The problem is, I cant shave in a circle about 2"s in diameter lol.
(Slaps link to thread) You Can Fit So Much Wrong In This Journal
- Thread starter thombrogan
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The problem is, I cant shave in a circle about 2"s in diameter lol.
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- #122
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- #123
Stealing @AimlessWanderer’s advice to @comis:
Stole all of it; even the emojis.
Tonight’s shave with a fresh Schick Proline was better than my first shave with one, but…
The alum block called me a punk
The nerves on my face, they agreed
”Idjit better change his ways ‘fore too late”
Is what the block and the neurons decreed.
Shallow single edge is fun
Shaving ATG-only is cool
But when that BBS face
Is a razor-burnt disgrace
Someone’s only being a fool
Thicker lather does feel smoother during the shave, largely because it's muffling feedback, in my opinion. Personally, I prefer to take that blindfold off, and know exactly how it's treating my skin, right as it happens. That way I can adjust as I go, and avoid/minimise skin damage. Another way of saying it, is that the alum has more chance of stinging after the shave, if you didn't feel the blade scraping the skin during the shave.
You're getting alum stinging on a CCS finish, so your blade is hurting the skin (even though you're not feeling it at the time) yet still not removing all the stubble in it's entirety. Please note, I'm not being critical here, Chi - just bringing stuff into awareness.
Another thing to be mindful of is that some soap ingredients can cause irritation to some people, and so can brush burn (I got that once from a slow lathering soap. Not pleasant). As such, if the alum tells you that your skin is irritated, there are other things that can cause it other than poor technique.
As to what optimum lather is for you, judge both the feeling during the shave, and afterwards (including whatever the alum tells you). I think you're using it too thick, but you'll need to play around with it a little. Also, different products may need different lather consistencies. I tend to have to mix creams thicker than soaps to get good performance, but that thicker cream can often lead to a bigger telling off by the alum/aftershave afterwards. As such my lather and handling both need subtle changes with every change in product to get a shave of the standard I expect of myself.
To confuse things even further, the brush affects the lather too. So whenever you hit that perfect lather, that's only perfect for that brush and that soap/cream. Changing one thing changes everything
Stole all of it; even the emojis.
Tonight’s shave with a fresh Schick Proline was better than my first shave with one, but…
The alum block called me a punk
The nerves on my face, they agreed
”Idjit better change his ways ‘fore too late”
Is what the block and the neurons decreed.
Shallow single edge is fun
Shaving ATG-only is cool
But when that BBS face
Is a razor-burnt disgrace
Someone’s only being a fool
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- #124
Last night’s shave:
Pre-shave: Alberto VO5 Extra-Volume conditioner
RazoRock BlackHawk V2
Schick Proline P-30 (1)
Alberto VO5 Extra-Volume conditioner applied by hand
Nivea Sensitive Aftershave balm
Equate Moisture Advanced Care Body Lotion
Generally speaking, my face feels smoother and stays stubble-free longer than before my single-edge shallow shaving sessions; especially using conditioner as shaving cream; but even the surprising alchemical benefits of dollar store conditioner can’t fully compensate for ham-handed handling of the blade.
Blade longevity testing to resume after new testing “getting close shave I can stand without getting pwn’d by the alum block for scraping my face open” begins. Edited to add: Wait a minute! Those aren’t mutually exclusive
Pre-shave: Alberto VO5 Extra-Volume conditioner
RazoRock BlackHawk V2
Schick Proline P-30 (1)
Alberto VO5 Extra-Volume conditioner applied by hand
Nivea Sensitive Aftershave balm
Equate Moisture Advanced Care Body Lotion
Generally speaking, my face feels smoother and stays stubble-free longer than before my single-edge shallow shaving sessions; especially using conditioner as shaving cream; but even the surprising alchemical benefits of dollar store conditioner can’t fully compensate for ham-handed handling of the blade.
