- Thread starter
- #21
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/499287-When-to-hone?highlight=Time for maintenance, hence this thread.
Further deranged about shaving, is Desertlifter
- Thread starter Desertlifter
- Start date
Absolutely! I've labeled it the "You don't know what you don't know" aspect of DE to SR shaving. As a fellow box starter, the idea of experiencing a hair topping edge to establish a baseline seems to be pretty crucial on understanding when a blade needs to go to stone or a compound stropping.
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- #23
Friday night/SR shave night.
For some value of Friday - I have to work at the Patrol tomorrow. Anyway...
Since reveille is early tomorrow, I decided to spoil myself with some quality shave time this evening. With a twist of course - in true form, I introduced another independent variable into the equation tonight.
You've read the other threads, you've heard geezers extol their virtues - you guessed it, dear reader. It was cold water shave night!
(Pause for applause)
Chose CF Summer Storm for this round of scrape-the-whiskers, and did my prep as usual, except this time with cold water. I lathered up and hove to in order to concentrate. I noticed that this time around - perhaps through practice, perhaps due to the cold water, mayhap both - the shave was MUCH closer on the first pass, and that with a 2 1/2 day growth of beard. So far so good.
I relathered and completed a second pass on my left (strong) side and neck, then started on the right (awkward!) side of my cheek. Last week, I ran into a bit of trouble near my jawline forward of my ear as I made an XTG pass from ear toward my nose, with the blade vertical. Nothing major, just a 1cm SHALLOW cut that didn't even bleed. I didn't even see the darn thing until the next morning. This time around, I did the same thing, the the cut a bit further away from my ear. Still a VERY minor ding, but annoying nonetheless since it is the second time in essentially the same spot. Need to work on my weak side around my TMJ and part of my throat. Even my chin is getting easier since I got better at allowing the razor to follow the contour of my face instead of being rigid and essentially chopping at tiny bits of my face. Both worked, but the slightly longer stroke is much smoother, cuts better, and irritates far less. I guess that is a good thing.
Final result? The alum block tells a tale of a touch of irritated skin here and there, but nothing major - still less than a similar shave with my DE razors. Closeness of the shave?
Drum roll please....
Most of my face - even my chin - is BBS with only minor irritation, and that with no aftershave as of yet. Just need to work on my weak side to tune things up.
And succumb to RAD, of course.
For some value of Friday - I have to work at the Patrol tomorrow. Anyway...
Since reveille is early tomorrow, I decided to spoil myself with some quality shave time this evening. With a twist of course - in true form, I introduced another independent variable into the equation tonight.
You've read the other threads, you've heard geezers extol their virtues - you guessed it, dear reader. It was cold water shave night!
(Pause for applause)
Chose CF Summer Storm for this round of scrape-the-whiskers, and did my prep as usual, except this time with cold water. I lathered up and hove to in order to concentrate. I noticed that this time around - perhaps through practice, perhaps due to the cold water, mayhap both - the shave was MUCH closer on the first pass, and that with a 2 1/2 day growth of beard. So far so good.
I relathered and completed a second pass on my left (strong) side and neck, then started on the right (awkward!) side of my cheek. Last week, I ran into a bit of trouble near my jawline forward of my ear as I made an XTG pass from ear toward my nose, with the blade vertical. Nothing major, just a 1cm SHALLOW cut that didn't even bleed. I didn't even see the darn thing until the next morning. This time around, I did the same thing, the the cut a bit further away from my ear. Still a VERY minor ding, but annoying nonetheless since it is the second time in essentially the same spot. Need to work on my weak side around my TMJ and part of my throat. Even my chin is getting easier since I got better at allowing the razor to follow the contour of my face instead of being rigid and essentially chopping at tiny bits of my face. Both worked, but the slightly longer stroke is much smoother, cuts better, and irritates far less. I guess that is a good thing.
Final result? The alum block tells a tale of a touch of irritated skin here and there, but nothing major - still less than a similar shave with my DE razors. Closeness of the shave?
Drum roll please....
Most of my face - even my chin - is BBS with only minor irritation, and that with no aftershave as of yet. Just need to work on my weak side to tune things up.
And succumb to RAD, of course.
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Most excellent! For guys who choose to use their off hand, I suggest practicing with plastic cutlery to train the muscles. It looks a little goofy, but if everyone is watching TV or whatnot, who is going to bother you for playing with a picnic knife? If you are feeling really bored, you can do it with lather! 
I have a shavette that I can put the blade in upside down for added realism to avoid loss of precious bodily fluids.
I have a shavette that I can put the blade in upside down for added realism to avoid loss of precious bodily fluids.- Thread starter
- #25
Brilliant! I will give that a shot. Should help with the neck too. Thanks!
