- Thread starter
- #61
Thanks Tom. This is one variable I can confidently rule out. I stretch and bullfrog for all my shaves, DE and straight. It'st he only way I can navigate around my lined face.
First shave with a Straight, Not Great
- Thread starter silverlifter
- Start date
Thanks Tom. This is one variable I can confidently rule out. I stretch and bullfrog for all my shaves, DE and straight. It'st he only way I can navigate around my lined face.
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
@silverlifter it will be interesting to hear what you eventually find is the cause(s) of your problems when you discover them (and you will).
Just try and SR shave daily and learn from each shave.
Just try and SR shave daily and learn from each shave.
I believe the most difficult thing in learning to shave with a straight razor is patience. It just takes time and repetition. Just keep at it and all will be revealed. You will figure out how to shave all the difficult parts all on your own.Even though it isn't enjoyable, I'd like to think I am learning about the blade, angles, and strokes for the planes of my face. And I haven't managed to nick myself yet, so there is that!
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
^^^ This
- Thread starter
- #65
The Ralf Aust arrived yesterday, so I thought I'd close this thread off with a final update.
Razor had been in transit for over a month, so I gave it a good stropping, it was treetopping forearm hair when I was done. Shave this morning, my sixth, was the most comfortable by a long way. The blade didn't skip of tug, except in areas where I haven't quite figured out hand/blade positions (neck hollows and under the jawline at the chin). Mostly, though, it was just a much slower than normal shave...
Now to just log more of them!
Thanks for all the advice and encouragement: great community here!
Razor had been in transit for over a month, so I gave it a good stropping, it was treetopping forearm hair when I was done. Shave this morning, my sixth, was the most comfortable by a long way. The blade didn't skip of tug, except in areas where I haven't quite figured out hand/blade positions (neck hollows and under the jawline at the chin). Mostly, though, it was just a much slower than normal shave...
Now to just log more of them!
Thanks for all the advice and encouragement: great community here!
The Ralf Aust arrived yesterday, so I thought I'd close this thread off with a final update.
Razor had been in transit for over a month, so I gave it a good stropping, it was treetopping forearm hair when I was done. Shave this morning, my sixth, was the most comfortable by a long way. The blade didn't skip of tug, except in areas where I haven't quite figured out hand/blade positions (neck hollows and under the jawline at the chin). Mostly, though, it was just a much slower than normal shave...
Now to just log more of them!
Thanks for all the advice and encouragement: great community here!
Congratulations! Pictures please!
- Thread starter
- #67
Congrats on a great SR shave!! You’re having trouble in the exact same places as me figuring out how to how to position your hands and blade.
Best of luck on your SR journey.
Best of luck on your SR journey.
Wishing you many enjoyable SR shaves.
I found a bit of a learning curve from a DE razor to a straight cut throat razor.I was really looking forward to this. I folowed my usual routine, so as not to introduce any other new variables. Hot shower, lathered up my wet face with Speick, for a nice cushiony lather that was on the wet side, so I could see the contours of my face, and set to it.
I shaved both cheeks and the outside of my neck. The good news: no cuts or weepers. The bad news, it felt awful; like I was plucking the hairs out. Ive got old man grey whiskers, and am of Irish descent, so my beard is reasonably tough, and this was not a pleasant experience.
I kept checking the angle, with the spine about one spine width from my face, give or take. I took short strokes, that I hoped would be smooth, but were really pretty jittery as the blade hit the whiskers. I made sure I was using no pressure (or as little as I could get away with).
Was my lather too watery? Angle wrong? Too little pressure to effectively cut the whiskers?
I'm not sure what went wrong, but without changing things up, I'm not looking forward to repeating that again.
Tips? Critiques?
One big one is a through and good pre shave ..more so than needed with a DE. Other big one is avoiding synthetic brushes as they don`t hold heat as a natural brush and also I found a bit more creamy and less dry on cream or soap is key too. Its good to take it easy over first couple months shaves and use half of shave or tough bits back on the DE razor too, untill really used to it.
Sharpness is another huge one. Sharper in my opinion is easier than any bluntness.
In my case, when I transited across; ~ what worked best for me was; ~ I used a feather artist DX and a feather SS Artist that both use feather straight razor blade inserts. These are 95% of a straight razor and the interchangeable blade types plus design of the razors make it easier than a traditional straight razor as the changeover. A few barber friends swear by them too, as their go to "straight cut throats".
Once more used to these , I found using a Dovo Bismarck I have and Theirs Issard Daimondback "old school " cutthroat a lot easier to start on. I hone using strops up to 12 to 13 shaves. I alsohave 2 stones and sharpen myself or occassionally drop to a knife shop. I `m in Tokyo so high quality knife sharpers and Kamisori sharping is readily available here in all department stores and knife shops. Japan is the knife making capital of the world ! You can find a few master sharpeners on youtube which make it easy, as long as put time into it
I like DE`s for weekdays, Cutthroats (straight razors) for weekends or special events ~ birthdays etc ~ are a daily shaver
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- #71
Yep. I've always preferred a wetter lather, but now I'm well into dripping territory. I'm not giving up my synthetic brush, though! 
I find in winter the synthetic's just way too cold..in Japan the winter is harsh and when having a horrible shave at a skiing house once, I just passed the synthetic brush to an Aussie guy whom said he lived in Malaysia where is always above 33 degrees Celsius , so does not have heat issues in his brushes!
It was my 3rd day (and last!)of dealing with a so called top synthetic that cost me 55 bucks!
The mixed badger & boar in reserve at that time which cost me 13 bucks made the shave warm and comfortable versus cold... saved the shaving for rest of the trip!
Guess I`m just too old school too , so synthetics just not my thing!
It was my 3rd day (and last!)of dealing with a so called top synthetic that cost me 55 bucks!
The mixed badger & boar in reserve at that time which cost me 13 bucks made the shave warm and comfortable versus cold... saved the shaving for rest of the trip!
Guess I`m just too old school too , so synthetics just not my thing!
- Thread starter
- #73
I used a boar for 20 years, so appreciate the difference. Winters here in New Zealand can get coldish (-2C some mornings), and yes, a little more heat in the brush would be nice, but I like the rest of the synthetic experience enough to feel OK with a cold final pass.
Heck, if some here can shave with cold water, I can deal with lukewarm lather!
Heck, if some here can shave with cold water, I can deal with lukewarm lather!
I’ve been experimenting lately with cool/cold water for lathering. Im hoping it takes a little longer to dry out if it starts cold instead of hot.
It actually feels kind of refreshing to lather with cold water. It’s summer now here in Canada, so check back in January and see if I’m still using cold water or if I’ve switched back to hot.
It actually feels kind of refreshing to lather with cold water. It’s summer now here in Canada, so check back in January and see if I’m still using cold water or if I’ve switched back to hot.
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