njt's shave journey v2

[njtnjt]

Shave #8

The routine essentials;

60 passes on the leather
Shower
Pre-shave oil - Taconic organic unscented oil
Brush - Saville Row silver tip
Cella shave soap
Razor - vintage Le Grelot p. hospital
Scuttle - Dirty Bird
minor cleanup up with DE
post-shave
Moisturizer; Jason's vitamin E moisturizing cream
Cologne; Creed Vetiver
25 passes on the leather strop

The shave went well today. The smoothest one I have ever had. I attribute it to the new razor and some increased skill on my part. The razor was just honed when I used it yesterday. No stropping - I just put it to my face and went at it. Between yesterday and today it had 85 passes on the leather which might have smoothed things out a bit. Because it sure was smooth and effortless. I am really getting a taste of just how good a straight razor shave can be. Why was this kept from me for so many years?

Additionally I want to say that my shave from yesterday lasted the longest of any I have had in my life. When I woke up this morning I really didn't need to shave. The growth was noticeably lower than usual - probably half or less. Is it the new razor, the hone that was on it, my technique getting better? Probably the first 2 more than me. I don't think I am really doing much differently than last week except that I am more comfortable with the razor in my hands. Shave time has gone from an hour to just over 20 minutes though.

3 and 1um film are on the way. The pasted strop is ready too. None of my razors need retouching yet. Maybe in another couple of weeks. In the meantime I want to find out from the guy who sold me this razor just how he honed it!

Thanks for reading.

 

[njtnjt]

Shave #9

The routine essentials;

60 passes on the leather
Shower
Pre-shave oil - Taconic organic unscented oil
Brush - Saville Row silver tip
Cella shave soap
Razor - vintage Le Grelot p. hospital (3rd shave on fresh edge)
Scuttle - Dirty Bird
minor cleanup up with DE
post-shave
Moisturizer; Jason's vitamin E moisturizing cream
Cologne; Creed Vetiver
25 passes on the leather strop for cleanup

Improvement continues. I almost didn't need to do any cleanup with my DE today. The shave are getting faster too. About 25 minutes or so. The Le Grelot continues to amaze me. This razor is just doing it for me in a big way. Hard to explain but it's effortless and smooth.

The biggest improvements are in figuring out blade angles and left hand coordination. I was able to follow the curve of my jaw line down on to my neck near the chin area today. I don't know how I did it. It has been a problem area that I had to approach from 4 different directions in order to cover. For some reason I was making the stroke down on that area from above, it felt comfortable and I knew I could just keep going all the way around and down to my throat.

It has only been 9 shaves but seems like many more. Suppose when the first shaves were taking an hour that it has been a long time to have a razor on my face this past week. A DE shave takes just a few minutes.

I continue to use the pre-shave oil to good effect. It is helping to keep my skin moisturized during the shave. The shaves are getting shorter so the soap is not sitting on the skin and drying it out as much too. All in all - good progress. Loving the journey this time.

I have some lapping paper coming. Not sure when the edge is going to start to tug but I want to be ready for that eventuality and learn how to fix it myself. Have done a lot of reading. Starting with 3um and 1um film. I may try the balsa pasted strop first and see how that goes. Then if not sharp enough, move up to 1um film over wet paper, then 1um film without the paper, etc until I feel that the edge has come back. Then work back through the progression the other way till I hit the leather for the final finish. I think I will double the number of passes that are typically called for to start with. The person I bought my Le Grelot from said it took "forever" to reset the bevel and to sharpen. The the metal is very hard. So extra passes on the pasted strop (80) to start with, see if that brings back the edge and then go from there. It's a plan anyway.

I really need to purchase another 5/8 vintage Le Grelot. I am looking...

Thanks for reading Gents. Saying a prayer on this Memorial Day for my Dad who was a veteran of Korea, friends who served in Vietnam, and all other veterans everywhere. I sit here and play with these awesome razors because they protected us.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Seems things are going super well! I recall the first time I managed to follow the angle of transition from cheek to jaw and such, and I also didn't really think about it at the time, just suddenly realized I'd done it. lol

A good straight shave definitely lasts longer than the DE shave, even if both feel BBS right after. I've never come up with any good theory as to why, but many many of us have noticed it.

