Phoenixkh: An Old Man's Continuum....

[Phoenixkh]

Yes, I think I do mean better bad shaves. I’m sure my bad shaves are also a lot better than my good shaves used to be.

What’s your journal telling you so far? Any clear threads that run through your best shaves and are absent from your bad ones?

Thinking back, I suspect my breakthroughs included:

• Using glycerine soap for my pre-shave wash
• Smearing some in-progress lather on my beard so the stubble doesn’t dry while I’m still working on my lather
• Spending longer on lathering and adding more water so it’s still creamy but it’s just about to start running down my neck
• Learning to use a lighter touch with the razor
• Learning that my hair growth direction isn’t what I think it is in some small areas - and sometimes the growth direction changes
• Moving away from aggressive razors and learning that mild razors can be just as efficient if you are better at keeping the angle and using less pressure
• Learning that razors which make the blade edge rigid work much better on my tougher stubble against the grain and allow me to cut better with less pressure
• Not settling for a good enough shave, but rather demanding a certain shave result and experimenting with different things until I can reliably get the result I want without irritation. If I get a less closely shaved area or irritation somewhere, I specifically plan to do something different there next shave - I learned much faster once I determined not to accept imperfection and keep doing the same thing
• Discovering the joy of witch hazel, which surely does nothing at all but has become my favourite part of the shave

Any of that similar to your experience, or anything different?

I also like to use mild razors but sharp blades and my own aggressive, home-made shaving techniques, which I avoid talking about because they are surely unwise and I don’t want to be responsible for anyone else’s injuries. It just works well for me, the way I want the shave to end up. But don’t try this at home.

@Mr. Shavington , I want to thank you for your thoughtful response. I'm doing much the same thing. Months ago now, though it seems like yesterday, @Cal told me...... Always wear your white belt. Along with @never-stop-learning 's very SN.. that's my goal... always remain the student.

I wouldn't want to hazard a guess at your own special techniques but I know I adapt as I'm shaving.. to the razor, to the blade, soap, whiskers... everything. With that bad blade, I knew it wasn't working well.. and as @LRod suggested in one of the Green Cult threads, I knew on the first WTG stroke something wasn't right. I should have changed the blade out immediately but I plowed on. I did my usual two pass shave: WTG and ATG.... but wasn't getting the close shaves I normally get so I did an odd XRG pass, throwing in different angles, etc., and that's how I ended up getting a satisfying end result. It just took too long and a lot of extra effort.. no weepers or cuts. Like I said... it wasn't relaxing, comfortable or smooth.... but I did get the closeness I expect.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

@Mr. Shavington , I want to thank you for your thoughtful response. I'm doing much the same thing. Months ago now, though it seems like yesterday, @Cal told me...... Always wear your white belt. Along with @never-stop-learning 's very SN.. that's my goal... always remain the student.

I wouldn't want to hazard a guess at your own special techniques but I know I adapt as I'm shaving.. to the razor, to the blade, soap, whiskers... everything. With that bad blade, I knew it wasn't working well.. and as @LRod suggested in one of the Green Cult threads, I knew on the first WTG stroke something wasn't right. I should have changed the blade out immediately but I plowed on. I did my usual two pass shave: WTG and ATG.... but wasn't getting the close shaves I normally get so I did an odd XRG pass, throwing in different angles, etc., and that's how I ended up getting a satisfying end result. It just took too long and a lot of extra effort.. no weepers or cuts. Like I said... it wasn't relaxing, comfortable or smooth.... but I did get the closeness I expect.

I’m sure you didn’t do this, but it’s always best to not assume - when I feel something wrong with the first WTG stroke it is usually because I forgot to tighten the handle fully after I left the razor loosened to dry from my previous shave. I do get very uncomfortable (but incredibly efficient) first passes when I make this mistake.

Some of my best shaves were from a 1st pass using a loose handle, then checking and fixing it for the 2nd and 3rd passes. I did it with the Tatara Muramasa and the blade was completely flat and uncurved the whole first pass. Damn good shave that was, in the end.

This isn’t one of my special techniques, by the way, but maybe it should be.

 

[spacemonkey42]

I had a rough set of shaves with an injector, I kept wondering what I was doing wrong, as normally injectors produce the smoothest shaving. After a few shaves I realized that something went wrong with the injection, which created a burr on the edge of the blade. Duh, why didn't I figure that out more quickly? I will from now on. Learning!

 

[Phoenixkh]

I’m sure you didn’t do this, but it’s always best to not assume - when I feel something wrong with the first WTG stroke it is usually because I forgot to tighten the handle fully after I left the razor loosened to dry from my previous shave. I do get very uncomfortable (but incredibly efficient) first passes when I make this mistake.

Some of my best shaves were from a 1st pass using a loose handle, then checking and fixing it for the 2nd and 3rd passes. I did it with the Tatara Muramasa and the blade was completely flat and uncurved the whole first pass. Damn good shave that was, in the end.

This isn’t one of my special techniques, by the way, but maybe it should be.

