DE Shaver Goes Straight: tkocloser's Journal

[Tkocloser]

WHY LEARN STRAIGHTS?

I love my Feather Stainless Steel DE with Feather blades. L-O-V-E. The Feather Stainless Steel DE is the only DE I have used for a year and it is so grand that I have no RAD urges for more DEs. So why learn straights with the steep learning curve, additional expense, etc? The answer is because straights are there and not using them makes me feel restless and incomplete. Straights are the final frontier. Only after mastering straights will I feel that I am embracing all that shaving has to offer. In the spirit of full transparency, I also think that straight razors are elegant, gorgeous pieces. Shaving is my only real indulgence. It’s (kind of) practical. And I just wanna. SWMBO is supportive so I’m gonna.

WHY JOURNAL?

Many B&B vets say the learning curve is ~100 shaves for straight razors. Also, fellow B&B’er Noahinpictures put up a journal that was very interesting in helping document his journey into straights. After writing Noah a thank you note for his comprehensive journal, he recommended that I stop researching, contact Whipped Dog, and get into the Sight Unseen Deal. SWMBO approved, and a week or so later my package from Larry @ Whipped Dog has arrived! Thanks for the push Noah! Advice well taken! Noah also recommended that I start a journal myself if I take the plunge. Out of respect for the community, I will happily oblige although I may not have the detail his journal has (we have a girl under two and a boy due in July). So my journal may be briefer due to family obligations, work, etc. Also, I have no plans to abandon my Feather DE. I recently picked up 200 Feather blades! Off to the races with straights!

[rickboone1]

Will you try Kamisoris, too?

[Tkocloser]

I don't know yet! I remain blissfully ignorant but ready to learn!

[Tkocloser]

Shave 1

So I’ve read Joel's Interactive Guide to Straight Razor Shaving, read some of Luc’s instructional stuff, I’ve watched some geofatboy videos, and I read the instructional stuff that Larry from Whipped Dog sent. So first, can I thank these folks and countless others on B&B for creating an environment where this information is so readily available? Also, do I need to say again how great Larry’s service is at a price that makes entering the world of straights reasonable? Larry, that razor is so sharp that I looked at it, got chills, and set it on a shelf for 24 hours before looking at it again. Wow. Thank you sir.

So it’s game time. Time for straight shave #1. It’s Good Friday. I’m not going to write a big ol’ religious thread but as a practicing Catholic, I’ve been thinking about the Passion all day and how Jesus suffered for all men. I’ve been praying about his Most Precious Blood. And now I’m starting to think about my own blood, and how I don’t want to spill my own blood all over the place. I oil up my strop from Larry and open my straight to clean of the petroleum jelly. It’s sharp, man. Real sharp. For a moment, I’m scared. SWBO comes over and tells me it’s okay if I don’t want to do this. Why don’t I put away the scary razor and use my Feather DE? That’s all it takes. Properly shamed, I thank my wife for her concern and tell her I will be using the straight today come hell or high water. I throw up an Our Father, offer up my fear to the Allmighty, and lather up. Nancy Boy Signature tonight in the ol’ Texan Scuttle from Sarah Bonnyman. I’ve smeared on some Nancy Boy as poor man’s pre-shave and then I let the lather sit for 2 minutes per TopGumby’s recommendation.

I start on the left side (I’m right handed…don’t know why I do this, but I do). The first three WTG passes are…superb. Skin stretching is an amazing thing! I feel almost BBS on my cheek. I’m never this smooth after a pass with my Feather DE. I pause to go and kiss SWMBO and my kid on the cheek. This is going to work. I already dig it and I already feel like I’ve made the right call trying straights. Then it gets a little rocky…stretching the lower cheek is rough. Long story longer, I quit after one WTG pass because I didn’t want razor burn and I want to shave every day this week. My upper cheek is smooth and so is my mustache area. A few small nicks under my nose but above my upper lip, a small nick below my lower lip. Mild razor burn around the creases of my mouth and one my neck. Despite mild razor burn on my neck, quite frankly, it looks like I didn’t really shave my neck today. Double whammy! Also my chin is fully stubbled. Rather than touch up with the DE, I will see how tomorrow goes.

I apply a thick layer of my Nancy Boy Signature lather for moisturizing purposes and lay down 30 gentle passes on my newly oiled strop from Larry. Hope I did it right! My pressure was so gentle I might not be doing much but hey. Then I coated the metal with mineral oil and stored that bad boy on the top shelf. See you tomorrow tough guy. Given how whiskery I still am, it is safe to say the straight razor won this round, but I am feeling really good about the long term prospects of this thing with practice and focused effort.

