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Damn Comfortable Shave

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
The only thing I've noticed is I might need more water on my face to break the friction of my brush on my skin and help it slip. Once it starts moving in easy quick circles, its just a few seconds to build the lather.
 
Dip the brushes tips, wet your face, pump directly onto the center of the tips and have at er lol. It should work fine, if differently.

Tried that and a few other ways.
When it's cold it acts more like a croap.
The spout on the pump is pretty thin and what comes out looks like a skinny worm that just wants to slip every which way and not stick to the brush fibres.
Most of it ends up in the sink.
I've even tried putting it on my hands and rubbing directly into my face with the same results.

So, put it in the bowl and float bowl in warm water, along with my brush, while I'm in the shower.
Squeeze brush and shake out most of the water, then make like I'm doing a bit of gentle bowl lathering.
Once product has transferred onto the brush (it's now more like a cream), apply to face and finish lathering.
Works a treat and smells great, more so because it's been warmed up.
Perfect for winter shaving.
 
Tried that and a few other ways.
When it's cold it acts more like a croap.
The spout on the pump is pretty thin and what comes out looks like a skinny worm that just wants to slip every which way and not stick to the brush fibres.
Most of it ends up in the sink.
I've even tried putting it on my hands and rubbing directly into my face with the same results.

So, put it in the bowl and float bowl in warm water, along with my brush, while I'm in the shower.
Squeeze brush and shake out most of the water, then make like I'm doing a bit of gentle bowl lathering.
Once product has transferred onto the brush (it's now more like a cream), apply to face and finish lathering.
Works a treat and smells great, more so because it's been warmed up.
Perfect for winter shaving.
Sounds like you already had a solution. I dispense the cream onto my palm. Rub palm onto brush (with wet bristles), then brush onto face. Dip into water, repeat until lathered. Since it is somewhat thick, hardly any is left on palm. Very similar to what you have worked out.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
Tried that and a few other ways.
When it's cold it acts more like a croap.
The spout on the pump is pretty thin and what comes out looks like a skinny worm that just wants to slip every which way and not stick to the brush fibres.
Most of it ends up in the sink.
I've even tried putting it on my hands and rubbing directly into my face with the same results.

So, put it in the bowl and float bowl in warm water, along with my brush, while I'm in the shower.
Squeeze brush and shake out most of the water, then make like I'm doing a bit of gentle bowl lathering.
Once product has transferred onto the brush (it's now more like a cream), apply to face and finish lathering.
Works a treat and smells great, more so because it's been warmed up.
Perfect for winter shaving.

Glad it's not just me :D Bowl was the only way I can get cream to work too, to be honest. I tried the face lathering thing, but I couldn't get it to work into anything usable without starting it off in a bowl either.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
upload_2019-1-12_19-40-22.jpeg

Tomorrow morning before I shave I'll have only 29 more shaves to go in my project of learning to shave with the straight razor. That doesn't mean of course that I'll stop shaving the the straight nor does it mean I will have learned all there is to know.

Too many gentlemen report continued learning for hundreds of shave and sometimes for many years.

The other side of the coin is the many guys who quit the SR before getting in the hundred shaves said to be necessary to learn the razor's basics.

upload_2019-1-12_19-48-46.jpeg


I'm reasonably satisfied with what I've learned (and extremely pleased that most of my blood remains within my skin).

Other guys learning the straight razor or considering doing so should take heart. If I can do it...

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Tried that and a few other ways.
When it's cold it acts more like a croap.
The spout on the pump is pretty thin and what comes out looks like a skinny worm that just wants to slip every which way and not stick to the brush fibres.
Most of it ends up in the sink.
I've even tried putting it on my hands and rubbing directly into my face with the same results.

So, put it in the bowl and float bowl in warm water, along with my brush, while I'm in the shower.
Squeeze brush and shake out most of the water, then make like I'm doing a bit of gentle bowl lathering.
Once product has transferred onto the brush (it's now more like a cream), apply to face and finish lathering.
Works a treat and smells great, more so because it's been warmed up.
Perfect for winter shaving.

Fill an empty soap container about half full and leave it open on a shelf or somewhere for a month. That will fix the problem.

Thanks for that, Cal @Cal.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
View attachment 943033
Tomorrow morning before I shave I'll have only 29 more shaves to go in my project of learning to shave with the straight razor. That doesn't mean of course that I'll stop shaving the the straight nor does it mean I will have learned all there is to know.

Too many gentlemen report continued learning for hundreds of shave and sometimes for many years.

