, or near my ears. For the hone job, I bounced between 1000 grit and 5 micron until I got an HHT4, then polished up through 0.3 micron w/ paper underneath, before stropping on felt then leather.

The shave test was great. It was a slow weekend shave, and I enjoyed it. I really focused on being delicate with the blade, and not over-shaving any one spot. Once I had wiped away the lather, that spot was off limits until the next pass. The sharper edge, and some diligence on my part contributed to a pleasurable experience. It was a 3.5 pass DFS, with minor burn afterwards. I admit I did use my styptic pencil for a nick on my jawline, but overall I'm happy with today's progress.

One thing that's bugging me is my skin stretching skills. As the shave progresses, I find it harder to get a get a good stretch. The skin gets slipperier as I go. I'm hoping to pick up an alum block this afternoon. I hear that's the cure. Maybe I can figure out how to use it.

My last few shaves are giving me an appreciation for the vast range between a blade that will shave, and a blade that shaves closely and comfortably. I feel another AD approaching....