Can You Stand Another First SR Shave Thread?!

[PintoPlain]

Good to know that you more experienced SR shavers still have to use a DE every now and then to clean up @Koop and @Frank Shaves.

It's funny, I'm feeling my throat right now and I'm not super pleased. I should have used my DE to finish it!

In my last post I said to put the razor away and fix it tomorrow. Using a DE or SE razor never occurred to me, but it is a valid option. I have used a DE three or four times this year so using them is not something I would usually think of. In fact, I have given away most of my DE blades (I still have a few polsilvers, feathers, and nacets though).

I guess it depends on what you consider and appropriate shave. Usually if the shave isn't going well, I would go to a SAS then leave it. No one really notices aside from yourself. The next day the shave is usually back to normal.

 

[Saloogie]

I'm happy that works for you. In my case, troublesome areas have nothing to do with the keeness of my edge, it's all about awkward angles and my obsession with achieving BBS. I have significant scarring on my neck - the result of a radical neck dissection due to cancer. The scar tissue isn't very pliable and easily nicked. I have to work around it.

My point was - I think it's okay to touch up with a DE if chasing BBS is your goal.

I agree.

My razors are very sharp and I still have tough areas that I can't get into. It is about the angles and how to hold the razor to get those tough areas done that matter most.

Sorry about your cancer. I'm glad you're still able to do something that you like in spite of it.

 

[Saloogie]

In my last post I said to put the razor away and fix it tomorrow. Using a DE or SE razor never occurred to me, but it is a valid option. I have used a DE three or four times this year so using them is not something I would usually think of. In fact, I have given away most of my DE blades (I still have a few polsilvers, feathers, and nacets though).

I guess it depends on what you consider and appropriate shave. Usually if the shave isn't going well, I would go to a SAS then leave it. No one really notices aside from yourself. The next day the shave is usually back to normal.

I think that once you're used to a BBS , it's hard to settle for less. I get a BBS with my DE and SE razors, so I know what it feels like and I like it and chase it. But that's kind of silly, because as you said, nobody notices your shave unless it's an awful shave

I'm not consistently BBS with a SR, so I will going to a DE to finish up an ok shave is no crime. If I'm going out to something a bit formal or a meeting or something like that, I'll go to my DE. I won't even mess with the SR because I don't want a nick or cut. Someday I hope to be consistently good with my SR.

I'm leaving on a cruise soon, so the DE goes with me. I won't have time to mess with my SR unfortunately.

 

[Saloogie]

So I just got back from vacation and I couldn't wait to get back to a nice SE shave, but dang, I cut the heck out of myself!!!

It was a nice close shave, the blade was shave ready, but for some reason I couldn't stop nicking myself. Was a I just overconfident? Or maybe I should wait a few days when coming off a cruise?

PS-my wife thinks I'm crazy to put myself through all of this because she loves my face after a DE shave.

 

[Saloogie]

I think I found out why I hacked myself up.

I changed the technique I was using and went with this guys method in my last shave.

I know this guy is a legend and I'm not saying he's wrong at all, but it kind of screwed me up. He goes right hand/left side of face, left hand/right side of face. I think most guys go right for right/left for left side of face. That's the way I was doing it and I was getting good results. Switching it up gave some real issues.

So which is it?

 

[Frank Shaves]

It's whatever works for you. Using a backhand motion with your opposite hand requires stretching and most likely practice. I use this technique to shave across the grain. I cannot shave next to my ears using this technique.

 

[Saloogie]

It's whatever works for you. Using a backhand motion with your opposite hand requires stretching and most likely practice. I use this technique to shave across the grain. I cannot shave next to my ears using this technique.

Yeah, looking at my face, this didn't work for me!

I'll go back to my original method. I was doing well with that.

 

[duke762]

The scar tissue isn't very pliable and easily nicked. I have to work around it.

