Straight shave #4

[shm]

Another great shave, I'm finally starting to get a good grip on the stropping.

It does however seems as if the Dovo not is performing as good as the George Johan, but it might be because the Dovo was the first straight I used and I may have dulled the edge trying to strop it the first times.
It came with a lifetime honing service, so I could just sent it back, but now I think it could be kind of cool if I could hone it myself.
Of course this means another investment - in stone(s). And this is supposed to be cheaper than Mach3 shaving, hmm...
It is fun though


Well, today's shave was performed with:

Custom Made Scuttle, Edwin Jagger Silvertip, Dovo Special 5/8", Castle Forbes Lime Shaving Cream and Castle Forbes Lime After Shave Balm.

 

[bigstick]

2 way shipping is way cheaper than a selection of hones.....

 

[shm]

2 way shipping is way cheaper than a selection of hones.....

I know, but as I've got more than the two I'm currently using, and I'm guessing that the inventory might expand , it could be nice to be able to do it myself.

 

[bigstick]

and there is no further hope for you. You have contracted RAD.

 

[shm]

A completely trouble-free shave today

Good prep, good stropping and some nice software gave the best shave so far.
No nicks, cuts, wheepers or irritation and the speed is picking up as well, I was only 5-7 minutes slower than an average DE-shave.

Apart from the bowl and razor it was Italian day today:

Japanese Rice Bowl, Omega 11137, George Johan 6/8" straight, Proraso Pre-shave (green), Proraso Shaving Soap (white) and Proraso Liquid cream After Shave

 

[Luc]

The Proraso shave! Nice!

 

[JPM]

Congrats on the shave!

 

[shm]

Another really great shave.

My best score of the week was a set of two J. H. Potter straights with genuine ivory scales - and I really love those babies already
-and they came shave-ready

I got a really good shave, I would say DFS and just got a small nick on my chin, but the alum block took care of that without problem.
This is truly a great way to shave and I'm slowly beginning to understand the feedback I get from the razor in form of feel and sound.

I've also acquired a Belgian coticule, so the next step on the journey is to learn how to hone - exciting


Well today's shave had the following ingredients:

Custom Made Scuttle
Semogue 2009 LE
J. H. Potter straight
T&H Luxury Shaving Soap
Thayer's Unscented Witch Hazel
Ogallala Bay Rum After Shave

 

[Luc]

Good stuff!

 

[shm]

Well, I had to try the other one as well - and it is just as great

I got CCS today using a cream. I tend to lean more and more towards the opinion that hard soaps gives a better, more close and irritation free shave than creams when using a straight.


Todays shave consisted of:

Soundware
Luciano Pavarotti: Recondita Armonia, Rondine Al Nido & (of course) Nessun Dorma
- - - - -
Hardware
Rosendahl Glass Bowl
Edwin Jagger Silvertip
J. H. Potter 6/8" Straight
- - - - -
Software
T&H Ultimate Comfort Shaving Cream
Thayer's Unscented Witch Hazel
Nickel Contre-Feu After Shave

 

[shm]

I spent yesterdays afternoon trying to develop some kind of technique into the art of honing.
I wasn't quite sure of the result, so I decided to put my skills to the test and shave with one of the razors I was practising on.
I was able to shave with it (Hooray, so far so good) but it could definitely be more sharp.
The shave I got out of it was acceptable, but nothing more - so it is back to the coticule for some more honing

Today's shave consisted of:

Omega 11137
Zepp 11/16" Straight

Arko Shave Stick
Floid Suave After Shave (Spanish version)

 

[Luc]

Nice picture! Good to read that you are doing the honing at the same time and it sounds like it's going good!

 

[bigstick]

how many people on this forum are better photographers than I am.

 

[shm]

how many people on this forum are better photographers than I am.

It is all in the eye of the beholder and practice makes (if not) perfect then at least better.

The beauty of digital photographing is that you can take a lot of pictures and then just choose the one you think is the best.
When I take my SOTD's, I'm taking somewhere between 10-25 photos (sometimes 30+) with different lighting, focal view, shutter speeds etc. and then I carefully gives them a good look and choose the one I like best.
Some of the guys in here has almost professional equipment, and that does help as well. Several for instance has a light-box which really gives you a good control of the light setting. I don't have one, but would like one.

