The first shave

[j_fro]

I recently got in a W.H. Sample "Capital Razor" (Albany New York) from Larry at Whipped Dog and used it today for the first time.

When I wrote in to arrange the sale I asked Larry to pick something out that could accommodate my "sausage fingers". He laughingly obliged.

First thing - the blade on this is HUGE. I bought a Shumate's Barber to fiddle with honing on while I was learning the techniques. The Sample dwarfs it.

I used Proraso pre/post after the shower as is my habit. I used my SOC boar with some Bigelow, lathered in a bowl (got 3 passes worth out of it).

I have been obsessively reading the how to's, tips and trick, what not to do's, etc on this site and others for at least two weeks. I gave my face two WTG passes with the Sample using both hands.

End result: not a bad shave! Not my best ever, but not bad. I am rather impressed with myself. (Amazing that this impresses me while my great grandfather had this down as a teenager...)
I did clean up base of neck and under nose with a single quick pass of my DE.

Here are a couple of pictures to show the size difference

 

[Doc226]

Love the big blades.

 

[sychodelix]

Very nice. When I finally get one from Larry (probably my birthday so I can get away with it) I'll see if he has one for my big hands too. I can palm a basketball big.

 

[j_fro]

Well the second shave was not as great as the first... nicked my chin and neck. The chin nick I saw, from outside my self, in slow motion. It was a cinematic moment of craaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...But besides the two nicks, a fine shave. The large blade is kinda hard to get under nose though. I also have to figure out the angle for base of neck. I am not exactly thin, but not exactly gigantic either. Corpulent enough to have a double chin to stretch out.

 

[j_fro]

Took a day off yesterday. Rough razor burnish area on right side, just at and below jaw line. Corresponds to a cut that I had a heck of a time closing with the pencil. Looks like tomorrow will be off too. Coincidentally both of these "bad" shaves were with a lather that I would not call great at all. The blade seems unwieldy, but I think it is just muscle memory- or the lack there of.

 

[BakerAndBadger]

For the double chin, bend your head back and pull your neck skin down, works great. I have also bent my head towards my body to puff out my neck without stretching, probably not advisable but seemed to work for xtg under the chin.

 

[j_fro]

Thanks for the input. I will get this down. In addition to your suggestion next shave will have even shorter strokes in that area. I think I am catching at the end of the stroke. The cut area corresponds to where the toe would have been at.