Tyrionstark's straight razor journal - part deux

[tyrionstark]

So I came to the decision that straights are going back into my rotation after a short run of use about 8 months ago. My original journal described some early experiences like having to chase a mosquito around with the straight....but the fact of the matter is that I have AS and have little range of motion in my neck and found the acrobatics for face stretching to be very uncomfortable

then I came to two realizations: 1) you can shave any way that works for you and 2) My fiancée is now shaving her legs with a straight.

So I decided it was time to shave like a real woman. Busted out the Frederick Reynolds, gave it 60 laps on leather and went at it.

Face lathered with TOBS lavender because TDG (the domestic goddess) said it was a crummy latherer and I had to give it a run. Whipped up a lather with the Shavemac 2 band silver tip and went to town.

So I did three passes. I can't really tell you the true direction of any....I turned my straight into a transformer finding new ways that work for me. I have decided that I will be shaving entirely with my dominant hand....and finding new and creative ways to stretch with my left. I had traditional grips, reverse European grips, kamisori in there a lot and I may have even used my feet. In any respect....three full passes, no nicks, no cuts and approaching DFS. Cheek to jawline was great! The alum sang me a long lullaby under my jaw and chin....but all in all not bad.

TDG was right.....the TOBS lavender is not a great latherer...at least not this tub. Wondering if the consistency was altered during shipping.

Anyway, today was day one of a new job....and I'm just glad I didn't have to explain a long three inch gash on my face. Onward and upward!

 

[Rockminer]

That's the spirit, don't let your woman shave with something more manly than you

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[tyrionstark]

That's the spirit, don't let your woman shave with something more manly than you

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Lol...that's why I went with the Reynolds, had to pick my biggest straight. Trust me if she was using a W&B or something similar I would have used a hand saw.

 

[Lmarkow]

That's the spirit, don't let your woman shave with something more manly than you

Subscribed

Lol. Me too!

 

[njtnjt]

Congrats on the new journey. Straight shaving on the legs... Wow.

 

[SweetieTodd]

I will say that his shave was rather delightful

 

[NZLocal]

Thats the spirit, come up with some bizarre technique never before seen by man kind ! We will all have to copy of course

 

[Shave_Rat]

Lol...that's why I went with the Reynolds, had to pick my biggest straight. Trust me if she was using a W&B or something similar I would have used a hand saw.

If I managed to get a big 'ol W&B chopper into the LoTH's hands to shave with, I'd merely use the fact for bragging rights. lol OK, fine, I may have to also go to like a wicked point Kamisori or something... lol

It's definitely completely about developing your own style and routine of passes. What others do can be handy info, but it's not a set process you or any of us have to follow.

 

[SweetieTodd]

If I managed to get a big 'ol W&B chopper into the LoTH's hands to shave with, I'd merely use the fact for bragging rights. lol OK, fine, I may have to also go to like a wicked point Kamisori or something... lol

It's definitely completely about developing your own style and routine of passes. What others do can be handy info, but it's not a set process you or any of us have to follow.

Trust me if you guys saw what I used for a grip both on my shave technique and on my fountain pen technique I'd be banned from the site lol

 

[Shave_Rat]

Trust me if you guys saw what I used for a grip both on my shave technique and on my fountain pen technique I'd be banned from the site lol

You grip a fountain pen different than a regular one? That part confuses me... lol anywho, still not a bannable offense.

 

[tyrionstark]

Let's rock!

Okay. So TDG was stunned by my 1st journal entry...not at the contents, the result or the writing...but at the fact that I didn't warn her that I was using a straight. Yeah. My shave used to be my bastion of 'me' time but I've come to accept the changes in my life. I feel honored when TDG glides into the bathroom and sits quietly just watching me shave with her smokey, blue eyes. I feel annoyed when our dog (captain James T Kirk) starts jumping at my shins when I have three inches of steel at my throat....and I feel shattering love when my our 14 month old daughter shouts 'da da' because she can't see me while I'm shaving. So while I was always looking for that 'perfect quiet time' to use a straight....trust me....it wasn't coming.

So today, just started my new job btw, I grabbed my Fredreick Reynolds, gave it 60 laps on leather and went at it. Lathered with my EJ best and my TOBS Avocado.

only did two 'passes' today. The best news is that I'm over any residual fear and started experimenting with a scything motion that actually got spots I was having trouble with two days ago. Focused on my plentiful and creative grips and correct angle. Had a moment that could have turned out badly while I was positioning the razor Along my neck, but pulled it back in time. Finished with an atg pass with my ATT and ended with a beautiful shave.

I told TDG that I did two passes straight today and her reply was 'You did not! On your second day of work? Psycho.' Then she ran her right hand along my cheek and across my jaw. 'You got a good shave.' She said. Then she leaned into me and got a few hints of my Valerio balsamo backed up by a few shots of Hugo and she stayed nuzzled against my neck for a long time.

