Thread: Tell me it gets better

Originally Posted by nessmuck

Just take about 4 pages ( color print works better ) and tape them to a smooth hard surface .. Like a counter top or glass table top and strop away on that....it works well !!!

This is a kool trick. If I didnt have 2 stropes I might try this.

Hi phunni. Was thinking about your thread this morning with my shave. My reddest area is at the bottom of my neck where I have found that I am getting some irritation from shirt collars that I have never had before shaving with the shavette. The odd thing is that this is below where I actually shave so it can't be the razor. I'm noticing that the irritation starts with the lathering process so this morning, I worked up my lather on my cheeks (where it doesn't irritate as much) and then put the lather on my neck with a side to side stroke rather than a round and round stroke. It was much more comfortable. My brush is the synthetic Body Shop one and as you mention finances are an issue I'm guessing you are using budget brush as well. I think tomorrow, I will work the brush up to a lather in my hand or in a bowl and use side to side on my cheeks as well. They are the only slightly sore bits this morning.

I also used cold water this morning and will do that again - very nice! Thanks to those that suggested this.

I'm also going to get chance to fit my strop hook today so shaving with my new proper straight can start in earnest tomorrow. Yay!

You're right, I am using a "budget" brush. I'm shaving later today, so I'll try your side to side idea.

So last night I made a bit if a schoolboy error and shaved the bit of my beard coming down from my sideburns all wonky, so I had to shave a bit more than normal--below the sideburns and along the jawline--which I've only done a couple if times with a shavette and never before with a proper straight.

As it happened unexpectedly, I hadn't trimmed the offending areas, nor was lather and prep on those areas that great and I think I'm gonna hone the razor again (though that's good as I was looking for an excuse to reset the bevel on that one) but I was surprised at how well it went! Yes, there was redness and soreness but that was mostly due to trying to shave in ways and angles that I'm not used to. I didn't cut or nick myself at all and, although not perfect, my face is pretty smooth.

And the moral of this story is that good blade angle and minimal pressure are you're friends. Get that right and you'll be well on the path to good shaves.

So far, my attempts with the new razor have yielded good results. The stupid thing is, I'm cutting my face less, but have cut my left hand twice!

Although I am new I found I was getting irritation for 2 reasons. I would get minor irritation from pressure this I had to reteach myself and I still catch myself every once in a while applying to much as old habits are hard to break. I used my DE and would hold the tip of the handle and gently guide the razor down my face adjusting for angles. I did this till I could get a pretty good shave WTG only just so I could feel what the pressure was like on my face. I would usually have to do 2-4 pass's depending on the amount of stubble. Once I learned the pressure I could start with XTG and ATG and soon I was getting amazing shaves.

Where I found I got the worst of my irritation was from prepping. Before I even put the lather on my face I missed something and ended up in pain. I can tell now when I touch the stubble with the blade on the first couple hairs if something is wrong. There have been many times now where I have wiped all the cream off and restarted my prep all over again cause it didnt feel right. Many times where I didnt pay attention and ended up in trouble.

Things I have found to pay close attention to in my prep time.

1. Clean your face well. I now scrub my face rather aggressively with soap and water. Usually when I am shampooing my hair. Then when I put conditioner in I also apply that to my beard area as well. Softening those hairs are gonna make your life so much easier. Rinse completely some conditions have perfumes that can cause irritaion.

2. Water on everything. (except the SR) Water on face before foam. More water in foam. More water in the hot towel which I use before a shave if I realize I missed something and have to add more. Anytime you can add more moister to your whiskers the better. I learned just cause you have foam doesnt mean its a very moist foam.

3. During the shave make sure everything is as warm as you can make it. I heat my shave bowl up and soak my shave brush in HOT water while I am in the shower. I rinse my face between pass's with hot water before I apply cream for next pass.

4. After last pass I rinse one last time with hot water I pat dry my face do not rub dry. Then right away I rinse my face with as cold of water as I can then pat dry. I apply my sandlewood essential oil very gently wait a few minutes till my skin absorbes it and then I reapply a second time.

5. Don't go for the super close shave if you know you are going to be sweating soon after. Your own sweat can cause some serious irritation. I have noticed that if the bathroom is to hot (mainly in hotels) and I start sweating during the shave it burns and I am raw for the day.

6. Last but not least and this is the hardest and most importan of all to me. This is my new passion I love how my face feels after and so does my wife and daughters (they are young). DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE OR LET ANYONE ELSE. Atleast for a few hours. I could see actual lines in my face where fingers had dragged accross my face and caused irritation. Let your face heal and close before you are anyone else touchs it and starts rubbing dirt into. I can feel the warmth in my face and I dont touch it till it is gone depending on the shave it can take minutes to a few hours. I picked this up with my dress shirts for work. There where times I would wear a shirt for a hour or so for a meeting and take it off and hang it up I still got dirt and sweat on the collar and if I put it on after a shave I had irritation however amazing shave and clean shirt made a world of diffrence. For me this can make or break an amazing shave.

Also a good pre shave cream helps I use proraso anti irritation pre-shaveing cream.

Thanks for the tips. I remember reading once that it's not a bad idea to shave last thing at night, because it means you'll go several hours (while you're sleeping) without touching your face. Which, as you say, is exactly what you want to do!

I preffer to shave at night but dont always have that option.

Hi Phunni:

I think by now you have a couple of weeks of experience over me. I too started with a shavette and I am now only using a Dovo SR. The shavette produced a daily carnage, no matter how hard I tried. The SR is far easier to use and more forgiving. I have found dedicated stropping before the and a good preshave prep to be the key to a good reult in my case.