Running the Blade: The Rough Cut

[CBLindsay]

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.

I'm with you on the raw shea butter. I really don't like the way it feels, don't like ANY greasy feeling. I too have oily skin BUT I will offer you a little potentially helpful (or at least interesting) info regarding the use of oils and butters.
1) raw shea butter (as nasty as it feels) has a very low comedogenic score as such is considered very unlikely to clog pores and cause acne. Although it can still cause a temporary purge effect (see below)
2) regular use of low comedogenic oils/butters as part of a regular skin care regime CAN result in less oily skin. I have personally confirmed this as true in my own case. It took a couple weeks of regular use but now my skin is less oily overall and I don't have any dry skin or patchy areas.
3) many oils including low comedogenic scoring oils will induce a purge effect when you first start using them. What this looks like is a rapid onset of acne and extra oily skin. In most cases this perge period doesn't last more than a couple weeks but this in not a hard and fast rule. As great as it can be for the skin Cocnut oil is probably the most likly oil to cause this purge effect.

I created my CBL Apothocary oil with the shaving community in mind and focused on using low comedogenic scoring oils that are known to be less likely to casue a purge effect and those that reduce inflamation and promote healing. My personal experience and feedback from others pretty much confirmed it worked as intended. While I don't currently offer it for sale on my website I still use it in my personal routine (I love it in my hair) and it is still an ingredient in the CBL aftershave tonic. I also use a tallow/bees wax/honey concoction from time to time. Beef tallow is excelent at reducing inlfamation and irritation and unlike shea butter it absorbes failry quickly and doesn't smell as nasty (to me). I am working on getting over my STRONG aversion to oils and greasy stuff so I typically follow any oil/tallow application with an alcohol based splash.

I think others have said it but I will say it again, don't go changing a bunch of things all at once. And of course focus on the products and processes that bring you the most JOY bot he ones hyped by others.

I don't say all of this to push you into using shea butter or tallow or any other oily stuff, just to share a bit of my own expereince.

 

[Spider]

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.

Have you mapped the grain on your face/neck? It looks like the grain on your neck it a mix of sideways and S-N. So an upwards stroke might actually be "with the grain", explaining why it's a smoother stroke.

 

[JanJosh]

Have you mapped the grain on your face/neck? It looks like the grain on your neck it a mix of sideways and S-N. So an upwards stroke might actually be "with the grain", explaining why it's a smoother stroke.

Well no i don't have a map, but i do know how my face grows by memory, but generally from under my chin to neck grows sideways towards my right, and my neck neck is a mixture of downward and sideways

 

[JanJosh]

Entry 6: Skip to the Good Part

No need for a picture or a list of tools. It was the same exact stuff as the last entry. Only difference was I didn't use the alum and I used a different aftershave.

This time, I shaved my face sideways once across the grain, and I tried the neck again going upwards. All went well, but I did notice that I'm not hitting the jawline too efficiently, and it appears I'm shy around the neckline aka the throat. I noticed slightly darker spots and longer hairs. I blame a lack of confidence and slightly obscured vision.

But I do know now that my throat hair grows sideways and slightly upwards. On my next shave, which I plan to do Friday night, I'll do one pass with the grain on the face, try to be more attentive to the jawline, upward pass on the neck, and try to carefully go with the grain on the throat.

I skipped the alum because this shave wasn't too raw but I did dispose my blade after. The Gillette Silver Blue was a nice shave, but my hair is thick as it is and wore the blade pretty quick. Towards the end of the shave, I noticed some minor pulling and a lack of closeness so it had to go. Hit the witch hazel and aftershave, which did identify some minor irritation on the neck, and I was about my way. No nicks, weepers, or burn so it was a pretty good shave for a rookie.

Still deciding on my next blade to try but I have some stuff coming in tomorrow that I ordered and other goodies @NurseDave was much too kind to send. Looking forward to it! I love surprises so no details.

 

[Luecke3262]

Nice work, you’re gonna get there!