I hear ya' Koop, I've got a lot of scarring and a chronic skin condition that seems to be alleviated by using a straight with a skin friendly, Ark edge. Freaky, laying down beard growth, at angles I can't get oriented on. Different blade shapes can make a difference also.

Some times you need a little help. While recently shaving with disposables for a few weeks due to surgery, I kept wanting to touch up with a straight. Under my nose. Just couldn't get there with the disposable. Sure was quick though. And yes, I do have lesions on my neck from it.

 

[Saloogie]

It's been awhile since I posted here, so I thought I would give an update on my progress.

I guess I'm approaching about 40 SR shaves and my technique has gotten much better along with my confidence. I'm also having fun and it has definitely become my favored way of shaving.

However all is not good. I have 4 razors now and I've taken to honing them all. I've tried various progressions on my stones and I am definitely getting a sharp edge. But that sharp edge doesn't always translate to a great shave as I'm not getting a BBS shave. It's pretty good in areas like my cheeks, but not so great in the tougher areas and I can't get my neck very close. Sometimes I get stutter and dragging across my face and it can be an uncomfortable shave.

So my guess is my honing is not up to snuff yet? Sharp edges that don't always translate to a close comfortable shave. What do you guys think?

And thanks for all the great replies!

 

[Herrenberg]

It's been awhile since I posted here, so I thought I would give an update on my progress.

I guess I'm approaching about 40 SR shaves and my technique has gotten much better along with my confidence. I'm also having fun and it has definitely become my favored way of shaving.

However all is not good. I have 4 razors now and I've taken to honing them all. I've tried various progressions on my stones and I am definitely getting a sharp edge. But that sharp edge doesn't always translate to a great shave as I'm not getting a BBS shave. It's pretty good in areas like my cheeks, but not so great in the tougher areas and I can't get my neck very close. Sometimes I get stutter and dragging across my face and it can be an uncomfortable shave.

So my guess is my honing is not up to snuff yet? Sharp edges that don't always translate to a close comfortable shave. What do you guys think?

And thanks for all the great replies!

Stutter sounds as though maybe you don't have your lather dialed in yet. Straight razor shaving is much more picky about lather, especially slickness. It also generally requires a wetter lather than other kinds of shaving. Other possibilities are that you need to use less pressure (basically no pressure), or you need to do more or better skin stretching.

Your edges will keep improving as you learn to hone. The most likely thing wrong at this point is that you are not being perfectionist enough with your bevel setting. That guess is not from anything you've said, but it was my experience, and the experience of a whole lot of other people. Took me a long time to really take seriously what everyone said about the bevel setting being most of the game. One way that can affect your final edges is that the subsequent stones are not actually touching right at the apex.

 

[Saloogie]

Stutter sounds as though maybe you don't have your lather dialed in yet. Straight razor shaving is much more picky about lather, especially slickness. It also generally requires a wetter lather than other kinds of shaving. Other possibilities are that you need to use less pressure (basically no pressure), or you need to do more or better skin stretching.

Your edges will keep improving as you learn to hone. The most likely thing wrong at this point is that you are not being perfectionist enough with your bevel setting. That guess is not from anything you've said, but it was my experience, and the experience of a whole lot of other people. Took me a long time to really take seriously what everyone said about the bevel setting being most of the game. One way that can affect your final edges is that the subsequent stones are not actually touching right at the apex.

Thank you!

You might have a point on lather. I might be making it to thick like I do for my DE shaves. And to be honest, sometimes I'm in a rush and don't prepare the lather, or my face, well enough. I will work on that.

I haven't honed from the bevel on up. My razors came shave ready, so I just followed along on the bevel it had and sharpened the edges with the higher grit stones, 6k and up. Under magnification, I think my edges look pretty good. They are sharp. But maybe it's time to dull the edge and try re setting a bevel.

It's funny, today I got a pretty nice shave for the first time in a few. I honed my razor on a Vermont Stone with slurry and then clean water and the shave was pretty close, no cuts. Yay!