- Thread starter
- #26
SR shave day!
First week of school is in the books for this year, and my student teacher seems to be fitting in well. Decided to celebrate tonight with a nice leisurely shave. After experimenting with (and LOVING) cold water shaves with both my Wester Bros. straight (want another WB razor BTW- need a De-Fi now...) and my DE razors for my head, I have found that I really like them.
Anyway, the shave. Things are settling in to a routine for me, so I am going to lay these entries out in a more scan-worthy fashion.
Razor: Wester Bros. Anchor Brand
Soap: Blades Grim Smolder (really like this - great smell and slickness)
Teachable moments:
Add water. Then add more water. Lather dripping down your chest yet? It's about right then.
Don't force the grip - let the razor have a little play, but not so much that it skitters around. That will net you better feedback.
Straight razor - and to an extent DE - shaving is like painting. A brace of light passes is better than one with more pressure.
Results? BBS on my face and part of my chin as well as the sides of my throat. My neck isn't there yet, but is easier than my chin still. All areas of my face are DFS or better.
I get WAY less razor burn and irritation with an SR, and weepers are mostly non-existent. Not the case with my DEs.
First week of school is in the books for this year, and my student teacher seems to be fitting in well. Decided to celebrate tonight with a nice leisurely shave. After experimenting with (and LOVING) cold water shaves with both my Wester Bros. straight (want another WB razor BTW- need a De-Fi now...) and my DE razors for my head, I have found that I really like them.
Anyway, the shave. Things are settling in to a routine for me, so I am going to lay these entries out in a more scan-worthy fashion.
Razor: Wester Bros. Anchor Brand
Soap: Blades Grim Smolder (really like this - great smell and slickness)
Teachable moments:
Add water. Then add more water. Lather dripping down your chest yet? It's about right then.
Don't force the grip - let the razor have a little play, but not so much that it skitters around. That will net you better feedback.
Straight razor - and to an extent DE - shaving is like painting. A brace of light passes is better than one with more pressure.
Results? BBS on my face and part of my chin as well as the sides of my throat. My neck isn't there yet, but is easier than my chin still. All areas of my face are DFS or better.
I get WAY less razor burn and irritation with an SR, and weepers are mostly non-existent. Not the case with my DEs.
Woot! Like the scannable format! Great shave! 
Sounds like you had a wonderful shave! Keep practicing.
- Thread starter
- #29
Yes - pass box soon! Looking forward to trying different straights.
Another great shave tonight with my WB.
Soap: CF Midnight Stag (LOVE the scent of this)
Full face shave in two passes - WTG then XTG
weepers, nicks, or razor burn? Nope
teachable moment: the razor can move in angles other than perpendicular and/or parallel to the jaw line. In fact, moving on a diagonal makes a few tricky spots around the chin much easier.
Another great shave tonight with my WB.
Soap: CF Midnight Stag (LOVE the scent of this)
Full face shave in two passes - WTG then XTG
weepers, nicks, or razor burn? Nope
teachable moment: the razor can move in angles other than perpendicular and/or parallel to the jaw line. In fact, moving on a diagonal makes a few tricky spots around the chin much easier.
Excellent work! 
- Thread starter
- #31
Day of the moon!
Decided to shake things up again today. Inevitably, something will go .... Less well. Tonight was such. Gird youself, dear reader - for tonight, I experienced razor burn and a couple of weepers.
Literally. But considering my shaves of late....
So the change? I decided to try Proraso Red for my soap tonight. It lathers like all get out, giving plenty of cushion.
Glide, not so much.
I finished two passes on my face and one on my neck. BBS on face, DFS on neck. Still not bad.
One weeper showed on my chin that asked for a quick alum break, and one one a small mole on my left cheek. No bigs. I did get some redness around a couple of challenging areas.
Other than the leakage and discomfort, it wasn't that bad a shave, but after CF and Blades Grim shaves being so much better, I will save Proraso for my scalp.
Decided to shake things up again today. Inevitably, something will go .... Less well. Tonight was such. Gird youself, dear reader - for tonight, I experienced razor burn and a couple of weepers.
Literally. But considering my shaves of late....
So the change? I decided to try Proraso Red for my soap tonight. It lathers like all get out, giving plenty of cushion.
Glide, not so much.
I finished two passes on my face and one on my neck. BBS on face, DFS on neck. Still not bad.
One weeper showed on my chin that asked for a quick alum break, and one one a small mole on my left cheek. No bigs. I did get some redness around a couple of challenging areas.
Other than the leakage and discomfort, it wasn't that bad a shave, but after CF and Blades Grim shaves being so much better, I will save Proraso for my scalp.
