Running the Blade: The Rough Cut

[EMG06]

Heard that feather makes great blades!

As you get more attuned to your personal blade preferences you might also want to consider the Personna Diamond Glide blades which are made with the same Japanese Hi-Stainless steel and are similar but made here in the USA

(if you’d like to try a couple message me your address)

 

[Spider]

Personna Diamond Glide blades

Are those new (relatively)? I've not heard of them. The old Personna Platinum Chromes are my favorite blade. Do you know how they compare?

 

[JanJosh]

Entry 3.0: For real this time

Well I just got out the shave and I guess I'll run the specs and procedure.

Before all that: my facial hair! Yeah yeah, I know. No shirt, sorry, but no nips! This was about 4 days of growth since Sunday. Not too bad.


So here's what I used. In the future I'll have to look into some other things
-CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser
-91% Iso alcohol
-Stirling synthetic brush
-Baili Chrome DE
-Astra Superior (not shown)
- Stirling Barbershop soap
- Stirling bay rum AS
-100% Cotton towel (yay)
- generic steel lather bowl
-Pure h2o (the goat)

So for starters, I had to get my face washed and I used my usual morning cleanser. However, as much as I'm used to it I think it wasn't the best option. It's got salicylic acid and 20 other ingredients I cant pronounce. It's supposed to clean and soften, and has all these "non-" whatever, but i feel it may have overstripped my natural oils and didn't do much to prep my hair. This is a side effect of having my beard for too long and nursing it with various oils. Skin is soft, but too oily, and the SA took it out so my skin was a little too grippy. I believe my local CVS sells proraso products so I'll have to look into picking up some of their pre shave face wash.

Next is dampening the new towel and uh, well, I microwaved it for over a minute to get it hot. A world of difference as it easily steams up and sits nice on the face, but I probably should've pressed my neck longer. Next time should work. Got me supple but the skin still was... grippy.

Next was prepping the blade, gave it a good wash and inserted into the razor and doused it in alcohol. Maybe a rookie mistake but I'm very over hygienic with things. I do not care if it's new and fresh out a sealed package, I have to disinfect or I will bug out. Perhaps the alcohol could affect such things and maybe cause small millimeter gaps and offset the blade but... I prefer the sterility over that. Please, please correct me if I'm overthinking this.

Then the soap. Will admit that I'm not a fan of the scent, and if anyone wants the remainder of this sample puck DM me. I will admit though the lather was nice, I clipped a corner off so it's kept in tact incase I really didn't like it and wanted it to be clean as possible for the next person. With a small, maybe dime sized amount and some water, I worked about half a cups worth of lather with my brush. One issue that I have is the handle and fibers are short so the lather has a habit of spilling out and getting all over my fingers and sink a bit. Need to find a longer brush.

Application wise it was fine but with some issues. For one, the synthetic brush is very soft and cozy, and even when I was working it in it felt like a paintbrush gliding around. Nice, sure, but I prefer a rougher material personally. With my beard I was so used to using a boar brush and Oakwood comb, so this feathery softness feels like it's not getting in my hair and really working my skin. Next shave, I'll use the Beeker brush, which may be a gen 1 synthetic or badger hair idk, and see how that feels. Another issue is the damn hairs. Some strays came out and made it into the lather. Some I could quickly pinch out but some smaller bastards hid in the lather after application.

Now the shave... I will say this. It wasn't bad but I did get a few tiny nicks, but way fewer and more controlled that last time. When wet the DE didn't move shockingly, and the razor cut, but it felt too smooth and mild. Perfect for a newbie yeah but I didn't like the lack of tact awareness. Like, I know I'm shaving but I didn't feel it. Weird, I know. During the shave I followed my hair path and didn't ever go against the grain. It did the trick but it still left micro hairs you can see as grayness. I also only did one pass of the blade because two felt uncertain. Also I noticed my neck is different. It's harder to follow the grain on the neck and the angling and constant skin pulling was awkward with hand placement, and this resulted in nicks. My face and lips, perfect! Neck? Thin. Difficult. Next time I'll try to give more love and gently go upwards on the neck next time.

