Stubble Trouble's Straight Journey

[StubbleTrouble]

Shave No: 25

Strop: Star Shaving 3" Black Latigo - 20/70 Pre/Post
Time Since Last Hone: 1 Shave
Hones: Unknown
Time Since Last Touch Up: 0
Touch Up: Balsa / CrOx / 10 Laps
Prep: Shower, scrub beard with Cetaphil, rinse, repeat, hydrate well
Brush: Semogue 1250 Boar
Software: Stirling Lavender Sage / Proraso Green
Razor: Wade & Butcher - 5/8 - Round Point
Growth (days): 1
Method: Two Passes (plus touch up on neck) - WTG, XTG
Post: WH / Osage Rub / Proraso Menthol Green

Results: SAS

Remarks:

Certainly no irritation, but the blade simply isn't all that sharp compared to what I'm accustomed to. Definitely not a harsh hone, either, and post shave isn't showing any baggage, but I was unsure of the results if I kept on with more passes at the time. In hindsight, I reckon another pass would have reproduced yesterday's results, but probably without any redness as the rosacea is continuing to heal.

Well, Buca, I suppose I have one heading out the island to you! Guess I'll send in the GD as well.

I've gotta burn off some of the extra cream. I have a fair amount that's been ignored since I meandered back to soaps, which I've used for many years - I just prefer them I suppose. Proraso Cream is still the soft equivalent in my books and I'll probably use it solely next. Hey, the soaps not gonna go bad as the cream eventually would!

Questions: None

Work On: Angle, Stropping, Pressure, Proper Handling for other pass directions (especially on the neck), and recognition of blades that need touch ups / honing.
​

 

[Shave_Rat]

I'm not sure the creams actually go bad, either. They can dry out, but they will rehydrate easily enough and be usable still after that, if they get to that point. Otherwise, I'm with you. I have a fair amount of creams, and still grab soaps almost always, just generally preferring them. I should work on using some creams up as well...

 

[StubbleTrouble]

I'm not sure the creams actually go bad, either. They can dry out, but they will rehydrate easily enough and be usable still after that, if they get to that point. Otherwise, I'm with you. I have a fair amount of creams, and still grab soaps almost always, just generally preferring them. I should work on using some creams up as well...

Yeah, I never used creams until I started DE shaving less than a year ago, but have found a number of creams that I really like in that timeframe. Proraso is the best of the best, then TOBS or AOS. I just have so much of it from impulse buying...

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Shave No: 26

Strop: Star Shaving 3" Black Latigo - 40/80 Pre/Post
Time Since Last Hone: 12 Shaves
Hones: Chosera 1K, 2K, 5K / Suehiro 10, 15, 20 Japanese synthetic stones
Time Since Last Touch Up: 1 Shave
Touch Up: Chromox 0.5 Micron on Balsa / 10 Laps
Prep: Shower, scrub beard with Cetaphil, rinse, repeat, hydrate well
Brush: Semogue 1250 Boar
Software: MWF / Proraso Green Cream
Razor: Redge Sheffield Made - 5/8 - Round Point
Growth (days): 1
Method: Three Passes (plus touch up on neck) - WTG, XTG, XTG/ATG
Post: WH / Osage Rub / Proraso Menthol Green

Results: DFS+

Remarks:

Quite a nice shave tonight, and I needed to relax after a long and stressful day. No redness and I would probably have a very comfortable post-shave if I would just stop running my fingers everywhere....

Two small weepers, but hey, that tells me the blade is sharp, and it felt smooth, too. No harm in extra stropping, so practice I did, and it certainly didn't hurt anything . I can detect only a slight bit of stubble rubbing ATG in any given area.

On the DE end of things, I really like ultra sharp blades, such as Feathers or Med Preps, and I'm beginning to think that I may prefer a straight maintained in kind, but I have a long way to go to build a meaningful preference I suppose.

Once I can keep the blade consistently sharp with the stropping and touch ups, I guess I can begin to further tune my technique. I can see where I may have been chasing my tail trying to adjust technique to a blade that's rounded one day, dull the next, sharp the next, and so on... I couldn't imagine what it would be like to start doing this with no lathering skills and am happy to be fairly proficient in that department.

Oh, one more thing. I got a big sponge to wipe my blade off in place of a cloth. That 30th anniversary straight shaver guy has the right idea!!!

Questions: None

Work On: Angle, Stropping, Pressure, Proper Handling for other pass directions (especially on the neck), and recognition of blades that need touch ups / honing.

