Wet Shaving?

Yeah, I haven't been stretching much other than moving face/neck contortions. I will try that tomorrow morning!

 

I would agree with Jim. As an illustration, after I had been wet shaving for a year or two, I bought a birth year Diplomat. I was saddened to find it was too aggressive for me and removed it from the rotation. After another year, I tried it again and found it to be an excellent shaver with no issues. My technique had changed. Before this, I was of the opinion that after about a year, I had it down. Now I don't think that is the case.

I remember too that initially, I was caught up on getting a really smooth shave. Now I'm good with a WTG and a couple spot touch ups. Looks good, feels good. Gets me through the workday but does result in a 5 o'clock shadow.

 

ump Found a blade that works nicely! Gillete 7 o'clock Super Sharp. Went thru 3 days worth of growth w/o a complaint, 3 pass with slight touch up in a couple of spots, BBS! 7 hours later, still nice and smooth, some light stubble just starting to come in. A couple weepers on my neck, but the Alum block took care of those. I tried to stretch my skin more and got a good lather with the RazoRock BrainFreeze finally (tried a few times before, lather seemed kinda thin, added more water and used the badger brush, much better!). I have a fat face, so even with skin stretched, it's still a soft face, which is why I have issues with my neck under my chins. I had shied away from this blade since the GSB was so bad the last time, but I am glad I gave this one a go!!

 

Woot Woot! I remember the Sharp Edge being a fantastic blade.
It's impossible for me to go ATG on my chins. I'll get wicked irritation and weepers. The sides of my neck no problem, that fatty spat under my chin...not a chance. Two WTG passes there and I call it good.

 

Yeah, I got a few weepers, but no irritation like with the past blades. Most of the weepers were when I did a quick touch up with a wet face w/o shaving cream. I think tomorrow I will try a 45 degree angle pass as my neck area to see if it's more comfy with that. I have been doing a N-S pass, Ear to Chin (Across the grain I guess?) pass and then south to north pass, then clean up, usually on the neck only and sometimes jawline area. I found by opening my mouth and shaving where the jawbone is, I can get the below jawline area better since my jawbone is now there. Starting to learn the stretching and tricks for these areas, going to work on my SR's a bit more and get them sharpened and try them out again.

 

Had put off shaving a few days as I knew the mailman would bring me the two tech's I landed on B&B bst last week. '32 ball end Canadian tech with a personna red for this afternoon and after a little tugging to get my angle right and adjust for the heavier tech it was a dam fine two pass shave! No blood not even a weeper. Now to decide what to try with the American Heavy for tomorrow maybe a 7 o'clock. But happy with my first vintage purchase and don't see the weishi being used anytime soon!

 

Ball End like the one in the middle? That's one of my favorite razors I own.

 

That would be one like it. It was a great shave after reading more 1932 is I understand the patent year. It does have a date code are they the same in canada and the us?

 

I can't say for sure but more than likely. I doubt they had a separate manufacturing plant in Canada & USA.

 

Another spa day for some new acquisitions.

 

Nice!

 

DE's this time and one injector.

 

So I finally decided to try SE shaving and pulled a trigger about a month ago. Got a honed and shave ready SE from Mr.Magnus (thanks!):


Been using it daily for about a week.
Started slowly and still getting used to carefully moving sharp object near my face. Only whiskers and cheeks so far. Not the cleanest shave, but that's a start.

I also ordered all sorts of strop, creams, DE, badger, etc. Only the strop arrived so far. And another SE from Ebay that I got to learn sharpening and honing. Today I managed to pass a hanging hair test with it, but hasn't tried shaving yet.



So far I've been lucky to get away without any cuts, so fun continues

 

Anton. Im glad your doing good. keep it up and you will soon master it Let me know if u need any help.

 

Magnus ships an excellent blade with an awesome edge! Keep it up Anton - I started going on a year ago now, and LOVE straight shaving. Definitely takes a dedication to get into, and even more love of sharp things and rocks to stay into it.

 

Ok, the Gillette 7 o'Clock Super Sharps gave me 2 awesome shaves, 1 decent shave and the 4th shave sucked. Not painful, but the cutting seemed a bit dull on the 3rd and 4th shaves and didn't seem to cut as cleanly as the first 2 awesome shaves. So I tried the Derby Extra blade this morning. I didn't do the usual shower before hand, but I did a hot face wash and use the Proraso PreShave and then the Arko Cream. Shave itself was OK, but the blade felt too sharp on the skin? I got 1 little nick and 3 weepers, but my face had a similar feel like the Feathers, GSB and Personna Red when I went overboard (with the reds only). It feels like I have tiny little nicks and paper cuts on my neck for a few hours afterwards (still tender in some spots 6 hrs later) and the shave was OK, but painful.

Recap for those following along:
1. Astra did pretty well, gonna try these again since they were my first blade and still learning technique!
2. Gillette Super Blue: PAINFUL. Felt like my neck was covered in paper cuts and neck stung for a few hours afterwards. Not comfy at all.
3. Sharp brand blades did pretty well, gonna give them another go around soon!
4. Feathers: Decent shave, but irritation on the neck area, but not as bad as the GSB.
5. Personna Reds: Good shaves if I don't try for a full 4th or 5th pass to get absolutely every hair. Gonna use again.
6. Gillette 7 O'clock Super Sharp: Best shaves yet for 2 shaves, but 3rd and 4th shave were so so. Blade felt dull like it wasn't cutting well. I tried flipping the blade for shave #4, didn't feel any sharper.
7. Derby Extra: OK, felt very hard on the skin, but I didn't use my normal pre shave face ritual. Not quite as harsh as the Feathers.
Only blades left to try are the KAI brand blades.

So Gillette 7 O'clock was the most comfy blade, but only lasted like 2 shaves. Personna Reds worked well, as did the Astra and Sharp. GSB, Feathers, Derby Extra all left my face painful and tender to the touch. I will revisit those blade later when I get my technique down more, but I am looking for others to try in another sampler pack!

These are the ones I am looking at:
Gillette 7 Oclock Super Black Platinum
G 7 Super Stainless
G Super Thin
Wilkinson Sword
Lord Platinum or Super Stainless?
PolSilver Super Iridium
Shark? Chrome or Stainless?
Dorco 300 or 301?

Any others? Are any of these similar to what I have already tried? Thanks!

 

Out of all the blades I have tried I prefer the Gillette 7 o'clock Yellow Sharp Edge, cut effortlessly and no irritation for me with these.
I have tried Feather, GSB, 7 o'clock black and green, Polsilver SI, Derby, Vokshod, Wilkinson Sword, Shark, Personna Labs and a few others, blade choice really seems like such a personal thing but it's good fun trying them out.

 

Yeah, the Yellow Sharp Edge are my fave so far, trying to test other razors since they only lasted 2 excellent shaves and fell off quickly. Feather, GSB, Derby were all painful to me.

 

I found the Feather actually tugged a little for me despite expecting them to be extra sharp, tried them a few times to make sure it wasn't my technique. The Polsilver SI are my second choice so far, the Derby were pretty awful with lots of tugging.

 

Good info! I will try the PolSilver SI and Crystal brands next. The Derby didn't seem to tug, but I had very short facial hair (I shave each day I work in the morning), but my neck felt raw.