Figuring I am switching to Straights, I am keeping separate logs for each. This is a repost from the first straight shave. Yesterday my first PDF shave.
EUREKA! I have found it!
PDF Shave #1
Kit:
Gold Dollar fresh from eBay cleaned
Van derHagen shave soap, a bit of extra glycerine added
El Cheapo Grande Especial brush
Today I wanted to try something to move the ball. And boy did I!
After showering, and a good deal of trepidation I worked up a good lather with the VDH and added a dime sized spot of straight glycerine in the bottom of the mug. It seemed to help get a peaky lather, which went as usual.
Then, with trembling hands, I deployed my most recent acquisition, A Shave ready Gold Dollar fresh (actually about a week) from eBay. I held the blade in as close a fashion as I could to what I've seen in instructional videos and took my first pass on my right cheek. Zzing! The blade actually made a singing musical sound! And no bloodshed! A thought went through my head; 'you have passed pretty ok shave 2 and 3, but in your hand is an implement of death! Learn the secret of a good shave or I shall take your life!'. I took another pass, Zzing! the blade happily sang again! And so it went for the right side of my face down to the dreaded jowel line.
The left half of my face stared at me in disdain. Again that thought went through my head as before. How do I hold the razor, how do I get the angle so I don't ki.... ZZzzing! Without even thinking much I took a broad stroke across nearly the entire surface of my cheek! No blood. My confidence thus boosted, I awkwardly completed the left side of my face and went on down and got my neck because it seemed my grip shouldn't change much, but the angle would swing down. The blade happily singing I finished both sides of my neck.
That left my nemesis; Chin and adam's evil apple of blood! I remembered watching my father using his tongue to stretch the skin under his lip, so I tried that with pretty good success. Somehow, probably Divine Providence I got the rest of my first pass done without any carnage.
The second pass ATG went pretty much as the first pass. The blade singing in lower tones.
I rinsed my face and passed the Alum Block over the entire surface of my face. Only a hint of stinging on a tricky spot right on the crease of my chin.
Cold rinse, Bay Rum and massage with glycerine. My hands are still shaking a bit from excitement as this is the best shave I have ever given myself, except the chin which needs a little technique work.
The plan: Continue to work on the fundamentals with making lather. Figure out how to maintain this new weapon until after Christmas when I am allowed to buy things for myself then get a strop. Saturday will now be Straight Razor day until I gain a lot more confidence. I fear that by being intimidated, I may make poor decisions (such as going completely N-S on my neck which is starting to burn a little).
All in all an exciting pretty fine shave for 2 passes!
Respectfully submitted
RB
PS. face was still smooth this morning so took the day off and will try to replicate the shave tomorrow. Will stropping the razor on newsprint help any or should I just skip it and use the blade as it was?
EUREKA! I have found it!
PDF Shave #1
Kit:
Gold Dollar fresh from eBay cleaned
Van derHagen shave soap, a bit of extra glycerine added
El Cheapo Grande Especial brush
Today I wanted to try something to move the ball. And boy did I!
After showering, and a good deal of trepidation I worked up a good lather with the VDH and added a dime sized spot of straight glycerine in the bottom of the mug. It seemed to help get a peaky lather, which went as usual.
Then, with trembling hands, I deployed my most recent acquisition, A Shave ready Gold Dollar fresh (actually about a week) from eBay. I held the blade in as close a fashion as I could to what I've seen in instructional videos and took my first pass on my right cheek. Zzing! The blade actually made a singing musical sound! And no bloodshed! A thought went through my head; 'you have passed pretty ok shave 2 and 3, but in your hand is an implement of death! Learn the secret of a good shave or I shall take your life!'. I took another pass, Zzing! the blade happily sang again! And so it went for the right side of my face down to the dreaded jowel line.
The left half of my face stared at me in disdain. Again that thought went through my head as before. How do I hold the razor, how do I get the angle so I don't ki.... ZZzzing! Without even thinking much I took a broad stroke across nearly the entire surface of my cheek! No blood. My confidence thus boosted, I awkwardly completed the left side of my face and went on down and got my neck because it seemed my grip shouldn't change much, but the angle would swing down. The blade happily singing I finished both sides of my neck.
That left my nemesis; Chin and adam's evil apple of blood! I remembered watching my father using his tongue to stretch the skin under his lip, so I tried that with pretty good success. Somehow, probably Divine Providence I got the rest of my first pass done without any carnage.
The second pass ATG went pretty much as the first pass. The blade singing in lower tones.
I rinsed my face and passed the Alum Block over the entire surface of my face. Only a hint of stinging on a tricky spot right on the crease of my chin.
Cold rinse, Bay Rum and massage with glycerine. My hands are still shaking a bit from excitement as this is the best shave I have ever given myself, except the chin which needs a little technique work.
The plan: Continue to work on the fundamentals with making lather. Figure out how to maintain this new weapon until after Christmas when I am allowed to buy things for myself then get a strop. Saturday will now be Straight Razor day until I gain a lot more confidence. I fear that by being intimidated, I may make poor decisions (such as going completely N-S on my neck which is starting to burn a little).
All in all an exciting pretty fine shave for 2 passes!
Respectfully submitted
RB
PS. face was still smooth this morning so took the day off and will try to replicate the shave tomorrow. Will stropping the razor on newsprint help any or should I just skip it and use the blade as it was?