Mr_Spiffy's Straight Shave Journal

[Mr_Spiffy]

I decided that I really wanted to give shaving with a straight razor a try. There's something about a nice, shiny blade, a blade large enough to be a kitchen knife, being used to shave off some whiskers! There's nostalgia, tradition, the "old-school way", feeling like a real man, when you put that blade up to your face. It's awesome! And some of those customs... man... they're absolutely amazing works of art! Maybe someday I can justify a custom straight razor.

But, until now, I had never tried shaving with a straight. And I've only been shaving with a DE since around March or so. Before then, I used a Schick Hydro 5 and goo from a can. So, I feel I've come a long way since then. I already own 5 straight razors, although only two of them are truly shave-ready blades. (Both from Whipped Dog.) I originally received a straight from a trade in BST (along with a strop), and although the previous owner honed it before shipping, it tugged, pulled, and really didn't cut hair well. In fact, it didn't even pass any level of HHT. And I tried shaving with it! Needless to say, I didn't do an entire shave with it, put it aside, and ordered a Whipped Dog razor and some honing film. I had also previously ordered two more strops, in case I butchered one of them.

Thursday evening, I tried the WD razor for the first time. What a world of difference! It cuts hair! That tells me my first razor really wasn't shave-ready. So, I did a single WTG pass, just to get the hang of things. No real nicks or cuts, maybe one little weeper that closed on its own. No real razor burn, either. Sweet! I just took my time (the one pass took a good half-hour or more...), tried to make sure I stretched skin, and take short strokes with the grain of the hair.

Tonight I had my second shave with the same WD razor. I made sure to strop it before shaving, as well as after. My stropping technique must be decent, since it shaved very well. I made sure to strop carefully, methodically, using smooth strokes and only the weight of the razor for pressure. Tonight I did two passes, one WTG and one XTG. I kept trying to keep in mind to use very little pressure as I shaved. I tried a new grip for XTG, so that was good practice. Again, no real issues. I did get a couple nicks where I have small bumps. And I did have a very minor cut. I did the one thing I know I should never do. My lather dried up a bit along my chin area, and I placed the blade against skin without moving it first. I'm sure it won't be the last time... but it definitely reinforces that point, and there was no real harm done. Remember: move razor, THEN contact skin. Again, no real razor burn that I felt. I did get some very minor tingling/stinging when I wiped with witch hazel to check for RB. Perhaps that's normal..?

Anyway, I also picked up a couple of razors off of eBay for a pretty good deal. I'll post pics and details of all of my razors soon. It's too late to do that tonight...

I do have one question, though... I originally stored my straight in the bathroom drawer, and I think my WD straight developed some light surface rust spots. Do I need to worry about these? Or should I simply keep the razor coated in oil to prevent further oxidation? I don't want to ruin the edge of the razor until it's dull from shaving... then I'll polish it up and rehone it. I can post pics of what this looks like, too.

Goodnight, everyone! And happy shaving!

 

[Doc226]

Great, great start.

IMO the most important variable to starting straight shaving is to have a truly shave ready razor, otherwise you are doomed from the start.

As far as the storage of razors I would recommend the silicone sleeves from TSS, they are cheap, ugly and do their job-I have every single one of my straights in one and have never had a rust issue. I think for long term storage oil might be a good idea but for the razor in the rotation that is a big hassle.

Pics are needed for sure.

 

[Mr_Spiffy]

I've been using a light coat of oil to keep them stored, for now. I'll check out the silicone sleeves, too. But, I think the biggest factor is not keeping them stored in the bathroom. There's just too much moisture in there to avoid rust issues.

Pics are forthcoming! Just need to crop/resize them.

 

[Mr_Spiffy]

Okay... now for the pics!

First up is my KA-BAR razor. This was shave-ready from Whipped Dog, and what I have used for my first couple of shaves.

Here's where you can kind of notice the rust that I mentioned earlier. The brownish areas above the edge? That's what I'm concerned about. It almost looked, to me, that there were a few spots on the bevel, as well. But it's really hard to see that here.

Next is another WD razor; an Imperial. Looking forward to trying it out, but I'll keep using the KA-BAR until it needs some honing, for consistency in my shave routine.

The rest of these razors are NOT shave-ready.

First up, another Imperial razor that I received through BST, but it needs some honing to get it sharpened up.

