Ok.. wow.. well Saturday i really took the morning to refocus and over indulge in my shave. I re-read the Kyles prep and 4 Pass shave posts.. and set out to give my Vision a break and try my new HD.
I have seen many different prep methods, and all seem pretty similar (that is if your prepping at all
). I have started during my morning shower to wash face, then apply a shaving cream/conditioner mix.. just kinda for S's&giggles... finish shower then go to my hot towel.
My lather, while apperantly the right consistancy never gets the volume im expecting but thats for a different post. So I got my lather down pretty well after my towel...
Now time to try the HD...handle is a bit short for me.. but by the time i was done, i did realize that it actually forced me to use less pressure... which was nice. Previously I had been using my Vision, with Merkur blades and was consistantly nicking, irritating my neck... This day im using the HD with Israeli Personna blades and i spent a long time showering.. and finding the flow of my neck.. left ear to right.. straight across...left side all the way to right.. interesting.. ok.. so pass one Q1 and 2 just as directed.. but... changed q3 and 4 to a horizontal left to right which is wtg for me...
huh.. wow.. no reddness, cuts nicks or weeps.. wow.. ok..
pass 2/3/4 all had similar results..
4 passes, no blood ... I couldnt believe it...so.. what had i done different?
well.. one i used the hd over the Vision.. after looking at my Vision setting, i realized its probably too agressive for a newb like me.. so that now has been all the way dialed down... min opening
Different blade.. Maybe important maybe not (god i hope not just bought 3 boxes of those merkur's before finding this site)
hot towels, between each pass.. i hot toweled for 1 min before re-lathering...
and finally .. using the HD, my angle and pressure had changed.. it forced me to hold lighter, and with the HD it seems only the perfect angle will cut.. so.. i saw that..
Now the real test.. Day 2 (today) can i do it again ...
Today used the Vision.. but used the Israeli blade again... now setting is all the way down to "im a newb baby" level . same prep, New way of holding the Vision.. I read to let the weight of the razor cut.. well with the vision.. that seems like still too much pressure since it is a heavy handle...
Still followed my 4 pass pattern (this is before work.. so only did 3 passes) with the slight mod for my neck (1 horizontal L to R, 2 down, 3 up).
Bingo.. no cuts, nicks or blood.. super super shave.. I can feel the difference though without the 4th pass.. but wow..my only fear is the blades.. I really dont want to have to buy more blades ... so now i need to see if i can do it with the merkur blade .. until i run out..
So.. what did i learn? Well..
1. The Vision is a great razor.. now i got it before finding this site.. so didnt know.. but if you have one.. and are starting.. Dial it down to as closed as it will go.
2. As said in many posts.. Know Thy face.. only after working a shave cream in for a good 10 min in the shower did i find that my neck grows fairly straight across.... and modified my shave to account for that.
3. I love my Alum... this is making a huge difference in the way i feel after... i saw that some have it as "optional" but man.. i dont know.. night and day for me.
Dont give up.. you'll get it if you havent yet! and when you do... oh man..
I have seen many different prep methods, and all seem pretty similar (that is if your prepping at all
). I have started during my morning shower to wash face, then apply a shaving cream/conditioner mix.. just kinda for S's&giggles... finish shower then go to my hot towel. My lather, while apperantly the right consistancy never gets the volume im expecting but thats for a different post. So I got my lather down pretty well after my towel...
Now time to try the HD...handle is a bit short for me.. but by the time i was done, i did realize that it actually forced me to use less pressure... which was nice. Previously I had been using my Vision, with Merkur blades and was consistantly nicking, irritating my neck... This day im using the HD with Israeli Personna blades and i spent a long time showering.. and finding the flow of my neck.. left ear to right.. straight across...left side all the way to right.. interesting.. ok.. so pass one Q1 and 2 just as directed.. but... changed q3 and 4 to a horizontal left to right which is wtg for me...
huh.. wow.. no reddness, cuts nicks or weeps.. wow.. ok..
pass 2/3/4 all had similar results..
4 passes, no blood ... I couldnt believe it...so.. what had i done different?
well.. one i used the hd over the Vision.. after looking at my Vision setting, i realized its probably too agressive for a newb like me.. so that now has been all the way dialed down... min opening
Different blade.. Maybe important maybe not (god i hope not just bought 3 boxes of those merkur's before finding this site)
hot towels, between each pass.. i hot toweled for 1 min before re-lathering...
and finally .. using the HD, my angle and pressure had changed.. it forced me to hold lighter, and with the HD it seems only the perfect angle will cut.. so.. i saw that..
Now the real test.. Day 2 (today) can i do it again ...
Today used the Vision.. but used the Israeli blade again... now setting is all the way down to "im a newb baby" level
. same prep, New way of holding the Vision.. I read to let the weight of the razor cut.. well with the vision.. that seems like still too much pressure since it is a heavy handle... Still followed my 4 pass pattern (this is before work.. so only did 3 passes) with the slight mod for my neck (1 horizontal L to R, 2 down, 3 up).
Bingo.. no cuts, nicks or blood.. super super shave.. I can feel the difference though without the 4th pass.. but wow..my only fear is the blades.. I really dont want to have to buy more blades ... so now i need to see if i can do it with the merkur blade .. until i run out..
So.. what did i learn? Well..
1. The Vision is a great razor.. now i got it before finding this site.. so didnt know.. but if you have one.. and are starting.. Dial it down to as closed as it will go.
2. As said in many posts.. Know Thy face.. only after working a shave cream in for a good 10 min in the shower did i find that my neck grows fairly straight across.... and modified my shave to account for that.
3. I love my Alum... this is making a huge difference in the way i feel after... i saw that some have it as "optional" but man.. i dont know.. night and day for me.
Dont give up.. you'll get it if you havent yet! and when you do... oh man..