Perhaps the lather was a little too dry. You kind of want to go a bit beyond the beautiful pesky lather, adding water a bit at a time til it starts to collapse. That's when it gets really slick. 
It doesn't take much, just a bit more water. I truly enjoy your gift of prose.
It doesn't take much, just a bit more water. I truly enjoy your gift of prose. I do like the Proraso Red Cream. I've never tried the soap. I'm beginning to suspect that I really like things with tons of cushion. Sounds like you are learning what works for you.
- Thread starter
- #34
Quick summary of weekend grooming....
Friday: CF Midnight Stag and a hot water shave after showering. Things went well enough, although I got the traditional cut on my right cheek. Oddly enough, doing the same thing nets the same result. Ah well - not worries.
On on the bright side, my upper lip is now damn near BBS with one pass, and my chin is only a slower spot in my shave rather than the panic zone. Need to work on getting closer to the lower lip though.
Sunday: Blades Grim Smolder and a cold water shave.
I need to do these more often as I get much less irritation overall and it always feels great. Easy working around the chin and no issues with the cut on my cheek or the mostly healed mole.
This is week I am going to step back and reset, experimenting with different grips. I'm getting into too much of a routine.
Till next time..... Tschuss!
Friday: CF Midnight Stag and a hot water shave after showering. Things went well enough, although I got the traditional cut on my right cheek. Oddly enough, doing the same thing nets the same result. Ah well - not worries.
On on the bright side, my upper lip is now damn near BBS with one pass, and my chin is only a slower spot in my shave rather than the panic zone. Need to work on getting closer to the lower lip though.
Sunday: Blades Grim Smolder and a cold water shave.
I need to do these more often as I get much less irritation overall and it always feels great. Easy working around the chin and no issues with the cut on my cheek or the mostly healed mole.
This is week I am going to step back and reset, experimenting with different grips. I'm getting into too much of a routine.
Till next time..... Tschuss!
- Thread starter
- #35
Straight razor pass! Straight razor pass!
Thanks to the eminent coolness of folks on this site, I have a few new (to me) SRs to try out. I received my part of the pass today, and had a variety of razors to choose from for this evening's fur scraping.
So what did I decide on?
I wanted something different than the somewhat larger (but not huge) Wester Bros. razor that I have been learning on, so I chose this lovely little number:
View attachment 693826
It's a Landers Frary & Clark. Much narrower blade than I am used to, with a more or less similar point. Jimps on the bottom only (I think I like them on the top too), and a nice balance. I chose CF Midnight Stag for the evening's work and set to it.
Two passes all told, no nicks and a couple of really minor weepers that stopped themselves before I finished my 2nd pass. The shave is great with this little fellow, and I really see what people are saying when they describe a razor as "nimble" now. That smaller profile made for much easier work around my chin and upper lip. It was also easy to work around my neck, although I didn't get as close a shave with it as I do with my somewhat heftier Wester Bros.
Final thoughts? This is a great little razor. It did a pretty good job on my face, all while being easier overall to control. The tip of my chin and upper lip are great. Not bad for a first run through with only the second straight razor I have ever used.
Downsides? It felt a little out of control now and again, particular when shaving XTG. When I moved a bit toward the heel (as I usually do) in problem areas, the added control was less positive. That said, it was very easy to keep straight and in line. I think that with a bit of practice, this would be a great shaver.
I also think - having tried another blade - that my Wester Bros. is likely ready for a trip to a hone-meister.
Stay tuned....more to come!
Thanks to the eminent coolness of folks on this site, I have a few new (to me) SRs to try out. I received my part of the pass today, and had a variety of razors to choose from for this evening's fur scraping.
So what did I decide on?
I wanted something different than the somewhat larger (but not huge) Wester Bros. razor that I have been learning on, so I chose this lovely little number:
View attachment 693826
It's a Landers Frary & Clark. Much narrower blade than I am used to, with a more or less similar point. Jimps on the bottom only (I think I like them on the top too), and a nice balance. I chose CF Midnight Stag for the evening's work and set to it.
Two passes all told, no nicks and a couple of really minor weepers that stopped themselves before I finished my 2nd pass. The shave is great with this little fellow, and I really see what people are saying when they describe a razor as "nimble" now. That smaller profile made for much easier work around my chin and upper lip. It was also easy to work around my neck, although I didn't get as close a shave with it as I do with my somewhat heftier Wester Bros.
Final thoughts? This is a great little razor. It did a pretty good job on my face, all while being easier overall to control. The tip of my chin and upper lip are great. Not bad for a first run through with only the second straight razor I have ever used.
