Okay, I'm going to resist making disparaging comments about the fine vendors who sold me my three "professionally honed" straights, as being a complete idiot newbie, there is a good possibility that in stropping I rolled the edges of my Boker stainless and both my Dovo Bismarck and Astrale (though I am curious to an apparent warp in the tip of the Astra and can't believe that I did it "dinging" it on the basin).
So I've been shaving exclusively straights for the last 3 weeks.
First week on the Boker 5/8 stainless, 2nd week on the Dovo Bismarck, and 3rd week on the Dovo Astrale.
I was getting a fair amount of tugging and skipping, and moderate irritation under my chin from the ATG buffing... and I never could manage an ATG/XTG under my nose or on my chin. Yes, the BBS eluded me.
I wrote it off to technique and figured it would improve, as I have seen a gradual improvement over the last 3 weeks... but my improvements over the last week have been purely in the irritation level, no change in the quality of the shave.
Last night I broke out my investment of hones. Norton 4k/8k and a Naniwa 12k.
Drew on the grids and began lapping. After a couple of hours, I had a dead flat 4k, an 8k with all but the very ends flattened, and the same for the 12k.
I looked at my 3 straights, and figured I'd start with my Astrale, being the cheaper of the two carbon and not stainless.
I modified Lynn's method... since these razors were already shavers, I skipped the 4k and ran the "pyramid" using the 8k/12k.
I carefully laid the Astrale on the hone, and ***? It's rocking. Moved it to a different spot and it rocked the same. Thought I had a tweak in the hone, I checked the Bismarck... flat as a pancake.
Looked at the Astrale, seemed okay. Closed it and put a light into the scales and... yup... the tip is torqued almost touching the inside of the scales.
Against my better judgement, I went forward with that blade. I just used my fingers to gently guide the edge along the stone... no pressure at all.
3 passes on the 8k, 3 passes on the 12k, 3 passes on the 8k, 5 passes on the 12k, 1 pass on the 8k, 15 passes on the 12k.
Thumb pad test? I can't even feel the blade, but there's a slice in my thumb.
Arm hair test? Chunk of hair gone, again didn't feel the blade.
This looks promising.
I repeated the procedure on the Bismarck with the same results.
I then moved to the stainless Boker.
Similar progression, but I went 25 passes on the 12k.
Same identical results on the tests.
I moved to the Mountain Mike 3"... 20 passes on the textile (not going to call it linen, seems like nylon webbing but it's much softer than that on my Illinois) and 40 on the hyde, and put them away for the night (It was 1am).
This morning I got up with a full 60 hour's growth, showered, prepped, loaded up the MWF/Trumper's Uberlather, and went to town with the Boker stainless.
First impression? This thing is smooth. It seemed to cut better moving to the lower edges of my cheeks and jawline.
Rolling under the jaw continued to feel good, and I wasn't seeing as much stubble remaining as I normally see.
Okay, now for one of the tests... under the nose. Felt good. Again, less stubble, much smoother.
Moved to the chin. Hmm... this feels nice. I'm able to round the corner and go down my neck smoothly... I could never do that before.
Finished off the other side, same results left handed.
Okay... Now it's time for the ATG pass. Yes, the source of all of the world's shaving irritation and blood.
This thing was simply gliding like it was on rails. NO buffing under my chin, after one ATG pass I had the closest shave I've had since I left the R41 (and the R41 was more work).
Got a BBS on the front of my chin without ATG. Did some XTG touchup near my ears. Ahh... everything is feeling awesome.
The final test? Do I dare? The Fool's Pass?
I've been able to pull that off ONCE with the straight and a couple of times with the R41, and it only worked on the left side, right side ended up pulling and skipping and bleeding.
I sneaked up on my left lip, hoping it would not notice the blade approaching.
Success. With some hesitation I gently scrubbed... and scrubbed it did, all the way to my nose!
Same on the right side.
Rinse, apply the alum block... VERY little stinging... and a very even stinging everywhere. Bottom of the chin (normally extremely irritated from the multiple ATG scrubbing) had the same stinging as my cheeks.
Finished off with a splash of Ogallala... SWMBO decided she'd take me out to breakfast instead of making it
I sit here 9 hours later and my face feels like it normally does when I walk out of the bathroom with a fresh shave. Still BBS on my cheeks and lip, DFS (no stubble at all) feeling WTG on my chin and under my jawline.
