Gelf Lover's journey into straight shaving

Discussion in 'Straight Razors' started by Gelf Lover, Jun 19, 2009.

  1. Gelf Lover

    Gelf Lover Member

    The primble is in near mint. I was wrong...you can see on the back where it had been used or at least had been rubbed. But it has no wear, cracks, scratches or chipping. The CMON will need some work though. It has one some scratch in the back and a lot of chipping on the sides. Do I need to worry about the chipping?

    I had read your thread about the trouble that you had had with your Primble. After you got it fixed how did it hone? Also I noticed that my CMON has some "white stuff" on it do I just scrub that off or will I have to lap it off. Oh and the "flap" was a very old label that my wife has already taken care of. :happy102

    Over all I was allotting myself $35 for a barber's hone and I got the 2 of them for around $33 so I was very happy. I still need to go to the hardware store to get some sandpaper and a flat surface to do my lapping. I don't think I will be doing much lapping on the Primble but the CMON will be some work.
     
  2. Truckman

    Truckman New Member

    If you have a square, level, or straight edge, you can check the hones' surfaces to see how they look for flatness. As for the edge chips, when you lap the hone, you can bevel the edges a little bit by putting them on a 45° angle on the edges...
     
  3. MsBlackwolf

    MsBlackwolf Queen of Critters

    Wowwww you hit the jackpot on the hones! WTG!
     
  4. Special_K

    Special_K New Member

    Just wanted to say :signs107 :happy096 :signs021
     
  5. Gelf Lover

    Gelf Lover Member

    Shave #4

    2-pass Barely acceptable

    Luke-Warm Shower with Clean & Clear followed with multiple WWR
    Gold Dollar 6/8 full hollow ground round point
    Tweezerman Brush
    TSD Iced Mojito
    WWR
    CWR
    Styptic
    CWR
    Alum Block
    T.N. Dickenson Witch Hazel - Wait a couple of mins then pat dry
    Aqua Velva Blue Ice
    Nivea After Shave Extra Soothing Balm - Sensitive Skin

    Well I guess I'm trying to push the envelope a bit. I when ahead and tried a 2nd pass today with the straight. Didn't go too bad, or at least no more of a bloodbath then usual. I have quite a bit of red skin though around my chin and lower mouth. I also changed the order of my aftershave routine. It seems to help more.

    Lesson learned:

    1. If you are not comfortable with a stroke that your are doing stop and reproachful it. Most likely if you are uncomfortable with it you WILL cut yourself.

    I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to have a beard left once I learn this. I have to go buy a new styptic stick today. I've pretty much worn through the one I have. Funny thing is though, in 24 hours I'll be healed up again and ready to go at it.

    I did about 30 mins of lapping on my Premble today. Not too long after I got started on it a pit appeared. Almost looked like a bubble in the material. It is mostly lapped away...well halfway it looks like. I'll probably work on it again tomorrow.
     
  6. Etoyoc

    Etoyoc Backwards

    yeah those barber's hones don't lap easily. However, it sounds like you have it under control and should have an excellent hone!
     
  7. Gelf Lover

    Gelf Lover Member

    Was getting everything ready to shave today and noticed that I still had a large amount of irritation so I won't be shaving today. I might have to skip tomorrow as well.
     
  8. Etoyoc

    Etoyoc Backwards

    Sorry to hear that. But you are probably making a wise decision.
     
  9. JimR

    JimR Active Member

    Ahhh, that does bite. But it is probably best to let your skin get a good rest. When I started straights I had a few days like that--the first week or so, my skin seemed to really resent that big old steel edge. Now, however, it loves it. Maybe you're in the same boat?
     
  10. Gelf Lover

    Gelf Lover Member

    Well looks like it might take a little longer then a couple of days to heal up. But I think I'll be shaving with my tech tonight so I can keep from getting irritation from my beard and it can heal.

    Right now shaving with the straight feels like shaving with a feather to me. Very sharp but not so smooth. I'm sure that has to be from my stropping not being very good. It shaves my neck smoother then I can do it with a D/E and ZERO irritation. My cheeks get some...I guess you could call them micro cuts...they don't bleed and you can't really see them. Those don't seem bad and I'm sure that improving my technique will eliminate them. But I also get very close on my cheeks as well. The only difficult place that I have is my chin, and from what I have read even barbers have problems with chins. I've looked high and low for "THE" technique for shaving the chin and have found that it is learned through trial and error. I'm sure that it will come in time and then I will find myself always grabbing my straight...not out of excitement but for comfort and closeness.
     
  11. MsBlackwolf

    MsBlackwolf Queen of Critters

    Some of those "micro cuts" don't seem to be noticable until you slap some AS on them
     
  12. MsJoeD

    MsJoeD New Member

    [/QUOTE] As for using the strop on a table...do you tie it to one of the legs and then do it? kinda a silly question but I'd rather ask then not know.[/QUOTE]

    I just had it laying flat on the table top. But you can probably clamp it down if you need to stabalize it more. Sorry for the late reply. I had forgotten that I posted anything in this thread. :o
     
  13. Gelf Lover

    Gelf Lover Member

    Shave #5

    2-pass with touch-up acceptable shave

    Luke-Warm Shower with Susie's Bubbles Oatmeal Honey and Witch Hazel Soap followed with multiple WWR
    Gold Dollar 6/8 full hollow ground round point
    PC Woodcraft Cocobolo 24 mm Silvertip
    TSD Iced Lavender Tea Tree with Aloe Cream
    WWR
    CWR
    Alum Block
    T.N. Dickenson Witch Hazel
    WWR
    Alum Block
    CWR
    C.O. Bigelow Elixir Red AS/BS/Cologne

