Good Stuff... and there is no beard that a good straight cannot tackle, LOL
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Kingfisher's open blade (straight razors and shavettes) journey
- Thread starter kingfisher
- Start date
SR shave #70, open blade shave #107
(By the way, I disagree with most everybody here in terms of longer growth versus shorter growth being more fun/easier/insert adjective here to remove. I much prefer to shave everyday and no matter what mechanism I use [cartridge, DE, SE, or straight razor] I find the shave more enjoyable if the stubble has only had 24 hours to grow.)
This morning I used Soapy Science Mint for the lather and the Tilquin for the shave. Lather was nice, shave was good. It's almost getting to be routine. Three passes on the cheeks, two on the neck to a CCS+ on the cheeks, SAS+/CCS- on the neck. No time to try too many new things in the morning before work, but this morning I did try slightly different angles on the neck for the second pass, more XTG than before. It went smoothly.
At this point in my straight shaving journey, I've become quite comfortable shaving with the straight. I know pretty much what is going to happen. The problem is that in the densest areas of growth I just can't quite get as close with the straight as I can with my other razors; this includes especially the chin. This morning I went over it 4 times and still had some clean-up work to do. I didn't get irritation, but I just can't get as close as I'd like to there.
It almost feels like a fixed problem at this point, as though there is never going to be a way to solve it. Having said that, I remember when I couldn't even get one pass done on the neck without abandoning the straight, and I remember feeling like that problem would likely never go away. So I understand that even at 70 shaves I have a ton to learn and that in straight razor shaving, sometimes problems that seem unsurmountable just melt away without even any conscious effort.
So, for now I am pretty content with how things are going, and I'll just keep plugging away and see if new lights come on sometime in the near future.
(For Sunday, my day off of open blade shaves, I used Stirling Peach lather and my Bullet-tip Micromatic with a brand new blade. Shave was close and nice. I actually got a bit more irritation than I do with the straight, but I remember that the first shave on a new SE blade can sometimes be harsher than subsequent shaves.)
(By the way, I disagree with most everybody here in terms of longer growth versus shorter growth being more fun/easier/insert adjective here to remove. I much prefer to shave everyday and no matter what mechanism I use [cartridge, DE, SE, or straight razor] I find the shave more enjoyable if the stubble has only had 24 hours to grow.)
This morning I used Soapy Science Mint for the lather and the Tilquin for the shave. Lather was nice, shave was good. It's almost getting to be routine. Three passes on the cheeks, two on the neck to a CCS+ on the cheeks, SAS+/CCS- on the neck. No time to try too many new things in the morning before work, but this morning I did try slightly different angles on the neck for the second pass, more XTG than before. It went smoothly.
At this point in my straight shaving journey, I've become quite comfortable shaving with the straight. I know pretty much what is going to happen. The problem is that in the densest areas of growth I just can't quite get as close with the straight as I can with my other razors; this includes especially the chin. This morning I went over it 4 times and still had some clean-up work to do. I didn't get irritation, but I just can't get as close as I'd like to there.
It almost feels like a fixed problem at this point, as though there is never going to be a way to solve it. Having said that, I remember when I couldn't even get one pass done on the neck without abandoning the straight, and I remember feeling like that problem would likely never go away. So I understand that even at 70 shaves I have a ton to learn and that in straight razor shaving, sometimes problems that seem unsurmountable just melt away without even any conscious effort.
So, for now I am pretty content with how things are going, and I'll just keep plugging away and see if new lights come on sometime in the near future.
(For Sunday, my day off of open blade shaves, I used Stirling Peach lather and my Bullet-tip Micromatic with a brand new blade. Shave was close and nice. I actually got a bit more irritation than I do with the straight, but I remember that the first shave on a new SE blade can sometimes be harsher than subsequent shaves.)
I'm curious, do you think you give as many strokes with the straight as you do with other razors on your chin? I realized that it's without a 2nd thought that with a SE or DE I make lots of little strokes in certain areas. I don't shave my chin, but I could see that being the case there. But with a straight, more thought it given to each stroke, so I wasn't making nearly as many and I'm sure that changes the end result.
WildWest74
Could be John Wayne
Great stuff to catch up on, Randall! I will echo that the bass story was awesome. I always loved the sound of the Gibson basses (my old bass player described it as heavy like a pair of elephant balls), and to play one with such history must have been a real treat. I own an Epi Thunderbird IV that almost comes close to the true Gibson sound, and it is a real beauty and the beast. Heavy headstock, but such amazing lines. And at 6'4" and over 320, it's the only bass that doesn't look like a toy when I play it.
SR shave #s 71 and 72; open blade #s 108 and 109. I used the Noonan and Sons razor with blond scales (this is the first straight I acquired, from Whipped Dog) for both shaves.
Yesterday's shave was with Mike's. Went pretty well. Nothing particular to report about it.
This morning I used Sudsy Soapery Lavender/Peppermint. This morning I tried something quite a bit different. After the first pass I felt my cheeks. I noticed that the stubble feel was much more pronounced when rubbing nose-to-ear than the other way around. I had been doing what I call the "Chimensch" second pass for a long time (cross-handed mixed XTG-WTG from ear-to-nose), but because of what I felt, I decided to do a completely different second pass. So, I tried doing a mixed XTG-WTG from nose-to-ear, with the ipsilateral rather than the contralateral hand. I also did some scything with this pass.