Next is a J.R. Torrey that I picked up on eBay. Only appears to have patina. No rust that I could find. The edge is pretty rough, so this may be something I'll use to practice honing, or for a restoration project. The photos look a little funny, because on the first photos the blade appears to have a slight smile to it. But on the back side, the blade almost looks like it has a frown. If I look closer, it looks like the previous owner/honer didn't do a good job at keeping the bevel even. So, it's more a light reflection thing than an actual frown. But, it will still need a new bevel before I can continue with it.

And last up is another razor from eBay. This one's a J.A. Henkels "Platinum". Again, no rust. But it does have a chip in the heel of the blade. So, this one will be another honing/restoration razor for me.

And, finally, my honing gear:

It's really long!! But, hey, it was free! I went to a local granite shop and got a throw-away piece. Sweet!

 

[Kentos]

Nice! Let us know how the films work out for ya

 

[Mr_Spiffy]

Nice! Let us know how the films work out for ya

Will do! I read a bunch about honing and sharpening razors, and noticed that you're a big proponent of films. And it seems that films are the easiest and least-expensive method for newbies, such as myself, to get into the action. Maybe eventually I'll give stones a try. But I really can't complain with the films. I have 4 sheets of each (12u, 5u, 3u, 1u) for less than $15, and a free granite surface to hone on. That's cheap!

Once I get into trying out the films, I'll be sure to post some updates.

Speaking of updates... I had my third straight shave this morning. I just did one pass WTG. The razor seemed a little more dull than the previous shaves, but it still did the job. After the shave, I stropped 20 times each on the green (CrOx)and red (FeOx) sides of my balsa strop from WD. Then stropped 40 laps on my leather strop. The edge looks like it's been refreshed, and the bevel is shiny again. But I won't have a chance to try it out until I return home from a business trip in a couple days. Hopefully that gives me a sweet edge to shave with again.

I also had my first "ah-ha" moment during my shave this morning. When I work right by my sideburns, it's very difficult for me to see anything, as my hand/arm/razor are all in the way of my view in the mirror. But, then I tried a different grip. I held it almost like how you would strop, with the handle in-line with the blade in a nice straight line. That had my hand up higher and the scales were out of my way. It made a huge difference in helping me see what I'm doing and let me trim my sideburns straight and even. Otherwise I'd either miss the tops of my face by my sideburns, trim the sideburns unevenly, or nick my ear like I did on my first shave attempt. Anyone else hold their razor like this?

 

[joshuastar]

I have held the razor like that...but that means nothing. I've used a straight razor only 4 or 5 times.

 

[Mr_Spiffy]

Had another shave this morning. It went very well. I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of things. I only did one pass WTG, but it only took me about 10 minutes or so. It seems like I'm starting to get the feel for how the razor cuts, and that I don't have to be as afraid of slicing skin as I originally was. If the razor is good and sharp, and my lather is slick, the blade glides pretty well.

Had another "ah-ha" moment or two, although I've noticed these over the past couple of shaves. I found that I can rotate my wrist as I curve the blade over my jawline. (Though I still need to go slowly with this move.) And I can use my fingers and wrist to almost swing the razor blade, as though it were pivoting around the pin. It sort of swipes the cheek, and helps make a nice pass on larger, flatter areas of the face. I can also do this a bit when shaving over the upper lip area. Since the hair runs outward, almost parallel with my lip, I can slide the razor along the lip and then sort of swing it around the outside of the mouth.

In other words, keeping the wrist and fingers relaxed (NOT LOOSE OR FLOPPY!) helps me to create smooth motions with the razor.

 

[Mr_Spiffy]

Another shave today (#5). As usual, the WTG pass has been going smoothly. No real nicks or cuts. Everything feels nice and smooth running my hand WTG. Just out of curiosity, I tried a little bit of XTG/ATG. I can definitely tell that ATG will take some time to get used to, both in terms of technique and holding the razor. I'll need to improve the previous passes before I'll be ready for ATG, so more practice is needed. I definitely got some irritation and a few weepers, and it definitely wasn't as easy, going back ATG. I also noticed that stretching of the skin is especially important with ATG. That helped tremendously, and even allowed me to achieve DFS (and even some patches of BBS!) on the cheeks and most of the neck. I didn't dare try doing my chin or mouth area, yet. I'll save that for when I have more time to really focus and take things slowly and carefully.

So, anyway. I feel like I'm really getting WTG down. Now, to start working on XTG passes a bit more. No more ATG until I get that nailed. Stropping also seems to be going very well, and the razor is staying nice and sharp. In fact, it almost feels smoother than when I first got it from WD, which is awesome. Can't wait to practice some more!