Another thing about the razor handle itself, the head felt bulbous and almost kept getting in the way. I know there the 30 degree angle and let the weight carry it but it felt too round and pronounced at the top, and with the extra width that covered the sides of the blade it added more complications. Also, remember those stray brush hairs? Well, I swiped over some of them and they diverted the blade slightly and screwed a few spots.

I also noticed that with the lack of experience I have no muscle memory. My hands were a little less dextrous and my face was twitchy. Like, I kept twitching my lips while shaving my face, or I would swallow while on the neck. I need to learn how to control that.

Besides that, it was an alright shave. No "DFS" as some may know and desire, but for a first legitimate, full face shave, it was a pleasant start.

But my word, the aftershave is gonna have to go. Again DM me if you want it I'll send it with the soap. The smell was strong and synthetic, a citrusy bay rum and clove experience. When i applied it my cheeks and surprisingly my neck were fine, I mean the nicks tingled, but dude. It felt like a damn f***ing nuke went off on my mustache and chin area. No screaming or anything, but I winced and the sensation was so intense I got dizzy. It felt like all alcohol and actual spice with no glycerin or moisturizers. I like a good skin bracer, but this felt like an assassination attempt. I learned that my "goatee" area is hyper sensitive and my neck is sensitive in that my skin is thinner and easier to cut, yet my beard is thickest there.

The result

Not amazing but not terrible. Next to do: pick up a better face wash, give more hot towel attention to my neck, try out the blade (i think it should have 1 run left in it before disposal unless yall think I'm tripping) in my cheap bastard DE, which is a bit less wide and doesn't cover the sides of the razor so I can fully see what I'm doing, and pick up an aftershave balm and definitely some alum. Might try to find a decent witch hazel. Again. I like bracing aftershaves but damn it I'm still tingling.

Overall, not bad but a good baseline experience. Maybe I might prefer slightly sharper or thicker(?) Blades. My facial hair is already strong genetically and two years of on and off facial growth from a damn good routine made them too resistant. Thoughts and comments, corrections and tips, all that fun stuff is welcome. Thanks especially to Spider and Gear for being great supports, and to the rest of the Cadre for being cool sports.

Who's up for a straight razor shave?

 

[JanJosh]

As you get more attuned to your personal blade preferences you might also want to consider the Personna Diamond Glide blades which are made with the same Japanese Hi-Stainless steel and are similar but made here in the USA

(if you’d like to try a couple message me your address)

I'd gladly trade my sample soap and aftershave for a small selection of blades to sample, fair trade.

 

[NurseDave]

my skin is thinner and easier to cut, yet my beard is thickest there.

I don't think this is too unusual. I need to cold water shave or my neck feels raw after any shave.

Shoot me your address and I'll send you a selection of stuff including some packs of blades. And do yourself a favor and don't even try that Shark blade!

 

[EMG06]

Are those new (relatively)? I've not heard of them. The old Personna Platinum Chromes are my favorite blade. Do you know how they compare?

Yes. Came out over the summer as Personna sunsetted the Comfort Coated blades for these.

I’ve never tried the Platinum Chrome, but from what I’ve seen, they compare favorably.

 

[JanJosh]

Entry 4: Two Truths and a Lie

Today's shave was odd. I learned 3 things, while trying new stuff out.

Equipment:
"Cheap Bastard" generic razor
Astra Superior (round 2)
B. 1802 Synthetic v.1 Brush and Steel Bowl
Stirling Baker Street soap
Omega Alum
Vintage YSL PH ASL (Sketchy)
The Inkey List Water to Milk Facewash (unshown)

Truth 1: The razor handle does make a huge difference. It would seem that a more aggressive and minimalistic razor suits my taste. It was easier to see and track the blade and my shave on 1 pass was pretty smooth. Only gripe is the handle so I might pull the trigger on that Feather razor that comes with two blades. It has a similar head to the cheap bastard but the handle is a more grippy plastic or rubber.