Now thats at a good shave.

 

[AndroiDad75]

Hey nice to have you back in the SR ranks.

 

[SweetieTodd]

Let's rock!

Okay. So TDG was stunned by my 1st journal entry...not at the contents, the result or the writing...but at the fact that I didn't warn her that I was using a straight. Yeah. My shave used to be my bastion of 'me' time but I've come to accept the changes in my life. I feel honored when TDG glides into the bathroom and sits quietly just watching me shave with her smokey, blue eyes. I feel annoyed when our dog (captain James T Kirk) starts jumping at my shins when I have three inches of steel at my throat....and I feel shattering love when my our 14 month old daughter shouts 'da da' because she can't see me while I'm shaving. So while I was always looking for that 'perfect quiet time' to use a straight....trust me....it wasn't coming.

So today, just started my new job btw, I grabbed my Fredreick Reynolds, gave it 60 laps on leather and went at it. Lathered with my EJ best and my TOBS Avocado.

only did two 'passes' today. The best news is that I'm over any residual fear and started experimenting with a scything motion that actually got spots I was having trouble with two days ago. Focused on my plentiful and creative grips and correct angle. Had a moment that could have turned out badly while I was positioning the razor Along my neck, but pulled it back in time. Finished with an atg pass with my ATT and ended with a beautiful shave.

I told TDG that I did two passes straight today and her reply was 'You did not! On your second day of work? Psycho.' Then she ran her right hand along my cheek and across my jaw. 'You got a good shave.' She said. Then she leaned into me and got a few hints of my Valerio balsamo backed up by a few shots of Hugo and she stayed nuzzled against my neck for a long time.

Now thats at a good shave.

And this kind of thing is why I am happily and blissfully...
forever stuck in the 50s
(plus he got an amazing shave!!!)
SweetieTodd

 

[tyrionstark]

So the morning timing was off today...TDG was not feeling well so I let her sleep. The big downside of course is that in our transition to the 50's lifestyle I have no idea how to use the space-ship coffee maker. So I ended up behind schedule and zero coffee. So I lumbered into the bathroom expecting to just whip through a quick 3-pass shave with the ATT....but it somehow felt so...erm...pedestrian. So I pulled out my Wilbert full-hollow grind straight and made it run a quarter-mile on leather. Face lathered with my shavemac 2-band and Mama bear's Lily of the Valley soap. (Go ahead...make something of it.)

So I'm feeling quite confident recently with a straight and holy moly...seeing some good early returns. I forgot how much feedback I get from a hollow ground and it was a bit startling....but I was certainly cutting hair. The difference in weight of the razors threw me off a bit but the extra agility I had made for some good results. Did two passes with the straight and finished with an ATG pass with the DE. I'm telling you...this is one of the best shaves I've ever gotten on my neck. Usually I just muck around down there with the DE and take whatever I get....but damn....my neck and cheeks came out great!

The bad? My chin is a nightmare. I can't seem to do jack squat in that area. Especially with the lighter razor the more I slow down the worse my technique gets. That's pretty much when I can count on a a nice nick or bad razor burn. I think I'm going to try mimicking my de routine with the straight based on growth patterns and see if that helps.

Cant complain though...and I'm now officially hooked on straights. Need to get this baby I found last week worked on by doc I think...need some more shave-ready straights in the rotation and I refuse to borrow My fiancées.

 

[Georgia Straight]

Congrats on the progress. I switched from carts to straights a couple of months ago, and haven't looked back. Never tried a DE, though.

From what I hear of Doc's edges, you can't go wrong there. Any plans to start honing one day? I picked that hobby up the same time as straight shaving. I'm sure it isn't easy to get Doc quality edges, but it isn't hard to get very serviceable edges. If there are two of you straight shaving, you will make your money back on the hones pretty quick. Especially with the lady having more real estate to cover. Some film and flat surface to use it on is pretty cheap. A bevel setter and coticule aren't too bad either.

 

[tyrionstark]

Congrats on the progress. I switched from carts to straights a couple of months ago, and haven't looked back. Never tried a DE, though.

From what I hear of Doc's edges, you can't go wrong there. Any plans to start honing one day? I picked that hobby up the same time as straight shaving. I'm sure it isn't easy to get Doc quality edges, but it isn't hard to get very serviceable edges. If there are two of you straight shaving, you will make your money back on the hones pretty quick. Especially with the lady having more real estate to cover. Some film and flat surface to use it on is pretty cheap. A bevel setter and coticule aren't too bad either.

Well...i have a stash of progressive lapping film and a nice marble piece to use....but it seems a little daunting. How fast did you pick up honing? I have exactly zero experience with it and fear I will screw up a nice razor. did you use a guide?

