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- #861
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
I am the same, particularly on my chin.
What Did You Learn From Your SR Shave Today?
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During tonight's shave I learned that it is possible to achieve a "close" shave using a straight razor. The magnitude of this has not settled in yet. I think I'm still in shock.
During tonight's shave I learned that it is possible to achieve a "close" shave using a straight razor. The magnitude of this has not settled in yet. I think I'm still in shock.
Congratulations! You're well on your way.
Congratulations! Somehow it keeps getting better. I've been SR shaving for about 4 years now and it's still a joy. Not many things in life can boast of such long lasting fun.During tonight's shave I learned that it is possible to achieve a "close" shave using a straight razor. The magnitude of this has not settled in yet. I think I'm still in shock.
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- #865
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
It's all about technique.
This morning I shaved with a SR that has never previously been a great favourite of mine. It is one of my heaviest SRs weighing in at about 90g.
While doing a fool's pass at the start of my first XTG pass, this SR was shaving as normal and not as well as a lot of my other SRs. I then decided to pay more attention to my shave angle. I reduced the shave angle to much flatter than I would normally use with this SR. It was so flat that I thought it was too flat to shave with.
I was wrong. This blade and it's edge jumped up in smoothness and closeness. So much so that this SR could be in my good books.
I will now pay much more attention to my shave angle than I have previously been doing.
This morning I shaved with a SR that has never previously been a great favourite of mine. It is one of my heaviest SRs weighing in at about 90g.
While doing a fool's pass at the start of my first XTG pass, this SR was shaving as normal and not as well as a lot of my other SRs. I then decided to pay more attention to my shave angle. I reduced the shave angle to much flatter than I would normally use with this SR. It was so flat that I thought it was too flat to shave with.
I was wrong. This blade and it's edge jumped up in smoothness and closeness. So much so that this SR could be in my good books.
I will now pay much more attention to my shave angle than I have previously been doing.
I like that…..Now that’s a real game changer!
Using a decent edge on a vintage Larkin SR, I focused on the mustache and chin area, lots of learnings today.
I also tried the grip of reversing the SR and holding it with the three fingers on the tang and the little finger on the tang, palm facing me. I saw this in a shave video by boker.
Left side of face, razor in left hand with this reverse boker grip, I held the toe with the right hand. WTG down strokes were in good control. From nose to side till the chin. Definitely not a Willie Peter down stroke, slow and deliberate.
Also developed some strokes I could use on my Chin area with some level of confidence.
Spent some time learning proper fools pass moves. Very short slow strokes. Very good shave
I also realised that I need to develop muscle memory to keep razor flat, as per conventional wisdom.
I also tried the grip of reversing the SR and holding it with the three fingers on the tang and the little finger on the tang, palm facing me. I saw this in a shave video by boker.
Left side of face, razor in left hand with this reverse boker grip, I held the toe with the right hand. WTG down strokes were in good control. From nose to side till the chin. Definitely not a Willie Peter down stroke, slow and deliberate.
Also developed some strokes I could use on my Chin area with some level of confidence.
Spent some time learning proper fools pass moves. Very short slow strokes. Very good shave
I also realised that I need to develop muscle memory to keep razor flat, as per conventional wisdom.
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The moustache and chin area are hard to do!
I don’t know if whiskers are tougher there or what, but I find that WTG strokes barely make a dent in them. XTG with good skin stretching is absolutely mandatory here.
This is why it is so crucial when honing to make sure that you pay attention to the heel and toe of your razors. For areas around the corners of the mouth and the chin area, the heel edge of your straight razor is your best friend. Along the top lip, the toe of your razor is crucial depending upon your preferred hand position and shaving stroke.
Well, yesterday and today....I confirmed that HHT doesn't tell the whole story. I had initially honed my newly acquired French rattler on my coticule bout, and the shave Friday was fine, but a little inconsistent. So I did a little more work on the coti and had probably as nice an HHT as you can get, silent and effortless from toe to heel. Hairs just jumping away from the blade. But the shave yesterday started out pretty "meh" and even felt hesitant so I switched to my Koraat. I took the rattler back to 4k/8k synth and finished on my trans ark. HHT was what I expected, not quite as good as the day before, but the shave was perfect. So there you go. The shave test is really the only one that matters.
Lesson # 1 My edges are still not as great as I am learning to hone, which is where the first lesson is. Even if you are learning to hone and make average edges, it is still a sharp blade and you will be punished if you do not behave.
Lesson # 2 The mustache and chin area are a shave in itself. Respect the fool's pass, dont free style this stroke with one hand, else lesson # 1 delivers instant karma.