Truth 2: Hydrating face wash and a more coarse brush was a great combo. My face wash is a general light cleanser that did clean but also greatly hydrate my face before the shave, so I'll have to look out for a much much more hydrating face wash for a pre shave routine. Paired with that was my brush. The cheap one was more coarse but I could feel it better exfoliating and digging the hairs up. Might need to look into a boar brush or something similar.

The lie: I can reuse blades once or twice! Don't reuse blades ever. Even if the first shave was quick, smooth, and efficient, it appears the edge wears quick on some blade brands, and to prevent this general issue, just swap for a new each time to avoid problems. Sure my cheeks were easy but again with the damn neck and chin, nicks! Small ones and only a few, but by the time I got to there It was more drag than desired.

I'm picking up the pace though. I'm controlling face and neck reflexes and getting better at actually holding and controlling the handle, but now I need to ease my force. The weight and blade need to glide itself, it's not something you demand or force like a cartridge razor. Despite my more aggressive instinct, I'm very surprised how little visible nicks there were, only a few breeders but that's a combo of a slightly worn blade and slightly too much pressure. Next time I'll have a better sense and will try the Gillette Silver Blue.

One thing you learn is you can't see what you can't see. After the shave and clean up, i tried something new i picked up: Alum. Ok, face is cleaned, washed, and left some cool water on it. Wash the stick and use more cool water. Apply to face and ru- oof. Man that stuff stung all over in so many hidden spots! It's like there were micro nicks hiding and you squeeze a lemon on em. From my face, neck, and cheeks were stings all over. Then you're supposed to let it sit for up to 3 minutes... okay, did that while cleaning up my stuff from the bathroom, and washed with lukewarm water... I didn't like how astringent the stuff was. My face became very grippy and and firm, the intended result sure but one I wasn't ready for. After that lengthy wash I did use this vintage ysl ph aftershave. Still has that crazy citrus aromatic with musk that kinda smells like a dirty sponge smell to it. (Got it cheap because the atomizer was broke and there was only a small 6th of the bottle left). This was sketchy because the green dye had started to fleck and such but at least the alcohol still worked and the moisturizers seemed to be active, face and neck are smooth and I smell like a skank that drank too many Screwdrivers.

So far I'm learning at a good pace but it's soon time to get what works. I still need a more proper pre shave face wash, a slightly higher quality razor, and maybe figure out a better way to get a hot towel going.

I also definitely need to work on my neck shaving technique. Still some lingering irritation from new years and I can't keep nicking myself. Perhaps I could try a more gentle upward pass there.. I could use some tips. I dont feel raw just, maybe it's how I'm holding my skin or the angle of my blade?

We're getting there.

 

[Graybeard57]

Your entries make interesting reading. They mirror some of my experiences when I started wet shaving in 2012. If I may, I’d like to make a couple of suggestions.

First, many of us don’t not use pre shave cleansers/soaps. A simple face wash with your favorite regular soap should be all that you need.

Second, if you only have 2-3 shaves on your present blade there is no need to replace it. I get ~10 excellent shaves from most every brand of DE blade. Word to the wise: DON’T ASK @Spider (KJ) HOW MANY SHAVES HE’S GOTTEN FROM DE BLADES!! His answer may cause you to be involuntarily committed to the local psychiatric hospital. Please, trust me on this.

Third, stick with the same stuff for at least a couple of weeks. This allows you to dial in your technique. For instance, choose a razor and stick with it. I’d suggest the Baili, but it’s your choice. Just stick with your choice for awhile. The same goes for the brush and soap. If you don’t like the scent of the soap, try another Stirling sample - the soap base will be the same.

Fourth, perhaps an aftershave balm would be more comfortable. However, many people here, most notably @BarberDave (a master barber), recommend and use witch hazel, in addition to other products. I don’t, but that’s just me, and I’m probably in the minority here.

Fifth, Enjoy Your Shaves!

 

[CBLindsay]

Good stuff.
I have a few thoughts to share.

First, in my experience MANY blades actually feel better on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th shave than they did the first. Some (Shark…I’m looking at YOU) belong in the trash. In my case, feather blades often feel better after the first use but also fade quickly, with a sweet spot between the 2nd and 4th use.

