Today I was about to warm up my shaving mug, and pull out the strop when it dawned on me that I should give the bear bones shave a try here in my home before I'm stuck with it out on the island. I put my mug away and gave my strop a smile, then grabbed my Feather ASD2, a fresh Feather blade, and a puck of Ogallala Bay Rum shaving soap and just sat it on the counter. That alone felt very unimpressive, especially compared to straight razor preparations. I took a shower and gave shaving a go with nothing but a puck of soap in one hand, and a safety razor in the other and here's what I learned.
1. Using a straight razor has stepped up my shaving game in ways that I didn't know possible. I feel that using a SR taught me to truly understand blade angle, and blade feel. It also taught me the difference between that feeling of "this is cutting my hair" and "this is about to cut into my throat"
2. Pressure; I learned that I wasn't using enough pressure when I was first learning to use the ASD2. When I hit that 45° angle with a nice firm pressure, the razor reminded me of an eraser on a grease board. It was as if it was just wiping away the hairs.
3. Rubbing a puck of soap on your wet face is not romantic or glamorous, but it worked. I needed to add a few dabs of water as the shave went but it worked just fine.
It wasn't nearly as enjoyable as a SR shave with delicious warm fluffy lather in a mug, but it was miles ahead of a cartridge razor shave and most importantly, it was a success. Plus the best part in this situation is how little space double edge blades take up.
My hope for the next two weeks is to see how far a single blade will last for me. Then I can gauge how many I will need to shave 3 times a week for 20 weeks.
Lastly, I timed the shave. From hand on the razor to rinse with cold water came in just under 10 minutes. I was hoping for shorter, but it's a start.
1. Using a straight razor has stepped up my shaving game in ways that I didn't know possible. I feel that using a SR taught me to truly understand blade angle, and blade feel. It also taught me the difference between that feeling of "this is cutting my hair" and "this is about to cut into my throat"
2. Pressure; I learned that I wasn't using enough pressure when I was first learning to use the ASD2. When I hit that 45° angle with a nice firm pressure, the razor reminded me of an eraser on a grease board. It was as if it was just wiping away the hairs.
3. Rubbing a puck of soap on your wet face is not romantic or glamorous, but it worked. I needed to add a few dabs of water as the shave went but it worked just fine.
It wasn't nearly as enjoyable as a SR shave with delicious warm fluffy lather in a mug, but it was miles ahead of a cartridge razor shave and most importantly, it was a success. Plus the best part in this situation is how little space double edge blades take up.
My hope for the next two weeks is to see how far a single blade will last for me. Then I can gauge how many I will need to shave 3 times a week for 20 weeks.
Lastly, I timed the shave. From hand on the razor to rinse with cold water came in just under 10 minutes. I was hoping for shorter, but it's a start.