Blade longevity testing to resume after new testing “getting close shave I can stand without getting pwn’d by the alum block for scraping my face open” begins. Edited to add: Wait a minute! Those aren’t mutually exclusive
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- Thread starter
- #126
Last night’s stinking shave:
Pre-shave: Alberto VO5 Extra-Volume conditioner
RazoRock BlackHawk V2
Schick Proline P-30 (2)
Alberto VO5 Extra-Volume conditioner applied by hand
Nivea Sensitive Aftershave balm
Equate Moisture Advanced Care Body Lotion
So…
At least when slathered with dollar store conditioner, I'm better at shaving shallow as judged by the wiry neck hairs missed despite several touch ups and the greater irritation of my upper lip (even this morning) and the alum block beat down last night. Hmm
Pre-shave: Alberto VO5 Extra-Volume conditioner
RazoRock BlackHawk V2
Schick Proline P-30 (2)
Alberto VO5 Extra-Volume conditioner applied by hand
Nivea Sensitive Aftershave balm
Equate Moisture Advanced Care Body Lotion
So…
At least when slathered with dollar store conditioner, I'm better at shaving shallow as judged by the wiry neck hairs missed despite several touch ups and the greater irritation of my upper lip (even this morning) and the alum block beat down last night. Hmm
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- #127
At supermarket this morning. Other than rationing on paper goods and lack of store brand mac n cheese, things are good.
Stay safe
Stay safe
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- #128
Last night's shave:
Pre-shave: Irish Spring ‘Pure Clean’ bar soap and hot water
RazoRock BlackHawk V2
Schick Proline P-30 (3)
Gentleman Jon's badger brush
0.75 pump of KMF/shot of Aveeno Therapeutic
Nivea Sensitive Balm
Dropped razor accidentally on April Fool’s Night shave (something to do with hands slathered in hair conditioner). Didn’t hurt self, shower, or razor, but knew it portended certain doom for FaTip Grande if I used that sleek-handled machine with same shaving cream substitute. Also, same properties I hailed for allowing effortless, shallow shaving were most likely the same ones that let me have owie-zakowie alum sting post-shave. Excessive cushioning Aimless Wanderer warned against with lathered creams.
When it was time to build lather, I dumped out my gray bowl of wonder, shook out and squeezed the brush bristles, and watched as part of pump of KMF shot sideways away from bowl (the pump clogs after periods of disuse). Swirling away with the brush, I’d periodically stop and add a few drops of water until a slightly runny and glossy lather emerged.
Feeling some scritch from the brush during the first application, I squeezed lather from the bristles and applied the rest by hand and re-applied more by hand from the bristles and bowl for rest of shave.
Shaved steeply ATG for a few passes. Aside from under left jawline; where surviving stubble are slightly curled like one might curl decorative ribbon with the edge of a pocketknife or scissors blade; all else was practically BBS. The alum block had a slight tingle most places and stung on upper lip and under right jawline. Under the nose was a pressure issue and under the right jawline was likely the same plus going over area too many times.
Not a success, but a slight improvement.
Plan I want to follow for next time: using just one shaving cream for lather and using less pressure for less alum sting while still attempting BBS/near-BBS results.
Pre-shave: Irish Spring ‘Pure Clean’ bar soap and hot water
RazoRock BlackHawk V2
Schick Proline P-30 (3)
Gentleman Jon's badger brush
0.75 pump of KMF/shot of Aveeno Therapeutic
Nivea Sensitive Balm
Dropped razor accidentally on April Fool’s Night shave (something to do with hands slathered in hair conditioner). Didn’t hurt self, shower, or razor, but knew it portended certain doom for FaTip Grande if I used that sleek-handled machine with same shaving cream substitute. Also, same properties I hailed for allowing effortless, shallow shaving were most likely the same ones that let me have owie-zakowie alum sting post-shave. Excessive cushioning Aimless Wanderer warned against with lathered creams.
When it was time to build lather, I dumped out my gray bowl of wonder, shook out and squeezed the brush bristles, and watched as part of pump of KMF shot sideways away from bowl (the pump clogs after periods of disuse). Swirling away with the brush, I’d periodically stop and add a few drops of water until a slightly runny and glossy lather emerged.
Feeling some scritch from the brush during the first application, I squeezed lather from the bristles and applied the rest by hand and re-applied more by hand from the bristles and bowl for rest of shave.
Shaved steeply ATG for a few passes. Aside from under left jawline; where surviving stubble are slightly curled like one might curl decorative ribbon with the edge of a pocketknife or scissors blade; all else was practically BBS. The alum block had a slight tingle most places and stung on upper lip and under right jawline. Under the nose was a pressure issue and under the right jawline was likely the same plus going over area too many times.