Second. In regards to pre-shave face wash, you may not need to search very far for a great solution. A simple Glycerin soap or perhaps a Pears face wash bar from your local dollar tree can get the job done. But an even better solution might be to use a decent shave soap as your pre-shave wash. Use a brush or not, that’s something to experiment. Lather up and rinse clean, then proceed as normal. I like to wash my face in the shower using a brush and puck of soap.

As Bruce mentioned, witch hazel is a surprisingly effective post shave. I find it kind of boring but if you splash a bit on then follow it with your aftershave of choice it becomes less boring. I prefer a high alcohol content aftershave but when I need more moisturizing I will rub in a small amount of tallow (I like tallow but others use raw Shea butter) then follow it with my favorite aftershave. Oh, and never underestimate how nice a bit of talc/powder feels.

Ok, another thought. Regarding your neck. Most people find their neck area grows in all sorts of directions so it’s hard to determine an effective with the grain/against the grain pass. I suggest experimenting with different directions AND different amounts/types of stretching. In my case my lower neck grows exactly opposite the rest of my face. So a downward pass is with the grain everywhere except that lower portion. When shaving with a straight razor or with a good quality blade and reasonably aggressive razor, I can make my all my passes on that area ATG, while a less aggressive or sketchy blade will require me to make my first pass on that area in the upward WTG direction. As I lose weight I’m finding I need to stretch a little more purposefully but not necessarily more tightly. In any case, focus on moving the blade forward more than pressing it to your face and you should experience fewer nicks.

Shave on!

Edit: and looking at your photo I suspect your lower neck is very similar to mine. Try shaving up on your first pass if you aren’t already

 

[JanJosh]

Good stuff.
I have a few thoughts to share.

First, in my experience MANY blades actually feel better on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th shave than they did the first. Some (Shark…I’m looking at YOU) belong in the trash. In my case, feather blades often feel better after the first use but also fade quickly, with a sweet spot between the 2nd and 4th use.

Second. In regards to pre-shave face wash, you may not need to search very far for a great solution. A simple Glycerin soap or perhaps a Pears face wash bar from your local dollar tree can get the job done. But an even better solution might be to use a decent shave soap as your pre-shave wash. Use a brush or not, that’s something to experiment. Lather up and rinse clean, then proceed as normal. I like to wash my face in the shower using a brush and puck of soap.

As Bruce mentioned, witch hazel is a surprisingly effective post shave. I find it kind of boring but if you splash a bit on then follow it with your aftershave of choice it becomes less boring. I prefer a high alcohol content aftershave but when I need more moisturizing I will rub in a small amount of tallow (I like tallow but others use raw Shea butter) then follow it with my favorite aftershave. Oh, and never underestimate how nice a bit of talc/powder feels.

Ok, another thought. Regarding your neck. Most people find their neck area grows in all sorts of directions so it’s hard to determine an effective with the grain/against the grain pass. I suggest experimenting with different directions AND different amounts/types of stretching. In my case my lower neck grows exactly opposite the rest of my face. So a downward pass is with the grain everywhere except that lower portion. When shaving with a straight razor or with a good quality blade and reasonably aggressive razor, I can make my all my passes on that area ATG, while a less aggressive or sketchy blade will require me to make my first pass on that area in the upward WTG direction. As I lose weight I’m finding I need to stretch a little more purposefully but not necessarily more tightly. In any case, focus on moving the blade forward more than pressing it to your face and you should experience fewer nicks.

Shave on!

Edit: and looking at your photo I suspect your lower neck is very similar to mine. Try shaving up on your first pass if you aren’t already

Could you mention some of the brands you may use for the "everyday" and on the "premium deluxe" shave

And yes that's what I call them. The every day before work shave is the morning "routine" version of shaving to get out the door. The "premium deluxe" is the ritual form of shaving, in which you may do on a day off, or if you're maybe working a night shift. It's the long, pampered, and purposeful shave you can go 2 or 3 passes and really take your time.