    Comfortable shave tonight. The blade didn't feel so edgy to me so I believe my stropping is improving. Also I'm working more on my skin stretching and it is helping a little (I need to work on it more). The biggest single improvement was I changed my angle from around 30 to 15-20. Much easier on the skin. Not very close but I will try to improve that with skin stretching. I dinged my razor in the sink tonight as well. Thankfully I have a hone to help with that now but I know that in a month or 2 I will be having to send out this razor to be rehoned. Stupid newbie.:happy102:happy102

    I'm even more determined now to continue with a straight with the improvements with this shave. BTW only 3 nicks and weepers. over all it is starting to come together. My 3 biggest weakness right now are stropping, finding how I will do certain strokes, and skin stretching.

    I feel like I will be able to shave tomorrow but we will see.
     
  14. hoglahoo

    hoglahoo Yesterday's News

    Indeed! When I first began shaving with a straight, the chin was one of the two toughest areas on my face to shave at all. The razor always pulled and tugged and I could not get a close shave without a lot of pain.

    Now, I seriously and honestly cannot understand how I could not shave my chin well before :confused: All I can surmise is that improved methods through practice in beard prep, stropping, and shaving technique solved whatever issues I had tackling the chin. There are just so many variables that the straight allows its user to adjust that other razors set for you automatically that it takes awhile to learn how to pull them all together into line at the same time consistently

    good luck! it looks like you are progressing nicely :)
     
  15. Sirshavesalot

    Sirshavesalot New Member

    I haven't posted here in many months, and it's a weird feeling coming back here after moving onto straights.....

    I know I was once there where your at GelfLover (gelf mag??) I guess all I can really say here is, it is an art form, and part of that art is learning your face, you have some and I mean very little idea about that from DE shaving. I know I shaved for 3 years prior to straights with DE's and I can say from experience is; you dont truly learn your face and hair growth til you use a straight because a DE is forgiving, a straight is not. The straight gives you instant feedback on your technique the DE gives very little. Yes, you have it right the biggest part is blade angle, but so is pressure and learning how to stretch your skin properly.

    As far as "the chin," well the chin because it has the most difficult angles to master other then "'the fool's pass,'which I perform daily," and will be the last to master.

    My advice is to master each pass first, meaning truly learn how to get as close as possible with just a WTG pass, even if its two or three of the same kind.

    On another forum there is a thread, a challenge of sorts to get a BBS smooth shave with just a single WTG pass, a very difficult thing I might add, and not everyone can do this, but I mention it because if you do master each directional pass, then getting a BBS will come much easier and you will look forward to using that straight everyday like I do. I don't own any DE's or mach's or any of that stuff any longer, I couldn't fathom ever shaving with anything but my straights ever again.

    Lee can attest to this dedication, even if he broke our $50 dollar pact for a Wostie...a sweet Wostie but a Wostie just the same hehe...

    Cheers and best of luck Gelf.
    D
     
  16. Etoyoc

    Etoyoc Backwards

    I like this idea. Perhaps I will go back to just WTG passes when I pick up the straight again (next week after a trip - I am not taking the straight)
     
  17. Gelf Lover

    Gelf Lover Member

    Shave #6

    3-pass acceptable

    Luke-Warm Shower with Susie's Bubbles Oatmeal Honey and Witch Hazel Soap followed with multiple WWR
    Gold Dollar 6/8 full hollow ground round point
    PC Woodcraft Cocobolo 24 mm Silvertip
    TSD Iced Lavender Tea Tree with Aloe Cream
    WWR
    CWR
    T.N. Dickenson Witch Hazel
    Alum Block
    CWR
    Aqua Velva Blue Ice
    Nivea After Shave Extra Soothing Balm - Sensitive Skin

    I was trying very hard to keep a mild angle and use only WTG passes. It seemed to help but I'll see in the morning if I have any bad razor burn or not. Only one weeper and one nick tonight. At least I have improved on that. The chin was more difficult tonight, shaving every other day is a bit more difficult since I forget what worked for me by the time I shave again. I am concentrating mainly on angle and stretching. I still have a lot of stubble and I bathed in AV tonight to see if that will help with the razor burn.

    I also noticed that one side of my razor is 'rougher' then the other. Does that mean I rolled my edge? Could that be some of the problems that I'm having? Stropping is becoming easier and easier every time that I do it. I've decided that I want one of these for my ritual while I'm learning. I take so long right now shaving it is ridiculous. I just don't want to pay $300 for it. I'm a cheap skate.
     
  18. Gelf Lover

    Gelf Lover Member

    Thank you for the kind encouragement and the great advice. I have already started to incorporate it into how I am shaving now.

    I've decided that I'm going to try and use WTG passes until I can get at least a DFS. I'm hoping that doing it that way will help develop my technique better (and hopefully safer, I'm sore from bleeding all the time).
     
  19. Gelf Lover

    Gelf Lover Member

    I'm taking a break from my straight for a week or so to heal my skin fully. I still have quite a few spots that are taking a long time to heal and I'm sure it will help a little to have some undamaged skin to learn on instead of having to watch for all of the nicks and tender spots.
     
  20. MsBlackwolf

    MsBlackwolf Queen of Critters

    Seems a wise idea to let things heal. You can always shave your legs for practice ;) :D
     

Share This Page