[cleanshaved]

good start Tom. Great you have a supportive wife.
I too was enjoying DE shaves only started shaving with a DE a year ago the Megress was my tool of choice, then I started looking at SR shaving.
could not get it out of my mind so started SR at Christmas. love it
keeping a journal is a good idea. It helped me think about the shave, what I will try for next shave and the advise from B&B is priceless.

Take your time and enjoy the learning curve.

[GreekGuy]

Tom, it sounds like you're off to a good start so far.

It appears you've already done a lot of reading, but I just want to give you a couple more tips.

That was wise to stop shaving when you felt uncomfortable. Learning to use a straight takes time. Some of that is angles, some feel, some changes to lather, etc etc. There is no shame in using a DE for the tricky spots while you get used to holding the blade and stretching the skin. With time, you can add a little bit to your routine. I think there is a point where one needs to make confident strokes with the razor. IE going too slow with the blade can have poor results. And that only comes with time and experience. There is no rush in learning

Another thing that helps is making a slightly wetter lather than you are used to. I find it gives more glide which helps the blade slide more easily.

Hopefully this helps, and don't be afraid to ask questions about technique or anything else. No question is too silly. Enjoy the journey

[Skrymr]

+1 to what GreekGuy said. The biggest thing, IMO, for a new straight shaver to learn is how to be comfortable holding a straight razor. If you are uncomfortable with how the straight feels in you're hand don't put it to you're face. Adjust you're grip and then go back to it. I also feel how you hold a straight is entirely up to you and what you are comfortable with.

It sounds like you are off to a good start.

[Tkocloser]

Thanks Chris, Nick, Skrymr. Your support for my plunge into straights and each of your insights are sincerely appreciated.

Shave 2

Same prep for Shave 2 (which I actually took yesterday). Except this time I used my Proraso pre-post shave, then lathered up some Nancy Boy Signature with my D03 Shavemac 24 mm in the scuttle. Funny...I use the scuttle for hot water but then engage in cold water shaving. Anyway, last time I stuck to 1 pass WTG. This time I took 2 passes WTG vs. 1 pass WTG and that let to a pinch of razor burn. Damage for shave 2 was two small nicks (on the crease of my mouth on both sides) and also a little razor burn on the neck. Much, much better shave on my face, under the nose in the mustache area, and also my neck. Now, it is important to note that my razor burn was further out on my neck, almost under both ear lobes. Traditionally, I’ve gotten razor burn on my neck with my DE Stainless Steel Feather in closer to my adam’s apple. So this razor burn is different and I think due to smaller strokes further out on my neck. Skrymr mentioned the importance of the straight feeling comfortable in your hand and this is insightful advice for me. Frankly, I’m still feeling my way through the straight with my grip. Now, having said that, I’m going to be careful to lay down my lather carefully (and wetter per GreekGuy aka Nick) and to watch my angles and pressure to the best of my ability. Until tomorrow’s shave, I remain humbly yours.

Happy Easter Gentlemen!

[Tkocloser]

Shave 3

I’m loving straights and I don’t think that this is a passing fling…this is real love. My shaves are already closer and straights are just more…I can’t explain it. It is a macho, tough, close shaving thing! I surrender. Enough romance.

2 WTG for shave 3. Three small nicks around the lips. I feel my skin stretching, low pressure, and blade angles are improving. Here is my question to the B&B Brotherhood: I’ve had 3 WTG shaves now with my straight with a 1 pass WTG shave and two 1 pass WTG shaves. At what point should I incorporate an XTG pass? Does anyone have a good video resource for me to observe an XTG and ATG straight pass?

[Kentos]

Be careful! Once you get the hang of it the Feather will sit unloved...

Here is where mine has been for the last 14 months...The shelf of unuse.

[Tkocloser]

Kentos, your photo makes me smile! I feel as if I've been visited by the Ghost of Christmas Future!

[Tkocloser]

Shave 4

2 WTG. DFS. Just one nick underneath my lower left lip, due to poor blade placement. Loving straight razor shaving. Another week or so of WTG, then I'm adding in an XTG pass. 20 laps on the strop after, then a thick coat of mineral oil. I also rubbed in some neatsfoot oil (included from Larry @ Whipped Dog) into my poor man's strop.