Me personally I'm trying to learn and get familiar with getting in and out of a one pass daily shave. I want to get familiar with the habit and consistently shave without nicks or razor burn. I believe the routine before the shave is as vital as the aftershave.

 

[JanJosh]

Also, witch hazel. Alcohol free or not? I also am a fan of aftershave. I like the brace and the fragrance, but alcohol on alcohol feels counter intuitive and just very drying on the skin.

 

[Spider]

The lie: I can reuse blades once or twice!

The more comfortable you get with shaving and your technique the longer you will be able to use your blades. They were never meant to be one and done. I use blades for weeks if not months.

First, in my experience MANY blades actually feel better on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th shave than they did the first

This is definitely the case.

My face became very grippy and and firm,

Now you can see why I said to put alum on your fingers for more grip on your razor!

Also, witch hazel. Alcohol free or not

14% alcohol. Barely noticeable to your face.

but alcohol on alcohol feels counter intuitive and just very drying on the skin.

It actually helps a lot. The low alcohol of the WH, does some of the work of the aftershave, without the sting and drying of the higher alcohol aftershave. And since it's toning your skin and helping to seal the micro cuts, it's takes some of the sting away from the aftershave and makes it not as bracing.

 

[CBLindsay]

Could you mention some of the brands you may use for the "everyday" and on the "premium deluxe" shave

And yes that's what I call them. The every day before work shave is the morning "routine" version of shaving to get out the door. The "premium deluxe" is the ritual form of shaving, in which you may do on a day off, or if you're maybe working a night shift. It's the long, pampered, and purposeful shave you can go 2 or 3 passes and really take your time.

Me personally I'm trying to learn and get familiar with getting in and out of a one pass daily shave. I want to get familiar with the habit and consistently shave without nicks or razor burn. I believe the routine before the shave is as vital as the aftershave.

My "routine" and "premium delux" often overlap but I'll try to break it down for you.

My quick shave or routine (like shaving at the gym or early mornign with no real extra time to spare) is VERY similar to the delux version but I stick with trusted and easy to lather soaps and often stick with a vintage DE loaded with one of a few brands of blades.
The soap is often one of my own CBL soaps (I make and have a ton at my disposal so...) but I can also trust Stirling, Longrifle, WSP and even Cella to lather quickly and easily.
I use a synthetic brush at the gym and split 50/50 at home, usign one of my SV badger brushes (the TSC anniversary brush has seen a lot of usage this past year). The Synthetics don't require soaking and none of the soaps I mentioned require blooming so you can get started quickly.

I have a TON of DE blades at home but don't have a huge selection of different brands. Why? because i don't find a lot of difference between them so i stick with what works. I recently added Astra to my den and feel comfortable recommending them, they are affordable and work well. I also like Personna, Gillette 5 O'clock (yellow) and the Gillette silver blue. I dont use Feather much anymore, they seemed too hit or mis for me. For your beard (it looks thick/heavy to me) I would feel comfortable recommending the above blades.

Aftershave for me is ALWAYS a higher alcohol type and for a quick shave is often a commercial brand like Lustray, Pinnaud. I DO use an alum block about 80% of the time and very often at the gym. I use it mostly for its "antiseptic" properties and its ability to stop the weapers and nicks from bleeding. At home I might not use the alum because I am in a cleaner environment and able to dab the weapers and nicks if needed. I use Witch Hazel more at home than anywhere else and usually as part of a "delux" shave BUT If you could have only one aftershave splash I would use a 14% alcohol witch hazel (generic drug store is as good as any but they often smell more raw)

We can argue (discuss vigorously) the benefits and draw backs of alcohol as a post shave but from my perspective it is not as drying as you fear. If you need more moisturizing you could try adding a few extra drops of glycerin to your aftershave or witch hazel. Don't go crazy with the stuff, a little can be helpful and confortable while too much can feel tacky and will actually draw moisture from your skin rather than helping to moisturizing it.