 

[Mr_Spiffy]

Shaved again last night. Unfortunately, it didn't go so smoothly. The usual WTG pass went well. But as I began my two XTG passes, my lather was drying out. I tried adding some water to the brush to moisten the lather again, but it didn't last long. I'm not sure if that's just how this soap is, or if that was my fault. (It was EJ Sandalwood puck soap.) I may try it again. We'll see. It felt slick, while it was wet. But it just dried quickly. In any case, that caused some pretty serious irritation and razor burn. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't comfortable, either. Nothing a little ASB couldn't help with. In any case, a learning experience, once again.

Another thought popped into my head. I haven't tested my razor with the HHT. I'll give that a whirl and see how it does. But, I have a feeling that the blade will need to be much sharper to achieve a smooth ATG pass, once I get to that point.

I'm getting better at shaving around my sideburns and ears. The new hold has really worked well to let me see what I'm doing.

I'll try the HHT and report back. I'm curious how the results will turn out.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Be sure you wipe the razor dry before putting it away. Don't let any water or lather get in between the scales. It is a good idea to leave the razor open for a while instead of folding it right away. I don't oil my razors and I don't use any special sleeves and I get no rust problems.

 

[Mr_Spiffy]

After a shave, I make sure wipe the blade and scales down, and I "floss" the scales with TP, to soak up water before putting them away. I also strop after shaving to ensure a dry edge, as I've heard that's the way to do it. I also store them outside of the bathroom to avoid moisture/rust issues.

 

[Mr_Spiffy]

Had another shave this morning. Just did a quick single pass WTG, as I didn't have time to do any additional passes. No nicks, cuts, etc. Pretty smooth. I feel like my stropping is going pretty well. I've shaved several times now, without having to hit the balsa. So, my edge still seems to be staying sharp. Can't wait to try my hand at honing soon. I want to practice a bit on a cheap razor, first, which I have a couple, though one is currently undergoing restoration, first. But my first WD razor seems to be nowhere near requiring a touch-up on stones or film. Awesome!

So, overall, not much to write home about. But another successful shave (#7) in the books.

 

[Mr_Spiffy]

Well, shaves #8 and #9 are down.

For shave #8, I decided to try ATG again. We were having a party, and I wanted to look, and feel, my best. Not a great idea with a newbie on a straight, but hey... what the heck, right? As usual, WTG went very well. XTG went pretty well, too. But, I need to pay a bit more attention to hair direction. At times, I went nearly ATG, which meant the razor was tugging and catching on the hair a bit. But all was well. ATG was an adventure. It's certainly going to require a confident hand, and a good stroke of the razor to push through ATG hair growth. (At least, my razor did...) I think that next time I will try my other WD razor with the fresh edge to see how it compares going ATG with my current razor that I have shaved several times with. I probably also need a touch-up on the balsa, I think. But I used a technique that I saw in a shaving video. I laid the razor nearly flat on my face and used what would be similar to a DE buffing stroke in short increments to cut the hair. It certainly worked, and I ended up with DFS all over, and areas of BBS, to boot! Of course, there were a few nicks and a cut or two. But, overall, I was very happy with how it went. I certainly need more practice, especially with gripping the razor on XTG/ATG passes, but it's getting better. And WTG passes are pretty easy, now.

Shave #9 went okay. I did WTG and XTG passes with a new soap (Cella puck), which was pretty nice. But I did have a few nicks on some bumps, probably from the yesterday's shave. So, I finished up with a DE on the ATG pass and touch-up. Even the DE wasn't very pleasant, so I think I need to ease up a bit on the shaving and let things heal up for a couple days before I do another SR shave.

I'm also nearing completion with a restoration of a straight. Can't wait to share photos! I also want to practice honing soon. Perhaps next weekend..? Gotta try sometime. I have a razor with a very bad edge, so I'll have practice setting a bevel, as well as getting it ready for a shave. I wish I had someone to show and help me with it, but the honing videos here will have to suffice.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I like to give a razor a dozen or two light laps on the balsa after each shave, rather than wait for it to be dull. Just me.

