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Straight shave #4

Another great shave today, I think I am starting to get the hang of straight shaving, and the speed is picking up as well, so I'm closing in on the time I use with a DE.
As yesterday I used three passes WTG-XTG-ATG and got a nice close shave without nicks, cuts or weepers. Again I refrained from doing any touch up, I won't risk irritation and it will show if there are any areas I need to attend to more closely.

I have also found out how to strop the Dovo, so now its performance is just about as good as the George Johan and my two beautiful Potters'. It took a little time, but the Dovo has to be stropped somewhat more than the other razors. I don't mind that, and I'm happy I found out, I thought I might have dulled it.

Today's equipment was:

Rosendahl Glass Bowl
Edwin Jagger Silvertip
Dovo Special 5/8" Straight
- - - - -
Proraso Pre-shave (green)
Arko Shave Stick in combo with
Proraso Shaving Cream (green)
Floid Suave After Shave (Spanish version)


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I can only repeat myself and say this shave also was great.
No problems whatsoever, no blood outside the body and no irritation.

Today's equipment:

Japanese Rice Bowl
Semogue 2009 LE
George Johan 6/8"
---
Proraso Pre-shave Cream (aloe & green tea)
Truefitt & Hill Luxury Shaving Soap
Thayer's Unscented Witch Hazel
Pierre Cardin Bleu Marine After Shave

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I can only repeat myself and say this shave also was great.
No problems whatsoever, no blood outside the body and no irritation.

Today's equipment:

Japanese Rice Bowl
Semogue 2009 LE
George Johan 6/8"
---
Proraso Pre-shave Cream (aloe & green tea)
Truefitt & Hill Luxury Shaving Soap
Thayer's Unscented Witch Hazel
Pierre Cardin Bleu Marine After Shave

Awesome pic! :thumbup1:
 
They just keep coming - the great shaves :biggrin1:

Another problem-free shave today, apart from two very small red spots under my nose, which was because I just wanted to go over that area again, but the witch hazel took care of that.
I did three passes again, and had I skipped the last pass, I would have been as fast as with a DE, and I can easily accept the shave I get from two passes for a workday.


Today's shave was achieved with:

Japanese Rice Bowl
Frieb Boar Brush
J. H. Potter 6/8" Straight (#1)
---
Proraso Pre-shave Cream (green)
Fitjar Fjellheim Shaving Soap
Thayer's Unscented Witch Hazel
Williams Ice Blue After Shave

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Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
I'm curious about the Fitjar creams and soaps, how do you find them?
 
I'm curious about the Fitjar creams and soaps, how do you find them?

I've only used it a couple of times, but so far I like it. This one has a scent of freshly sawed up pine-tree. I love going into the woods and hunt for wildlife (with my camera, that is) so when I saw they had a soap with this scent I just had to try it.
There is however something in this that my skin doesn't particular like, and I got an irritating sensation almost like a small burn the first time I used it - much to my disappointment as I really like the smell of it.
In my second try, I used a pre-shave cream as I thought that might lay a protective layer and it did, no irritation :001_smile
I think today was the third or fourth time I used the soap, still with a pre-shave cream and still no irritation.

Performance wise it lathers up quite well giving a good thick lather with nice protection.
To demonstrate I took my small AoS pure badger, ran it under the tap (no soaking) and swirled it on the soap for 8-10 seconds and then lathered up in my hand. Added a small amount of water twice and this was the result - not bad IMO.
 
Great thread Soren! I've got a beginner str8 and strop on the way and threads like this motivate me!

Good stuff!

Thank you.

I have been quite motivated myself from reading Lucs and Klarions odysseys towards a close and comfortable shave.

You have some real enjoyment in front of you that's for sure :biggrin1:
 
When it come to the last ten shaves or so, everyone has been just that bit better than the previous one, so it can be somewhat tiresome to say; this is the best so far.
But I really has to comment today's shave, as it was the closest I've been to Shave Heaven in my entire time as an active shaver - which is closing in on 30 years.

The Semogue is starting to break in, and I used a combo of Tabac and Proraso cream and that is a clear cut winner - Man! what a nice thick creamy lather that combo created - awesome :biggrin1:
The three-pass shave went by without any bloodshed, weepers or irritation and it was nice and close - comfortable through the whole shave.
Møller's skin tonic and Tabac AS has left the skin soft with a nice smell.

What a fantastic start to the day, I can't stop smiling, it was that great :biggrin1:

And today's shave was put together by this:

Music
Joe Cocker - You Can Leave Your Hat On
Guns N' Roses - Live and Let Die
Scorpions - Wind of Change

Hardware
Rosendahl Glass Bowl
Semogue 2009 LE Boar Brush
George Johan 6/8" Straight

Software
Tabac Shaving Soap
Proraso Menthol Shaving Cream
Møller's Aloe & Witch Hazel
Tabac After Shave Lotion

Facial massage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhkm6sgPdtk


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Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
Excellent, the progression is awesome!!
 
Awesome Soren!

Prior to starting your journey, did you do any test runs (one run down your sideburn strong side only) to get a feel for str8 shaving or did you just wake up and do a full straight shave on Day 1?
 
Awesome Soren!

Prior to starting your journey, did you do any test runs (one run down your sideburn strong side only) to get a feel for str8 shaving or did you just wake up and do a full straight shave on Day 1?