I don't know if I got lucky, or if the Naniwa is THAT good and that forgiving, but I'm ready to pack the DE's away and maybe try the straight on my head next weekend.
So I've been shaving exclusively straights for the last 3 weeks.
First week on the Boker 5/8 stainless, 2nd week on the Dovo Bismarck, and 3rd week on the Dovo Astrale.
I was getting a fair amount of tugging and skipping, and moderate irritation under my chin from the ATG buffing... and I never could manage an ATG/XTG under my nose or on my chin. Yes, the BBS eluded me.
I wrote it off to technique and figured it would improve, as I have seen a gradual improvement over the last 3 weeks... but my improvements over the last week have been purely in the irritation level, no change in the quality of the shave.
Last night I broke out my investment of hones. Norton 4k/8k and a Naniwa 12k.
Drew on the grids and began lapping. After a couple of hours, I had a dead flat 4k, an 8k with all but the very ends flattened, and the same for the 12k.
I looked at my 3 straights, and figured I'd start with my Astrale, being the cheaper of the two carbon and not stainless.
I modified Lynn's method... since these razors were already shavers, I skipped the 4k and ran the "pyramid" using the 8k/12k.
I carefully laid the Astrale on the hone, and ***? It's rocking. Moved it to a different spot and it rocked the same. Thought I had a tweak in the hone, I checked the Bismarck... flat as a pancake.
Looked at the Astrale, seemed okay. Closed it and put a light into the scales and... yup... the tip is torqued almost touching the inside of the scales.
Against my better judgement, I went forward with that blade. I just used my fingers to gently guide the edge along the stone... no pressure at all.
3 passes on the 8k, 3 passes on the 12k, 3 passes on the 8k, 5 passes on the 12k, 1 pass on the 8k, 15 passes on the 12k.
Thumb pad test? I can't even feel the blade, but there's a slice in my thumb.
Arm hair test? Chunk of hair gone, again didn't feel the blade.
This looks promising.
I repeated the procedure on the Bismarck with the same results.
I then moved to the stainless Boker.
Similar progression, but I went 25 passes on the 12k.
Same identical results on the tests.
I moved to the Mountain Mike 3"... 20 passes on the textile (not going to call it linen, seems like nylon webbing but it's much softer than that on my Illinois) and 40 on the hyde, and put them away for the night (It was 1am).
This morning I got up with a full 60 hour's growth, showered, prepped, loaded up the MWF/Trumper's Uberlather, and went to town with the Boker stainless.
First impression? This thing is smooth. It seemed to cut better moving to the lower edges of my cheeks and jawline.
Rolling under the jaw continued to feel good, and I wasn't seeing as much stubble remaining as I normally see.
Okay, now for one of the tests... under the nose. Felt good. Again, less stubble, much smoother.
Moved to the chin. Hmm... this feels nice. I'm able to round the corner and go down my neck smoothly... I could never do that before.
Finished off the other side, same results left handed.
Okay... Now it's time for the ATG pass. Yes, the source of all of the world's shaving irritation and blood.
This thing was simply gliding like it was on rails. NO buffing under my chin, after one ATG pass I had the closest shave I've had since I left the R41 (and the R41 was more work).
Got a BBS on the front of my chin without ATG. Did some XTG touchup near my ears. Ahh... everything is feeling awesome.
The final test? Do I dare? The Fool's Pass?
I've been able to pull that off ONCE with the straight and a couple of times with the R41, and it only worked on the left side, right side ended up pulling and skipping and bleeding.
I sneaked up on my left lip, hoping it would not notice the blade approaching.
Success. With some hesitation I gently scrubbed... and scrubbed it did, all the way to my nose!
Same on the right side.
Rinse, apply the alum block... VERY little stinging... and a very even stinging everywhere. Bottom of the chin (normally extremely irritated from the multiple ATG scrubbing) had the same stinging as my cheeks.
Finished off with a splash of Ogallala... SWMBO decided she'd take me out to breakfast instead of making it
I sit here 9 hours later and my face feels like it normally does when I walk out of the bathroom with a fresh shave. Still BBS on my cheeks and lip, DFS (no stubble at all) feeling WTG on my chin and under my jawline.
I don't know if I got lucky, or if the Naniwa is THAT good and that forgiving, but I'm ready to pack the DE's away and maybe try the straight on my head next weekend.