My go to quick shave razors can be DE, SE or even a traditional straight razor or shavette style. I have become pretty fast and efficient with them all. to narrow it down for you as a form of recommendation I will say if use a nice DE or shavette. The shavette should be loaded with a feather pro-guard or similar guarded style blade, it REALLY helps prevent problems casused by early morning fog. I used to use a shavette at the gym but found it difficult on arm days so I now carry/use a Gillette Aristocrat laoded with an Astra blade. As for what DE razors to use? I like the vintage Gillette's like the fat boy or red tip but I think most of their vintage twist to open are pretty safe bets.

I don't stress the prep, I shower with hot water and wash in the shower with my regular tallow bar soap. I wet my face at the sink and FACE LATHER my soap. I find/found face lathering offered the best prep for me AND saved a step. Face lather adding a little water as needed to get a good lather on the face and in the brush. I always do 3 passes, the time savings between 1 and 3 is counted in seconds but the comfort and results are well worth it. Pass one, shave off the lather you just made and a mostyl WTG direction. Splash a little water on your face but don't stress about rinsing clean, then paint on some more lather, shave XTG (I do ear to nose but you might go oposit). Splash water, paint lather and shave ATG. I will usually feel my face before to the final rinse and "buff" or touch up any obvious areas I missed or that need more help. To be fair, I use shorter or buffing like strokes throughout my shave rather than long steady strokes.

For a delux shave I might grab a brand considered to be more premium or one with a particularly lovely scent. Sometime these soaps are harder to lather but mostly they are just more luxurious in feel or performance. Honestly the only brands that come to mind are CBL soap, Panna Crema Nuavia and Saponificio Verisino. There are MANY awseome premium soaps but I grab what is in arms reach and I always have these handy. I will usually lather with a badger brush, and the brush might be a bigger one (I make my own so i can't recommend a brand other than SV) I don't own a Rudy Vey brush but they are considered high quality and worthy of a delix shave. And I always face lather. I VERY rarely use any pre-shave stuff but might on occasion rub on some post shave oil before I lather.
My delux shaves are more often than not a straight razor or shavette style like the Tedalus. I like the traditional straight for the home spa experience shaves becasue the blade prep (stropping etc) add to the experience. I stick with 3 passes and finish with any clean up as needed. A straight razor/shavette almost always gives me the best and longest lasting shave (as far as closeness).
For a delux at home shave I skip the alum unless I need to address obvious weapers or razor burn. I will splash on bit of witch hazel, let it dry then spalsh on some good aftershave. I dont always use powder/talc but it makes for a really nice finish.

 

[JanJosh]

Entry 5: Success and learning moments

Today's shave was pretty interesting. Almost a really good, clean cut but I still have room to improve. Making progress gets me excited to shave and learn, working my way up to new skills and techniques.

I took some suggestions to heart. Here's today's kit:
-Pear's Glycerin Soap
-Generic Synthetic Brush v1
-Stirling Gentleman Shave Soap
-Baili Chrome Razor
-Gillette Silver Blue Blade
-Lucky Witch Hazel (Dollar Tree Generic brand. 14% Alc)
-Omega Alum
-Vintage Avon Brisk Spice AS (not shown)

Thanks for the tip @CBLindsay and others regards to the glycerin Soap and witch hazel. The soap itself smelled nice sure but it really had a great effect on my skin. A little difficult to wash off, especially when it cakes, but my skin was left smooth and firm, ready for a shave.

Like usual, I washed and prepared with hot water and followed up with a hot towel to really ensure my skin was prepped. One thing I did that's new was Face Lathering. I like the bowl and all, it's old fashioned and fun but makes a mess, but this face lather trick I picked up from some recommendations and seeing Ohio Shaves do it (if you've seen him, I wonder how people here view him? Tangent: I like him but think he's a bit too charismatic and... what's the nice way to say it... he sorta feels like he thinks his opinion is the only one that really matters, but damn if he's not right half the time!). Simply wet the brush, remove excess water to dampen, rub into soap, slather on face, soak brush, and lather! Very very efficient and saves the soap well, I've noticed. Might need to do more often.

