Thread: Matt's shave journel

Personally I think your best bet right now is to focus on North/South, you can work on the others as time progresses. I do actually go WTG/XTG/ATG on my cheeks. I do N-S, then from ear to mouth/nose, then S-N. I do two XTG passes on my neck as the hair mainly grows horizontally, then an ATG scything cut to get the tough patches. When I started shaving I always cleaned up with my DE. Sometimes I still pull out the DE when I am in a hurry.

As far as the scythe motion is concerned, that is where I would say wait for a little while before attempting.

Get really, really used of your blade.

I had a friend (that i got into straight razor shaving try the scythe after he saw me do it, and he sliced himself nicely (or wickedly some would say... left a bit of a scar). Anyway, what you're doing so far is great, and you have some great questions.

To describe the scythe cut, it's like the scythe going through grain, not a straight cut, but sweeping from the heel to the toe of the edge, it really takes getting to know your blade very well. I didn't use that stroke until probably 3 months in, but now it feels like second nature to use it on my neck to get those errant hairs.

Stropping is a personal thing, I do 20 linen/ 30 leather. Sometimes I just do 30 leather, depends on how I feel and if the blade feels good. My initial strop after honing is more like 50 linen/ 100 leather. Sometimes 30 CrOx on linen/ 60 linen/ 120 leather!

YMMV

Great to see these posts, keep it up!

Yeah, I think Yochatman has described it well. However, I'm not sure I really do a scythe, I basically make the razor move in an arc rather than a straight pass, the heel goes to the left and the toe to the right; going upwards, under the jawline. The scythe is a more advanced stroke, you have to 'be one' with your razor.

I'm so glad your getting something out of our advice and comments; it's very fulfilling, you know, to pass on knowledge and have a conversation about this lost art...

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

I'm so glad your getting something out of our advice and comments; it's very fulfilling, you know, to pass on knowledge and have a conversation about this lost art...

I learned a long time ago it's better to ask questions to those who know what their doing then to stumble in the dark trying to do it my way. And I do really appreciate y'all helping out. One day I may actually be good at this straight razor thing.

Matt

[QUOTE=Now for my one real question at this point:
On the right side of my neck and throat the hair grows chin --> ear. Should I be pursuing shaving WTG that way or just North to South for the time being? Or is there even really a way to shave chin --> ear WTG and ear-->chin with a straight razor? I haven't seen any one going those directions in all the youtube videos when shaving the neck.

Matt[/QUOTE]

My beard grows the same way under my chin, and it took a few months to figure out how to get it BBS in that area. I watched a youtube video from Razorup's channel, by chance, and someone (may be his son???) went ATG with a straight in that area and under his chin. I tried it, and now that move is part of my daily shave, and I get BBS under my chin. I first shave north to south on my chin and under my chin with my right hand, then I shave against the grain under my chin, right to left, using my left hand, with my head tilted as far back as I can tilt. It's a blind move because you're looking at the ceiling. It may take some practice, but it works. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Mdixon2124

I learned a long time ago it's better to ask questions to those who know what their doing then to stumble in the dark trying to do it my way. And I do really appreciate y'all helping out. One day I may actually be good at this straight razor thing.

Matt

I'm sure you'll improve each day :-)

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

I'm sure you'll improve each day :-)

Well you'd think so huh. But today will be called "Bloody Sunday"

Shave #4

Gear remained the same, and using carlmaloschneider's advice I did 30/70 laps on the strop. Then I showered, made basic lather, re-wetted my beard, and face lathered. For those who haven't tried it yet I'd strongly suggest trying a silvertip brush if you have the chance. Having used a best badger in the past, and a boar the silvertip is in my opinion deffinatly a cut above.

First Pass:
I always start at the sideburn/cheek on my right side. It's more comfortable because I'm right handed. I shave N-->S, WTG, my entire face to the center, then move to the right side of my neck again shaving to the center but not beyond. One pass and the right side looked nice, and everything was going well. I switched to my left hand and repeated the process. It's a little more awkward but not horrible. The results with my left hand after one pass were not the same as my right hand, and I found myself cupping my left wrist some. I corrected it each time I noticed the cupping. I ended up with a very small nick on the left side of my neck nothing major.

Hot water rinse, re-lather via face lathering. It was at this time I noticed the right side of my face had been shaved much better then the left side.