If I can offer one single bit of advice for honing, it is to absolutely make sure that your bevel is set along the entire edge before progressing. Lack of a proper bevel is probably the most common reason for not getting a good edge your first time out. Here is my foolproof if possibly slightly wasteful method:

Hone just one side of the razor for 100 strokes. Feel the edge by letting your finger drag off the edge, as if sliding off a cliff. On the side opposite the one you honed, you should feel the tiniest catch as if the edge is hooked upwards slightly. This is the burr. You want to feel a burr present along the entire edge. If no burr, go another 100 strokes. After 200 strokes give that side a break and do the other side 200 strokes. And so forth. Eventually you must get a burr on both the first side and then the second side. Now you know that the two bevel planes intersect at the edge. Next, remove the burr that you worked so hard to get, by honing normally, using regular alternating laps and yes, LIGHT pressure. The weight of the razor is enough. When the burr is completely gone, give it another 4 dozen or so of these very light laps. Now it should shave arm hair quite well, even off a 600 grit hone. 1000 grit is more commonly used for setting the bevel but you can use something much coarser if a lot of steel is to be removed. Then you are ready to begin your progression. You only ever need to do this ONCE.

Remember to always keep the spine on the honing surface, and when you flip the blade, flip the EDGE outward. Keep the shoulder off the hone because it will elevate the heel and press the toe into the hone.

When you have your bevel set, take a break. Come back for more pointers before proceeding. We want to sell you on lapping film!

 

[Mr_Spiffy]

Thanks, Slash! That's awesome information! I didn't even think to keep the shoulder off of the honing surface, but it makes sense. I do believe you're supposed to lead with the heel, though, correct? And use the same "X" type of stroke that we use on a strop? (edge leading, of course) I'll also hit the balsa more often. It was my understanding that proper use of a strop can help you avoid the balsa for a bit. But, I'm guessing my technique isn't THAT good, yet, with a strop. And I want my shaves to be more comfortable, aside from WTG.

I do have one razor that appears to smile a little bit, so I think I'll put that one off for a bit to avoid ruining the shape of the blade. Unless, of course, the smile is because someone else didn't know how to hone properly. Is there a trick that you use to help hone those curved areas of the razor? Like the heel area, or the tip? The middle of the blade seems to be pretty straight on most of the blades in post #4. But those areas concern me a bit.

I also tested my current razor doing the HHT three times to get a good idea of where it's at. It did pass, but it caught and then split the hair (HHT-2), so it's not as sharp as it could be. I'll have to try my other WD razor, which has a new edge from Larry to see where it falls on the HHT scale.

 

[Slash McCoy]

A smiley can be honed quite nicely but it takes a little more technique than a straight edge. For that reason I would hold off on the smiley until you are getting really nice edges on a straight edged razor.

To hone a smiley, you use a rolling x stroke. Start by keeping the blade balanced so that the middle part is getting honed. Then gradually start biasing first onto the heel and then slowly and slightly rocking the blade lengthwise to move the pressure point toward the toe. Don't exaggerate the roll, though. Many razors are made with a smiling edge. Some acquire one through sloppy honing. You can straighten the edge if you like but many shavers prefer the smile, feeling that it helps when sweeping the razor along the face with heel leading. Some call this a scything stroke. I suggest that newer razors obviously made with a smile be left as is, and if you don't like a smile, sell or trade for a straight edge razor. A beat up much loved vintage you can feel free to straighten if you have plenty of steel to work with.

To straighten a smiley there are a couple of different methods. The quick and dirty bull in the china shop method is to breadknife and then reset the bevel. You can also simply hone often, beginning with a coarser stone than strictly needed, and spend a lot of time with the center getting the most love on the hone. Eventually you will work it straight.

HHT is not an absolute measuring tool, but a relative one. Your HHT2 might be my HHT3 or HHT1+. It is best used to compare your own edges with one another and to measure progress as you hone one particular blade. Of course a zero HHT is very likely inadequate and anybody's HHT5 is going to be a sweet shaver but in between it is all relative and depends a lot on the hair sample and your testing technique.

 

[Mr_Spiffy]

Do you find that the videos in the honing sticky are pretty good for demonstrating the rolling X stroke that you're talking about? My razors don't have a nice, constant curve to them. Sounds like it'll take some practice to really get the technique down. I'll stick with straight blades for now, and see how it goes.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I haven't watched those videos, TBH. But I am sure that they demonstrate it nicely. Anyway you know what you got to do to get what you want to get. The parts not getting honed with a regular flat stroke got to get honed. Heel needs attention and isn't getting any? Make sure the heel gets some. Same with the toe. Yes it does take some practice, and the results are not consistent in the beginning.

 

[rockviper]

You've got about 2 weeks on me, Mr.Spiffy. A few of my other friends (brucered and syngent) have started down the straight journey within a few days of each other, so I'll be following your adventures as well. Slash's comments in posts 15 and 17 already have me thinking about stuff ..... in a good way. I also roll my wrist when going downward over the jawline.

Keep at it!