 

[Georgia Straight]

I started with a set of Naniwa super stones, and watched a lot of videos. Rubbing the metal on the rock/film is the easy part. The tricky part is gauging the sharpness, and knowing when it's time to move on. That comes with experience, and guides or videos aren't a lot of help there. They can tell you how they are gauging it, but until you experience it, you won't really know. Having a blade someone like Doc sharpened really helps to know what a sharp blade feels like though, on your thumb pad, or cutting a hanging hair.

I have moved on to coticules and jnats now, and am getting some really solid results. Got my first silent slices on a hanging hair the other day, off a japanese natural stone. I wasn't getting that from coticules, but I was still getting very comfortable shaves, even early on with the super stones. I have never used film, so can't help much there. Lots of people here do though, so just ask some questions in the honing section. The honing regulars can get a little...confrontational there, when they are discussing theory, but otherwise are like everywhere else here. Very helpful.

I would recommend picking up a cheap 20-30x jeweler's loupe, too. They are like $5 on Amazon, and really help early on to see the scratch pattern film will leave. Once the bevel is set, you want to make sure you are completely removing the scratch pattern, from the previous film, every time you move to a higher grit. It really isn't hard, and is a skill worth picking up, if you are going to straight shave.

 

[Attila]

I started with a set of Naniwa super stones, and watched a lot of videos. Rubbing the metal on the rock/film is the easy part. The tricky part is gauging the sharpness, and knowing when it's time to move on. That comes with experience, and guides or videos aren't a lot of help there. They can tell you how they are gauging it, but until you experience it, you won't really know. Having a blade someone like Doc sharpened really helps to know what a sharp blade feels like though, on your thumb pad, or cutting a hanging hair.

I have moved on to coticules and jnats now, and am getting some really solid results. Got my first silent slices on a hanging hair the other day, off a japanese natural stone. I wasn't getting that from coticules, but I was still getting very comfortable shaves, even early on with the super stones. I have never used film, so can't help much there. Lots of people here do though, so just ask some questions in the honing section. The honing regulars can get a little...confrontational there, when they are discussing theory, but otherwise are like everywhere else here. Very helpful.

I would recommend picking up a cheap 20-30x jeweler's loupe, too. They are like $5 on Amazon, and really help early on to see the scratch pattern film will leave. Once the bevel is set, you want to make sure you are completely removing the scratch pattern, from the previous film, every time you move to a higher grit. It really isn't hard, and is a skill worth picking up, if you are going to straight shave.

Some great advice here.

 

[tyrionstark]

Ty Georgia! Probably going to see if someone is willing to part with something nice on B/S/T....I'm lost when I look at selections at vendor sites.

So I added a level of difficulty to my shave today....I let TDG watch me do it. It was not an easy choice. When she first asked if she could watch my straight razor shave my answer was 'No.' And I meant it as in 'hell no.' I remembered my first fumbling, twelve fingered attempts and wanted no one to witness that nonsense. But I thought about it for a moment and then said simply 'you can watch.'

So although I was determined not to borrow one of her straights, TDG insisted I use her Morley and Sons razor with a barber's notch. The big plus to me was that it was recently professionally honed which is more than I can say for my other straights. So I decided to try the Proraso croap sensitive I bought for her with my Rudy Vey white Mountain badger and went to work.

So having TDG watch me offered a tremendous dichotomy...there were the two moments where she's said "oh, I should be doing it that way' and the two moments where she said 'you're doing that wrong.' I've never had a back-seat shaver before and I came close to yelling 'don't make me pull this shave over!' And then Like any good male driver I ignored the two last remarks. I have to say, both of us were impressed today. I'm not sure that confidence can be overlooked in SR shaving. If you're afraid of the blade you'll go slow and timid and be constantly second-guessing. When I started my first pass with strong, brisk strokes TDG said 'whoa.' She of course read my post yesterday and said 'wow....that does give a lot of feedback.' I stood a little straighter and continued.

So I decided that I would follow my wtg/xtg/atg pattern I use with a de....and got pretty decent results on the chin. By far my best results in problem areas. Then I picked on my ATT for the final pass and TDG said I was cheating. Pfft. Not going ATG yet with straight....but it's coming. The crazy thing about confidence is that I rocked three passes in about 15 minutes....and that's how long it used to take me just to figure out a grip and place a straight against my face.

So I finished up with a cold water rinse, alum (quiet for a change) splashed on some Speick and went into the wild.

Im not sure how it happened....but somehow I look MORE forward to my shaving tomorrow with my straight than I ever did with my DE. What do I do with all of those new-fangled gadgets as the get relegated to the back of the shave den?

 

[oakeshott]

Tyrion,

Excellent progress. Just a note for the sake of accuracy: the Morley was not professionally honed. It was honed by me and I'm no pro, but glad it worked out.

Mark