Lesson # 3 No "Willie Peter" style long swift strokes. Short buffing strokes give much bettercontrol and cut better
Lesson # 2 The mustache and chin area are a shave in itself. Respect the fool's pass, dont free style this stroke with one hand, else lesson # 1 delivers instant karma.
Lesson # 3 No "Willie Peter" style long swift strokes. Short buffing strokes give much bettercontrol and cut better
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- #872
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
I have always believed in shaving with a shave angle ½ to 1 spine-thickness off the skin. A few days ago I shaved with an angle of a little less than ½ a spine-thickness off the skin and obtained an even closer and more comfortable shave.
At the time, I thought that it was just a peculiarity of that SR. Since that first low angle shave, I have tried it with a few other SRs. The results have been the same, closer and more comfortable.
I'm putting this down to my edges having improved over the past year or two. I now need to shave with a reduced shave angle of a little less than ½ spine-thickness.
At the time, I thought that it was just a peculiarity of that SR. Since that first low angle shave, I have tried it with a few other SRs. The results have been the same, closer and more comfortable.
I'm putting this down to my edges having improved over the past year or two. I now need to shave with a reduced shave angle of a little less than ½ spine-thickness.
^^This.
Exactly my experience. My shavette shaves have much improved with low angle and 45 degree scythe movement. Both in comfort and blade longevity. Much of low angle is built-in in many shavettes. I basically drag spine on my face. (Half-)blade longevity has jumped from 15 shaves over 30.
Exactly my experience. My shavette shaves have much improved with low angle and 45 degree scythe movement. Both in comfort and blade longevity. Much of low angle is built-in in many shavettes. I basically drag spine on my face. (Half-)blade longevity has jumped from 15 shaves over 30.
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- #874
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
Many, myself included, have the opinion that the keener the edge, the flatter the angle should be.
I may be cheating a bit with an angle more so than flat, but then again I am only stropping my straights with oil and veg tanned bridle with flax linen.
I'm not sure that matters... Most of my razors haven't seen a stone in a year, just the strop before and after each shave. A lower than expected angle, as in "I think I am shaving shallow, but let me try for even more shallow", always produces the best result for me.
My suggestion is to try a shave or two where you focus on a low shave angle. I'm guessing you will be surprised.
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- #877
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
Do I have a faulty SR?
I learnt this morning to concentrate more when repositioning the SR for a different stroke. My first cut in many months and it hurt as soon as I did it. Other than that, a most enjoyable shave with another of my ⅝ Cabman "Bengall" SRs.
The first time in SR shaving that I have ever felt that a band-aid was warranted.
I learnt this morning to concentrate more when repositioning the SR for a different stroke. My first cut in many months and it hurt as soon as I did it. Other than that, a most enjoyable shave with another of my ⅝ Cabman "Bengall" SRs.
Thanks for the recommendation. I tried it, it does make a noticeable improvement for me too. Now I just have to do a side-by-side comparison against Proraso Red to see which one performs better.
I learned I can identify a roont edge. I was digging through a few things that belonged to my departed father, and when I found the tiny 2" x 3" white ark, I said, "THERE it is!!" I knew I had it, but hadn't seen it since 2006.
It's like glass. To the eye and to the touch, it felt much smoother than my JNAT. I first inspected my Wade & Butcher under 60X and confirmed the edge was devoid of visible scratches. I ran my Wade & Butcher over the white ark with only water for only about 10 VERY light strokes. I looked at it afterwards under the same 60X loupe I got after seeing a link of @Doc226's.
The edge was full of scratches. The ark was not even close in grit (I hesitate to use the word) to my JNAT. I ran the W&B over my JNAT with just water, no go. Still fairly scratched up. Went down to Koma, then Tomo, then stropped. Good as new. I shaved with it to confirm.
I learned I can take a very good blade, ruin it, then make it very good again. I owe all my knowledge to my mentor. Without him, I'd have a W&B eBay rescue that was shave ready; but now is roont.
It's like glass. To the eye and to the touch, it felt much smoother than my JNAT. I first inspected my Wade & Butcher under 60X and confirmed the edge was devoid of visible scratches. I ran my Wade & Butcher over the white ark with only water for only about 10 VERY light strokes. I looked at it afterwards under the same 60X loupe I got after seeing a link of @Doc226's.
The edge was full of scratches. The ark was not even close in grit (I hesitate to use the word) to my JNAT. I ran the W&B over my JNAT with just water, no go. Still fairly scratched up. Went down to Koma, then Tomo, then stropped. Good as new. I shaved with it to confirm.
I learned I can take a very good blade, ruin it, then make it very good again. I owe all my knowledge to my mentor. Without him, I'd have a W&B eBay rescue that was shave ready; but now is roont.
Taking off a three month goatee took three passes to get all the whiskers. Good thing is my face is smooth now.
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