- Thread starter
- #81
Thanks!
It’s possible your edge got messed up somehow I suppose. There’s nothing wrong with using mixed techniques. No need to stress! Slow is fast!
First SR shave
- Thread starter GearNoir
- Start date
Thanks!
It’s possible your edge got messed up somehow I suppose. There’s nothing wrong with using mixed techniques. No need to stress! Slow is fast!
Good shave diary.
I'm on shave 30 or thereabouts. I'm also finding my professionally honed edge is still doing the business with no honing required. 40 laps on suede, 40 laps on veg tanned leather post shave. Still pinging hairs off my arm when I do the treetop test.
Loving the straight shaving. Going against the grain up neck and over jawline still gets the adrenaline pumping!
I'm on shave 30 or thereabouts. I'm also finding my professionally honed edge is still doing the business with no honing required. 40 laps on suede, 40 laps on veg tanned leather post shave. Still pinging hairs off my arm when I do the treetop test.
Loving the straight shaving. Going against the grain up neck and over jawline still gets the adrenaline pumping!
- Thread starter
- #83
Wonderful! Glad to hear you are also having a good time, brother grasshopper!
What wonderful piece of steel did you get to start with?
I started off cheap to see how I got on. A customised Gold dollar 208 with professional hone. The steel is proving itself up to the task. My plan is to keep using it until I stumble upon a beautiful vintage razor in a junk store.
- Thread starter
- #85
Cheap indeed. The fact that the edge is holding up so long is a testament to the fact the mass producers get it right sometimes I guess lol!
- Thread starter
- #86
Shave #25:
Today was top secret tester day! If I tell you about it I’d have to...you know...
Just kidding, sort of!
Soap of the day was a bloomed DR Harris Sandalwood.
Really decent shave today! SAS with the SR and BBS as usual after the DE clean up.
Got to test out a prototype AS from Captain’s Choice! Very nicely scented, cologne-like, hint of citrus on application, light, mellows out nicely.
Today was top secret tester day! If I tell you about it I’d have to...you know...
Just kidding, sort of!
Soap of the day was a bloomed DR Harris Sandalwood.
Really decent shave today! SAS with the SR and BBS as usual after the DE clean up.
Got to test out a prototype AS from Captain’s Choice! Very nicely scented, cologne-like, hint of citrus on application, light, mellows out nicely.
- Thread starter
- #87
Shave #26:
Today was probably one of the best next-day-in-a-row shaves I’ve ever had. Usually I have trouble getting BBS and slightly more irritation the days I shave right after another shave. Today there was a little irritation, but that was it, and it’s cleared up very quickly (less than 30 min).
Today I skipped the AOS (sad panda face) and used Cella instead. I made that choice as I continue to try and test the Captain’s Choice AS scent.
One XTG SR pass and one ATG DE pass and I was done!
Huzzah!
Today was probably one of the best next-day-in-a-row shaves I’ve ever had. Usually I have trouble getting BBS and slightly more irritation the days I shave right after another shave. Today there was a little irritation, but that was it, and it’s cleared up very quickly (less than 30 min).
Today I skipped the AOS (sad panda face) and used Cella instead. I made that choice as I continue to try and test the Captain’s Choice AS scent.
One XTG SR pass and one ATG DE pass and I was done!
Huzzah!
Nice, Chris. I skip the open blades on Sundays, but that may change. I kind of missed it this morning.
- Thread starter
- #89
Absence makes the heart grow fonder! Though I doubt they had SRs in mind when they coined that...
- Thread starter
- #90
So today was a day off...and I got bored. I saw my balsa strop and figured, what the heck.
I did Larry’s recommended 20 passes green chromium oxide, 20 passes red iron oxide, and 40 passes leather strop.
The edge did shine up a bit as I tried to keep the blade flat and make light strokes.
Guess I’ll see in the morning tomorrow if it actually did anything!
I did Larry’s recommended 20 passes green chromium oxide, 20 passes red iron oxide, and 40 passes leather strop.
The edge did shine up a bit as I tried to keep the blade flat and make light strokes.
Guess I’ll see in the morning tomorrow if it actually did anything!
Oh, it'll do something. I've touched mine up that way twice so far, and I could definitely feel the difference the next day.
For a fast refresh my routine is maybe 20 on the CrOx, but then i go straight to the leather strop for about 50 laps. It'll be sharp - looking forward to tomorrow's post! 
When i started doing this i was also reading Slash's diamond paste balsa stropping thread, but Ted Pella was out of stock, so for maintenance after a shave (to prolong time before refreshes or stones) i have been going 25 laps on my poor man's strop felt and then 50 laps on the FeOx balsa from Larry.
Next use of that blade i strop 50 on leather before facetime and chop myself to bits at leisure! Oh, you have no idea!
FWIW the numbers are really not that important - some peeps strop 15 times and call it good, but get a routine where the blade feels sharp and stick to it.
T
When i started doing this i was also reading Slash's diamond paste balsa stropping thread, but Ted Pella was out of stock, so for maintenance after a shave (to prolong time before refreshes or stones) i have been going 25 laps on my poor man's strop felt and then 50 laps on the FeOx balsa from Larry.
