September 2019 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

"i just have an obsession with brit flat bottom techs..'
Gosh Gary, none of us are obsessed with razors...

tp

 

Nice to meet you, Daniel!
My name is Jim.

I too have areas that the hair grows in multiple directions, mostly on my neck. Riding the cap, light touch and skin stretching by lifting and turning my head, shaving faces and using my off hand was the key for me. Well that and knowing when to say when. My neck is never perfectly smooth. Chasing the baby will usually land me with redness and irritation.

 

yes sir..had my usual hair reduction..may need this in a few years though..

 

no sir not here..

 

nice teapots sir..very cool..

 

He looked better when younger eh? Old picture that....

 

Hello Daniel. It sounds like you already have some insight into what's happening. Everyone is different, but my face won't tolerate a lot of buffing either. I have to stick with two passes plus a few touch-ups since I shave daily. Using no pressure and the correct angle (also known as riding the cap) is critical for me also. Otherwise, I get irritation and am more susceptible to weepers. Post your daily shaves, and we'll do our best to help you and cheer you on.

Everyone starts out with lots to learn, and the journey is quite fun. After time spent here working on my technique along with the helpful advice from others, my two-pass shaves are far superior to the four-pass shaves I did early on.

You'll see a lot of nice looking gear and software here. There's plenty of time to accumulate later if that's your thing. For now, IMHO, it's best to stay with one razor, one brush, one brand of blade, and one soap or cream. The set up you currently have is excellent for learning. I recommend changing blades after 3 shaves or so. There's no value at this point in adjusting your technique to compensate for a dying blade edge. Blades are cheap, Again, you'll have plenty of time later to push blades to their absolute limit (if that's your thing) once you have mastered your technique.

I think you'll be pleased with your shaves after completing a 30-day focus. Before long, you'll be jumping in to help the next new guy. Feel free to join in on the shenanigans and other stuff of life that also gets discussed. The rule of thumb is that if you see shenanigans occurring, you should pile on. I'm glad you're here. Enjoy!

 

Don't be afraid to go in and get more soap on your brush to relather. If the slickness wanes, get more soap and lather up.
I'm a head shaver, I can soap my brush 3 times if I do a 3 pass face and 3 pass head shave. Resoap after every 2 passes.
Good luck!
tp

 

Nice to meet you (and everyone else here) too!
I have experimented with stretching the skin, but i haven't really payed that much attention to turning my head.
Comfort over closeness, i skip the ATG pass every time.

 

Thanks Gary! Robert Becker is a nice guy and make some great scuttles.

 

Good man. That is something I preach in my videos too.

 

Oh now you try for the group hug.

 

I show this video a lot. I don't use shave oil like this gent, but I really like how he keeps his off-hand busy stretching his skin. If you ever shave with an open blade (straight razor, shavette, etc.), you'll either learn to stretch your skin or you'll bleed. With DE's, skin stretching really helps you get a close, comfortable shave with the least number of passes. It's not mandatory, but it's incredibly useful. A little alum on the wetted fingertips of your off-hand will help you grip slippery skin.

I also like this video. At 2:00, you can see how he takes short, slightly overlapping strokes. He takes his time also. This really helped me, and hopefully it will be of use to you.

 

Years ago before I shaved my head, my mother wanted to get me the spray hair as a Christmas present. I told her thanks, but it wasn't necessary because it never bothered me that I was balding or bald.

 

I have been enjoying the journey so far!

I'm sticking with my merkur 34c, proraso, astra blades and omega brush (good chance to break it in properly). I have been changing blades maybe even more often than really necessary.

I don't have a heavy beard, actually it's quite light and patchy, but it grows flat against my skin. I get ingrowns every time if i'll make the mistake of shaving ATG, i have learned atleast to skip that completely. I don't know if keratosis pilaris can cause ingrowns, does anyone know anything about that?

I want to get some vintage gillettes, but my wallet doesn't really allow that at the moment. Might not be a bad thing really.

 

I noticed that you already started off well with your purchase of the Omega Pro 49 boar brush.You will find that it will be one of your favorite brushes as soon as it breaks in.

 

I rarely go against the grain, but I get shaves that last hours.
You got a great razor there, it should give a wonderful shave.

tp

 

My weekly allocation arrived today. Thanks @NCoxSTL
We made our first ever trip to Costco today (our enabling friend asked us to go with him), and we were blown away! I was impressed with the cookies. However, this was my Bride's first stop. Looks like we're going back soon. I'm sunk. Can any man survive watching a Hallmark Channel movie on a 75-inch screen?