Downsides? It felt a little out of control now and again, particular when shaving XTG. When I moved a bit toward the heel (as I usually do) in problem areas, the added control was less positive. That said, it was very easy to keep straight and in line. I think that with a bit of practice, this would be a great shaver.
I also think - having tried another blade - that my Wester Bros. is likely ready for a trip to a hone-meister.
Stay tuned....more to come!
Glad to hear it, brother! Reading through your journal really answered some questions. Keep up the shaves and enjoy trying the different blades!
- Thread starter
- #38
Midnight Stag is one of only two soaps I've tried from CF, and I love it. The scent is great to me, and doesn't linger. On the downside, it doesn't linger! I dont find it overpowering at all. Next time I order I will probably get the aftershave too.
Narrow blades are very fun and nimble. Sometimes if you don't pay attention, you can lose your angle pretty easy compared to some of the large blades. I think this is why most folks say 5/8 and 6/8 is the perfect width to start off with
- Thread starter
- #40
So last night was a perfect night for a leisurely shave.. Spent all day installing laminate flooring in a house where parallel walls are but a dream engendered by opium-addicted horror authors listening to a pastiche of the Beatles' White Album and The Brotzmann Trio.. That was fun.
Things got better with a steak (I don't eat steak for the record - this was the first I'd eaten in years) and a good cigar.. Make that an exemplary one - an Arturo Fuente Reserva Anejo Viejo.. But I digress.
Reveille was 0430 this morning, so that shave thing was my aperitif before retiring for the evening.. The Torrey has been calling my name since the razor pass box arrived at my door, so I cleaned the oil from the blade, gave it a couple of passes on the strop, and hove to.
Our cushion and glide this evening was sponsored by Blades Grim Smolder and my synthetic brush from the same.
Anyway, the Torrey is a bit of a beast, in particular compared to the other two straight razors with which I have shaved - my Wester Bros. Anchor and the Landers Frary & Clark from the pass - both smaller to mid-range blades.. I didn't have a ruler handy, but as far as I can tell having compared the Torrey to my other two blades, I estimate the blade to span approximately one hectare.. It is a bit loose in its scales, which is a bit odd feeling in hand, and the blade has a slight smile.
I lathered up and it was whisker smashing time. Swipe!. Did I miss my face?. Two days growth went somewhere, but I .... oh here they are - on. the blade!. I am reminded of an old Bill Cosby stand up routine where he was doing (IIRC) a commercial for razors.. Zip-zop - my face is ripped to shreds!
Except for the ripped to shreds part.. I thought that the size of this blade might make it unwieldy.. I wondered how it would work around my chin and upper lip.. Before I knew it, I had two complete passes (WTG / XTG) with even the challenging bits clean as a whistle.. The Torrey is my friend.. Nary a bit of razor burn, not a weeper or nick in sight.. Don't get me wrong, dear reader - I have had some great shaves with my straight since I started this journey a couple of months ago. This was probably the best yet.
Things got better with a steak (I don't eat steak for the record - this was the first I'd eaten in years) and a good cigar.. Make that an exemplary one - an Arturo Fuente Reserva Anejo Viejo.. But I digress.
Reveille was 0430 this morning, so that shave thing was my aperitif before retiring for the evening.. The Torrey has been calling my name since the razor pass box arrived at my door, so I cleaned the oil from the blade, gave it a couple of passes on the strop, and hove to.
Our cushion and glide this evening was sponsored by Blades Grim Smolder and my synthetic brush from the same.
Anyway, the Torrey is a bit of a beast, in particular compared to the other two straight razors with which I have shaved - my Wester Bros. Anchor and the Landers Frary & Clark from the pass - both smaller to mid-range blades.. I didn't have a ruler handy, but as far as I can tell having compared the Torrey to my other two blades, I estimate the blade to span approximately one hectare.. It is a bit loose in its scales, which is a bit odd feeling in hand, and the blade has a slight smile.
I lathered up and it was whisker smashing time. Swipe!. Did I miss my face?. Two days growth went somewhere, but I .... oh here they are - on. the blade!. I am reminded of an old Bill Cosby stand up routine where he was doing (IIRC) a commercial for razors.. Zip-zop - my face is ripped to shreds!
Except for the ripped to shreds part.. I thought that the size of this blade might make it unwieldy.. I wondered how it would work around my chin and upper lip.. Before I knew it, I had two complete passes (WTG / XTG) with even the challenging bits clean as a whistle.. The Torrey is my friend.. Nary a bit of razor burn, not a weeper or nick in sight.. Don't get me wrong, dear reader - I have had some great shaves with my straight since I started this journey a couple of months ago. This was probably the best yet.