Next use of that blade i strop 50 on leather before facetime and chop myself to bits at leisure! Oh, you have no idea!
FWIW the numbers are really not that important - some peeps strop 15 times and call it good, but get a routine where the blade feels sharp and stick to it.
T
- Thread starter
- #93
Sounds good! I just hope everything was flat enough to do it’s job properly.
To date I’ve only done leather stropping. Not sure I’d want to do balsa or touch up stone (once I get one) more than once every couple weeks right now.
To date I’ve only done leather stropping. Not sure I’d want to do balsa or touch up stone (once I get one) more than once every couple weeks right now.
For a fast refresh my routine is maybe 20 on the CrOx, but then i go straight to the leather strop for about 50 laps. It'll be sharp - looking forward to tomorrow's post!
When i started doing this i was also reading Slash's diamond paste balsa stropping thread, but Ted Pella was out of stock, so for maintenance after a shave (to prolong time before refreshes or stones) i have been going 25 laps on my poor man's strop felt and then 50 laps on the FeOx balsa from Larry.
Next use of that blade i strop 50 on leather before facetime and chop myself to bits at leisure! Oh, you have no idea!
FWIW the numbers are really not that important - some peeps strop 15 times and call it good, but get a routine where the blade feels sharp and stick to it.
T
TomoNagura on etsy has some pastes that go down to the diamond finishes. No idea what's in them, but Keith has quite a bit of honing knowledge and I've loved everything I've purchased from him previously.
- Thread starter
- #96
Interesting, thank you. I’m probably just going to pick up a synthetic finishing stone to keep things simple and 1 stop. Pastes seem to have their own set of variables to account for.
Shave #27:
So, not a huge difference from the balsa strop passes. The only indication that there was a change was that the passes were a touch smoother than my last few shaves.
Still testing Captain’s proposed AS. It’s overall a very nice application, feel, and scent...just wish it popped a little more and lasted longer.
Today’s soap was Proraso Green, so pleasant and different from my sandalwood soaps. I’m glad I’ve got it!
Only one small slice today, directly under the nose trying to get a pesky hair.
Considering the idea of beginning to shave daily. Still unsure. The one time a week I do it (Sat - Sun) most often my skin feels the toll and there is a good amount of irritation on that next-day shave. One suggestion was just to do it and my skin will adapt some. Maybe!
- Thread starter
- #98
Shave #28:
Today was a TOBS day!
Not the best day overall though for shaving. That’s OK though, these things happen!
Loaded way too much cream on my brush (decided to try face lathering TOBS but dipped instead of putting and almond size portion on...mistake!). I had waaaaay too much lather flying all over! Thankfully I like the smell.
I push myself today with the SR and did accomplish DFS overall with 3 passes (BBS after DE cleanup 4th pass of course), trying some ATG again. I think it was one pass too many though. Lots of irritation and stinging today.
The ATG pass left me near BBS on the cheeks but DFS in care areas. However I nicked a couple of raised hair follicles that even the alum couldn’t completely stop from tearing. They dried quickly though thankfully. Worst alum burn I’ve had in a while though...yowza!
Today was a TOBS day!
Not the best day overall though for shaving. That’s OK though, these things happen!
Loaded way too much cream on my brush (decided to try face lathering TOBS but dipped instead of putting and almond size portion on...mistake!). I had waaaaay too much lather flying all over! Thankfully I like the smell.
I push myself today with the SR and did accomplish DFS overall with 3 passes (BBS after DE cleanup 4th pass of course), trying some ATG again. I think it was one pass too many though. Lots of irritation and stinging today.
The ATG pass left me near BBS on the cheeks but DFS in care areas. However I nicked a couple of raised hair follicles that even the alum couldn’t completely stop from tearing. They dried quickly though thankfully. Worst alum burn I’ve had in a while though...yowza!
- Thread starter
- #99
Shave #29:
Not a bad day today. Only some mild post-shave irritation from accidentally scraping myself with the Piccolo over the upper lip. No issues with the SR itself. I am becoming quite comfortable with my WTG and XTG passes with it.
Still at this point undecided if I wish to make this my normal shave routine or simply do it once in a while.. Anxious to try a shavette once I make up my mind. I may be one that simply prefers the convenience of less. Instead of going stones first, I may just try lapping film.
Too much to ponder! Unfortunately not going to have the disposable income I thought I was going to these next few months. Such is life!
Not a bad day today. Only some mild post-shave irritation from accidentally scraping myself with the Piccolo over the upper lip. No issues with the SR itself. I am becoming quite comfortable with my WTG and XTG passes with it.
Still at this point undecided if I wish to make this my normal shave routine or simply do it once in a while.. Anxious to try a shavette once I make up my mind. I may be one that simply prefers the convenience of less. Instead of going stones first, I may just try lapping film.
Too much to ponder! Unfortunately not going to have the disposable income I thought I was going to these next few months. Such is life!
Chris, we are at about the same number of shaves. I, too, am undecided. But I am going to press on through at least 100 shaves before I make a decision.
It sounds like you are doing pretty well.
It sounds like you are doing pretty well.
