This evening:
Prep: Hot shower
Razor: Joseph Rodgers "The Favorite", restored by Jamie
Brush: Neep #1059 soapstone chubby 26mm super silvertip
Soap: Prof Blighty's Peppermint
Aftershave: Prof Blighty's Yellow Ginger
So, this is my first shave with a traditional straight ever, and my first shave with anything other than the Artist Club since I first picked it up in late October. A certain amount of anticipation and nervousness, and a very reliable soap and brush, then.
First impressions on handling it: the blade is much longer than the AC, the grip between blade and pin much shorter, for a very similar total length. I have to hold it slightly differently for my down/across grip, and more differently for my up grip. Should not be a problem though.
In use: it's much tuggier and catchier than I'm used to; it kind of feels like when I pushed the AC up to 20 or so shaves. I now see why straight shavers talk about lather slickness, something I've not previously needed to care about. People told me a trad straight would be much less sharp than a DE or AC blade, and I guess this is what it feels like. It's a very different sensation, but it's not making me sore like a dead disposable blade would. Blunt (only relatively!) but not buggered. Much less pronounced on the later passes; perhaps a day and a half's growth is not ideal.
Being a little lighter of touch helps. Extra skin stretching doesn't; what I do with the AC seems to be enough.
The extra length causes me to thin the down channels of my mouth-surround beard inadvertently. No bad thing...
I do my usual three passes (down, as left - which is ATG for me - as possible, then up), and feel I need an extra down pass on the neck. That done, I'm comfortable and clean, and actually reasonably close, if less so than normal. No sting from the rinse or aftershave. I never, after the first 30 seconds, felt in any danger of being cut; it was easy and familiar with little differences that never felt like difficulties.
Very enjoyable. Very informative - I feel like I can now endorse the AC as a learning tool for the path to a "real" straight shave. Would I use it daily? Possibly - that depends on how long I find stropping takes, I'll try it tomorrow (thanks Carl!). The AC is so good I couldn't see myself giving it up completely, though.
Many many thanks to Jamie!