The shave itself wasn't too bad, honestly. The blade was okay and I listened to @Graybeard57 and decided to stick with the chrome for a week or two. It is, in all technical aspects, a better razor than the generic and has some training wheels too. Note, I'm still not ready for second passes just yet, but I think I'll try to begin a much more brief daily routine. Like usual the cheeks are fine, and I saved the goatee for last, but this is the interesting part.

(Mind the skintags)
I decided to try and shave UP instead of down with the grain and the results were remarkable. Shockingly, the razor glided upward pretty effectively and I did get through my neck no issue. I only had 1 "nick" but in reality it was just an older nick that reopened. I have photos that mark it. Getting the goatee was easier this time because I tried various angles and skin tugs, but I did leave a few stubble spots in the process. No irritation there.

Where I did get irritation though was on my neck. After the first decent run, i tried to do a quicker second pass to clean up some parts of my neck I didn't like and went down with the grain. I think my flaw was I didn't reheat my neck and probably should've wet my face a bit more. Walked away with irritation and what I think are small "weepers"(?) And tiny nicks. Note to self is not to do that.

Followed up with a lukewarm water clean up and pat dry with a cotton pad witch hazel soaking. It toned and eased my face up nicely with no real issues, let it soak a few minutes before washing with lukewarm water and following up with a cold wash and alum stick pass due to the neck irritation. Cheeks, mustache, chin? All good. No sting, honestly. The neck? Yeah, it stung a bit but wasn't like when I used Stirling and almost fainted. Let that sit for 3 minutes, cold water wash and pat dry, and finished with the avon. Felt nice and I think it still had a lot of glycerin and soothing moisturizer in it, but I'm not a fan of this smell. The spice is one thing but with all the baby powdery nutmeg and clove it didn't really please me. Might uh... sell it.

So my face is... fine, but damn is my chin to jawline smooth. Wish my neck was similar but I didn't want to irritate it any further. And I meant smoothas in how it feels, not how it looks.


Tips and comments are always welcome. I appreciate everyone's thoughts and support. I'll be a lot more gentle tomorrow if my face feels fine enough. Might need to pick up some better witch hazel like thayers. Maybe the one without alcohol or a better concentrated blend because I don't like how much my face dried

 

[GearNoir]

While certain parts of my face can be a bit oily, I often get some dryness after my shaves; for me it’s especially on my cheeks and under my jaw. It’s nothing either a post shave balm or some facial moisturizer won’t fix, depending on exactly how dried out I’m feeling/appearing. You can still use all the other post shave stuff you like, just apply the balm/moisturizer last, while the area is still damp/hydrated.

 

[wristwatchb]

Hey there, and congrats on the steady progress! Learning is the fun part in my world.

It took several months, with great input from more experienced shavers like you're getting here, to consistently achieve good results. It helped me to eliminate as many variables as possible by sticking with the same razor, brand of blade, and brush for ~30 days. My one-pass plus touch-up shaves today are miles ahead of the three- and four-pass shaves of my early days.

Even though I've been DE/SE shaving for years, I still (sort of) follow the 30 day "rule," and I always look for new things to help me improve my technique little-by-little.

In my experience, most properly-functioning DE razors are capable of giving great shaves. Early on, the key for me was to settle a razor I enjoyed using for an extended period of time and simply figuring it out. I view learning to shave somewhat like learning to play golf. I doubt if most new golfers invest in multiple sets of clubs. They learn to play with what they have. And I'm not a golfer, so a pro could easily outplay me with a kid's set of clubs even if I had PINGs.

Now I can pretty much use any type of DE or SE razor and get good results, so I enjoy changing up my gear periodically. Hang with it, and you'll definitely get there.

I'll toss out some things that have not already been mentioned.

-Focus on gentle skin stretching. This is even more important with old dudes for obvious reasons. Flat surfaces are easier to shave. Most straight razor shavers master skin stretching by necessity. Check out some videos, and you'll see for yourself.

-If you have a 10X mirror, take a good look at your mug before and after your shave. I tend to see things I might have otherwise missed by feel. It's one of the best ways I've found to judge my results.

-Consider cleaning and moisturizing your face morning and night, regardless of your shave frequency. At least for me, it has helped improve my skin condition and my shaves.

