Damn Comfortable Shave

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Amazing getting to 250 straight shaves sir! Congratulations on the milestone.

Joel, once I did enough straight razor shaves to get about 20% good at them it became obvious SR shaves were so much more comfortable that it became hard to reach for anything else. All the rest is the path of least resistance.

There are remaining issues.

1. Have I learned enough from SR shaving to go back to safety razors and take with me what I've learned?
2. I know safety razor shaving is much faster and I know I get a smoother and closer safety razor shave (now), but I also know my straight razor shaves are improving in their smoothness, closeness, and in how long the shaves last.
3. I don't know how much my straight razor shaves can improve, but I'm hopeful.
4. Some gentlemen report their straight razor shaves are as good as or even better in smoothness and closeness and longevity.
5. If I could accomplish #1 and if I find I can't further improve my SR shaves so that they match in smoothness and closeness of my safety shaves I might eventually be tempted to abandon the straight razor and return to the safety razor, but...
6. Comfort is the most important thing. I'm not sure a safety razor can match a straight in comfort.
7. That can be tested.
8. Testing it means not taking the path of least resistance. Not sure I'm up for that. I enjoy the SR.
9. Straight razor shaving may impress some other people (and give me macho points or something of that sort) but I could care less about impressing anyone. Impressing others embarrasses me.
10. The fact that I can sharpen and maintain and actually shave with a straight razor impresses the hell out of me and I do care a lot about impressing myself.

All that said the E-2 is terribly easy to shave with. With it I can easily manage stuff I find out of my range with the straight such as approaching anything/anyplace from any direction/angle.

This likely won't help you at all, but I couldn't shave with the General for a very long time remotely east to west on my neck. What I began doing was not a true E-W pattern but more a SE-NW pattern on one pass and the opposite on the next. This has replaced my true wtg passes on my neck with all of my razors. Granted, my neck whiskers make chevrons all the way across with their growth pattern, but this has seemed to do well for me.

It's pretty much what I do with the straight razor, too, although there are limits to my ability. In theory I can figure out how to shave with the straight razor from all sorts of directions/approaches. In theory only. In practice many of the things I can imagine doing with the SR don't seem possible when I actually put the razor near my skin. I'm not sure if I chicken out or if better sense prevails.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

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Has Raves account been hacked? Who is this person that speaks of Merkur? What is a Merkur? This is a Merkur.

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Confused and befuddled at 6am. This isnt a good sign lol.

Just normal craziness. We're all on that bell curve (somewhere).

 

[Esox]

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[Esox]

We're all on that bell curve (somewhere).

Thats why my head is ringing...

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Thats why my head is ringing...

Or, maybe not...

Funny thing to invent. Must be some chapter of a similar brotherhood to one we know well, Mike.

Actually, I believe I heard Cal founded that chapter, but sometimes I hear voices so it could be that.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Wednesday shave was excellent for what it was, a late in the day shave on a day when I didn't actually have to shave.

As I examined with my various scopes and loupes this new to me vintage Tanifuji I discovered several chips. Removing them took several hours of work on the Chosera 1K and the SS 3K. It was what most people might call a PIA, but I rather enjoyed it. Not that I want to do it every day.

The blade was then taken to the Double Convex Ark for a lot more work. One area of the blade at the toes didn't quite respond well enough to the flat stones but the convex stones managed it nicely. By the end of the process Before the end of the process I was quite tired of honing. I couldn't get on the witness stand and say what I saw through the scopes was perfect, but I was over the chase.

So, did it shave well. Oh, yes it did.

Yes, the edge seemed quite excellent, but one shave is not enough for anything more than an impression. Still, as unsure as I was about the results from all that work, this was a very pleasant shave indeed.

The rest of the kit, including GD Preshave and Serum, corresponded.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Cal]

It was what most people might call a PIA...

I'm sure you didn't mean "Privacy Impact Assessment" or "Primary Insurance Amount." I find the people that use the PIA abbreviation to be a real PITA.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I'm sure you didn't mean "Privacy Impact Assessment" or "Primary Insurance Amount." I find the people that use the PIA abbreviation to be a real PITA.

 

[Cal]

Excellent!