Second Pass:
Let me pause and give a little in-sight into myself before we start the second pass.
Now I don't know about anyone else here, but for myself I know that when learning a new skill or task or whatever like at work for example I tend to gain confidence quickly. Now there is usually a point where I botch something up, or something happens to remind me that I'm learning, not a master.
First stroke at the right side burn N-->S and I burried the tip in my right ear. This is where the blood started flowing. This is also the first time I shaved with a straight razor and my wife was home so she's interested and watching. Normally I'd have sat down the razor and taken a pic to place in the cut of the day thread. But with my wife watching, and the blood flowing I didn't have the chance. She was nice enough to hold a paper towel on the cut while I finished my shave. The rest of the shave was un-eventful.

Post shave:
Hot water rinse, which hazel, cold water rinse, Nivea Balm

Ear:
I hit it with the styptic(sp?) pencil. The bleeding stopped no real damage done.

Lessons Learned:
I need to make sure I'm watching my angle using my left hand. I tend to start cupping my wrist, and obviously lose my angle when around my chin. Pay attention to the point/end of the razor. What I cut my ear with was about 1/16 of the end of the blade. I thought I was cutting with the front 1/3 of the blade when I started the stroke but I quickly learned I was not.

I'll try to get a pic of the cut on my ear. Can anyone tell me the best way to get a pic from a cell phone to post here on the forum? I'm not really all that great with computers and technology.

Matt

Shave #5

Gear:
Old Linen/Leather Strop
Etsy Soap
W.H. Morley & Sons Clover razor
Custom Brush

Prep:
30/70 linen/leather
Hot shower
Face Lather

Shave:
Pass 1, N-->S entire face. Not too bad, but I left a few stubble spots.

Pass 2, I got brave and went Chin --> Ear on the face and N-->S on the neck. It went well, and I didn't cut my ear this time. That's a win in my book. I'm finding on the under side of my chin, and just below the jaw bone on the left side of my face I'm doing a horrible job. I even tried a third N-->S touch up of these areas and they still didn't look to have been shaved as well as the rest of my neck. I got a small nick going Nose/Chin ---> Ear on my upper lip. That's all technique and practice so no big deal.

Post shave:
Warm Rinse, Which Hazel, Cold rinse, Nivea Balm
10/20 Linen and Leather

So question of the day: XTG pass better Center of Face ---> Ear OR Ear --> Center of Face? It's probably a YYMV answer as I've seen videos on youtube both ways.

Matt

Matt, you're doing really well, but do you mind if I ask a question? You don't? Good. Why aren't you just going N to S at this early stage? In all honesty, and with hope of ceasing the blood flow, please consider only going N to S and really concentrating where that razor is. At this stage a shave might take you 45 minutes minimum; at least mine did!

Carl

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

Matt, you're doing really well, but do you mind if I ask a question? You don't? Good. Why aren't you just going N to S at this early stage? In all honesty, and with hope of ceasing the blood flow, please consider only going N to S and really concentrating where that razor is. At this stage a shave might take you 45 minutes minimum; at least mine did!

Carl

Good question Carl, glad you asked! I should be just N-->S only, I'd been awake for too long and got a wild hair. So I said to heck with it I'll give Center-->Ear a shot. I think part of it really is/was that when I stretch my side burn area it doesn't pull up even so I decided to use the Center-->Ear pass to trim up the bottom of my side burn. In reality I probably could have slapped a little lather on the bottom side burn area and just edged it that way.

Carl I really do appreciate you taking as much interest in my advancement as you have. And having been up 26+ hours I hope this all makes sense.

Matt

Hmmm. I'm, not even going to ask.

In regards to left side under the jaw; it's some times hard to see what you're doing there if you use your left hand. When I start my left side I use my left hand, start a motion that goes down beside the sideburn. then, in a continuation of this movement, the toe of the razor sweeps across the jawine; following the line of the jaw. The razor is obscured by my hand at the end of this sweep and I guess its whereabouts and also judge the whereabouts by feel. I then do another motion that goes down the cheek, the heel is used around the goatee and continues down the neck. I then pull the skin up (fingers placed on the newly shaved skin (allowing purchase) moving the skin upwards over the line of the jaw and I start an ATG stroke upwards (SSW -> NNE) to get those pesky hairs there. I then pull the skin down and do the same again, just on the corner bit.

Re-reading that it sounds way to fumbly to fathom, esp with wild hair.

Carl