The other side of the coin is the many guys who quit the SR before getting in the hundred shaves said to be necessary to learn the razor's basics.

View attachment 943035

I'm reasonably satisfied with what I've learned (and extremely pleased that most of my blood remains within my skin).

Other guys learning the straight razor or considering doing so should take heart. If I can do it...

Happy shaves,

Jim

What do you hope to have achieved by the end of the next 29 shaves, Jim? Or do you just want to know that you've achieved that milestone?

You're obviously a lot more proficient in the razor from what you're written, both in the shave and in the maintenance too. Aside from the odd day here and there, where you don't seem to feel that either you or the razor weren't capitalising on potential, you seem to be enjoying it too.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
What do you hope to have achieved by the end of the next 29 shaves, Jim? Or do you just want to know that you've achieved that milestone?

I definitely want to achieve the 100 SR shave milestone, Al, but that's not all.

My overall long term goals have always been the same.
  • A Damn Comfortable Shave.
  • A close, smooth, long lasting shave.
  • A shave at home which replicates the shaves I received at the hands of trained, skilled, experienced, professional barbers.
It occurred to me that maybe the pros were using the right tool and maybe I wasn't. Maybe the safety razor won't get me there. I want to find out if the straight razor will get me there.

So far, no straight razor shave has been as close and smooth as the shaves I could get just about any day with a safety razor.

Why persist? Partly because I think maybe the SR will get it done when I get better with it. Partly because I already totally 100% know one thing about the straight razor.

The straight razor is a lot...

upload_2019-1-12_21-45-8.png


I want to keep it that way.

Comfort is for me always goal number one. A Damn Comfortable Shave means three things.
  1. Comfort during the shave.
  2. Comfort immediately after the shave.
  3. Comfort until the next shave.
With the straight I've made great progress towards my DCS, but I can improve. It's a goal.

You're obviously a lot more proficient in the razor from what you're written, both in the shave and in the maintenance too. Aside from the odd day here and there, where you don't seem to feel that either you or the razor weren't capitalizing on potential, you seem to be enjoying it too.
upload_2019-1-12_21-52-16.png

Yes, I'm enjoying it. I want to continue to enjoy it.

I'm not sure that these are goals specific to the next 29 shaves, but they are goals.
  • Closer shaves. Smoother skin.
  • Better mastery of the angles of approach to all the areas of my face and neck (Some I have down pat already I think).
  • Much better ATG shaving skills.
  • Much better right to left neck shaving (that's ATG) or an alternative and good solution to that area.
  • Faster shaving.
  • Increased efficiency.
  • Better shaving on the first pass (I will never be a one pass shaver).
  • Better and more consistent comfort.

upload_2019-1-12_21-53-33.png


Honing specific goals.
  • A sharper razor without losing my comfortable edge.
  • A much better understanding of how to not overdo honing or under do it.
  • Much more steady strokes on the stones in both directions.
  • Faster honing.
  • Knowledge and understanding of what stones remain to be bought, the ones I actually need, how to buy the right ones, and how to succeed with them.
There are probably other goals but those are a good start.

Thanks for asking, Al. Great question really.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
Comfort is for me always goal number one. A Damn Comfortable Shave means three things.
  1. Comfort during the shave.
  2. Comfort immediately after the shave.
  3. Comfort until the next shave.

I think it surprises a lot of people to learn that straight razor shaving done right is more comfortable than most other forms of shaving. There is nothing like the feeling you get after applying some AS or even witch hazel after a straight shave.
24 hours later I can feel the stubble coming through but my skin still feels great.

Contrast that with two years ago when I was shaving with an electric razor, never really getting a close shave for decades. Constant supply of zits, or spots, appearing on my face. At the time I didn't consider for a moment it was the razor that was causing my skin condition.

A few weeks after shaving with a DE, and later with Schicks, the spots died down to a trickle.
Now with over 6 months of straight shaving under my belt the spots have almost dissapeared completely. When one does appear, my skin is less likely to flare up around the infected skin pore.

For as long as I can hold the razor to my face, I can't see me ever giving it up.
 
If I understood the barber in a video I watched last week, he was saying not to go over the same spot repeatedly during a given pass. This caused me to use minimal strokes per pass because my skin was being irritated. The addition of a prep brushing of glycerin soap has really improved how my face feels. I suspect my bike riding is giving me some wind burn. Since using the glycerin soap, my face has felt so much better throughout the day. Since I am always question my assumptions of cause and effect, could the glycerin really be the reason I get a good shave without irritation?
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Bike riding. Wind burn. As a retired brevet rider I get that connection.

