You fall off the horse... SR go #3. Lessons Learned.

[Cahoots]

So after making my first blood sacrifice to the shave goddess yesterday I decided I better get right back in the game and give it another go. For my efforts the shave goddess saw fit to reveal to me the errors of my shave yesterday, of course all of you are going to say "well duh *******, what'd you expect" but it is what it is and at least I now know!!

So my years of DE shaving are working against me. First I was using WAYYYYYYY too much angle. Honestly I'm surprised I didn't filet my cheek or something worse. Today I literally laid the razor flat against my skin and focused on keeping it there. Instinct still wanted me to keep opening up the angle but focus and practice will over come.

Second, and this is where you all will slap me, I was moving the blade at the same pace I DE shave with. Despite focus and concentration, just out of habit I would fall into rapid, short strokes like a DE. Again, I'm surprised I survived my first two shaves but at least I know now.

I decided to quit while ahead today and let it go with one successful WTG pass and finished with the DE. Also, in the win column the razor felt more natural in my hand today and I didn't feel like I was fighting with the scales nearly so much.

Oh and my wife officially thinks I'm nuts... after my wound yesterday she walked through the bathroom as I was using the SE this morning, looked at me in the mirror, and just shook her head...

Have a great day everyone!!

 

[MilkCrate]

Good job staying after it. For me, at about 25 shaves, things started to click automatically and get better. At 100 shaves, I had it down.

Slow and steady progress.it’s all about technique.

 

[camoloc]

keep at it.......

understand the wife eval.

we're all nuts.....but at least we've banded together!!!!

camo

 

[Polarbeard]

As you've already noticed there are two main differences when shaving with a straight razor compared to a DE razor: Always try to keep a minimal blade angle. Having the blade flat against the skin whenever possible isn't a bad idea. Secondly no more pressure than the weight of the blade. Easy does it. At first it might not give yoy the closest of shaves, but stubble is better than cuts.

I wish you the best of luck on your journey.

 

[Slash McCoy]

So after making my first blood sacrifice to the shave goddess yesterday I decided I better get right back in the game and give it another go. For my efforts the shave goddess saw fit to reveal to me the errors of my shave yesterday, of course all of you are going to say "well duh *******, what'd you expect" but it is what it is and at least I now know!!

So my years of DE shaving are working against me. First I was using WAYYYYYYY too much angle. Honestly I'm surprised I didn't filet my cheek or something worse. Today I literally laid the razor flat against my skin and focused on keeping it there. Instinct still wanted me to keep opening up the angle but focus and practice will over come.

Second, and this is where you all will slap me, I was moving the blade at the same pace I DE shave with. Despite focus and concentration, just out of habit I would fall into rapid, short strokes like a DE. Again, I'm surprised I survived my first two shaves but at least I know now.

I decided to quit while ahead today and let it go with one successful WTG pass and finished with the DE. Also, in the win column the razor felt more natural in my hand today and I didn't feel like I was fighting with the scales nearly so much.

Oh and my wife officially thinks I'm nuts... after my wound yesterday she walked through the bathroom as I was using the SE this morning, looked at me in the mirror, and just shook her head...

Have a great day everyone!!

Now, after a few shaves but while your GD edge is still fairly fresh, is a good time to set up a .1u diamond pasted balsa strop, to keep your edge sharp. And speaking of strops, you have a decent hanging leather strop, right?

 

[jdp93]

The angle was a challenge for me too when I first started. I had to constantly remind myself to close that angle so the spine is just a spine's width off my face. Stick with it and it will become second nature.

 

[Cahoots]

Now, after a few shaves but while your GD edge is still fairly fresh, is a good time to set up a .1u diamond pasted balsa strop, to keep your edge sharp. And speaking of strops, you have a decent hanging leather strop, right?

Yes sir on the leather strop... and diligently practicing the stroke and never taking the spine off the leather. I like the idea of setting up a pasted balsa strop as you suggest. I'm not sure I'll have the time to get into full on honing but I do like the idea of being able to maintain the edge longer before I have to send it off.

 

[Cahoots]

@Slash McCoy is that 1 micron or .1 micron. Seems .1 is more challenging to find.

 

[Eastcoast30]

0.1 here:

By Compound – Tech Diamond Tools

techdiamondtools.com

25% should be good

 

[steveclarkus]

@Slash McCoy is that 1 micron or .1 micron. Seems .1 is more challenging to find.

.1 is readily available on Amazon.

 

[Cahoots]

Thanks guys. For whatever reason a basic google search for it turned up nothing but as soon as I went to Amazon Jeff Bezos provided lol.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Yes sir on the leather strop... and diligently practicing the stroke and never taking the spine off the leather. I like the idea of setting up a pasted balsa strop as you suggest. I'm not sure I'll have the time to get into full on honing but I do like the idea of being able to maintain the edge longer before I have to send it off.

It's not a matter of maintaining the edge longer before sending it off; it is a matter of maintaining the edge in such a way that the razor never needs honing again, ever.

After a week or so of shaves without the .1u balsa, you may have to do the full 3 part progression. If you start now, you only need the .1u. For keeping a Method edge sharp, just the .1u. For making what once was a Method edge sharp, you need .5u, .25u, and .1u. For putting a Method edge on a razor that has been very well honed on film to 1u or synthetic stones to 12k Naniwa or a very sharp Jnat edge, same thing, the three part progression. It will not make a dull razor sharp. It will make a sharp razor sharper, or keep a very sharp razor very sharp indefinitely.

.1u is pretty easy to find, actually. Only a few vendors don't carry it.

 

[McBlade]

I actually think you're more likely to cut yourself with a very shallow angle.