 

[JanJosh]

Nice work, you’re gonna get there!

Thanks for the support. Looking forward to picking up a straight razor in the future and entering the experience in my journal

 

[JanJosh]

Entry 7: Cool. Just cool. Nice.

Today's shave was pretty interesting. It was very nice but could certainly be improved. I've had about 3 or so days growth (missed Friday) so I shaved this Saturday evening. This time I tried a cold shave as was recommended by @NurseDave and gave me an excuse to try some of his gear he sent me.

The Gear:

- The Inkey List Milk Cleanser (not pictured)
- Generic Synthetic 1.0 brush
- Stirling Gentleman Shave Soap
- Baili Chrome Razor
- Derby Extra blade
- Gent's Alum
- Thayers Witch Hazel (0% Alc and has Aloe)
- Nivea Men 2-in-1 aftershave

So for starters, I took a lukewarm, refreshing shower with some new soap I opened up. Ended with washing my face with the cleanser, and rinsed my face with cold water at the end, about 5 or so repeated splashes. Dried up and got ready for the shave with a follow up cold water splash followed with a cold lather that was also with cold water. Let it sit a little while I got my materials set up or put away.

So the shave itself... was actually really pleasant. Cold metal is pretty comforting, but it just felt so odd that as the blade passed, I could almost not even feel it. I see the soap and stubble coming off, but I don't feel it. Not until I got to the neck. Sensitive skin and all, but I was fine until I got to the throat again. I had a really good shave, but I got my one and only nick when I went to shave my lower neck. It seems that going downward is going to be impossible, sideways is awkward but not ineffective, and upwards probably works best but doesn't get as close with the hair as I'd like.

After the shave I rinsed the soap extensively with cold water and pat dry, but splashed a lithe extra on as I wet the alum and applied. The face was practically numb, felt nothing, but of course my neck had some stinging. Yet, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I know I had a pretty mellow shave, but it seems the quality of this compared to Omega is different. Like this one was better refined, while Omega stung to hell but really sealed my pores up.

Let that sit for 3 minutes or so as I cleaned up again and put things away, rinsed off, again, with cold water extensively, pat dry, and finished with a cotton pad rub of thayers and let sit until air dry. Without alcohol it was actually quite soothing, felt almost cooling and numbing in an odd way? Maybe I'm imagining things but it felt nice either way.

Finished the job with the Nivea aftershave. For a sensitive aftershave, it didn't affect my face but I felt it in my neck. Stung for less than a second before vanishing. What i didn't like, because it caught me off guard, was how oily it felt. I know it's hydrating and cooling for repair, but man applying that when I'm so used to aftershave Lotion was a trip. Anyway, it smelled pretty interesting too, almost like cheap cologne while the menthol kicked in with a pretty nice cooling effect.

The result:

As you can see, it's not a BBS or DFS but it went well! Was it the greatest, closest shave ever? No, not really and not yet. Was it the most comfortable and relaxing shave as of yet? Absolutely. I think i could improve this in the future if I wanted to try my hand at cold shaving again. I would probably do better if I had used the glycerin Soap instead of my cleanser, and used a more aggressive, but controllable, razor and blade combo. The baili is a decent shave, but it's too mild and bulbous for a truly effective cold shave. I'm no expert and even i can tell these things. I'll be sure to try an aggressive blade in the mild baili, then an aggressive razor with a milder blade when I come across one. It just needs balance. Another thing is the soap. Stirling is nice but the lather isn't coming out too incredibly thick, like that soapy and firm consistency. Maybe it's technique, maybe it's quality. Time will tell. Could even be the brush.

I think after a good night's rest and routine, I'll probably do a hot/ warm water shave tomorrow Sunday. Nothing crazy, a light and brief follow up.

 

[NurseDave]

What i didn't like, because it caught me off guard, was how oily it felt.

Hmm, it shouldn’t be oily at all. Did you shake it up to mix to the two layers?

Was it the most comfortable and relaxing shave as of yet? Absolutely.