I still take 35-45 minutes for shaves, but I'm also generally not paying attention or caring about the time, just enjoying the ritual for all it's worth.

 

[njtnjt]

Shave #10

The routine essentials;

60 passes on the leather
Shower
Pre-shave oil - Taconic organic unscented oil
Brush - Saville Row silver tip
Cella shave soap
Razor - vintage Le Grelot p. hospital (shave 4 on fresh edge)
Scuttle - Dirty Bird
minor cleanup up with DE
post-shave
Moisturizer; Jason's vitamin E moisturizing cream
Cologne; Creed Vetiver
25 passes on the leather strop for cleanup

Another great shave. Some more razor angles are falling in to place naturally. The Le Grelot is wonderful. The edge smoothed out after the first shave and has not noticeably changed since. Lapping film is on the way for when I feel edge maintenance is needed. I am also looking to purchase a new strop.... and another Le Grelot.

 

[njtnjt]

Shave #11

The routine essentials;

60 passes on the leather
Shower
Pre-shave oil - Taconic organic unscented oil
Brush - Saville Row silver tip
Cella shave soap
Razor - vintage Le Grelot p. hospital (shave 5 on fresh edge)
Scuttle - Dirty Bird
minor cleanup up with DE
post-shave
Moisturizer; Jason's vitamin E moisturizing cream
Cologne; Creed Vetiver
25 passes on the leather strop for cleanup

Everything still going well. I kept the lather a bit thinner today and blade angle lower. Both those items helped the shave go better. The blade is just so smooth and sharp. I really liked how it broke in since it has been stropped. The person I bought it from finished it on a Chinese 12k. I think it was a bit harsh on the first shave - but wickedly sharp. Perhaps to much of a keen edge. It was fun to shave with though. I'm not complaining.

I am looking forward to buying a new strop. I work every day on my technique with it. I have a poor mans strop which I use laying down flat on the bureau. It is too short and does not have a handle to try hanging it. Stropping seems to be one of the most important rituals to get a hold of. It is what keeps the edge going and fresh between touch-ups on film or a rock. I want to be an expert at it eventually. For now I am the slowest stropper in the East.

About 20 minutes for one pass WTG. Leaves my face closer shaved than my Merkur/Feather 2 pass shaves. The left hand continues to be the slow-poke. There is improvement every day so it is just a matter of time before it catches up to the right. For just 11 shaves the left hand is doing awesome

Carry on Dear Readers and thank you for looking.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Seems to be going strong. Have you looked into which strop you may pick up next?

 

[njtnjt]

Hi "Shave Rat"

I am thinking 3 inch Tony Miller. I think the strop might be the most important piece of maintenance gear that one could have.

 

[Lmarkow]

Tony makes some real nice strops. They just get prettier as they get used.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Hi "Shave Rat"

I am thinking 3 inch Tony Miller. I think the strop might be the most important piece of maintenance gear that one could have.

It's definitely the most important pieces. Many can go 3 or 4,even up to and past 6 months without needing anything other than just a singe strop to keep the edge going. Never a wrong move grabbing one of the TM strops.

 

[njtnjt]

It's definitely the most important pieces. Many can go 3 or 4,even up to and past 6 months without needing anything other than just a singe strop to keep the edge going. Never a wrong move grabbing one of the TM strops.

Thank you so much. That is where I am hoping to end up. 3 to 6 months between touch-ups sounds great to me! I am going to keep after it till I get there.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Thank you so much. That is where I am hoping to end up. 3 to 6 months between touch-ups sounds great to me! I am going to keep after it till I get there.

Any questions you get, post them here. Lots of great gents to offer advice and tips, for sure.

 

[njtnjt]

Any questions you get, post them here. Lots of great gents to offer advice and tips, for sure.

I guess any sage advice on stropping technique would be welcome. I have seen videos but folks go so fast I would be sure to round the edge.

The other question is does anyone recommend a clearly better alternative to the TM strop? The quality and price point just seem to meet up there for me.

