and I don't have my straight razor yet!
I'm posting this here because I'm changing from using a double-edge Merkur (about 30 years) to a straight when it arrives on Tuesday. Some sandalwood Proraso and a badger brush arrived in the last couple of days.
In the past I've only used aerosol Gillette foam and never prepared slowly. I've always considered shaving as something to "get out of the way."
After watching some videos I decided to try a proper shave.
I rinsed my face with hot water and soaked a small towel with the hottest water I could muster from the tap and put it over my face and neck. I stirred up some lather in a bowl and applied it with the brush. I used my hands to rub it in and rinsed it off. I made new lather and reapplied. I think soap and cream are not the same but I cleaned my face with cream but it still seemed to remove the oil and prepare my whiskers nicely. I "cleared the runways" and stretching my skin (never done that before) with a new blade, I shaved as if it were a straight razor (I only mean slowly). Down the face up the neck is my WTG. I washed off, made new lather and for the first time ever I went ATG. It felt unusual but not uncomfortable. I rinsed off applied new lather and went XTG. No problem on my face, got a few weepers on my neck near my adams apple to either side. With the shape of my face I can't shave L to R in front of my neck. Everywhere else received a 3-pass shave.
I rinsed off, forgot to apply cold water, and applied aftershave balm "men's club" stuff about 10 years old, alcohol free.
Probably the closest shave I've ever experienced. My pores tingle, but in a very pleasant way; like they're very clean and "breathing."
I've got a goatee that I haven't yet decided if I'm going to remove (been there for 25 years or more), so the above excludes the mustache and chin.
Very pleasant. I keep feeling my cheekbones to my jawline and it's incredibly smooth. My neck feels like there's a fan blowing on it.
This is gonna be good. . .
I'm posting this here because I'm changing from using a double-edge Merkur (about 30 years) to a straight when it arrives on Tuesday. Some sandalwood Proraso and a badger brush arrived in the last couple of days.
In the past I've only used aerosol Gillette foam and never prepared slowly. I've always considered shaving as something to "get out of the way."
After watching some videos I decided to try a proper shave.
I rinsed my face with hot water and soaked a small towel with the hottest water I could muster from the tap and put it over my face and neck. I stirred up some lather in a bowl and applied it with the brush. I used my hands to rub it in and rinsed it off. I made new lather and reapplied. I think soap and cream are not the same but I cleaned my face with cream but it still seemed to remove the oil and prepare my whiskers nicely. I "cleared the runways" and stretching my skin (never done that before) with a new blade, I shaved as if it were a straight razor (I only mean slowly). Down the face up the neck is my WTG. I washed off, made new lather and for the first time ever I went ATG. It felt unusual but not uncomfortable. I rinsed off applied new lather and went XTG. No problem on my face, got a few weepers on my neck near my adams apple to either side. With the shape of my face I can't shave L to R in front of my neck. Everywhere else received a 3-pass shave.
I rinsed off, forgot to apply cold water, and applied aftershave balm "men's club" stuff about 10 years old, alcohol free.
Probably the closest shave I've ever experienced. My pores tingle, but in a very pleasant way; like they're very clean and "breathing."
I've got a goatee that I haven't yet decided if I'm going to remove (been there for 25 years or more), so the above excludes the mustache and chin.
Very pleasant. I keep feeling my cheekbones to my jawline and it's incredibly smooth. My neck feels like there's a fan blowing on it.
This is gonna be good. . .