That’s more important. Don’t be hurting yourself and then you can work on angle of the blade and strokes to get a closer shave. I think KJ mentioned mapping the hair on your neck. The neck is a weird space where down might not be with the grain.

 

[BarberDave]

Here is a map for you to reference, dont shave for a few days, to ensure enough to determine direction, print it and mark direction of hair growth and adjust your shave passes accordingly Hope this helps, and remember the lightest of touch to retain pressure

 

[JanJosh]

Entry 8: Patience is a virtue.

I should have waited. Really. Tomorrow would've been better. Why? Today's shave wasn't the greatest. I should've let my face rest and settle until tomorrow morning. The experience was sloppy and nick riddled. I was in too much a rush, over excited, and over confident and let my guard down. Foolish. I know that with my facial hair and growth time I could be a daily shaver, but my gear and skill lack in that regard. So now I'm left to evaluate and adjust my strategy.

By the way, here's my facial hair after about an exact 24hrs from when I shaved yesterday night. Bonus is me pointing at my nick
And now, the Gear


- Generic Synthetic Brush v1
- Stirling Shave Soap
- Pears Glycerin Soap
- Baili Chrome Razor
- Derby Extra Blade (second use)
- Generic Witch Hazel (14% alc)
- Omega Alum
- Aqua Velva Classic Ice Blue Aftershave

Well, the process was simple. Hot shower, wash face with Pear's, end with a cold wash to face to brace my skin. Came out to shave. I did notice my face was a little grippy after washing... maybe the soap is drying or over cleaning my skin? Was this my first mistake?

Next, face lather like usual with brush, got in a good spread and lather, little thick. Razor was washed and disinfected with alcohol. Went from right cheek to left but the left was left with nicks, shaved the neck with no noticeable nicks though. I didn't feel much until the end when I had to use the alum and my neck was stinging like crazy. Rinsed and followed up with the witch hazel, allowed to air dry before ending with Aqua Velva, which felt great, very cooling and bracing in the best way possible.

I think that I didn't prep as well as I could've and the razor blade itself COULD have began dulling. Unsure though, but I do know my hair is still dummy thick and grows quickly. Also I think I shaved too fast while not effectively tugging and pulling my skin. Pressure may have been an issue but I also think that I did go over the same spots too many passes at once. As of now my two use rule shall remain and I disposed of the blade.

Result

A sloppy finish. I'll have to let my face heal and let my hair grow in enough to map my growth. Time to stop being stubborn. On my return shave, possibly on Wednesday, I think I'll go hot.

 

[JanJosh]

Entry 9: And we're (so) back!

Well I'm back! I actually shaved... 2 or so days ago, but was too busy to make the entry so here we are! And, i had a pretty nice shave apart from maybe 2 things I could've changed.

The Gear:

- fresh brand soy face cleanser (not pictured)
- Stirling synthetic brush
- Feather Popular Razor
- Voskhod Teflon Coated Blade
- Phil's Face Wash/Shave Soap
- Omega Alum
- Thayers Witch Hazel
- Clubman Reserve Whiskey Woods Aftershave

So I did originally have photos of my face before and after but it appears I might have deleted them on mistake. No matter! We're here to talk about the experience!

For starters, this was a cold water shave, so everything was done with cold water. The soy cleanser i had recently bought at Sephora, which i frequent for my face stuff and to see what they have to offer for fragrances. I told the rep there about my shaving routine and my feeling of being grippy in the skin, and he immediately recommended it as a good mild daily cleanser that can actually be lathered up and used as shaving soap... might try that some day. But anyway, after washing my face felt pretty nice, smooth and able to glide my fingers, yet you can tell it was cleansed.

Next, the shaving soap itself was kinda... a disappointment, but not in the usual regards. So I prefer face Lathering, but since the bar is pretty tough (as in it has that solid, waxy feel) i had to hand lather it and use the brush. With the brush this stuff blew up with lather, but on application, the soap died very very fast. I had to keep relathering between draws on other sides of my face. As for the brush, it felt nice, but like I said before I'm not a fan of how feathery soft it is. It gets a good lather but also holds it too much and it feels too soft on my face, like it's not really doing anything for my stubble but dancing around it instead of getting under it and lifting my hairs.