 

[Lmarkow]

I don't think anyone could come up with any "clearly better alternatives" to one of Tony's strops. This really is a YMMV thing. Added to which, some of us prefer certain types of razors on one strop vs. an other. I like my TM for heavier grinds. My Kanayama seems better for hollow grinds. The Walking Horse Horween tanned horsebutt would be the one I'd keep, though, if I had to choose one.

 

[njtnjt]

I don't think anyone could come up with any "clearly better alternatives" to one of Tony's strops. This really is a YMMV thing. Added to which, some of us prefer certain types of razors on one strop vs. an other. I like my TM for heavier grinds. My Kanayama seems better for hollow grinds. The Walking Horse Horween tanned horsebutt would be the one I'd keep, though, if I had to choose one.

Interesting… I like hollow grinds but at this early stage would I notice a difference in sharpening performance?

 

[Lmarkow]

Interesting… I like hollow grinds but at this early stage would I notice a difference in sharpening performance?

I wouldn't have. It's not clear to me that one strop or the other results in a sharper razor or a better shave. Much of this may simply be inexplicable preference, in my head, and/or wishful thinking. But I do see a cleaner, wider bevel after I strop with my WH.

 

[bluesman 7]

Starting with 3um and 1um film. I may try the balsa pasted strop first and see how that goes. Then if not sharp enough, move up to 1um film over wet paper, then 1um film without the paper, etc until I feel that the edge has come back.

Don't take this as gospel or anything. I think of the film over paper as a way to tame harshness and create a convex bevel. So I would say if you determine that you need to go back to the film, to go directly to 1um WITHOUT paper then 1um over paper as a final finisher. Using the film over paper first will put the edge just out of reach for the straight 1um and create more work IMO. On the other hand the fact that your coming up with a plan and thinking about this is a huge step in the right direction. And please, if you feel your plan is more correct, do follow it. I could easily be wrong.

 

[njtnjt]

I wouldn't have. It's not clear to me that one strop or the other results in a sharper razor or a better shave. Much of this may simply be inexplicable preference, in my head, and/or wishful thinking. But I do see a cleaner, wider bevel after I strop with my WH.

Is the stropping motion supposed to be an X pattern no matter the size of the strop - or is just back and forth in a straight line proper technique?

 

[njtnjt]

Don't take this as gospel or anything. I think of the film over paper as a way to tame harshness and create a convex bevel. So I would say if you determine that you need to go back to the film, to go directly to 1um WITHOUT paper then 1um over paper as a final finisher. Using the film over paper first will put the edge just out of reach for the straight 1um and create more work IMO. On the other hand the fact that your coming up with a plan and thinking about this is a huge step in the right direction. And please, if you feel your plan is more correct, do follow it. I could easily be wrong.

This is excellent thinking. I will go straight to film, then finish with the paper underneath. Thanks!

 

[njtnjt]

Shave #12

The routine essentials;

60 passes on the leather
Shower
Pre-shave oil - Taconic organic unscented oil
Brush - Saville Row silver tip
Cella shave soap
Razor - vintage Le Grelot p. hospital (shave 5 on fresh edge)
Scuttle - Dirty Bird
minor cleanup up with DE
post-shave
Moisturizer; Jason's vitamin E moisturizing cream
Cologne; Creed Vetiver
25 passes on the leather strop for cleanup

Best shave ever (cue valley girls on word "ever") I am guessing my angles were better than yesterday. The shave is just so close I am amazed. I am still only going WTG mostly but the shave is better than I could do with a DE any day. For the first time I shaved N/S on my chin continuing down to my neck. I have not felt comfortable till today to try that. It went well and is easier than doing XTG strokes to get the chin and just underneath the chin. I don't have loose skin there so I can't stretch the "edge" up or down to make it easier to reach. Following the contour of my chin straight down is the best way and worked very well.

The razor is still amazingly comfy with no tugging or hesitation cutting whiskers. I am prowling for another Le Grelot...

Thanks for reading.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Wow, progressing with the learning way faster than I managed to, that's for sure. Excellent!