It was surprisingly easy, and undoubtedly resulted in better reduction. After two passes the cheeks were bordering on CCS. I did one more pass, completely XTG from nose-to-ear, and they were CCS+.
I have also been gradually changing the second pass on the neck to be more XTG than it has been, with good results. I had a couple of very small weepers today, but otherwise the shave was excellent.
Yesterday's shave was with Mike's. Went pretty well. Nothing particular to report about it.
This morning I used Sudsy Soapery Lavender/Peppermint. This morning I tried something quite a bit different. After the first pass I felt my cheeks. I noticed that the stubble feel was much more pronounced when rubbing nose-to-ear than the other way around. I had been doing what I call the "Chimensch" second pass for a long time (cross-handed mixed XTG-WTG from ear-to-nose), but because of what I felt, I decided to do a completely different second pass. So, I tried doing a mixed XTG-WTG from nose-to-ear, with the ipsilateral rather than the contralateral hand. I also did some scything with this pass.
It was surprisingly easy, and undoubtedly resulted in better reduction. After two passes the cheeks were bordering on CCS. I did one more pass, completely XTG from nose-to-ear, and they were CCS+.
I have also been gradually changing the second pass on the neck to be more XTG than it has been, with good results. I had a couple of very small weepers today, but otherwise the shave was excellent.
Hey Randall, your straight razor journey seems to be progressing along quite well. There are as many opinions here on how to achieve BBS as there are people who have learned to shave with a straight razor. One thing that I will point out that was true for me, and may, or may not, apply to you, is that the sharpness of the razor really does effect the result. We throw around terms like shave ready as if it were an objective term that describes the optimal keenness or sharpness to obtain BBS, when in fact it is a very subjective term. What Chris L might consider shave ready might be different that what Chris H thinks is shave ready. For me I came to this eureka probably 150 or so shaves in when I got a new razor. I consistently was able to get BBS with it, and if I took another razor that had a very good edge and shaved with it using the same technique, the best I could muster was DFS in the problem spots. What I learned is that shave ready really stands for shave ready for me, and that means that I can get to BBS comfortably using my best technique. It might be that you have not found the level of sharpness that you require to get to BBS on a straight razor. My problem areas are spots on my neck and jawline where the hair grows in a direction where I cannot get ATG. There is also some scar tissue involved in one area that makes things very wonkey. The bottom line is that unless my technique is spot on, and my bevel is spot on, complete BBS is not in the cards for me.
I know that this implies that you should jump down yet another rabbit hole, the honing rabbit hole. But that might be the solution over the long haul.
I know that this implies that you should jump down yet another rabbit hole, the honing rabbit hole. But that might be the solution over the long haul.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This!
SR shave #73, open blade #110 this morning.
Fired up an oldie but a goodie this morning: Obsessive Soap Perfectionist in the Fougere scent. I have maybe 3 shaves' worth left in this puck. Got a nice, fragrant lather this morning.
Went with the Noonan again.
Had another good shave. First pass reduction decent. Second pass I went with the newer approach (for me) of a mixed XTG/WTG but from nose to ear. Worked so much better than the Chimensch pass I loved so much, likely for no other reason than that my hair growth goes slightly toward the nose, so I am getting better reduction this way. I may have to bid a final adieu to the Chimensch pass, although another option would be to try it for the first pass some day.
Anyway, I also did better on the neck with the second pass, getting closer than ever before. A third pass, a true XTG on the cheeks, left them CCS+.
Oh, and I tried something this morning that I have never tried before. There is a small patch of stubble just beneath the back part of the jaw on my left side where the hair grows upwards (on the rest of my neck it is downwards or, in some places, very close to sideways. But in this one spot, it is upwards. So, for the first pass, I decided to try a true WTG, which required me to hold the razor upside down and move the blade up toward my jaw. This is the scariest thing in SR shaving, to me. I watch videos where guys willie-nillie hold the blade facing up and do their entire neck that way, but it scares me to death. However, I was able to get the patch without any problem, which made the second pass there (downward) a lot easier.
So, another good shave. Feeling more and more like a straight razor shaver and less and less like an interloper.
Have a good day, gentlemen.
Fired up an oldie but a goodie this morning: Obsessive Soap Perfectionist in the Fougere scent. I have maybe 3 shaves' worth left in this puck. Got a nice, fragrant lather this morning.
Went with the Noonan again.
Had another good shave. First pass reduction decent. Second pass I went with the newer approach (for me) of a mixed XTG/WTG but from nose to ear. Worked so much better than the Chimensch pass I loved so much, likely for no other reason than that my hair growth goes slightly toward the nose, so I am getting better reduction this way. I may have to bid a final adieu to the Chimensch pass, although another option would be to try it for the first pass some day.
Anyway, I also did better on the neck with the second pass, getting closer than ever before. A third pass, a true XTG on the cheeks, left them CCS+.
Oh, and I tried something this morning that I have never tried before. There is a small patch of stubble just beneath the back part of the jaw on my left side where the hair grows upwards (on the rest of my neck it is downwards or, in some places, very close to sideways. But in this one spot, it is upwards. So, for the first pass, I decided to try a true WTG, which required me to hold the razor upside down and move the blade up toward my jaw. This is the scariest thing in SR shaving, to me. I watch videos where guys willie-nillie hold the blade facing up and do their entire neck that way, but it scares me to death. However, I was able to get the patch without any problem, which made the second pass there (downward) a lot easier.
So, another good shave. Feeling more and more like a straight razor shaver and less and less like an interloper.
Have a good day, gentlemen.