But, while the soaps lather was present, my draws were smooooooth. Speaking of smooth, I really like this razor and blade combo! Using the popular made me realize that I like lighter weight handles, and that the popular is a mild razor, which was intended to pair with Feather blades which are aggressive, so it balances out. Using it with a Voskhod blade? Man. I couldn't even feel the damn blade it was so smooth. Was it a close shave? No, not really I'd say, but damn was it smooth. I only had one tiny nick on the chin because I accidentally twitched while drawing, but even then it was barely anything!

I think that I would do that combo again, just with better soap and extra prep because I loved it. It's mild but so much more comfortable than the Baili. In fact, once I'm done sampling my current blades I might stick to this pairing for a good while and I could see myself upgrading the razor to the feather adjustable in the future.

The aftershave process was fine as usual, barely felt the alum and the witch hazel was nice. Surprisingly the Clubman reserve line is pretty mild on the bracing scale, which is very surprising compared to original pinaud. I like my bracing stuff but this was comfortable and smelled pretty nice. Although, it did smell more alcohol-y than like whiskey.

For the future as well I might just use the Phil's as a preshave wash as I did like the skin feel of it after the shaving, but as a shave soap, it's a total failure. Good lather, but no staying power.

We're getting closer to a perfect shave but this is pretty damn close. Oh! And the stand? I actually bought a cheap DE kit from Burlington that came with another generic "Cheap Bastard" that's identical to my old one. You know, the one that looks like a Gillette, and it came with 10 generic razors I am 100% not going to use, and the stand. So... I kept the stand! (ps, I also threw out that shark sample blade. I have no faith or trust in it. Cadre members and other posts from other forums share the sentiment)

 

[NurseDave]

I think that I didn't prep as well as I could've

If you're face lathering especially after a shower, I don't think you need to focus on prep. You're hydrating your whiskers in the shower AND while creating the lather. And Barber Dave would say something that sound dirty about the oil glands in your skin getting stimulated as well while face lathering.

the shaving soap itself was kinda... a disappointment

I would suggest when you find a soap that has decent slickness during and after your pass, stick with it. Changing everything from shave to shave creates too many variables. Plus, you're not learning how to create the best lather from the soap.

 

[JanJosh]

Well I'm back with a twofer. I actually had shaved a few days ago but I forgot to really write my journal out. As of now, this will be my last entries of January

 

[JanJosh]

Entry 10: Water was essential.

So, I'm late but I'll try to summarize what this shave was like
-Fresh face cleanser
- generic brush
- stirling soap
- feather popular razor
-Wilkinson sword blade
-Omega alum
-thayers witch hazel
-afta by mennen aftershave conditioner

Well the prep was simple, and I intended to make this a cold shave. Everything really was fine, but the lather was a mistake. I tried to lather directly from the soap in the jar, instead of either face Lathering or transferring to a lather bowl or mug. Upon application, I was smearing the lather on but it felt like I was applying paint. The issue? Not enough water! Another issue? It appears the soap doesn't perform as well with cold water than warm/hot water.

Shaving was pretty bad. The blade was honestly nice, no issues, but the lather was too thick and dried a bit towards the middle end and my blade kept getting gunked up and the soap had to be peeled off instead of it being easily rinsed off. I had to apply water around the end as it started to tighten and Crack on my face.

At the end I did get some neck irritation and finished with the usual stuff, but the aftershave was not that great. It was very moisturizing and spread well since it was gel but it had no alcohol or menthol, which was disappointing and lacked any brace, and ugh, it stank. Afta "Fresh" was far from it's name, smelling animalic and raw. Definitely won't be using again.

