Rapt_up DE shaving journal - The journey begins

[thombrogan]

Wondering about how to get closer to BBS with fewer passes.

Lighter pressure, wetter lather, and shorter strokes is one way towards that goal.

The wetter lather lets you know if you can go even lighter. Clogs the razor less, too.

The shorter strokes increases cutting efficiency and makes it easier to notice and apply corrections as needed.

If you have a moment, I cannot recommend this guide from @AimlessWanderer enough.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Thanks @thombrogan for giving me a mention, and linking to the guide.

Wondering about how to get closer to BBS with fewer passes.

Angle. Simple as that, and practice finding and being consistent with that angle.

Had a nick on the underside of my chin, knew immediately that I set the blade down the angle was wrong

My usual scar under my jaw and a couple weepers one on the edge of the jaw, and one under my ear/behind my jaw

If a razor lets you cut below skin level and let blood out, it will also let you cut at skin level, and give you a blood free close shave. It'll take time to become consistent with it though. You won't master this in a week, but the rewards are out there waiting to be found and won. As Thom said though, many other aspects help too. For example, too thick a lather can numb your awareness, and can lead to too much pressure being used. Skin tightness, pressure, shaving speed, bowl or face lathering... whenever you change any element, you change everything.

but was feeling slightly disappointed that there seemed to be a lot of blade/whisker feedback as the first pass was happening.

If things get noisier than normal, first checked the razor head hasn't loosened. After that, it might be angle. If the blade is riding high, the hair might be plucking at the blade like a guitar string. Take time to check and adjust. If your razor, blade, face or skin, give you any kind of feedback, be that in sound or feel, listen to it.

I also have noticed that the sharper blades seem to produce sharper stubble. Like the whiskers are cut so clean they have a tapered tip that comes to a point more than with a duller blade which I don't think does that so much.

I would agree with this to an extent. However, a duller blade can also partially cut, and partially snap the hair, leaving the cut tip frayed for want of a better term. I hope Thom doesn't mind me saying so, but he has had problems with this in the past, and with the broken hairs curling back and causing problems.

I on the other hand, can suffer from that chisel edge hair tip that you describe, and it can sometimes lead to me getting an ingrown hair. Particularly if the shave is very close. A multi pass shave will leave the hair tip more bullet shaped (think sharpening a pencil) which with my hair and skin type, means the hair is less likely to snag and become ingrown, as that blunt bullet tip helps guide the hair safely out of the follicle. As our hair, skin, water chemistry, are all different, we all have to approach things a little differently to reach the same result.

I those this helps. Keep up the good work.

 

[Rapt_up]

Thanks guys for the guidance and the positivity. Will absolutely be checking out the guide. The only downside right now is not being able to shave several times a day to practice.

 

[thombrogan]

The only downside right now is not being able to shave several times a day to practice.

We have an evangelist of shaving with a straight razor; @rbscebu ; who sometimes eliminates his against the grain passes so he can shave more often.

I’m not saying you should get addicted to straight razor shaving — nor do I want to stop you if that is your choice — but some people will shave twice a day for the joy of it.

 

[Rapt_up]

We have an evangelist of shaving with a straight razor; @rbscebu ; who sometimes eliminates his against the grain passes so he can shave more often.

I’m not saying you should get addicted to straight razor shaving — nor do I want to stop you if that is your choice — but some people will shave twice a day for the joy of it.

I'd only be concerned about the wear and tear on my skin... Lol

 

[Rapt_up]

So despite being tempted to shave again last night I held off until this morning. Shave this morning RR GC 68 Jaws, blend of Proraso red/green and PAA CK-6 Daniad. Old Omega Boar brush I've had for 10 yrs or so.

Thanks to @AimlessWanderer and his guide which I read over a couple of times, I tried to follow a bunch of his advice.

Thinner wetter lather - check. Didn't affect the lubrication, but did make it much easier to see and feel whats happening.

Slower short strokes, paying careful attention to angle and consistency of sound and feel - check. Noted that as the angle changes the smoothness and sound changes. I tend to a steeper blade angle instinctively which causes more noise and "pulling" . I suspect blade is lifted off skin and the hairs are catching and "twanging" the blade as it does hang a fair ways off the top cap. If I made the angle steeper there was a window where it get quieter and smoother. And then if I kept going it started to get noisier and pull more again.

Try for lighter pressure - check. Again when the angle is right, the drag drops significantly and I don't feel the need (temptation?) to apply pressure.

No repeat strokes without lather - CHeck.

2 passes, Shave is as close or closer than yesterday overall, but smoother feeling in process. One small nick on chin, No weepers, not even on my scar. Although the scar is a bit irritated. Small steps, better feels.

Thanks again @thombrogan for referring me and @AimlessWanderer for writing a great and sensible guide.

 

[Jayson74]

@Rapt_up you are braver then me to use the Jaws plate. I just couldn't bring myself. What do you think of the Bulldog handle I sent it on? Give the Treet blades a try, I think you will be surprised, smooth and forgiving. I just managed my second BBS with a 3rd use Treet.

PM me. I have a couple models of Gillettes I could loan you if your interested.

 

[Rapt_up]

@Jayson74 never said I was smart, but I just jumped in. The Bulldog handle is nice size and weight and I love the coarse knurling. Some folks may not like that, but l love it. Thanks for the offer and the RR GC set up.