Think about it. If the movement of the razor is in the same plane as the blade (zero angle - not quite possible when shaving) it will simply slice through any meat which gets in the way - lumps, moles, ears... - like a Samurai sword.

But when the razor is held at an angle, the edge is pointing in a different direction to the direction of motion. Now it's part-scraping and part-cutting. The more angle in the blade, the more scrapey it gets and the less risk there is from the forward movement of the razor.

Of course, with a high angle, the edge is more likely to cut with downward pressure but if the blade is moving at all times when in contact with the skin that won't be a problem.

If the edge is very mild, a high angle is the only way it will cut hair. These will be very easy, low-risk shaves. Just don't try going ATG: that can be a struggle with a mild edge.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I actually think you're more likely to cut yourself with a very shallow angle.

Think about it. If the movement of the razor is in the same plane as the blade (zero angle - not quite possible when shaving) it will simply slice through any meat which gets in the way - lumps, moles, ears... - like a Samurai sword.

But when the razor is held at an angle, the edge is pointing in a different direction to the direction of motion. Now it's part-scraping and part-cutting. The more angle in the blade, the more scrapey it gets and the less risk there is from the forward movement of the razor.

Of course, with a high angle, the edge is more likely to cut with downward pressure but if the blade is moving at all times when in contact with the skin that won't be a problem.

If the edge is very mild, a high angle is the only way it will cut hair. These will be very easy, low-risk shaves. Just don't try going ATG: that can be a struggle with a mild edge.

No. The blade won't dig in when it is flat against the skin. Moles you just have to dodge around. Scraping is bad. It over-exfoliates and it cuts, if the razor is sharp. Low angle, tightly stretched skin, light pressure, and you got most of the ingredients of a comfortable and bloodless shave. Here is a one pass shave with a very very ordinary, even sub-ordinary razor, with a lot of hair in the way. Some of it was ATG. The angle was low and if it had been higher it would have been far less successful.

 

[Cahoots]

@Slash McCoy

Man do I hope to have that level of skill with a razor one day...

Just as a quick update. Another one pass WTG this morning. Not a super successful shave but no damage to my face either. However, my strop did pay a rather hefty price this morning.

I have to say this whole experience has given me a new found appreciation for the phrase "razor thin margin of error." I don't think I've ever tried anything that had so little tolerance mistakes and penalizes them with such lightening speed.

 

[kohalajohn]

So after making my first blood sacrifice to the shave goddess yesterday I decided I better get right back in the game and give it another go. For my efforts the shave goddess saw fit to reveal to me the errors of my shave yesterday, of course all of you are going to say "well duh *******, what'd you expect" but it is what it is and at least I now know!!

So my years of DE shaving are working against me. First I was using WAYYYYYYY too much angle. Honestly I'm surprised I didn't filet my cheek or something worse. Today I literally laid the razor flat against my skin and focused on keeping it there. Instinct still wanted me to keep opening up the angle but focus and practice will over come.

Second, and this is where you all will slap me, I was moving the blade at the same pace I DE shave with. Despite focus and concentration, just out of habit I would fall into rapid, short strokes like a DE. Again, I'm surprised I survived my first two shaves but at least I know now.

I decided to quit while ahead today and let it go with one successful WTG pass and finished with the DE. Also, in the win column the razor felt more natural in my hand today and I didn't feel like I was fighting with the scales nearly so much.

Oh and my wife officially thinks I'm nuts... after my wound yesterday she walked through the bathroom as I was using the SE this morning, looked at me in the mirror, and just shook her head...

Have a great day everyone!!

When you refer to habit, that's the whole issue right there. When we get curious about straights and start it up, we have decades of cartridge muscle memory built in. Carts only work with a steep angle and lots of pressure. It takes a while to overwrite that. Don't criticize yourself, just keep going and the repetition will overwrite the bad habits.

 

[Slash McCoy]

@Slash McCoy

Man do I hope to have that level of skill with a razor one day...

Just as a quick update. Another one pass WTG this morning. Not a super successful shave but no damage to my face either. However, my strop did pay a rather hefty price this morning.

I have to say this whole experience has given me a new found appreciation for the phrase "razor thin margin of error." I don't think I've ever tried anything that had so little tolerance mistakes and penalizes them with such lightening speed.

Sort of like a New Orleans Catholic school, but one student and 20 vicious nuns per classroom, each one wielding a ruler with ninja level skill. I heard that a few years ago from a neighbor at my marina who was just starting with straight razors and shavettes.

 

[Straight up]

The only way to get to the destination is on horse back (aka get back on the horse). You'll make it one day, your persistence will determine the date.

 

[Sweeney_]

I have to say this whole experience has given me a new found appreciation for the phrase "razor thin margin of error." I don't think I've ever tried anything that had so little tolerance mistakes and penalizes them with such lightening speed.

I'm right there with you Cahoots. SR shave #6 for me today. No major cuts so far... a couple little nicks along the way. After shave #3, I could see a line shaped welp along my jawline where I miscalculated angle or pressure. Not quite a cut but it took three days to fade/heal. Shave 4, 5 and 6 have been better but I admit, the learning curve is steep.

Between the angle, pressure, trying to use non-dominate hand plus learning to strop... sometimes I feel like I'm trying to go through a revolving door with water skiis on but I'm determined to master this. Good luck on your journey.

 

[Cahoots]

Just thought I’d post a quick update.

Making nice progress I think in my comfort and skill with the SR. I’m consistently getting a successful two pass shave WTG and XTG. Last two shaves I even tried ATG on my cheeks. No wounds on either. First was only moderately successful but this morning went quite well. By far my most successful SR shave yet.

Figured out almost immediately that nothing will tell you more about the condition of you edge than an ATG pass.

Have a great weekend everyone!
C.