 

[GearNoir]

Stirling is a pretty solid soap, no matter of cold water, hot water, hard water, or soft water. My suggestion is that it was entirely a lather hydration issue…too much soap loaded and/or not enough water/time added to work it up properly.

Never hurts to simply keep adding more water and working on making a good lather, rather than pushing through. Or even start it over if you need to.

I echo Dave’s encouragement to get some consistency going by not switching things up so frequently. Get some wins! Then try new things here and there.

 

[JanJosh]

Entry 11: A late one

So again, I'm writing some late entrees but I need to keep a record of this stuff to look back on.

- Fresh face cleanser
- generic brush
- stirling soap
- feather popular razor
- Dorco Prime razor
- Omega alum
- thayers witch hazel
- pinaud clubman aftershave

So this one was alright but not really? This was a hot water shave, in which I washed my face thoroughly with hot water and face wash but didn't use a hot towel. And then- I had to bring in groceries and interrupt my shave. When I got back I tried to reheat my face and used hot water to lather the soap. Noticeably it seemed to work better than cold, and yes I know Stirling is good all round but I'm making an observation. This time I didn't face lather, rather I lathered in the bowl with a touch extra of water. Side note: my Stirling soap is now a perpetual soap. I will be adding samples and the last bits of other soaps to the blend to create a bizarre complex Frankenstein soap from Stirling exclusively.

Anyway, Lathering went well, but the shave was an issue. I noticed the blade was pretty rough to my skin. Cut well enough sure but on my neck it did jump a bit during a pass and I got a bad triple nick. I also noticed something freakish about my neck hairs in regards to my issue of cutting them. I'm definitely more confident with the blade, but after plucking one stray that was noticeable, it appears the hair is actually much longer than I thought. You can see them as normal but when plucked they're about twice the size and embedded in the skin, and after the shave they jut out a bit. I think on my next shave I will reattempt a cold shave and start to tug my skin to the side to try and stand my hairs more to get a better shave. I knew something was up because I was tugging the skin down, keeping tight, and I buffed my blade and even did touch ups and the hairs were STILL there.

So anyway, at the end I did use the same stuff as usual with some minor irritation. Didn't like Pinaud as much as I thought I would. I also dropped the blade while trying to clean the gunk inside and air the razor a bit and I had to toss the blade out after one use because I knew it was cooked from the impact.

So, WINS as Gear mentioned. My face wash is excellent and I'm confident with the blade, check. I think I like and prefer cold shaves, check. Bowl Lathering after getting soap from the tub with extra water works, check. I'm starting to find out the blades i like, check. Troubleshooting hair growth abnormalities, check.

Tomorrow I'll try to follow this layout/procedure: Cold Shave, Cold Wash, Bowl Lather with cold water, thorough face lather with the final touches going against the grain to lift my hairs, shave with a new and semi mild blade, end with just thayers if no nicks or irritation, try the next aftershave.

 

[NurseDave]

I think on my next shave I will reattempt a cold shave and start to tug my skin to the side to try and stand my hairs more to get a better shave.

Yes, to get super sexy smooth like an ice rink, it can take some traction with the against the grain shaving. But, especially in the neckle region, it can cause more irritation and chance of ingrown hairs.

 

[JanJosh]

Yes, to get super sexy smooth like an ice rink, it can take some traction with the against the grain shaving. But, especially in the neckle region, it can cause more irritation and chance of ingrown hairs.

I intended to shave with the grain or along the side. My neck hair specifically grows towards the right and slightly upward. I'll take a photo

 

[JanJosh]

@NurseDave It's hard to see, sorry. I took like 10 photos with various lighting but my phone has a dumb built in filtering so it tries to smooth stuff out from time to time. But you can kinda see it grows sideways.i often rub my fingers across my facial hairs to trace my growth and I can feel where the hairs resist and stand.

 

[NurseDave]

I intended to shave with the grain or along the side. My neck hair specifically grows towards the right and slightly upward. I'll take a photo

Yep, that's how mine does too. So on the neck, ATG is sideways.