I've heard/read about loose handles. That's one of the reasons I use those nylon M5 washers with any razor that will take them. It gives me a snug fit without leaving a mark on the bottom plate. I always disassemble, clean, dry and reassemble a razor after every use. With the nylon washers, I've never had a handle come loose. In fact, the handle it so tight, I usually have to put the head in one of my clean up towels to loosen it. I don't overtighten them, however. No need to damage the threads..... just snug.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I had a rough set of shaves with an injector, I kept wondering what I was doing wrong, as normally injectors produce the smoothest shaving. After a few shaves I realized that something went wrong with the injection, which created a burr on the edge of the blade. Duh, why didn't I figure that out more quickly? I will from now on. Learning!

It's funny the things we miss. I know my soap was off yesterday too... I was using a badger brush I've only used a couple times. The Canada Shaving soap sort of faded as I was shaving. I had to reapply it during the passes.... it looked the same when I was lathering it.... Before the second path... I sort of re-lathered it with the brush, adding more water to the mix. It was much better, though I'm still getting used to that knot.

When I do the next shave.... I won't change anything but the blade to a Nacet.. I'll use one of my SV brushes since I'm far more familiar with them. Try to cut down on the variables.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

I've heard/read about loose handles. That's one of the reasons I use those nylon M5 washers with any razor that will take them. It gives me a snug fit without leaving a mark on the bottom plate. I always disassemble, clean, dry and reassemble a razor after every use. With the nylon washers, I've never had a handle come loose. In fact, the handle it so tight, I usually have to put the head in one of my clean up towels to loosen it. I don't overtighten them, however. No need to damage the threads..... just snug.

I do the same with the washers and I’ve never had a handle loosen itself. I just undo the handle a few turns after cleaning the razor, just to open up the head in case it needs to dry out a bit more. Then I forget and I pick it up to shave a few days or a week later.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I do the same with the washers and I’ve never had a handle loosen itself. I just undo the handle a few turns after cleaning the razor, just to open up the head in case it needs to dry out a bit more. Then I forget and I pick it up to shave a few days or a week later.

yeah... That makes sense... I keep my razors loaded.... probably not the best idea but I like them ready to shave and I only have 6 that I'm using now. I have those two that didn't sell: the R41 and the 37C slant. Those aren't loaded, they are just waiting their turn for me to try them.

I do keep track of the blades installed in them in "Notes" on my phone, so I don't forget what's in there and how many times I've used the blade.

 

[Guido75]

What’s your journal telling you so far?

Let me collect my thoughts and get back to you (and the others).

Guido

 

[Rosseforp]

This little foray changed my plans to use my ATT X1 next.

The best laid plans of mice and men...

It should be interesting. I hope I have the success with them some others have here.

I have had good luck with Nacet blades in the past. The were my go-to-blade for a while!

I couldn't agree more. I have an analytical mind (OK... I'm anal about a lot of things. ). I like to get to the root causes of things, but in this case, though I will try to determine if the blade is the culprit, I'm going to relax about it. Stuff happens.

Try cutting heat treated alloy steel. You would not believe the selection of tools I had to use. The carbide insert catalog is 2" thick. There are Substrates and Coatings. Oh, there is a lot of reading material, but most of it is just guessing.
Sometimes you have to rely on technique and FM. The M stands for Magic, I can't say what the F stands for...

Discovering the joy of witch hazel, which surely does nothing at all but has become my favourite part of the shave

I have used Witch hazel from the beginning, just like my Grandad.

~doug~

 

[never-stop-learning]

I couldn't agree more. I have an analytical mind (OK... I'm anal about a lot of things. ). I like to get to the root causes of things, but in this case, though I will try to determine if the blade is the culprit, I'm going to relax about it. Stuff happens. I still got a close shave in the end. I know it isn't the razor itself... so it's one of the other variables listed or a combination of several of them.

On the S4 Social Styles map, that would make you an Analytical:

 

[Eric_75]

I have used Witch hazel from the beginning, just like my Grandad.

~doug~

I just starting using it a while back. Thayers Unscented. Better late than never.

 

[Phoenixkh]

On the S4 Social Styles map, that would make you an Analytical:
View attachment 1595428

David, I'm a mix of the bottom two...I hate working slow and I hate someone looking over my shoulder... thinking that will make me work faster. and some of the expressive style too... I'm a chameleon... there are lots of ways to get a job done... but man, are there so many wrong ways to proceed.

When it comes to shaving.. I am methodical in my gear choices... learning from the mistakes of others because I don't have enough cash to make them all myself.

 

[Eric_75]

On the S4 Social Styles map, that would make you an Analytical:
View attachment 1595428

I'm definitely not Driving.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I've had a variety of careers but what I loved the most was solving manufacturing problems.... and supply the equipment to remedy the problem.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I'm definitely not Driving.

Eric, musicians should have their own, separate category.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I think all of us are a mixture.....In my view, it all depends on our DNA and the environment in which we grew up... and later in life, where we worked and what we did... it all shapes us into who we end up.

 

[never-stop-learning]

I'm definitely not Driving.

I usually go between Expressive and Driver.

 

[Eric_75]

I usually go between Expressive and Driver.

According to the Myers-Briggs personality test I'm an INFP.

 

[APBinNCA]

On the S4 Social Styles map, that would make you an Analytical:

Fascinating, thanks for posting this! I would have self placed myself in far bottom left corner if I hadn't read it carefully, instead I learned something about how my personality is defined.

 

[APBinNCA]

According to the Myers-Briggs personality test I'm an INFP.

same here, "is never fun @parties!"