Every time I unwrap a Feather blade it immediately gets put under hot water to melt the bloody wax off it which I hate. (I don’t know why) The blade than gets rinsed completely in ISO 99% and blown dry. I than oil the blade ( I use a nice scented olive oil based shave oil) which is loaded into a beautifully washed and polished Gold Grande. I read a science article showing edge deterioration occurs through oxidation weakening edge stability of the steel. That is the only hot water used in my shave. If it wasn’t for washing the razor (I prefer hot) it would be all cold water. I do not put a SR blade away without oiling it first.( I use mineral food grade oil) All steels oxidize. Oil protects and slows oxidation down dramatically.
My Search For Smooth
- Thread starter TinyT
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- Thread starter
- #902
RR Lupo
Omega 10051
Palmolive Classic Men
Feather (5)
2 passes, WTG
Tonight I shaved with...
...cold water!
With the words comfort, comfort, comfort on my mind I did no skin stretching first pass and used as little pressure as possible. No tugging, not even at my lower lip but Feather's are still not my favourite blade. Still, a no fuss pass. A quick wipe with a wet left hand and I relathered. The second pass was awesome. Very, very smooth, incredibly comfortable and most suprisingly of all, zero irritation. I felt a momentary sting at the top of my neck and on the point of my chin, left side when I rinsed. Probably where I pressed down a bit. If I used alum I suppose that's where I'd feel it.
Each to their own as they say, but for me, this was a fantastic shave. Post shave my skin feels as cool and comfortable as I could ask for. No redness anywhere. Ace. And it was all done in just under twenty minutes, from the minute I walked into the bathroom till the moment I left, including cleaing the sink etc. Less than half the time it normally takes me and I used a lot less water too! Bonzer.
Omega 10051
Palmolive Classic Men
Feather (5)
2 passes, WTG
Tonight I shaved with...
...cold water!
With the words comfort, comfort, comfort on my mind I did no skin stretching first pass and used as little pressure as possible. No tugging, not even at my lower lip but Feather's are still not my favourite blade. Still, a no fuss pass. A quick wipe with a wet left hand and I relathered. The second pass was awesome. Very, very smooth, incredibly comfortable and most suprisingly of all, zero irritation. I felt a momentary sting at the top of my neck and on the point of my chin, left side when I rinsed. Probably where I pressed down a bit. If I used alum I suppose that's where I'd feel it.
Each to their own as they say, but for me, this was a fantastic shave. Post shave my skin feels as cool and comfortable as I could ask for. No redness anywhere. Ace. And it was all done in just under twenty minutes, from the minute I walked into the bathroom till the moment I left, including cleaing the sink etc. Less than half the time it normally takes me and I used a lot less water too! Bonzer.
- Thread starter
- #903
It was your previous remarks on this subject that had me thinking about it. I've enjoyed cold water shaving in the past but drifted away from it. If following shaves continue to be as good as tonight's was, I'll be glad of the return.
Wes most shave articles and procedures are all based for the normal crowd. Sensitive skin dudes have to find their own way. Controversy erupting between the groups. It is not the same game for sensitive skin. My two brothers have normal skin I do not. Our shaves have nothing in common. I worked with a dude that used the green soap in the dispensers found in locker rooms. He probably had a rusty blade in his Gillette TTO. Always finished his close shave with a big smile. I cringed every tine I saw him shave. My younger sensitive skin has only gotten more sensitive with age. I had suffered through over a half century of uncomfortable painful shaves. I have less than two years of great shaves. My shave adventures continue. Comfort above all. Best efficiencies always equal best comfort. This has been my recent experience. Was not surprised to hear your twenty minute shave being so comfortable. Obviously you have introduced efficiencies into your shave that equate to more comfort. Sometimes it’s just water temperature.
Twenty minutes! Half the time! If I stood still that long I might fall asleep lol.
What I was told when I was 15 holds true: "First you get good, then you get fast." You're well on your way!
- Thread starter
- #906
I was! It was just one of those shaves where everything clicked. I thought I hadn't used enough cream to start with but I kept adding water and the lather got better and better, never even came close to drying out or dissipating. I'll see if I can replicate that next time.
- Thread starter
- #907
Yeah, lol. I've had cramp in my leg on more than one occasion. That's when you know things aren't exactly going smoothly, haha.
I couldn’t do cold water, I would be shaving goosebumps. Thankfully warm water works for me.
- Thread starter
- #909
I expect it does for most.
I shave slowly enough that warm becomes lukewarm soon enough which is fine but just a bit meh. Cold water I liked right away when I first tried it a while back. It's zingy!
- Thread starter
- #910
RR Lupo
Omega 10051
Proraso White
Personna Lab Blue (4)
2 passes, WTG, cold water
Now this is a blade I could live with. Smooth, sharp and with an almost soft feeling to it's edge, a stark contrast to the three that came before it.
I lathered differently tonight. Instead of squeezing all the water from the brush I only shook out the excess and loaded with just the tips for about twenty seconds. "One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand..." I added a little water as I continued the count. The lather was wetter and runnier than normal, almost as cushiony.