The last option - I have been reading the sticky's here a couple of times, as you will most likely forget something because of the amount of information. Then I studied some of the videos on youtube - been over them several times as well to try to get the tips and tricks of the trade - and then I just went for it.
The first handful of shaves I didn't lather my whole face but took it in 2-3 stages, so the lather wouldn't dry up on me, and that worked just fine. The last seven to ten shaves I have been fast enough to lather up in full.
I've been over some of the videos again after my start to see how they tackle the areas that has been given me troubles.

There are a lot of variables that has to come together, but looking back the three things that has been helping me most so far has been;

1) be confident when you shave - short strokes, don't hesitate (this is without doubt the best advise, which I picked up from another thread - Thanks again to Leighton)
2) stretch the skin good - it is just making things so much easier.
3) Pressure - just don't.

#1 made me advance quite fast in just a couple of days, I had simply been shaving too slow - the just do it approach as I call it, really helped a lot.
#2 lessened the irritation significantly and the risk of small nicks and cuts as well.
#3 is the latest going into the equation. I knew it from DE, but there are so many other things going on I didn't pay enough attention to it. As the other things fell into place the last week I have been concentrating on just to put enough pressure on the razor to keep it to my face, and boy has that improved the experience.
 
Excellent, the progression is awesome!!

Yes, I can't believe it myself how fast the last shaves has been progressing in terms of quality and the speed is picking up as well - although not as fast, but I prefer the quality then the speed will follow.
I just might get hooked on this :001_rolle
 
It was a very hard act to follow yesterdays perfect shave, and although I gave it my best shot, today's shave was just a step below - but not bad.

DFS with three pass (WTG-XTG-ATG), a slip of concentration, I failed to stretch the skin enough, gave a small nick, but other than that again no irritation or redness :001_smile

The past week I've been using DE on workdays, and I had been telling myself that the DE shave was more close. I have been shaving as normal with a DE and then giving the face a thorough examination, just to find out that I was in fact kidding myself.

Two pass with a DE is normally acceptable to go to work with, and I get a closer shave with two pass with a straight. Three pass is not a contest, the straight will win every time. I can do ATG with a straight without any irritation every time now, I can't do that with a DE. I can get close, but totally avoid irritation hasn't been possible yet.
So I just might try to use the straight on workdays as well for the coming week, because I think I'm just as fast with the straight if I stick with two passes.


Today was really nice (not comparing with yesterday) and consisted of:

Music
Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City
Queen - Innuendo
Aerosmith - Shut Up And Dance

Hardware
Custom Made Scuttle
Edwin Jagger Silvertip
J. H. Potter 6/8" Straight, Genuine Ivory

Software
Castle Forbes Lime Shaving Cream
Møller's Aloe & Witch Hazel
Castle Forbes Lime After Shave Balm

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Soren,

Couple of questions:

1) Did you have any problems when you started out stropping (did you nick your strop etc)?
2) Have you had to hone any of your str8s yet?
3) What time are you down to now in the mornings? (length of shave)

I, like you, have somewhat limited time shaving on the workdays. I can probably get through 30 mins...but 45 or more and I've got to get up earlier than 0400 to get to work. And although I'm a military man...thats even too early for me! :lol:
 
1) Oh yes :blushing:
I thought I could be so careful that it wouldn't happen - but it did. I made a small nick at the edge which I had to cut off and then sand it smooth - it's about 1-1.5 mm and doesn't inflict on the stropping. And at one time the edge somehow caught the strop and that gave an approximate 1 cm "stripe" in the strop. Luckily it wasn't deep and I have a hard time finding that spot again - this doesn't inflict either, I can't hear when it passes that spot.
But I think I have been as careful as I can and taken it very slow in the beginning and been concentrated when stropping, so those two incidents is all I've had. Today I don't think of my stropping that much, I just strop the razor and keep quite a nice pace. Practice, practice, practice :001_smile

2) No.
I thought I had dulled my first razor, the Dovo Special, it has turned out though, that it just needs some more stropping than my other razors. If I give about twice the laps on both linen and leather than the others it still performs very well.

3) When I DE shave it takes about 30-40 minutes (depending on how sleepy I am :001_smile) from I leave the bed till I'm in my clothes. I try very hard to keep it at 30 minutes, but I'm a B-person and mornings are tough, so most often it's nearer 35-40 minutes.
I'm pretty sure that with a two pass shave I'll be able to keep that time-table - I will at least give it a go next week. The biggest problem will be to resist taking that third pass.
 
I have a big smile on my face - and even on a Monday, go figure.

The reason being that not only did I shave with a straight on a workday (a first), I did it in 34 minutes from bed to clothes, which is about average for me. But not only that, this razor I had hone myself - I'll admit it wasn't in poor shape and I wouldn't mind it to be just a slight bit sharper, but I'm not complaining the shave was not bad at all :001_smile
Got a little irritation on a couple of spot, but I take that to the fact that the razor only was a 4/8" and it was a bit more difficult to obtain the right angle and at the same time avoid pressure.


Today's outfit:

Music
One Two - Det er sent nu
D.A.D. - It's After Dark

Hardware
Japanese Rice Bowl
Victoria Pure Badger (Butterscotch)
Fermarud (Gebr. Lang) 4/8" Straight (I know it say 3/8" on the razor but the blade width is 4/8", just FYI :001_smile)

Software
Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet Shaving Cream
Møller's Aloe & Witch Hazel
Proraso Liquid Cream After Shave

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