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AndroiDad75's Straight Razor Shave Journal

Pre: 30 Linen / 60 Leather
Prep: Hot Shower / KMF Lavender
Razor: Wade & Butcher 7/8 Wedge
Shaves since last touch-up: 2
Shaves since last hone: 2
Perceived quality of edge: Sharp
Brush: RazoRock Amici
Soap: D.R. Harris Arlington
A/S: GFT Sandalwood Skin Food + Honeybee Gardens Sandalwood Splash
# of passes: 3
Method of lather: Face
Quality of lather: Slick
Post A/S: 20 Laps Linen / 20 Leather
Result: DFS
Irritation: 2/10

I have been using Noxzema as a pre-shave to see if it added any slickness. I am not sure it was adding slickness, so I decided to try something new (to me), that was recommended by Shave_Rat: Kiss My Face cream. I used just a dab and rubbed it into my face, kind of like a pre-shave, and lathered the Arlington right over it. It seemed to work pretty good. If nothing else, it made a super lather with the Arlington, which helped in the slickness department.

The W&B was definitely sharper than the Dubl Duck. I haven't taken a look at the Dubl Duck to see what's going on yet.

Today's shave was a much better start of the day. Except I look outside and what do I see: SNOW :cursing::cursing::cursing::cursing::cursing:
 
I actually add the KMF right into the scuttle with the DRH and mix it together into the uber lather. Between passes I'll wet my fingers good and use the residual lather on my face to work up sort of a shave lube slickness then lather over that for the next pass. I watched some vids with lots of guys rinsing the face between passes and I thought "Why are you getting rid of the slickness that is there?".
 
I rinse between passes. The rinse lets me know how the shave is going, which I don't sense as well with shaving cream still in the mix. Your description of your rinse, though, sounds like my mostly-water final cleanup, where I splash on some water, then dip three fingers into the scuttle for some lather to mix into the water on my face. Works pretty well for me.

On the other end of the shave, I'm a big fan of MRGLO pre-shave soap. I lather a bit of that on, rinse the brush, make my regular lather, and then lather for my first pass right on top of the MRGLO.

Many paths here to an elusive goal!
 
I really like the Arlington scent, and the soap makes a nice creamy lather. It just isn't very slick for me.

I will keep a soap in my arsenal, but really only for the scent, and I will probably use it in super/uber lathers after this is all done.
 
Pre: 50 Linen / 100 Leather
Prep: Hot Shower / KMF Lavender
Razor: Wagner 5/8 Hollow
Shaves since last touch-up: 10
Shaves since last hone: 2
Perceived quality of edge: Sharp
Brush: Wolf Whisker Coffee & Cream with TGN 24mm Finest Fan
Soap: D.R. Harris Arlington
A/S: Fine Clean Vetiver
# of passes: 3
Method of lather: Face
Quality of lather: Slick
Post A/S: 20 Laps Linen / 20 Leather
Result: DFS
Irritation: 3/10

I stropped the Wagner a little more, since I don't think I hit it enough after touching it up. It was nice and smooth today.

I was chasing a bit on the neck, and ended up with a little slightly red patch. It doesn't look too bad right now, but lets see what it looks like in an hour or so. I hit it with some balm, just to help.

There's still white stuff on the ground...:001_rolle:blink::huh:
 
I'm coming to the conclusion that the laps on the leather are way more important than the linen. I only hit the linen for 25 or so anytime the edge has been wet, then I use the leather a lot more strokes than I used to. As in I used to double my leather laps from the linen, now I use 3x or 4x that number after honing.... or 2x the linen laps after a shave, then another 60-75 before the next shave on that edge.
 

rockviper

I got moves like Jagger
My 20 on linen is mainly to dry the razor beyond the towel-dry it gets post-shave, which is why I do not linen-strop post-honing.
 
My 20 on linen is mainly to dry the razor beyond the towel-dry it gets post-shave, which is why I do not linen-strop post-honing.

Yeah, exactly what I've gotten to as well. Linen only to wick any moisture off the edge from the shave or wetstones, everything else is leather.
 
Pre: 30 Linen / 60 Leather
Prep: Hot Shower / KMF Lavender
Razor: Wostenholm Pipe Razor
Shaves since last touch-up: 5
Shaves since last hone: 8
Perceived quality of edge: Sharp
Brush: Savile Row 3324
Soap: D.R. Harris Arlington
A/S: Honeybee Gardens Key Lime Splash
# of passes: 3
Method of lather: Face
Quality of lather: Slick
Post A/S: 20 Laps Linen / 20 Leather
Result: DFS
Irritation: 3/10

Yesterday's irritation didn't turn into anything more than what I had when I left the house. That worked out well, since it allowed me to just do a regular shave today and not worry about having to dodge areas, etc...

I love the smell of the Arlington, but I can't wait to be able to use another soap now. The lack of slickness is starting to really bug me, and it seems like I am trying all kinds of things to get it slick. The best was the Maggards PSO. I had a great shave that day: close and smooth and slick. Problem is pre-shave oil, and my face, do not get along too well. Having naturally oily skin, and then adding more oil, it felt like my face was a sticky mess all day. It's a shame really...
 
How do you stretch your skin with that oil on it? I tried once. My fingers slipped (even with alum) just as I was about to shave, causing my skin to hit the blade fast and un-expectantly, resulting in two lines, if I recall. The stuff got tossed immediately. Do you guys wash the oil off before actually shaving?
 
The skin stretching I do never requires me to have any grip on skin that has previously had lather or oil on it. At least for now... I can almost get away with not stretching at all still (some spots in fact I do that way).
 
Ah, maybe I would have more success with the stuff now, since stretching is becoming less and less necessary with some of the razors.
 
Possibly... counter point is that if you aren't feeling like your lathers are lacking slickness nor your shaves lacking smooth comfort, do you have any real need to even try shave oils again?
 
What sort of viscosity does that Maggards PSO have? Is it thicker, or thinner for an oil?

Not as thick as the AOS oil, that stuff was super thick, but it's not really thin either. Still kind of thick, which I think is part of my issue.

How do you stretch your skin with that oil on it? I tried once. My fingers slipped (even with alum) just as I was about to shave, causing my skin to hit the blade fast and un-expectantly, resulting in two lines, if I recall. The stuff got tossed immediately. Do you guys wash the oil off before actually shaving?

I didn't try stretching too much, as I kind of figured it would be difficult, like you found out.

I am not sure I will ever use a pre-shave oil again - unless there is something that is pretty thin and can be cleaned off the face easily, which is doubtful to me.

I agree that with a nice slick soap, I really don't see a need for it, but figured I'd give it a try for this. One and done... so to speak.
 
Shave_Rat, do you find it adds extra slickness? I am a sucker for getting products, but if it doesn't add some slickness, I may pass.

Have you used the Musgo Real Glyce Lime Oil soap? Does this add any slickness?
 
I have used, and do use the Musgo Real soap, as a face wash prep for times I'm not going to shower before shaving. I'll wet the face, lather the Musgo on, leaving it sit while I soak the brush, strop, etc.. I rinse it off, apply the RR shave gel, build the lather, wet the skin a bit to slick up the shave gel, then it's lather and shave.

For shaves after the shower, I work in some of the shave gel to help keep the skin and stubbly hydrated while I do the lather building and stropping, then again it's wet the skin a bit to slick up the shave gel, lather up, and shave. That prep works well for me, and when was the last time you recall a post where I had lather slickness issues?

I'll toss a small sample container of the RR shave gel into the package with the 39c when I send it so you can give it a try.
 
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