Not a success, but a slight improvement.
Plan I want to follow for next time: using just one shaving cream for lather and using less pressure for less alum sting while still attempting BBS/near-BBS results.
- Thread starter
- #129
Early birds get the RazoRock Hawk V3. Ordered, at least. When it arrives, I’ll bid “shalom, open comb!”
This, right after reading brush reviews and deciding I’ll keep on using my Gentleman Jon’s badger and apply the lather by hand as the benefits weren’t worth the added expense. And then I spent $2.99USD on an Arko shave stick to get “free” shipping, lol.
I have several weeks worth of waiting during which I’ll fantasize the razor has enough blade exposure that it won’t take a smarty or more committed masochistic than I to load it with a Kai Pink for shallow ATG-only shaves.
This, right after reading brush reviews and deciding I’ll keep on using my Gentleman Jon’s badger and apply the lather by hand as the benefits weren’t worth the added expense. And then I spent $2.99USD on an Arko shave stick to get “free” shipping, lol.
I have several weeks worth of waiting during which I’ll fantasize the razor has enough blade exposure that it won’t take a smarty or more committed masochistic than I to load it with a Kai Pink for shallow ATG-only shaves.
- Thread starter
- #130
Last night’s shave:
Pre-shave: Baby oil from jawline to bottom of neck
RazoRock BlackHawk V2
Schick Proline P-30 (4)
Gentleman Jon’s badger brush
1.25 pumps of KMF
Nivea Sensitive Aftershave balm
Equate Moisture Advanced Care Body Lotion
Baby oil; dangerous to babies due to its small particle size; didn’t soften wiry neck hairs as hoped.
I think I made the lather too thin as it seemed to lack residual slickness.
Steep ATG passes. So-so stubble reduction. Mostly under jawline. Most alum sting there, too. Surprisingly no alum sting or noticeable heat on top lip. Just everywhere else. It would seem I‘m nearly being compelled to acknowledge sound advice. Scandalous!
Did a touch up using Irish Spring “Pure Clean*” and it seemed alright. Couldn’t use bar soap for ATG passes with an R41, but it might work for rigidly held blades.
Pre-shave: Baby oil from jawline to bottom of neck
RazoRock BlackHawk V2
Schick Proline P-30 (4)
Gentleman Jon’s badger brush
1.25 pumps of KMF
Nivea Sensitive Aftershave balm
Equate Moisture Advanced Care Body Lotion
Baby oil; dangerous to babies due to its small particle size; didn’t soften wiry neck hairs as hoped.
I think I made the lather too thin as it seemed to lack residual slickness.
Steep ATG passes. So-so stubble reduction. Mostly under jawline. Most alum sting there, too. Surprisingly no alum sting or noticeable heat on top lip. Just everywhere else. It would seem I‘m nearly being compelled to acknowledge sound advice. Scandalous!
Did a touch up using Irish Spring “Pure Clean*” and it seemed alright. Couldn’t use bar soap for ATG passes with an R41, but it might work for rigidly held blades.
It also makes a mess of brushes, razors and sinks.
If you want slickness, try Dawn. You will be keenly aware of the blade...
Bullet Tip/PTFE 1
Brush: None.
Soap....
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- #132
Shower-shaver. It only made my neck gross without clogging anything and seemingly no whisker softening.
Thanks for the tip! I’m using a shotgun approach, but it’s only a .410, so it’s lethal, but unimpressive.
The mixture of being protective without obscuring the feel of the edge is probably just what I need to get my technique better. Maybe in time for the open comb Hawk and Arko shave stick on the slow buggy from Italian Barber.
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It really does help when you can the blade so well. The absurd amount of slickness is also very protective as long as you dont get lulled into a false sense of security.
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- #135
And the end of your statement revealed I'm Achilles-heeled
Arent we all. Even with our own advice intact lol.
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- #137
Without dragging the dish detergent into the shower, another too-watery lather should suffice so long as I don’t reshape areas where lather has been removed.
Nope, reshaping is a bad choice lol.
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- #139
Autocorrect made “reshave“ more terrifying and I didn’t doublecheck.
I got that, just jumped on the chance as I could haha.
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