Well, Pretty Incredible Actually.

 

[Esox]

Speaking of pedantry, @Cal lol.

I came across this yesterday and thought you might find it interesting. This guy really knows his stuff and his videos are quiet entertaining lol. The closeups of the caliper jaws, notice his electro mag base for the scope, may be of interest to many. His language is distinctly Canadian haha. He is, by far, the most meticulous reviewer I've ever seen. He tears down tools right out of the box, explains the inner workings and even improves them in some cases, including those $10 calipers.

 

[Raven Koenes]

I just ordered a sample of this soap and aftershave Terror from Barrister and Mann. It said warning it's very cold made with synthetic cooling agents . These samples should be great for my travel kit when I go off for Sundance next week. Barrister and Mann Terror Aftershave and Soap Samples – Limited Edition | Maggard Razors Traditional Wet Shaving Products

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I just ordered a sample of this soap and aftershave Terror from Barrister and Mann. It said warning it's very cold. That they use synthetic cooling agents . These samples should be great for my travel kit when I go off for Sundance next week. Barrister and Mann Terror Aftershave and Soap Samples – Limited Edition | Maggard Razors Traditional Wet Shaving Products

Have a great trip, Rave. I'll be interested in hearing about how cold it is there.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Thursday's shave was excellent.

My kit was exactly the same as yesterday except I added a splash of Beach and a dab of Cremo Moisturizer.

Not saying my SR shaves are excellent in the way my best safety razor shaves are, but my SR shaves are improving a lot (as in my honing which makes everything SR related improve).

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Friday's shave was quite impressive.

My latest is this H.Diamond. Honed by the vendor. Very nicely honed. I like this razor!

My kit was pretty nice, too.



Plus GD Preshave and Serum.

I'm into a new bottle with another shape, but this is the stuff in the bottle. Plus Cremo Moisturizer.

Good shave,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

The shape of these scales appeals to me. Maybe when I make scales again they'll look something like these?

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Saturday's late shave was very good.

Also GD Preshave & Serum. A splash later, probably Beach.

The old bottle on the left has a couple of drops. Both bottles are glass.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Somerled]

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The shape of these scales appeals to me. Maybe when I make scales again they'll look something like these?

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

Thats a very nice looking blade Jim. I like the fact that it's shoulderless.

I've seen a few scales like that on Japanese razors.
My Hoshi Tombo is similar.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Thats a very nice looking blade Jim. I like the fact that it's shoulder-less. I've seen a few scales like that on Japanese razors. My Hoshi Tombo is similar.

I've not heard much about that beauty in a while.

• Did you get its edge all sorted and sharp?
• What is the grind on it?

Yes, the scales are very similar. Not exactly the same shape I think but maybe more so in real life than photos.

 

[Somerled]

I've not heard much about that beauty in a while.

• Did you get its edge all sorted and sharp?
• What is the grind on it?

Yes, the scales are very similar. Not exactly the same shape I think but maybe more so in real life than photos.

Only used it a couple of times since FFFMM, last time it gave me a 1 inch slice down one cheek - looked worse than it really was (no scar). The edge has been sorted out nice and sharp, but my reluctance to round off the square point has cost me in blood. So put it aside until I round off that lethal point.
It's a 1/4 hollow western grind.

So, whats your favourite Japanese razor so far?

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Sunday's shave was very good.

Today's razor, my new vintage Spalding, shaved very nicely. Spalding is a Tanifuji brand.

The razor arrived with an edge supposed to be shave ready (not from my favorite vendor though). It certainly looked pretty good with magnification; not perfect maybe, but close enough. I decided to hone it on the DCA. I began with the finishing side, but then moved to the soft side after looking at the edge under the 200X scope. Then, I finished on the hard side. Lots of hard side X Strokes!

Since yesterday's shave worked out to be so very excellent, my standards were very high. Yesterday I shaved off an edge the vendor made. Today my edge was my own work. I don't think I can say my edge was 100% as good as the vendor's, at least I wouldn't swear to it. However, my edge was very close to being that good.

I am impressed with these Japanese razors. Not just these two but all of them.

Still counting shaves with the straight razor.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim