My SR journey

Another birthday has come and I acquired a worthy companion to my custom straight razor - a silvertip badger brush from Mühle. It's beautiful in looks and performance alike. Soft, dense, heavy.

Last week I had a crisis of some sort, my shaves were terrible and I was covered in bumps Once again. Nice reminder that one cannot let himself go into autopilot mode. Tonight's shave was much better after a small break.

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rbscebu said:
If you ever let your concentration laps while SR shaving, your razor very quickly lets you know 😋.

I have a couple of Mühle badger brushes. They are lovely to lather with but I keep on returning to my no-brand Chinese guaranteed genuine pure best badger synthetic brush.
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I find it doesn't really matter what weapon I wield. Properly honed gold dollar, properly used, will shave me just as well as any other straight razor, if used with proper technique. Any brush will whip up lather, with any soap, with proper technique.

But I do enjoy a little bit of fancy.
 
TheBeast said:
Another birthday has come and I acquired a worthy companion to my custom straight razor - a silvertip badger brush from Mühle. It's beautiful in looks and performance alike. Soft, dense, heavy.

Last week I had a crisis of some sort, my shaves were terrible and I was covered in bumps Once again. Nice reminder that one cannot let himself go into autopilot mode. Tonight's shave was much better after a small break.

s

s
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Happy birthday @TheBeast (y)
 
Thank you for your wishes!

I might have developed my first preference for a shaving edge. I just love them fresh off the stone/diamond strop. I really liked the original Ark edge as well, but for now, I don't feel like getting into my first Ark so I'm sticking with what I have.

And what I have is an edge finnished on 0.25um diamond pasted balsa. For whatever reason, my 0.1 um paste seems to be a sham. My edge now has around 10-15 shaves on it. Before each shave I strop 10-20 laps on vintage flax linen firehose and 100 laps on clean leather. Just as it was new, it passes HHT in both directions flawlessly. But I can just FEEL that it is not what it used to be the first 1-2 shaves. Easy fix - just return to balsa for a few laps after every shave.
 
Another step forward in my journey!

Recently I felt like I was not progressing at All with my shaves. They were miles better than ever and consistent. But there was still some sting from an aftershave which meant a little too much irritation. Every Bad stroke resulted in a few hairs getting trapped underneath a see-through thin layer of skin. I could free them with a pair of tweezers, good rub with a towel or some chemical exfoliant. Some shaves were nearly picture perfect - and those are the ones that count and those are the ones I want to have each and Every time.

So I Challenged myself to shave in a new way. Lather, do only one stroke and don't touch that spot again. I would often buff a spot if I didn't remove All the hair on the first stroke - because my strokes were not consistent at all when I started. Not allowed anymore! Re-lather if needed and one more stroke to get only what I missed. And what a difference right away. Way less sting from the aftershave and overall a very very comfortable shave.

To add a pinch of Salt I sped Up the whole process. I wanted to be able to shave faster. That meant thinner lather (less soap loaded), whipped up much faster. And it absolutely didn't affect my shave negatively. Maybe it even allowed the razor to glide more freely.

So thats what I will be working towards next. My edge is holding on perfectly. Once I have to refresh it, I will keep going to balsa after Every shave but for now, I'm golden.
 
I remember a couple of years ago when I gave you your first shave-ready SR in Slovakia. Please accept my apology for guiding you into the rabbit hole.

I use to maintain my edge after each shave with 60 laps on 0.1μm diamond pasted balsa (hanging). Some time later, as my hanging balsa stropping technique improved (got lighter), I found that my edges was slowly deteriorating. I then changed my post-shave edge maintenance to 30 laps with the balsa strop in-hand plus 30 hanging. Has been that way for a couple of years now and no more edge deterioration.

My diamond pasted balsa blade edges now never need refreshing on whetstones.

Each post-shave maintenance balsa stropping takes me about 2 minutes. This can add up over time. If times was of the essence, overall it would be quicker to not maintain the edge with pasted balsa after each shave but rather just refresh the edge on whetstones when required. The only downside is that I prefer a crisp keen edge with each and every shave.
 
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There is absolutely no reason to apologise. Without your genorosity and care I would either never get where I am or it would take substantially longer. There is only space for my gratitude to you in this regard.

And another step forward! It just dawned on me to put some lotion on my face between getting out of the shower and preparing lather. First above the "shaving line", later all over, effectively replacing my proraso pre-shave. My skin feels a lot better. It doesnt hog all the moisture from the lather, doesnt get irritated so easy and the razor glides better. So pretty much all my problems just got smaller. And I always have a tub of CeraVe lotion or cream on the sink so it will see even more use. Post shave is fantastic as well as you might have guessed, without the need for alcohol splash or nivea balm. It's so interesting how the answers are so often right under your nose, especially when you are digging for them.
 
There is no 'shaving' products (and I have a fair few) that Has Made things better for me. No pre-shaves nor aftershaves make a difference.

A decent edge, solid shaving soap and a brush, simple moisturizer. That is it for me. Oh and a touch of skill.

I had a Bad shave a few days ago. Why? I decided I want to use some of my Thayers Witch Hazel no alcohol tonic. And a TOBS tobacco aftershave. That made my neck upset and allowed ingrowns.

I had a great shave Yesterday. Why? I only used some CeraVe moisturizer as pre and post shave. During preshave, my skin gets dehydrated in the time after showering and before moisturizing. It might be a Bad case of transepidermal water loss. Probably caused by a prolonged use of active ingredients to Combat my breakouts and hard water in the apartment. But putting some simple moisturizer on right out of the shower seems to help a great deal. Now, the lather sits on top, the razor glides smoothly and everything works out nicely. As for post shave, I need to keep the skin moisturized, but prevent the hairs from getting trapped. So I need to avoid anything ultra healing because that will create a layer that traps the hairs. And use some gentle exfoliating ingredient to prevent that layer to form naturally during Non shave days.

Finally, my shaving routine seems to be working.
 
@TheBeast, thank you for reporting on your wet-shaving journey so far. I have found following your journey to be very interesting. If we are ever in a position to do so, I hope we can meet up for a cup of tea and a chat.

Fortunately, everyone's face is different, otherwise we would all be as handsome as you. A man needs to work out what is best for his face shaving. All others can do is suggest various options to try.

Have you settled down to exclusive SR shaving or did you drop back to shaving with a "safety" razor?
 
rbscebu said:
@TheBeast, thank you for reporting on your wet-shaving journey so far. I have found following your journey to be very interesting. If we are ever in a position to do so, I hope we can meet up for a cup of tea and a chat.

Fortunately, everyone's face is different, otherwise we would all be as handsome as you. A man needs to work out what is best for his face shaving. All others can do is suggest various options to try.

Have you settled down to exclusive SR shaving or did you drop back to shaving with a "safety" razor?
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@rbscebu, your Hidden compliments and subtle cheeky comments always brightnen my mood!

You are very welcome at my table at any time. I would like to hear what you have to say about my mokka coffee.

I have Been shaving exclusively with a straight razor for nearly a year now. And I get better every shave, thats why I can't seem to be able to stop!

Anyhow, I have another "breakthrough" experiment for you... I skipped a shave for a few days and experienced some major irritation on my neck. It was deep red skin and lots of itching. I used my oneblade in order to avoid any more damage, while doing the opposite of stretching. The next day, my skin was perfectly fine, no ingrowns in sight.

So what I concluded is this - shaving with a sharp razor creates very sharp hair tips. As my hair curls, it digs into the skin, even if I didn't shave for 7 days. An electric razor leaves ragged hair tips, and those if shaved above skin layer, stay there. They have no sharp tip to do any damage.

And hence I am offered a choice - to keep shaving in a rhytm of letting the hair grow out from under the skin, but before it Can curl and dig back. To shave Every day and disregard All the (minor) damage done from your everyday-shaving-irritation-type-deal. To stop using my SR altogeth-..... NOPE!

So what I'm gonna do next is try and shave Every day for a few days and see where that gets me.
 
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I have also been interested in the resultant tip shape of the whisker that has been shaved. This is not due to possible ingrowns as that is not a problem for me. It is mainly because of the feel of my face after a shave.

My theory is that whiskers cut square to the hair shaft centreline at the skin-level surface produces a smother finish. Such a finish may also reduce the possibility of the whisker curling back into the skin as it grows out again.

To achieve this square cut of the whisker, I pay particular attention to:

Shave angle - keeping the blade as flat as possible against the skin yet still being able to smoothly cut the whiskers. You may be surprised how flat you can go.

Pressure against the skin - as light as possible so that the blade's edge is not "forced" below the natural skin surface.

Skin stretching - not too much and not too little, just enough to have the whiskers stand up perpendicular to the skin surface.

The ideal cut is one that is square to the hair centreline just at the natural skin level.

It takes a lot of experimentation to get all three to work together. Being an engineer helps with this as we are trained to think in the physical world and what is happening with forces being applied.
 
There is a very interesting study from MIT. They studied why steel being as hard as it is can be dulled by shaving soft hair.

news.mit.edu

Why shaving dulls even the sharpest of razors

A new study by MIT engineers shows how shaving can damage blades. Human hair, 50 times softer than steel, can chip away a razor’s edge, the engineers found.
news.mit.edu news.mit.edu

The consensus was that "simulations explain how heterogeneity in a material can increase the stress on that material, so that a crack can grow, even though the stress is imposed by a soft material like hair". -Tasan

In order to make longer lasting blades: "The basic idea is to reduce this heterogeneity, while we keep the high hardness." -Roscioli

In that article we Can see priceless animations shot with SEM technology that showcase the mechanics of cutting hair.

So your Theory is pretty much spot on. The only problem is: what to do with stubborn low laying hair? Those are pretty much impossible to cut perpendicular in relation to the centerline of the hair shaft. And the answer - while seemingly obvious - to stretch the skin (stand Up the hair), imposes another Challenge. As you said, we need to stretch only to the point where the hair is not Falling under the skin level after being cut.

Well as I mentioned many times, my hair crawls over the skin rather than grows out perpendicular to skin. So if I don't stretch, I don't cut perpendicular to the hairshaft's centerline. If I do stretch in order cut perpendicular, I cut below skin level.

So exactly as you said, I began experimenting with my technique again, to perfect it even further. All the mentioned factors play a role and need to be performed in harmony, then I need to "reprogram" my muscle memory to make the art of shaving more convenient and improve further.

So in my last shave I did not raise my chin up to stretch the skin on my neck, but rather pushed it down. To create a smooth surface for the razor, I only gently pushed/pulled with my free hand fingertips. I added an extra, Across the grain, pass. It was a little uncomfortable, unorthodox and awkward. Even though it was incosistent in terms of how even the closeness was, some places were BBS. I ended Up with mild razor burn, but it cleared up and there are no ingrowns forming yet. The skin Has more redness in comparison to the electric shaver. But it is overall a result with which I am generally pleased. On the first try!

I will keep pursuing this new approch, experimenting with aim to create the least pointy end possible on my hairs.
 
Stretching 'against the grain' works much better than stretching 'with the grain'. And more is not always better.

At least thats what I found out in my latest shaves. Shaving everyday simply doesn't work for me. Maybe one day, when my shaving technique will be perfect, it will.

I Can improve my shave with a better approach to stretching. On my neck, I grabbed the skin below my hairline and pulled Down and to the Right/Left, but mostly in the direction of the hair growth. I Also tilted my chin up really high. That resulted in a very tight and flat skin and a great blade feel, but apparently it Also caused ingrowns. Now I started to stretch against the direction of the growth, just enough to acquire a readonably flat surface and smooth glide of the razor. Maybe that makes my hair stand more perpendicular to the skin, which results in a cleaner cut that doesn't promote as sharp of a tip as before. And maybe, with this approach, I am not cutting the hair below the skin.

Not stretching feels bumpy, the razor skips and jumps along the skin. Stretching a lot feels great, but cuts too close and creates sharp tips. Stretching just enough, against the grain feels meh, but yields a great finnish.

Not sure why, but it works so Well, that I experienced another big step in making my shaving experience better. Much less red spots/ingrowns. And I Also tried a strong alcohol splash aftershave to see if I get any burn. Even after a so-so shave, there isnt any. Not too long ago it stinged liked hell, even after what I thought to be a great shave.

At the same time, I started to use some chemical exfoliants on my neck after a break. And it Also seems to be working in my favor, since my skin looks a lot better the last two weeks. There isnt as much dead skin flakes or hairs trapped beneath a thin layer of dry skin.
 
Success!

Back to back amazing shaves achieved! The comfort after the shave took a dip, because I adjusted my technique and it takes a while to develop muscle memory and perfect it. But there are no more red patches on my neck a few days after shaving. Nearly no hairs stuck under the skin, everything grows out. And so I seem to have finally tuned my shaving just right for my needs to produce a look that is nearly perfect. Everyone who shaves gets a little burn/bumps below the chin Once in a while. So mine is nothing out of the ordinary anymore.

Even less angle, even less pressure, less stretching - and change of direction of stretching.

When I say less pressure, it's not like I am pressing the razor into my skin. For a few months I was focused on barely making Contact with the skin but still removing hair. Turns out it paid off since I seem to be getting better at it, even though I thought I achieved the best possible state.

For angle, I caught myself cheating and increasing it when shaving tricky areas. So I stopped.

With stretching, there is a fine balance. Too little stretching and the skin isnt flat enough so the razor feels "bumpy". Too much stretching and I cut too close, getting ingrowns. I have to find the perfect balance and compromise. Stretch as much as possible, while not producing ingrowns, but maximizing comfort.


So all in all, I am where I wanted to be for a while. Took me 6 months. If I count from the point when I got my custom River Razor (only had GDs and cheap vintages before), learned how to hone it, strop it and use it. Still can't shave daily, mind you, but thats pretty common too.


Now I know what to do and what not do to have a reliably ingrown free shave. After about 3 years of starting wet shaving. So I can freely start to fine tune the shave to be even more comfortable and work my way into daily shaving.

Cheers!
 
TheBeast said:
Success!

Back to back amazing shaves achieved! The comfort after the shave took a dip, because I adjusted my technique and it takes a while to develop muscle memory and perfect it. But there are no more red patches on my neck a few days after shaving. Nearly no hairs stuck under the skin, everything grows out. And so I seem to have finally tuned my shaving just right for my needs to produce a look that is nearly perfect. Everyone who shaves gets a little burn/bumps below the chin Once in a while. So mine is nothing out of the ordinary anymore.

Even less angle, even less pressure, less stretching - and change of direction of stretching.

When I say less pressure, it's not like I am pressing the razor into my skin. For a few months I was focused on barely making Contact with the skin but still removing hair. Turns out it paid off since I seem to be getting better at it, even though I thought I achieved the best possible state.

For angle, I caught myself cheating and increasing it when shaving tricky areas. So I stopped.

With stretching, there is a fine balance. Too little stretching and the skin isnt flat enough so the razor feels "bumpy". Too much stretching and I cut too close, getting ingrowns. I have to find the perfect balance and compromise. Stretch as much as possible, while not producing ingrowns, but maximizing comfort.


So all in all, I am where I wanted to be for a while. Took me 6 months. If I count from the point when I got my custom River Razor (only had GDs and cheap vintages before), learned how to hone it, strop it and use it. Still can't shave daily, mind you, but thats pretty common too.


Now I know what to do and what not do to have a reliably ingrown free shave. After about 3 years of starting wet shaving. So I can freely start to fine tune the shave to be even more comfortable and work my way into daily shaving.

Cheers!
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Well done!
 
Back on track

I had great shaves the past two weeks, but a bad one snuck up on me at last. It was after botching up a refresh of my edge and not paying much attention while shaving.

Went to the stones again, improved the edge and had a great shave with Proraso Green, since we had the first summer days and the refresh was amazing. I slowed my shave waaay down to enjoy the eucalyptus in the cream. It helped me to get even better at shaving with less stretch. It requires a very delicate touch, but is ultimately rewarding. In some strokes, I didn't feel the edge at all, just a swipe and away the hair went. I felt nearly no sting from my alcohol splash, which always lets me know that I didnt did much damage and didnt cut too close. No irritation whatsoever and hopefully, no ingrowns will show.

I'm still nowhere near shaving every day. I gave it a go but it was not comfortable and it invited blemishes on my skin. But I found a rhytm that works very well for me - a shave every three days. I will be trying my best to stick to it while perfecting my technique further. Compared to a year ago, it's pretty freaking close to perfect. But in the grand scheme of things, I enjoy the journey to perfection. The one I can never achieve. But the grand reward is the journey itself, after all.
 
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