thisISjoel's straight shaving diary

I have to say I'm enjoying them immensely myself. I started with a shavette just after christmas and can relate to a lot of what you have been saying. It really is fantastic to hear someone else's journey with a new direction for their shaving experience.
 
Shave 14, two weeks worth of straight shaves!

Took it to the moon with this one in terms of prep and lather. Went back to showering before the shave, nice warm-hot shower, body shop macca root face wash (which, provides a nice little bit of slickness to the face) so the whiskers were well cleaned, hydrated and prepared to be removed.

Used a little coconut oil (less that a teaspoon) with a tiny drop of glycerin as a pre-shave oil.

Super lathered (in a bowl) shaver heaven barbershop, fauldings shave cream and proraso red. I haven't been happy with my lathers lately so I thought I'd take it back to the bowl and take a bit more time with it for this shave. I added less water than I have been using and the lather was a little on the thick side and probably could have taken a little more water, but I didn't want to push it. Anyway, once I was fairly satisfied with the state of the lather I painted it on (didn't want to get oil all up in my brush).

Just went for two passes this time, With the grain everywhere except the neck, which is always two opposite across the grain passes, for the first pass and a second pass consisting of across the grain on the cheeks (and across the grain the reverse way on the neck) and a second with the grain pass on the top lip and the chin area.

The result was a very nice, almost entirely irritation free shave! I did nick myself just under the nose on the left side and I got myself under the chin on the left side, but I think it was just reopening an old cut. I'm finding it very difficult to get up under there, especially when using my left hand.

I finished with a splash of imperial leather and a little talc. Nice.
 
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thisISjoel said:
Shave 14, two weeks worth of straight shaves!

Took it to the moon with this one in terms of prep and lather. Went back to showering before the shave, nice warm-hot shower, body shop macca root face wash (which, provides a nice little bit of slickness to the face) so the whiskers were well cleaned, hydrated and prepared to be removed.

Used a little coconut oil (less that a teaspoon) with a tiny drop of glycerin as a pre-shave oil.

Super lathered (in a bowl) shaver heaven barbershop, fauldings shave cream and proraso red. I haven't been happy with my lathers lately so I thought I'd take it back to the bowl and take a bit more time with it for this shave. I added less water than I have been using and the lather was a little on the thick side and probably could have taken a little more water, but I didn't want to push it. Anyway, once I was fairly satisfied with the state of the lather I painted it on (didn't want to get oil all up in my brush).

Just went for two passes this time, With the grain everywhere except the neck, which is always two opposite across the grain passes, for the first pass and a second pass consisting of across the grain on the cheeks (and across the grain the reverse way on the neck) and a second with the grain pass on the top lip and the chin area.

The result was a very nice, almost entirely irritation free shave! I did nick myself just under the nose on the left side and I got myself under the chin on the left side, but I think it was just reopening an old cut. I'm finding it very difficult to get up under there, especially when using my left hand.

I finished with a splash of imperial leather and a little talc. Nice.
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So many fantastic barbershop scents in there: Proraso Red, Fauldings Shave (the king!) and Imperial Leather.

Sounds like a great shave!
 
Shave 15, No blood!

Woo! Used Arko menthol cream that I bought from a Turkish grocery in Liverpool a few weeks back, bowl lathered again to make sure I got the lather right (it was still a little dry, but it's getting better).

Two passes with and across (in most places, you know the deal). Minimal irritation. Finished with a balm, some aussie something, I forget, it's from shavershop (sorry!).

Not a nick, nor a weeper to be seen :D
 
Great news mate. No nick, no weepers, but you raw?
I still get raw sometimes. I think I just push it a little too far. I break @Mark 's Golden Rule "Don't chase BBS, let it find you"
 
stillshunter said:
Great news mate. No nick, no weepers, but you raw?
I still get raw sometimes. I think I just push it a little too far. I break @Mark 's Golden Rule "Don't chase BBS, let it find you"
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Nah mate, not raw and the shave is not even close to approaching BBS. One or two little spots of irritation on the neck, but that was always a struggle, even with a DE.
 
Shave 16.

Buoyed by the positive experience of my last shave I decided to boldly reattempt a bit of atg for this shave, and it went really well!

Showered first, lathered up rhapsody in a bowl, again taking heaps of time to get the lather right. Did my normal first pass and for the second pass I went xtg on the cheeks and neck and atg on the chin and moustache.

Then I went atg on the cheeks and did a little clean up in the chin and neck. One little weeper, but less irritation everywhere, even the neck!

Winning!
 
bald as said:
You my man are adventurous. How are you maintaining your blade? Are you considering honing yet?
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I've got a cheap strop that I'm using. Obviously I'm thinking about honing at some point (more stuff to buy, why wouldn't I be interested?), but not any time that soon.
 
It depends !! How tough is your beard. How good is your shaving technique. Do you strop the blade well without stressing the edge?

It depends !! I think I have a pretty tough beard my technique is not bad and my strop technique is fine but I also hone my own blade and have Compulsive obsessive Honing disorder so I would say about 14 days before I give mine a touch up. But your blade will go much longer if you have a good strop and you can use it well.
 
bald as said:
It depends !! How tough is your beard. How good is your shaving technique. Do you strop the blade well without stressing the edge?

It depends !! I think I have a pretty tough beard my technique is not bad and my strop technique is fine but I also hone my own blade and have Compulsive obsessive Honing disorder so I would say about 14 days before I give mine a touch up. But your blade will go much longer if you have a good strop and you can use it well.
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Fair enough. My beard is not that tough, I don't think. I thought my stropping technique wasn't great, but the edge seems to be holding up.

If my goal was simply to maintain edges that other people have honed for me what would I need in the way of stone(s)?
 
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