Effortless first pass, I used skin stretching and never met a hint of resistance, let alone a tug. The mereist hint of irritation as I relathered has me (almost) certain that my issues in that regard are technical, not chemical. Proraso White is the one soap I know to cause me no problems whatsoever. Second pass, the lather was slick and thin enough that I could feel the blade - and when it's a blade I like I enjoy feeling it - and knew exactly how much pressure I was (or in this case wasn't) using and what the angle was, yet there was protection aplenty.
Faultless post shave with no irritation, no redness or dryness and borderline BBS except my neck, left jawline and the far left corner of my jaw. A post shave clean-up there still didn't quite get it. Next time.
Omega 10051
Proraso White
Personna Lab Blue (4)
2 passes, WTG, cold water
Now this is a blade I could live with. Smooth, sharp and with an almost soft feeling to it's edge, a stark contrast to the three that came before it.
I lathered differently tonight. Instead of squeezing all the water from the brush I only shook out the excess and loaded with just the tips for about twenty seconds. "One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand..." I added a little water as I continued the count. The lather was wetter and runnier than normal, almost as cushiony.
Effortless first pass, I used skin stretching and never met a hint of resistance, let alone a tug. The mereist hint of irritation as I relathered has me (almost) certain that my issues in that regard are technical, not chemical. Proraso White is the one soap I know to cause me no problems whatsoever. Second pass, the lather was slick and thin enough that I could feel the blade - and when it's a blade I like I enjoy feeling it - and knew exactly how much pressure I was (or in this case wasn't) using and what the angle was, yet there was protection aplenty.
Faultless post shave with no irritation, no redness or dryness and borderline BBS except my neck, left jawline and the far left corner of my jaw. A post shave clean-up there still didn't quite get it. Next time.
Congratulations, Tundranisto!
- Thread starter
- #912
Just shave a bit slower. It'll cool off in no time lol.
- Thread starter
- #914
Any slower and it'd evaporate.
- Thread starter
- #915
RR Lupo
Omega 10051
Proraso Red
Personna Lab Blue (5)
2 passes, N-S(S-N on neck), cold water and an easy DFS, borderline BBS in places. No tugging, no irritation, no redness, no dryness. No trouble.
I loaded for about thirty seconds this time put added more water. The lather was improved yet again. Wetter, slicker and plenty for multiple passes. I guess I'm using half as much soap.
Second pass I shaved steeper but with zero pressure. When I went to do a clean-up on the trouble spots it was like dragging the razor across glass. Job done.
Omega 10051
Proraso Red
Personna Lab Blue (5)
2 passes, N-S(S-N on neck), cold water and an easy DFS, borderline BBS in places. No tugging, no irritation, no redness, no dryness. No trouble.
I loaded for about thirty seconds this time put added more water. The lather was improved yet again. Wetter, slicker and plenty for multiple passes. I guess I'm using half as much soap.
Second pass I shaved steeper but with zero pressure. When I went to do a clean-up on the trouble spots it was like dragging the razor across glass. Job done.
Nice work with the cold water shaves and increased closeness and comfort!
Found your blade huh?
- Thread starter
- #918
- Thread starter
- #919
RR Lupo
Omega 10051
Cella
Personna Lab Blue (6)
2 passes, N-S(S-N on neck), cold water
Not quite as fine a shave as the last, for two reasons.
First, I lathered exactly the same way as last time. And therein lies the problem. Cella is not Proraso. I needed a little more soap and more water. I really noticed this second pass where the lather was a bit too thin and I had to reapply to my neck.
Second, as I was shaving my neck first pass, with long, easy strokes and no pressure I realised that I'd been using pressure almost everywhere above my neck. Not much, but some. Probably in reaction to the slightly poorer lather. There was some mild stinging to the left side of my face as I rinsed with my left hand between passes and mild irritation in places as I relathered and for the remainder of the shave.
It was still a good shave though. Post shave there was no redness or any visible signs of irritation but I could feel some for a few minutes afterwards. My face feels as fine as it looks now, twenty minutes later. I didn't do a cleanup and it could be closer here and there.
- Thread starter
- #920
RR Lupo
Omega 10051
Rasozero Spiffero
Personna Lab Blue (7)
2 passes, WTG, cold water
I used not quite enough soap and too much water as I started out, so the lather was a bit airy, yet it was surprisingly effective. Rinsing between passes there was no irritation but a very specific stinging near my right cheekbone. I had to go back to the tub for the second pass and fell back on the tried and trusted method of squeezing all the excess water from the brush, then slowly adding as I loaded. Lathering between passes proved what I'd suspected, that I'd used no pressure first pass. This soap would've told me if it was otherwise. Zero irritation. The second pass was as straightforward as the first.
A nice, close shave, apart from my far left jaw and a one inch strip at the top of my neck, left side. Good past shave with no irritation. As I had a final check in the mirror I saw a tiny nick on my right cheekbone. Stinging mystery explained.
Now, if I can just fine tune the soap to water ratio...