If I understood the barber in a video I watched last week, he was saying not to go over the same spot repeatedly during a given pass. This caused me to use minimal strokes per pass because my skin was being irritated. The addition of a prep brushing of glycerin soap has really improved how my face feels. I suspect my bike riding is giving me some wind burn. Since using the glycerin soap, my face has felt so much better throughout the day. Since I am always question my assumptions of cause and effect, could the glycerin really be the reason I get a good shave without irritation?

SheaButter+Equate.480JPG.JPG


Noxzema (Walmart's Equate is better) helps a lot. Shea, too.
 
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If I understood the barber in a video I watched last week, he was saying not to go over the same spot repeatedly during a given pass. This caused me to use minimal strokes per pass because my skin was being irritated. The addition of a prep brushing of glycerin soap has really improved how my face feels. I suspect my bike riding is giving me some wind burn. Since using the glycerin soap, my face has felt so much better throughout the day. Since I am always question my assumptions of cause and effect, could the glycerin really be the reason I get a good shave without irritation?

I think so. I find the interplay between prep, lather and blade is much more interdependent with straight shaving. If I vary it I get unpredictable results. Not so much the case with DE shaving.
 
I think so. I find the interplay between prep, lather and blade is much more interdependent with straight shaving. If I vary it I get unpredictable results. Not so much the case with DE shaving.
I suspect with DE shaving the blade is not a variable, or we know it is shave ready.
 
I suspect with DE shaving the blade is not a variable, or we know it is shave ready.
My theory is this. Cutting is about sharpness, edge consistency and friction (or lack of). Because DE blades have teflon baked on (and at least some an edge hardener) you don't need to be as precise with lubrication.

If you go for a sharper edge tough bristles degrade this quicker. Less refined edges don't cut so cleanly.

Therefore:

More prep softens the bristle especially glycerine, which removes the proteins in the outside
Slicker lather helps reduce friction
Good stropping aligns the refined edge.

All this we know but for a straight shave - if all those stars align the fragile sharp edge glides through the softened hair without degrading rather than the lubricated edge hardened DE blade doing some of that work.

Just my belief
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
My Sunday shave was good.

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Wanted to see how this B&M soap would deal with a different razor. Plus I used a lot less soap (and I'd used a tiny, tiny amount yesterday). Some of my lather was extremely thin, but the shave was good.

I didn't try hard at all on my neck. It's barely okay, but that's fine. It doesn't matter today. My focus in terms of closeness was my lips and chin. ATG there.

I wiped, rinsed, and used witch hazel.

Cremo.480.cropped.1-19..jpeg

+
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Made myself a little balm in my hand.

Next time I'll use more of this soap and apply it post shave to my face. I'm trying to compare its post shave and skin qualities with GDCV.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
I have no idea what a brevet is, and the dictionary didn't help, unless you were riding officers with an honorific promotion :)

brevet
/ˈbrɛvɪt/
noun
noun: brevet; plural noun: brevets
  1. 1.
    a former type of military commission conferred especially for outstanding service, by which an officer was promoted to a higher rank without the corresponding pay.
    "a brevet lieutenant"
verb
verb: brevet; 3rd person present: brevets; past tense: breveted; past participle: breveted; gerund or present participle: breveting; past tense: brevetted; past participle: brevetted; gerund or present participle: brevetting
  1. 1.
    confer a brevet rank on.
I guess thats close to what you were saying Clay :001_tongu
I just didn't read it right first time. :001_rolle
 
brevet
/ˈbrɛvɪt/
noun
noun: brevet; plural noun: brevets
  1. 1.
    a former type of military commission conferred especially for outstanding service, by which an officer was promoted to a higher rank without the corresponding pay.
    "a brevet lieutenant"
verb
verb: brevet; 3rd person present: brevets; past tense: breveted; past participle: breveted; gerund or present participle: breveting; past tense: brevetted; past participle: brevetted; gerund or present participle: brevetting
  1. 1.
    confer a brevet rank on.
I guess thats close to what you were saying Clay :001_tongu
I just didn't read it right first time. :001_rolle
I first posted thinking it was a field promotion, but then edited it after rereading it.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
I have no idea what a brevet is, and the dictionary didn't help, unless you were riding officers with an honorific promotion :)

Sorry. Link.

It's a series of long rides. Ultramarathon level but not races (well, not officially). Unsupported except cyclists are allowed to help each other. 200K. 300K. 400K. 600K.

Most brevet riders ride at least 200 miles a week to train, and ride a lot of centuries.

There are many wrinkles.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
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