Today’s the day. I’ve been lurking this thread for a couple weeks with the clear determination to improve my skills overall, but IME: participation serves progress. I’m jumping in and joining up.
Please forgive and correct any missteps of praxis, incorrect terminology, and faults of etiquette.
Background
I'm a new guy. Bought my 1st "real blade" (Tosuke Kamisori) from a member of another forum that supports my main "hang-up:" which is sharpening and polishing kitchen knives. At that time, my primary objective was to learn the razor with the intent of gaining further theoretical understanding of apex development. Naturally, I was instantly impressed with the ingenuity in design of the tool. So I wanted more. The Tosuke was to be a practice blade for learning how to hone. I bought another Kami for shaving... a Takami, which is completely different from the Tosuke, and was much better in hand as well as on the stones. I started shaving around my beard; pretty much just to use the edge so I would need to make it sharp again.
I became enamored with the wet shaving process, and wanted to improve my experience because I was really enjoying my time using the new tools. I started shaving at night when I sharpen...
sorry --> HONE..., when I could take my time. So I started learning much more. I had flirted with razors many times in the past, due to the intersection with sharpening and stones. A lot of my research, equipment, and experience is applicable to razors, so my time spent was very rewarding because I was struggling a little and frustration felt more like challenge.
In terms of equipment, I am/was ahead of the curve. All I am/was missing is/was blades. When I bought my 1st straight razor was when I really came to terms with how firm a grip that this "little" ritual really had on me. The Kamisori were doing weird things on my hanging strop... <-- that's my excuse for getting a traditional straight razor.
Shaving around a beard with a Kami is much more handy than with the western straight. But I was taken aback by the feel and performance of the Dovo BQ I picked up off Amazon. The feedback from the thinner blade is just awesome! Realizing my preference lay squarely with Western style blades I guess I kinda steered toward the sunset and picked up an old beater Henkel 91 off the bay to get a feel for practicing heavier stone work and bevel setting.
Lots of eye candy
on the bay triggered an impulse buy(s). USPS delivered the razor I have been using exclusively (pictured) ever since 2/19.
30 Day Rule
- Brush WCS "Lantern" Silvertip
- Soap Stirling Scots Pine
- Razor Herder #77
Pre/Post (so far/may vary
)
- Pre-Shave Stirling Mentholated Pre-Shave Soap scrub and hot water rinses, post-shower
- Post-Shave Cold rinse, Alum rub, AS Splash, followed with AS Balm, re-up on the balm 2-3x through the day as desired
I have been using the designated trio since 2/19. Minding my details as best I can my shaves are... variable. If allowable, I am putting my 30DR kickoff at 2/19.
2/19 I took the Herder to the stones...
sorry --> HONES... as quickly as it was in-hand. 1st thing was to lose the beard. This went very surprisingly well. I had settled in for a long session and prepped up for a bloodbath. I went slowly, very slowly and I rinsed and re-lathered often. I did not count but I ended up with a few weepers but no cuts. I nicked an earlobe, which is apparently a "thing" for me as I've stung one or the other 3x total with the left lobe currently leading right by a score of 2-1.
2/20 Shave #2 was rougher than the last, mainly around the chin and moustache area. Skin was irritated due to stubbornly pursuing BBS and poor technique. I think I was using too much pressure and I forced the fool's pass when I should've settled with a 2nd WTG. Uncomfortable SAS overall though cheeks were super smooth and comfortable. Nicked an earlobe and scored a couple weepers on my weak hand side at the neck and above the lip.
2/21 Shave #3 was progressively less comfortable. I'm chalking this up to elevated sensitivity and lack of skin acclimation to shaving. Still insisting on the ATG pass because skin condition post-shaving looks good, except a touch of redness above the lip and under the jaw on the dominant hand side. Having settled on a diagnosis of poor pressure management, and paying extra attention to this through this shave I started to recognize some poor angle management. So I'm trying to develop more dexterity and paying more attention to the point of focus through each stroke.