 

[Rapt_up]

Ok So full disclosure, I'm a knife nut and while I haven't ever shaved my face (or not all of it) with a knife, I do routinely shave off hair on my hands/arms/legs while testing the sharpness of my latest knife sharpening. I don't have a serious aversion to steel on my skin. My sharpest knives will actually cut a curly shaving off a hair, literally splitting hairs. LOL I think thats why I'm not so worried about razor aggression. I considered straight razors, but thought this (DE razors) was a more convenient and time efficient step for me. My knives bite me occasionally and much worse than any safety razor, and I still use them

 

[thombrogan]

Pocketknives, kitchen cutlery, outdoor entertainment knives, and khukris all make me very happy. Lost and regret losing the sharpening bug, though. Maybe for the best because the steps I would take for a hair-whittling chef knife are not the steps for a shave-ready razor.

Also, I got a patch of the curling back hairs from last night’s overly overtired shave. Like a grove of trees to be harvested for Yuletide decorations as opposed to an ecologically sustainable paper mill, so not too bad.

 

[Rapt_up]

Lots of common interests here... I see there's a Fountain pen section too... All the goodies... LOL

 

[Rapt_up]

Shave today, was the same setup as yesterday, super wet "lather" well brushed in. Followed @AimlessWanderer's guide as best I can. Even better shave than yesterday, smooth, getting more in tune with the feel and angle. No nicks, no weepers, just a little irritation on the site of my scar and where I had the nick the other day.

Aaaanddd, closeness is marginally better than yesterday. More uniform overall, and as close or maybe a hair closer. Very pleased with this I can't recommend the guide enough. At least for me this is making progress and improving my sense of what is happening far faster than I would have on my own.
Thanks again to @AimlessWanderer for his work in writing the guide and @thombrogan for bringing it to my attention.

Happy Shave Friday! Looking forward to a long slow shave (or 2) over the weekend.

 

[flask28]

I posted this in another thread about thin lather - check out this awesome turkish SR shave! Around :30 he makes his lather and WOW! It's basically soapy water lol. Super thin.

Like you, I've been working on trying to thin out my lather but it's like mayonnaise compared to this. I've got a ways to go

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Around :30 he makes his lather and WOW! It's basically soapy water lol. Super thin.

That looks about right when he's partway through lathering, but then it looks a little bit airy to me, when he's ready to shave. I'd have stopped face lathering a bit earlier. My "ready to shave" lather often looks wetter than that, but I apply it thicker than he did, and then keep thinking it down. I do get the occasional run. Also, I try to lay it off thinner, so there isn't those big clumps. Only the lather on the skin is useful, the peaks are unnecessary hurdles.

 

[Rapt_up]

I had planned a nice leisurely shave this morning, but Mother Nature and events conspired to give me 12" of snow to deal with and no time for a relaxing shave.

So I just jumped in and shaved in the shower today, like I used to for the last 20 yrs or so with the cartridge razors.

Used the thinner lather like I have the last couple shaves, and the RR GC 68 Jaws, and just did my usual shave by feel in the shower. Best shave yet. Hardly felt like shaving at all, smooth on the skin, easy. One nick on the neck where I started to think too much about it and second guessed my stroke there. And close close close, very little irritation anywhere, and yet damn near BBS shave. Happy with this one.

 

[thombrogan]

Congratulations on such a rewarding shave! May they only be better from here!

 

[Rapt_up]

Thanks! It was especially nice since I had been anticipating it being a challenge and the disappointment of not getting the time I had hope to have.

 

[flask28]

I had planned a nice leisurely shave this morning, but Mother Nature and events conspired to give me 12" of snow to deal with and no time for a relaxing shave.

So I just jumped in and shaved in the shower today, like I used to for the last 20 yrs or so with the cartridge razors.

Used the thinner lather like I have the last couple shaves, and the RR GC 68 Jaws, and just did my usual shave by feel in the shower. Best shave yet. Hardly felt like shaving at all, smooth on the skin, easy. One nick on the neck where I started to think too much about it and second guessed my stroke there. And close close close, very little irritation anywhere, and yet damn near BBS shave. Happy with this one.

You were under pressure and didn't think about it too much. Nice!!

 

[Rapt_up]

Shave in the shower again today, RR GC 68 Jaws on one side, Gillette Tech on the other...
I got a closer and easier shave with the RR GC 68 Jaws, because I could feel the blade, the Gillette in the shower was like a shave with no blade other than it cut whiskers. Really hard to tell what was happening, where the GC I could feel the blade and tell just how much it was cutting. No nicks anywhere, and very little irritation.

Has me wondering if I should consider a GC 84 or a Lupo 72 or a SuperSlant L2(+) as the next progression.

 

[Rapt_up]

Welcoming thoughts or insights from others on next step in razor progression since I seem to have fairly high tolerance so far to aggression/efficiency.

Watched some stuff from Blackland about one path to reduced irritation is actually more aggression/blade exposure/efficiency as you can feel the blade, and can tell how much contact your skin is getting, and cut the hairs and still reduce the passes. This makes sense to me as I have been essentially following this path with the GC 86 Jaws and moving to thinner lather, more water, in the shower now, so also super wet. Certainly todays shave comparing the Tech to the GC I actually preferred the GC because I could feel the blade. Instead of just swiping my face with no feedback, more maybe feedback thats too subtle for me to feel at thsi point.

Anyway I think I kinda want to pursue the increasing efficiency thing and see where my comfort limit is. I'm very much a develop new skills to suit the tools kind of guy, I have done this all my life with most of my skill sets, rather start with a more "advanced" tool and work my skills up to it, as it were.

I am intrigued by Slants as I see them technically as a way to improve cutting efficiency without increasing exposure, as the angle of attack effectively makes the blade sharper in its cut of the hair. Seems to me this should reduce irritation by pulling the hairs less.That said there seem to be lots of proponents for the GC 84 and the Lupo 72 (the prospect of the 95 maybe seems a step too far for now.... or does it?... maybe the DC which has both a 72 and a 95)

Guess I'll start watching for these on the BST... Unless theres a loaner program..lol