June 6 SOTE
Good evening gentlemen!
It is my Special Saturday night shave!
Straight Razor Shave # 176
Dovo Special 5/8 Full Hollow Round Pt
Semogue OC Super Badger Brush
Stirling Spice SS and AS
I can't have a Special Saturday night shave unless I bring out the Dovo Special. Also, I picked out my gear that starts with the letter S. Tonight, I feel like I had the letter S on my shirt and felt like a superman! I had recently set the bevel on this razor and I got a serviceable shave, but it really didn't feel right to me. So I decided to refresh going to the lap film with the next lowest micron from the bevel setter and finish through the progression and so forth. I tested it out shaving the sides of my head and it shave, but again, it just wasn't right. So I dulled tbis blade again to reset the bevel. This time I added more torque doing 80, 40, 20, 10, 5, 3, 2, 1 laps. Used the same amount of torque and lap progressions on 9 and 5 micron films. Finished through the final 3 lap fil progressions with a light touch, but still using the same lap progressions. Stropped on linen, pasted Crox, linen and then leather. Left it in favor of my Mad Max shaves this week. Last night I tested this razor using the eyebrow test. I have eyebrows that needs to be trimmed. Well, let me say that when this razor hit the brows, you can here the razor ping as it catches the brow. No pressure and it was cool so I knew I was going to have a nice shave with it. I can't do the tree-topping hairs because my arm hair is super fine so I tried the eyebrow test for the first time. Ok, let me stop jabbering and get on with it. I bloomed the soap and used the wet brush method to prepare my beard and lather my face. I wanted this lather very wet and slick to give this newly honed razor a chance to glide on my face. Gentlemen, I was in awe when I proceeded with my first pass. My Dovo Special hasn't shaved so smoothly in a long time. It was taking off my whiskers with very little pressure. The audio feedback was fantastic! It felt like this razor was professionally honed and that's how good this blade felt. I can't believe that I completely honed my first razor by resetting the bevel and getting such a fantastic result. I could have stopped after the first pass and it would be a DFS+, but I did a total of 2.5 passes for a BBS- shave without blood or irritation. The minus designation is because I didn't do a fool's pass on the stache and very little invisible stubble can be felt going against the grain on my right neck just below the jawline. Finished with the fine scented Spice aftershave.
Well, this week I passed 2 milestones in my shaving journey. I shaved with a straight razor that was bigger than an inch wide and although it took me a few tries, I was able to hone a razor by resetting the bevel and following through with every progression to have a shave ready razor with a wonderful edge. I have always extolled the virtues of using lapping films but this experience proves it. Have a great evening guys!
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