2/22 Shave #4 was much better. Watching where I'm working at the toe is paying off. Feel for the blade in hand is more comfortable. Through this shave I recognized I don't have a procedure. A plan might help. I think I should have a routine through the shave and I started thinking about this. Where to start? What's next? ... etc, ... Where to finish? When to decide about ATG and pursuit of BBS?
Does BBS matter? This shave is close but not quite comfortable. Not as comfortable as Shave #1, but better than the last 2. Nicked the other earlobe, weeper at a bump near a sideburn, and some stinging and a couple weepers through the fool's pass. Much less redness post-shave than #3.
2/23 Shave #5 was a little better than #4. I did not stick to my plan to make a plan. I just stepped to the mirror and cleared my mind. This worked nicely and I had more fun than any prior shave. Nicked an earlobe (lol). Fool's pass is a dumb decision but I do it anyway... this time my excuse was testing the edge. So far, this stroke looks like the best measure of the edge. Whiskers came off better than ever above the lip but it's uncomfortable there (
I know... that's why it's called "fool's pass!!"). My neck is improving but the chin is rough. My ATG approach at the chin needs improvement. I don't roll these strokes around the chin, but rather parse it out as multiple planes and use buffing strokes.
2/24 Shave #6 (pictured) feels like things are coming together. Still have a little weepiness when I do the fool's pass but the shave is finally even and smooth above the lip. I went for a 4th pass because the edge felt really nice around the cheeks and neck. Doing this may be foolish but I realized I am missing spots throughout my ATG pass. Weak (left) hand passes on my right side cheek ATG are not efficient. My best guess is pressure/angle management and possibly reading feedback poorly. I am trying to focus more on feedback with the goal of discerning how to tell if/when the razor is striking/glancing off whiskers. Small nick above the chin, below the lip. Still having trouble navigating the chin through my buffing strokes. The nick was the result of momentum when the blade skipped across tougher whiskers there mid-stroke. Probably an angle of attack issue, certainly not helped by my lack of experience issue.
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Other Thoughts
- At this stage I’m hyper focused on my lather. I bought a soap off reputation and compared to the others I’ve tried, it seems like a strong choice for 30DR. I invest a lot of time in making lather. My method is a sort of synthesis based on some vids and my feel.
- As mentioned, honing is one of my favorite things. I end up splashing some water on a few rocks every evening and learning as much as feels natural. I don't have an established benchmark edge that somebody else honed, but my understanding of the "standard" sharpness tests and my experience with knives all point to "shave readiness" once I finish honing and stropping. I might be tinkering too much and I'm considering honing the 30DR razor much less. Now I have other blades to tinker with and to learn honing with, based on feel and observation.
- I am hoping that with the increased accountability of reporting my shaves, that progress will come and my shaves will feel more natural. Speed is not a concern because I shave at night because I want to be relaxed because I want to enjoy the experience. And learn. I have a tendency to dive into things too deeply in the beginning and I know I would start buying old razors and trying to fix them up just to confuse my efforts and progress more slowly. I need to develop my touch through repetition and that works out better if I bond with I single tool (I think).
- Tinkering with my edges may/not be affecting progress. I think I’m starting very near to the same level of sharpness with each shave; at least I’m focused on making sure as best I can, that my edges are the same for each shave.
- Thanks for reading this. And thanks in advance for your feedback. The goal is to learn patiently and not to achieve some artificial instant mastery. This is a complicated game with a million variables. There is an awful lot of wisdom present here and I’m here to learn and hopefully return the favor when/if that’s appropriate.
While I am still a rookie and I have a long path to proficiency, my self-assessment is (ambiguously) "so far, so good!" Most importantly (to me), I am having a lot of fun with this. It is important to have a daily treat or at least some semblance of a reward to look forward to, and this sport has an awful lot to offer folks with interests similar to mine. Echoing my 1st post on TSD, "Happy to be here!"
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