I also second the comment on using unrefined shea butter as part of the aftershave routine. I've found nothing better for moisturizing my skin and soothing irritation. (It works great on hands, sunburn, etc. too.) A little goes a long way, and you can always blot your face to remove any excess or shine. The key is finding a product with an acceptable/minimal scent. For me, that means paying a few extra nickels for one that comes with a purity certification. And I usually always layer on a favorite aftershave to finish.

I'll finish with a comment on blades. Everybody has different experience on the best blades and how long to use them. You know your face better than anyone, so whatever you do will be right for you. I will suggest that blades are cheap, and you might consider swapping blades (even mid-shave!) anytime you feel tugging or the need to modify your "normal" way of shaving. I'm pretty simple and I have a cubic foot of blades, so I just use a new one after three shaves. That's probably more frequent than I need, but I never have to deal with a dying blade edge, and I ain't gonna run out anytime soon.

I will continue to read your journal entries with great interest. Keep having fun and learning!

 

[CBLindsay]

-Consider cleaning and moisturizing your face morning and night, regardless of your shave frequency. At least for me, it has helped improve my skin condition and my shaves.

THIS is a great advice. I even went so far as to face lather and do all the rest of the "post shave" stuff in the evening. I figured the prep was good skin care and the only damaging factor was dragging a blade over my skin. If you do all the regular stuff at night and get any irritation you will know your prep is a bit too agressive.

Also, you can try doing 2 or more WTG passes (go the same direction you just went) using minimal pressure. Focus on glding the razor over your face, keeping the blade angle/contact consistent. This multiple WTG pass technique is similar to a method used to learn to use straight razors. With new straight razor user we often recommend shaving first with a DE razor then shaving with the straight razor. This shifts the focus from shaving/hair removal to technique intended to NOT harm your face. Your goal would be to do a second or third WTG pass and get no further blade noise (noise indicating you are shaving hair) or resistance. I would stress, don't go heavy handed looking for the noise or feedback, just let that razor glide effortlessly.

AND don't stress about rinsing the Pears or any other pre-shave soap clean from your face. Glycerin soaps can be lathered on without rinsing. I still recommend splashing on some water in a half-hearted attempt to rinse because a wetter face is always a good thing but don't worry about rinsing clean.

Good job!

 

[CBLindsay]

Hey @JanJosh , if you don’t like the scent of the Pears soap you can melt it in the microwave and add some fragrance oil to it. Usually you can get away with splashing some aftershave into it if you don’t have any essential oils to add to it. Put it in a coffee cup, zap it for 30 seconds then check it and zap for shorter intervals until it;s melted and liquid. Splash a few glugs of aftershave into it and stir well. Pour into a cupcake thing or something silicone to let it cool. I made an Awesome pre-shave soap by grating up a puck of Williams and melting it into a bar of pears…it was slick and wonderfull.

 

[JanJosh]

Hey @JanJosh , if you don’t like the scent of the Pears soap you can melt it in the microwave and add some fragrance oil to it. Usually you can get away with splashing some aftershave into it if you don’t have any essential oils to add to it. Put it in a coffee cup, zap it for 30 seconds then check it and zap for shorter intervals until it;s melted and liquid. Splash a few glugs of aftershave into it and stir well. Pour into a cupcake thing or something silicone to let it cool. I made an Awesome pre-shave soap by grating up a puck of Williams and melting it into a bar of pears…it was slick and wonderfull.

Nahhh I like it. It's herbal, medicinal even. I like that in most cases with toiletries.

 

[JanJosh]

I also second the comment on using unrefined shea butter as part of the aftershave routine. I've found nothing better for moisturizing my skin and soothing irritation.

Thanks for all the advice. But this one is a no go. Shea butter and most oil/fat based products make me break out crazy. Clogs my pores as I tend to be a little on the oily side and I trap dirt easily.

I use mostly water or alcohol based products for this reason. This is probably why my skin is so grippy because the oil is getting stripped off my face clean, which is a sensation I'm not used to.