Gelf Lover's journey into straight shaving

It has a short leather string right now. Was thinking of just getting some shoestrings that were longer but it would be nicer if I could rig a cord with double hooks that could hook to the strop. But I'm sure I'll figure something out.

Of course. I'll need to find out what kind they are.

 

Glad you got the stropping solved!

 

Shave #2

2-pass DFS

Luke-Warm Shower with Clean & Clear followed with multiple WWR
Gold Dollar 6/8 full hollow ground round point
Fat Handled Tech/Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum (S4)
Tweezerman Badger Brush
TSD Iced Lavender Tea Tree with Aloe Cream
WWR
T.N. Dickenson Witch Hazel
Alum Block
CWR
Aqua Velva Blue Ice
Nivea After Shave Extra Soothing Balm - Sensitive Skin
C.O. Bigelow Elixer Red Cologne/BS

Using the straight today was a little better. Had one cut, reopened the one under my nose and just under 10 weepers. But the razor did well at cutting my beard today. I was focusing on how I was holding the razor today and it helped a lot. I did learn a couple of things too.

1. If the angle is not correct with the blade it will tug and grab. When it is correct it will cut smoothly.

2. When the angle is correct it WILL cut...what ever it wants.

Over all I feel that it was an improvement. I'm keeping my D/E touch-up to the same "WTG" pass that I do with the straight so I can be gentler with my skin to heal faster. And it's really weird, I thought a D/E made noise when cutting my beard but it sounds silent compared to a straight. Also I was rummaging around the house this morning and found a snap type dog collar that we don't use anymore. Works perfect for my strop problem.

 

I have a question about touch ups. It has been recommended (I'm not discounting the recommendation at all) to get a barbers hone but I was wondering about pastes. My strop came with 0.5 micron chromium oxide on the back (rough) side. how does that compare to a barbers hone?

 

good luck- be careful

 

I don't know, but you may want to ask that outside of this thread (in the Straight Razor subforum) so it'll get more visibility...

 

I have been wondering the same thing too.

 

The 0.5 micron grit paste is great for in-between honing touch ups. It should be a finer grit than a barber hone.

 

Thank You, Blair!

 

Ahhh, those two lessons learned should help your shaves immensely! It took me a good week to figure those out. Even now I forget sometimes...to my face's regret.

Improvement is what it's all about, and it sounds like your second shave didn't go too badly. Weepers/cuts are not good, but hey--no pain no gain, right?

Did your wife wince when she saw your face afterward though? Mine did (does)...so I've started hiding until the bleeding stopped.

 

Thanks Blair!

 

The bad thing is that I learned those lessons while using a D/E but didn't truly understand them. But now I can understand and appreciate them.

I've been giving my styptic stick a work out. She has pointed out one cut that I didn't see but it never bled. Other then that she doesn't see the bloodbath or she would take away my straight.

 

Shave #3

2-pass DFS

Luke-Warm Shower with Clean & Clear followed with multiple WWR
Gold Dollar 6/8 full hollow ground round point
Fat Handled Tech/Gillette 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge (S1)
#65 Omega Brush
TSD Lavender Tea Tree & Lime
WWR
T.N. Dickenson Witch Hazel
Alum Block
CWR
Alum Block
Aqua Velva Blue Ice

I couldn't wait and had to shave with my straight today. It went well, I got my cheeks and neck smooth (not BBS but WTG smooth) and I found the technique that works for shaving my upper lip too. My chin was a different story though, Made me think of one of those slasher flicks. I also got quite a bit of razor burn as well.

Lesson learned today.

1. Just because you can get away with reshaving an area without shaving cream with a D/E does not mean you can do it with a straight. I paid for that with a lot of styptic on my chin.

2. Do not shave when distracted or tired. You need to have your full attention on what you are doing. That way you can adjust your blade as you traverse your face. Thankful this came to me as I was getting my D/E ready for my 2nd pass so I didn't have to learn this the hard way.

3. Focus on smoother not closer. The blade is the smoothest when it is shaving correctly and usually closer. It is easier to focus on smoothness and comfort then it is on closeness, or at least it's safer. :happy102

The bad thing is so much of what I am "learning" is stuff that I should have understood and been using for a D/E. When I go back and use my D/E for my 2nd pass it is always so much better then if I did the whole shave with a D/E. I have more focus on what I am doing and so it is much smoother and closer.

The nice thing is that I was expecting having miserable learning curve shaves for a few months and it is looking like I'll at least have 1 pass acceptable shaves sooner then I thought.

 

Good show! Although, you shouldn't be shaving over the same spot without lather no matter what you're using... I have found that two passes with the straight results in a closer shave than the same two passes with a DE, though....sounds like you're moving right along and picking it up quickly! :happy088

 

My stropping is doing better to...I think. At least it is easier and I'm starting to pick up the wrist flick too. I attached the strop to the dog collar and then put it around the leg of the coffee table. I use my foot to brace the coffee table so it doesn't move and then I can firmly hold the strop in a comfortable position to do about 25-30 reps at a time. So everything looks likes it's coming together for me. Just need time to slowly figure out how to shave my shin area. That has always been a difficult place for me to shave. With a D/E I have to shave ATG to really get any results.

I do agree with you on the closeness. After my WTG pass today with my straight there was almost nothing left for my D/E to shave on my cheeks and neck.

I'm not sure but I think my shave cream was a bit thin today and that might have caused some of my razor burn today. I see how it heals up on if I'll use a straight tomorrow. But if that was part of the cause then my technique with the straight is doing even better.

 

Well I went down to the antique mall here in town and picked up a couple of barber's hones. One is a CMON De Lux Hone. It has one nick on the backside and various chips on the side. The other is a John Primble Razor Hone in mint condition. So now the question is what do I do with them?

 

Unreal....all the antiquing I've done, and I've never...never...come across a hone...congrats on the find!

 

There were like 5 or 6 there. Most had some very deep scratches though. They had a ton of single blade razors and auto strops.

If I knew where my camera was I'd put some pics up. When my wife comes home I'll get some pics and put them up.

 

I put up pics in the haul thread. I'm not a very good picture taker any more. I miss working with the manual settings.

 

They look good!...though that weird flap on the CMON is...weird. Is it tape or something?

Anyway, what you do with them is first lap the back sides (I was advised to use the back side, without the writing, because there's more usable space) and then use them to touch up your razors when they start to feel a little dull.

Lapping is a long process with barber hones, as they're pretty hard--sandpaper on a very flat surface and time is what you need. And of course, you can take it in shifts if you're having trouble keeping it up. I would recommend that if there are chips in the surface, lap until the holes are completely gone--it is possible to pull bits of the hone out of those pits in use, and that can damage your edge (I had that happen with a John Primble hone--lapping fixed it). Though if the Primble is mint then it might not need lapping. A good cleaning might be in order.

Anyway, good haul!