[Tkocloser]

Shaves 5 & 6

One nick on my chin. I’m feeling much more comfortable with my WTG shaves. Having said that, I’m almost certain that my stropping technique stinks. Currently, I lay my poor man’s strop on the counter and execute slow, methodical laps with low pressure on the blade. I try to keep the blade flat. Then I coat the blade and tang with mineral oil and store it. Still, I’m feeling very much like I’m missing key elements to keeping my blade sharp, so I will be digging into B&B archives and YouTube soon to work on my blade maintainence. For shave 6, I took 30 laps on the strop. The razor doesn’t feel as sharp as it did when Larry sent it my way. Also, I keep reading about lapping firm vs. hones and the allure the lapping film. I plan doing a deep dive here too, and soon. Does anyone have additional recommendations for me on learning blade maintainence?

On another note: I actually checked a bag for the first time in years so that I could take my straight on the road this week.

[Skrymr]

Add WTg whenever you feel comfortable doing it. There's no set time frame. For stropping, the best advice I've seen is count you're strokes, every time. This helps you to concentrate on the stropping motion so you are more likely to do them right. Did you get the pasted balsa with you're poor man's strop kit? Try giving the razor about fifteen laps on each side, and see how it feels. If it is still pulling, try fifteen more. It sounds like you are still on a good track, and more importantly having fun with it.

[Tkocloser]

Thanks Skrymr! I will start counting and logging strops in the journal with an eye on technique. Also, I will try the pasted balsa when I get home from business travel. Good advice all around and all appreciated

[Tkocloser]

Shave 7

Rougher shave today. Couple of things going on. 1) this morning was my first shave in a hotel and 2) I have very little Nancy Boy Shaving Cream in my traveler. Rookie mistake. I’m in San Francisco on business. I had every intention of re-upping my NB shaving creams while I was here to avoid shipping charges but I wasn’t able to get to the NB store. So I’m doing my first straight shave away from home with little cream and in a new environment. Here is the final straw: I decided that rather than whip up a good lather, I would use the NB latherless as it is advertised in an effort to stretch it out over the week. Dumb move on my part.

Enough whining! I focused on my angles and thoroughly enjoyed the lighted circular mirror in the hotel bathroom. I got a sub-par shave due to poor focus on my part. Per Skrmyr’s advice, I made 30 careful laps on the strop and put the razor up.

So tomorrow: I will whip up a respectable lather with the rest of my Nancy Boy, focus on WTG angles with confidence, and go for two passes if my lather allows. Then I’ll count out my laps on the strop. Finally I will work on being fully “in the moment” with my shave. Part of why I enjoy the straights so much is that I must have laser focus on the moment, and that laser focus during the shave is actually replenishing and helps me do other things more effectively after the shave has passed. So I will focus properly tomorrow and enjoy every second before tackling the day

[Tkocloser]

Shave 8

Better shave than #7 but my beard reduction after two WTG passes is leaving something to be desired. I might have to start XTG this weekend. The razor is starting to feel more natural in my hands.

[Skrymr]

Shave 8

Better shave than #7 but my beard reduction after two WTG passes is leaving something to be desired. I might have to start XTG this weekend. The razor is starting to feel more natural in my hands.

I am glad to hear that.That is, in my opinion, what every new straight shaver should be going after first. If you are comfortable holding it, the rest will follow much easier.

[Doc226]

Excellent start, I would touch up on the balsa every couple of shaves to keep it sharp. I also found a trick when learning is to do a first pass with the DE WTG, the follow with the straight. This makes it much easier to learn to handle the straight without as much "shaving", the amazing thing is even after a WTG pass with the DE, there will be significant stubble on the straight. Give it a try, you will see what I mean, this will also delay the eventual retirement of the Feather (trust me it will retire)

[Tkocloser]

"I am glad to hear that.That is, in my opinion, what every new straight shaver should be going after first. If you are comfortable holding it, the rest will follow much easier."

Thanks Skrymr!

"Excellent start, I would touch up on the balsa every couple of shaves to keep it sharp. I also found a trick when learning is to do a first pass with the DE WTG, the follow with the straight. This makes it much easier to learn to handle the straight without as much "shaving", the amazing thing is even after a WTG pass with the DE, there will be significant stubble on the straight. Give it a try, you will see what I mean, this will also delay the eventual retirement of the Feather (trust me it will retire)"

Say it ain't so Alfredo! Retire the Feather? I laugh...but it is an uneasy laugh. :) You might be right! As soon as I get home from business travel, I will try your advice with a first WTG pass with the DE. Please count on my follow up.