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An Unexpected Journey: A Newbie's Walk In Wet Shaving

I haven't used the Hawk for some time, but as I remember my experience was better than what you're having. I remember really liking the stiffer SE blade and was excited to have the world of SEs opened to me. But different strokes for different folks. It isn't aggressive by any means. If you still are interested in messing around with SEs, you can borrow my Asylum RX. When I borrowed one from barber Dave before buying one, he wrote quite the warning about being careful with it and not messing up my face. It should certainly leave no hair behind at all. It's just a matter of what else it takes with it. ;)
 
Blade-meister said:
Shawn was able to give me some ideas, but I'm still open for more.
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Best of luck hanging your window and door. With my limited experience, I have no advice, but I'd be inclined to take Shawn's. You and Shawn are probably the best judges of how to get this done. Enjoy your shaves!
 
I had a beautiful couple of shaves since my last post. Sunday was great, another Bay Rum morning dancing with MW and the Variant. I did slide in a new Wilkerson's blade. I like them a lot. They remind me of the Feathers I loved so much. Sharp and smooth. This morning's shave was a repeat of Sunday's shave but with MW Sandalwood Coconut.

Something I'm doing lately is something I stole from Dagwoodz videos @Dagwoodz . I saw him taking a cold cloth from the freezer and applying it to his face after shaving. I'm using a bean bag type cold pack and man does that feel good. I apply it after my AS lotion is absorbed in. For me it's kinda like menthol without the irritation form all that alcohol.

On the personal side, I managed to get the new to me door on the cabin and the window. I ended up messing with the window for way too long. I screwed up the cuts for the 1/2 round PVC material so I had to rip some square PVC I had left over from the siding job on my house. I'm not entirely happy with the finished fit so I may go over and make some flashing to go on the bottom of the window to be sure the weep holes are shedding water away from the bottom window seal area. I didn't spray foam it because dummy me thought I'd have plenty of time to do the door and window at the same time. Well, the rough opening for the door had to be cut correctly and I had to end up removing studs then rebuilding the wall. I beefed up the door opening with with 4x4's for the king studs and header. Lots of beefing up to make sure the door is very hard to kick-in. They'll need breaching equipment with the extra long screws attaching the door and casing into those 4x4's :LOL: I ended up finishing in the dark with a headlamp. Ever try to assemble and install a door knob in the dark? Yeah, it's no fun, trust me. Then I had this renegade punk chipmunk squawking at me because I'd overstayed my welcome being it was dusk. I watched him to in and out of his hobbit hole by a tree in front of the cabin. His little cheeks were always stuffed to the max with corn from the field above the cabin. He's a tough little guy and we'll get along if he remembers that his home is in that hole and my home is the cabin.
 
I'm pretty sure that chipmunk has one of those. I didn't see him out and about this evening when I was over there spraying in the foam insulation around the door and window.

I'm thinking that little guy was probably somewhere up on the ridge looking like this:

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It always sounds like you're having a blast working on projects or the cabin, Mike. But that might just be my imagination. 🤣
 
This morning was a great shave. I decided to not so quickly abandon the Hawk Nurse Dave so kindly gave me. I slid a regular blade in it to see if it would be better than the scalloped one that is supposed to be harder to cut yourself with. My first WTG pass with the Hawk seemed very nice and smooth. No issues with the different blade. As a check, I took the Variant and did the same WTG pass after another good application of lather. There was less clean-up this time with the Variant. I think the different blade does provide a closer shave, but still milder than the Variant set at 4.7. I finished up with the Variant and came away with BBS+

In thinking about the Hawk, I think if it weighed more it would probably cut closer. That's my theory because the different in weight between the Variant and Hawk is quite a bit IMHO. No pressure for me means the razor's weight is just about all the pressure I apply on each pass.

Something new I'm trying is re-introducing the witch hazel. I used to apply the WH after my shave was done and let it sort of evaporate and dry off before applying AS lotion at the end of the post shave routine. This gave me redness and irritation. Stopping the use of WH got rid of this irritation and redness for the most part. Now I've begun splashing it on with a wet and rinsed face, let it sit for about 20 seconds then rinse it right off. It really feels right doing it this way. I feel I'm getting some benefit from it, but it's not on there long enough to begin to irritate me. I also believe that the cold water rinse (I'm a cold water shaver) is closing my pours so perhaps the alcohol in it is not allowed to irritate as much. One of these years I'll figure this whole thing out.
 
I’m surprised witch hazel is giving you problems/irritation, since it’s supposed to be a more natural remedy for just the opposite!
 
WH is the active ingredient in many anti-irritation products, such as Preparation H and Tucks. (I’ve had my share of colonoscopies) If you are sensitive to it, don’t use these if/when your time comes.
 
GearNoir said:
I’m surprised witch hazel is giving you problems/irritation, since it’s supposed to be a more natural remedy for just the opposite!
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True WH has about 15 % alcohol and that's what bothers me is the alcohol. So when I apply it with a wet face I think it dilutes it just enough to help me get the benefits of WH and not the problems with the alcohol. Even my AS lotion's slight bit of alcohol bothers me and I have to dab it off my upper lip almost immediately after application or I get red spots.

Majorrich said:
WH is the active ingredient in many anti-irritation products, such as Preparation H and Tucks. (I’ve had my share of colonoscopies) If you are sensitive to it, don’t use these if/when your time comes.
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Rich, this one is for you brother :LOL:


And when everything is working fine, this one is a good one as well

 
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