Pig Cat gets a straight!

Well I had a try this morning and things went surprisingly well. :p Managed a single pass of most of my face including some neck and 'goatee' area. I finished with a second pass using my Krona, but was very pleased with the fact that only a tiny spot of blood emerged from just below my lower lip. I reckon I could have attempted a second pass but for two reasons:

The water from the tap had turned from hot to cold so I couldn't rejuvenate my lather.

My five year old managed to get in the bathroom and whacked my arm with a rubber shark while I was in the middle of shaving. I think that was the clincher.

So far so good. Thanks for all the encouragement chaps. This really is the beginning of a 'journey' which will definitely be like a 'roller coaster'. :D
 
Bravo: first shave and a shark attack survived. Can't say I'm surprised since the DE experience will pay dividends, and you can make decent lather ... the rest is mostly a matter of coordination and confidence. Little suggestion though: lock the bathroom door :roll:
 
My biggest problem when I was using my straight razors was..to the left n right side of my adams apple..I needed to go inward to get those pesky hairs...never found a way to get em...everytime I would go inward..I could feel the blade angle being wrong into my skin.

Blades
 
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://straightrazorplace.com/srpwiki/index.php/Different_ways_to_hold_a_straight_razor" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://straightrazorplace.com/srpwiki/i ... ight_razor</a><!-- m -->

a link for you Adam
i'll be making a better effort to join the cut-throat brigade in 2011

what Dovo did you get?
 
hando said:
http://straightrazorplace.com/srpwiki/index.php/Different_ways_to_hold_a_straight_razor

a link for you Adam
i'll be making a better effort to join the cut-throat brigade in 2011

what Dovo did you get?
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Thanks for the link Neil. Looks like there are a few ways to hold a straight depending on which part of your face you are shaving and what feels comfortable. I think this morning I had a half-decent grip but at least for one side of my face I had completely the wrong angle!

The Dovo is a 42701. I would post a link to a pic and the details but The Invisible Edge site is currently blocked up by a message about being on holiday.
 
Rev-O said:
Arrowhead said:
matt31 said:
not that I've done it, but is there a reason you shouldnt use the bluebeards with a straight?
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Well, it was mostly a little in joke. Nonetheless, I've rarely come across a soap or cream which gave me less protection, but each to their own of course.
Click to expand...

Funnily enough I got a big glossy book extolling (i.e. advertising) Bluebeard's Revenge that cam with my Cyril R Salter Samdalwood cream (my Xmas gift from brother-in-law). Anyway, one of the encomia from a chap called Adam. No double entendres or Yiddish, though, so I thought I couldn't be from our chap out east . . . could it?

Anyway, that brochure was enough to put me off: some kind of hair retarding chemical is used, like Agent Orange for the old face forest. No thanks.
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Yup, think that was me. :oops:

Not worried about the chemicals in the BBR cream. I treat my body as a temple. Temple Meads. :?
 
OK, my shave this morning was another improvement, even though I'm not convinced my razor is as sharp as it should be. I had less growth than yesterday, but I took some time to strop the blade beforehand then tried to concentrate on shorter strokes than I would usually do with a DE. Also I tried to get the blade angle to 30 degrees as much as possible. I managed both passes with the straight and, though not exactly BBS and with a couple of minor nicks, I achieved a very decent shave. The whole thing took at least twenty minutes, possibly half an hour. A very long time when compared with my DE shaves which I can manage in less than five minutes. Still, I have noticed a sharp improvement and am now bracing myself for a long period of no further improvement and cuts from getting too cocky!
 
That sounds good PC, and you're as perspicacious as ever in your predictions for what comes next :lol:

What makes you think that the razor isn't as sharp as it should be? I always think that, unless it's just back from Neil, but it doesn't generally prevent a very good shave indeed. And another thing: what's this about how long it takes? I'm sure Mrs PC would want you to enjoy her generous gift, so luxuriate. Why not light a scented candle or two?







There you go Vinny, and happy new year to you. Do your worst. ;)
 
PC,

It is very common for first time straight shavers to believe that their razor is not sharp enough. I have been utterly convinced of this myself in the past, but having now had 3 different razors from 3 different sources, it has been proved that this is not the case.

Regarding the angle, the 30 degrees is just a guideline, a starting point if you like, it doesn't have to be cock on 30 degrees.

The problem that I have at the moment, is the sheer length of time it takes for me to get a shave approaching the quality of a DE shave, but I have to say that this latest batch of straight shaves have seen no razor burn or blood, I just need to get faster and closer for straight razor shaving to become a practical, daily proposition.

Ian
 
Having done the frivolous post, here's the serious one.

Unless it's seriously blunt a less than sharp razor will mostly manifest itself by requiring more pressure to achieve a decent result. I've certainly been guilty of pushing a bevel beyond the point where it really should be reset on quite a few occasions, but still managed to get a decent shave from it. Less than optimal stropping will result in a gradual deterioration over the course of a few shaves rather than an immediate drastic problem. I'm sure it's possible to destroy a shaving edge quickly by lifting the spine on a linen strop, but I think we all know enough to avoid that.

The term "sharp" is really unhelpful - "sharpness" cannot easily be measured after all. It's more a matter of fitness for purpose, and if you can manage a close shave without discomfort or exerting undue pressure then the razor is okay for now.

IanM: Having followed your posts on this subject for quite a long time now, I sincerely hope that the straight shaving thing comes right for you this time. It seems beastly unfair that it's causing you trouble when everything you've written suggests that you're doing it right.
 
I've recently purchased a straight from Neil which I have no doubt is sharp enough and definitely shave ready. Due to a new family addition I've not had a lot of time to try it out until this morning. Unfortunately I used a too dry brush with Henks cream and then face lathered which meant it dried on my face causing the razor to drag and skip so I gave up. In fairness my DE did the same so I'm not put off and will try again with a slicker soap. It felt similar to my first DE shaves which I thought were rough as, until my technique improved. Perserverance and practice I think are the way forward for PC and myself!
 
Yes, perseverance, and the thing to remember, a DE is a lot more forgiving when it comes to using mediocre lather.
For the time I used DE's I never had brilliant lather, but it didn't matter too much, now I'm using a straight, I really had to spend more time in perfecting lather to have a good shave.

Max
 
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