My set-up is not advanced in any way, I'm using the cameras built-in flash and a wireless controlled flash (that's my most advanced feature). The backgrounds are just big pieces of coloured cardboard or a towel.
And sometimes I use a mirror to reflect/direct the light (mirror size: 43 x 56 cm ~ 17 x 22 inches).
Before I got my wireless flash I was using a powerful halogen lamp as a light source.
The downside is, that the lamp doesn't work together with the built-in flash as the colour-degrees are not the same for those two types of light. The advantage is that you immediately can see the light-effect as the lamp is turned on all the time. Here the mirror is a very good help.

Before I started DE-shaving I had not taken stills like SOTD pictures, but I have been an amateur photographer (wildlife and scenery) for more than 20 years, so I have an understanding of how to work my camera and that has of course helped a great deal.

All I can say is you have to take a lot of pictures and it will come to you, just like learning to DE or straight shave.
If you see a photo you really like, then try to copy it, it can help give you an understanding of set-up, lighting and camera settings.



Well, back to the straight shaving

@Luc: Yes, it is going far better than I had expected, the progress in quality of each shave is starting to pick up as well, so I'm quite happy with how things are going.


For today's shave I chose a razor I knew was sharp, after a 10 hour workday yesterday I wasn't satisfied with that shave. Teaches you not to use a razor honed by a guy who don't know what he is doing - although it was for free

Today I'm happy with the shave, a DFS and that is all I'm looking for, I don't pursue BBS, not even with a DE.
So my goal now is to get a DFS every time and cutting down the time spent shaving, so it will just about equal the time using a DE.


Today's ingredients:

Japanese Rice Bowl
Victoria Pure Badger
Dovo Special 5/8"
Proraso Shaving Soap
Proraso Liquid Cream After Shave

 

[shm]

I had another really good shave today - and a small anniversary as it was number 25
I went with the George Johan razor and it is really a very good razor and that is for a big part Doghairs contribution by putting a very nice edge on it - thanks

As said yesterday I'm not going for BBS, but still I got BBS in the majority of the face today, without even trying.
I got a couple of wheepers, but that was my own fault as I tried to get a closer shave of the chin, so I went over that area a couple of times too much.
But it was well worth it, as I think I might have figured out how to do that area now - it will show tomorrow though

Todays shave consisted of:

Custom Made Scuttle
Semogue 2009 LE
George Johan 6/8" Straight

Tabac Shaving Soap
Thayer's Unscented Witch Hazel
Castle Forbes Lime After Shave Balm (awesome stuff)

 

[Klarion]

Looking good Soren. Don't worry about scars and weepers - they happen, and only build character. I'm enjoying seeing your progress. It's good to see the semogue getting pictured action. I absolutely love it, should've followed the Klarion method when purchasing and bought two.

 

[shm]

I'm not worried about cutting myself or getting the weepers, it is a part of the learning process.
I like the LE, but I'm afraid I still have some time before it is broken in, the performance is still below par, but it is getting better - although slow.


Today again was a very well executed shave. One small cut couldn't ruin a nice comfortable irritation-free shave. And I'm getting more and more convinced that hard shaving soap is one of the key ingredients for that.

Today I'm calling "Classic Day" and used:

Omega 11137 Boar Brush
J. H. Potter 6/8 Straight

Palmolive Classic Shaving Stick
Williams Ice Blue After Shave

 

[Luc]

Nice work mate! How's the Williams AS?

 

[shm]

Nice work mate! How's the Williams AS?

I remember the scent from when I was a kid at the barber/hairdresser and from adverts at the cinema.
I stumbled upon it at the supermarket when I was checking out their shaving supply and when I smelled it again, I just had to have it, it is old school to me

It contains menthol so it has a nice cooling effect, and glycerine and castor oil so it, although it contains a lot of alcohol, doesn't dry out the skin but it doesn't moisturise it either.

In short: I really like it.

 

[shm]

I got nothing but an awesome shave today.

Used my Semogue LE and it is still not broken in yet. I had a little trouble getting it loaded enough, it was as it couldn't be saturated. So I added a small squeeze of Edwin Jagger cream and that did the trick, the lather almost exploded out of it and I even had to add more water, resulting in more nice warm lather.
Good prep, and as I've started my weekend I was in no rush and took my time. The lather was so great and gave so good a cushion that I went for three passes; WTG-XTG-ATG and got as close to a BBS as it can be. To small spots that would have disappeared with a touch-up, but I was more than content, and wouldn't risk getting irritation or a weeper when the shave had been so good.

Great start to the weekend

And today's equipment:

Custom Made Scuttle
Semogue 2009 LE
J. H. Potter 6/8" Straight (#2)
Proraso Pre-shave Cream (white)
Cella Shaving Soap
Edwin Jagger Sandalwood Shaving Cream
Pierre Cardin Pour Homme After Shave