 

[Lmarkow]

I picked up using a big yellow sponge from the Chimensch vid too. Well, actually, it used to be big . . . .

 

[Shave_Rat]

Stropping technique can really hold a blades edge once you master it. On thing I realize was I was putting too much pressure on the blade, and pulling the strop too tight. Someone mentioned they had nicked their strop, and shaved off a super thin piece when they missed a flip. That gave me a an idea of just how little downward force they were using on the blade when stropping.

+1 on the sponge, I did the same thing based off that video. I live in way less fear of the Sink Monster now because of that.

 

[Lakebound]

Sounds like great progress is being made! Congratulations and another sink sponge user here with one slight exception: I put the sponge on the side of the sink and not inside of it for fear that I would "ding" the edge on the way in or out.

Good job, keep it going!

Frank

 

[AndroiDad75]

I hold my strop pretty tight - I mean tight. I thought we were supposed to. Maybe we aren't.

I probably use a bit too much pressure when stropping but I try to keep it light.

I have been using that sponge since I whacked my razor against the faucet quite a while ago.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Sounds like great progress is being made! Congratulations and another sink sponge user here with one slight exception: I put the sponge on the side of the sink and not inside of it for fear that I would "ding" the edge on the way in or out.

Good job, keep it going!

Frank

I actually pick the sponge up from inside the sink of water, and bring it up to the blade, just to really try to be sure the Sink Monster never wins. lol

 

[Lakebound]

I actually pick the sponge up from inside the sink of water, and bring it up to the blade, just to really try to be sure the Sink Monster never wins. lol

Good advice. I may try that today.

Frank

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Stropping technique can really hold a blades edge once you master it. On thing I realize was I was putting too much pressure on the blade, and pulling the strop too tight. Someone mentioned they had nicked their strop, and shaved off a super thin piece when they missed a flip. That gave me a an idea of just how little downward force they were using on the blade when stropping.

+1 on the sponge, I did the same thing based off that video. I live in way less fear of the Sink Monster now because of that.

The tactile and audio feedback are my queues so far, as well as the final result. ;-)

It makes perfect sense that pulling too hard on the strop will bow it laterally, where not enough pressure would potentially round the blade.

I kept the sponge on the countertop and lifted it up from there. It worked a charm! I'm trying to keep the lather from getting anywhere near the tang and scales!

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Sounds like great progress is being made! Congratulations and another sink sponge user here with one slight exception: I put the sponge on the side of the sink and not inside of it for fear that I would "ding" the edge on the way in or out.

Good job, keep it going!

Frank

No multi quote with tapatalk. :-(

I don't like the sink monster, or tapatalk, either....

 

[Lmarkow]

I keep the sponge on the side of the sink on the counter top. But I also rinse between passes, so the sink monster is still in play.

 

[StubbleTrouble]

I picked up using a big yellow sponge from the Chimensch vid too. Well, actually, it used to be big . . . .

Soooo much better than a cloth, for sure! I found rinsing it off between passes is the deal ,

 

[StubbleTrouble]

I hold my strop pretty tight - I mean tight. I thought we were supposed to. Maybe we aren't.

I probably use a bit too much pressure when stropping but I try to keep it light.

I have been using that sponge since I whacked my razor against the faucet quite a while ago.

Lynn Abrams and Chimensch are interesting leads to follow in that regard. Their videos are great, bar none.

 

[Lmarkow]

If paddle strops work, how can it be wrong to hold a hanging strop as tightly as you can?

 

[StubbleTrouble]

If paddle strops work, how can it be wrong to hold a hanging strop as tightly as you can?

It would seem the middle of the strop (lengthwise) would bow, causing more contact with the middle of the blade and less on the edges.

 

[Lmarkow]

I don't think that's the case, especially if the strop has D rings. Perhaps if you just hold a barber's ended strop in the middle and pull very very hard, it would bow, but I don't think folks that use a barber's ended strop just pull in the middle. I don't, but I'll have to take a closer look later to see if the strops bow when I pull.

Thanks for the morning food for thought.

 

[Johnsebesta]

I've found that some razors just don't like a Strop. (With or without paste)
I have a small dry use Barber Hone that comes into use when the stop fails.

 

[Shave_Rat]

I'm not saying to not hold it mostly taut, but I don't get good results if it's held super taut as can be. I don't know if I'd have luck with a paddle strop or not. I let the strop have just the smallest amount of play. I get much more consistent edge and spine to leather contact that way. Too much slack and you'll roll the edge easier, so you have to really just work on getting the technique that works for you.