Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

#51
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

This was a good post I having tender skin as a lad I could only use one brand of shaving blade a Wilkinson made in England. I still can only shave oh once ever 45 days so I look like a bum most of the time. I have used the old time razor and it takes some skill to master and way more time. If am out in the remote bush I dont mind using the straight razor as I have plenty of time to do so and it makes me feel kind of relaxed.I have found that Stevens shaving soap works great and is sold in better barber shops.Last they are hard to find today but to lay in a chair and have someone give you the moist hot towel treatment is hard to beat.
 
#52
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ubet</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just finished with my 3rd straight shave, the second one was HORRIBLE, I cut the shit outta myself and all the hairs felt like they were being pulled with dull nail pullers. I dont think I bought the worlds best straight razor... but I also dont think I am making the foam good, because it seems to be evaporting (I am using col conks). It seemed a little better after I used spit instead of water. The 3rd shave I think I got close to 90% of my face though, and just touched up my chin with my old razor.

I wish I had someone close to help explain things, I dont think the strop I had been using was helping. Today I stropped on a soft belt of my wifes before, and it went better. Might need to raid her belt hanger and find some soft belts.... Might have to try some of the preshave stuff too. </div></div>

Try a different soap. I bought a puck of the Col. Conk Bay Rum, and I don't like that stuff. I used it all, but I ain't buying it again. It's difficult to get a good lather with the stuff, and requires a lot more water than it should. And I never really got a good shave using that stuff.

Check out mama bear soaps. I recently picked up two pucks, and have had a couple shaves so far. Those shaves were the best ones I've have had so far though! The quality of the lather was phenomenal, especially compared to the Col. Conks. It takes barely any water at all to produce a lot of lather. Needless to say I am impressed. Their soaps also come in a bunch of different "flavors" if you will, a bunch of different scents to check out. You can order sample slivers of soaps off their site for about $1.00 or so per piece. Try out a few different scents then order some bowls in the scents you want. I found their soaps in the bowls produce a better lather than the slivers, but the slivers still make a good lather.

Just my 2 cents.
 
#53
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ubet</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just finished with my 3rd straight shave, the second one was HORRIBLE, I cut the shit outta myself and all the hairs felt like they were being pulled with dull nail pullers. I dont think I bought the worlds best straight razor... but I also dont think I am making the foam good, because it seems to be evaporting (I am using col conks). It seemed a little better after I used spit instead of water. The 3rd shave I think I got close to 90% of my face though, and just touched up my chin with my old razor.

I wish I had someone close to help explain things, I dont think the strop I had been using was helping. Today I stropped on a soft belt of my wifes before, and it went better. Might need to raid her belt hanger and find some soft belts.... Might have to try some of the preshave stuff too. </div></div>

With the Col Conk's, you wan to load the brush for a good minute or so. If you think you have enough on the brush, you have just started. That has been my experience. Also, if the lather is evaporating it might be to watery. Load the brush for a full minute then gradually add water as you lather. That's one of the reasons I prefer bowl lathering.

As for stropping, make sure that you are not lifting the spine from the strop. At the end of the stroke, roll the blade on the spine to change directions. DO NOT LIFT THE BLADE LIKE YOU SEE ON THE MOVIES. I use the Poor Man's Strop Kit from Whipped Dog and it works great.

Keep at it, don't be afraid to practice making lather, and have fun.

Charlie
 
#55
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

I've been shaving with my Pawpaw's old gillette adjustable for a week now. I won't ever go back to those double triple blade piece of junks again. I've gotten to where I can do a one pass shave in about ten minutes. That's good enough for going to work but, on church day and date night I will do a double pass. I've shaved with the same personna blade for eight days. I believe I've gotten all of the use out of it. I've already saved money because, I'm going to throw away a $.30 blade not a $4.00 refill. I've been using the Col. Conks Bay Rum also. I like it pretty well( it's the only one I've tried yet). I picked it up at a local business down the road from where I work. They are actually an online beauty supply place and, the owner used to be my neighbor a few years ago. Here is there site if you wanted to shop it. Just bring the page up and click on the spinning barber pole for a shortcut.http://www.cachebeauty.com I'm thinking of going down there and buying the Col Conk Dovo Straight Razor, the one with the buffalo horn handle or the totoise handle. Anyway, thanks again for the info and experience.
 
#56
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

If the blade is 'pulling', that means the blade is dull.(period)
A nice , heh heh heh, wait for it, razor sharp blade does not pull, whether it is a DE or a straight...heh heh heh razor sharp.
Dull ass blades feel like the blade is pulling the hair and not cutting it. You want to experience what that is, grab a Dorco, Blaustuhl, or an Apollo blade and have at it. Actually, I think mine are still in the bottom of the can so I can recover and send the out if ya like, but when I shave, I LOVE a ...BWAAA HA HA HA razor sharp blade. Damn, I just don't know why that is so freakin funny to me right now.

Knock Knock

Who's there?

Tiny!

Tiny who?

TINY FUCKED A STUMP!


Carry on!
 
#57
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

Switch, I figured mine was pulling cause its not... ha ha ha razor sharp ha ha. I am not sure if its my technique of sharpening (or lack there of). I have a tendency to think its the blade is just junk, the research I have done says to stay away from what I got, that they are questionable. I want to buy a thier isarrd, but $200 for a razor is a lot of coin. But with that, and a better strop I will hopefully be up and going.
 
#59
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

Chances are it's you and not the blade. I would bet that you're shaving at too open an angle. Did you strop properly? Spine first without rolling the blade over the leather? Did you have a rich, thick, lasting lather? Were you shaving slowly and small sections at a time? Are you stretching the skin?

Unless you ruined the edge with incorrect stropping then it's more likely you than the blade.
 
#60
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

well, I said fuck it. We are in shudder, San franciscoistan for a day or two, and bought a thiers issard razor here. Shaved with it last night after some stropping, and wow what a difference in razors. The searching I did at straightrazorplace.com pretty much summed up, I bought a shitty razor that is either REALLY tough to get to shave, or wont shave at all.

My stropping is light, spine first, at end of stroke rolled over spine. On the stroke make sure that it is completely flat, that the blade is not causing the strop to concave a little, so as to dull the blade. I guess I will keep the other blade and learn to hone it, so I dont screw up this really nice straight I bought.

When I shave, I use secret shave oil, let sit. I had bought some new soap last night, and can tell it made a difference. Lather up, strop a few strokes then shave. My cheeks, I do one solid pass, as I do not grow much hair there (or anywhere). My neck and under chin, short strokes, with skin pulled tight to the best of my ability. Neck short deliberate strokes, one stroke down each side of my upper lip, to corner of mouth. Light pass in cleft under nose. Chin, well thats more of a weed whacker affair right now, doesnt go so smooth. THen I apply a little water, re lather and finish up what isnt smooth.

One thing to add, after I stropped the new razor, I licked my thumb, and touched it to the blade, and GENTLY tried to run my thumb up said blade, it stuck like its supposed to everytime I tried to move it. I did the samething on my original, same results with that thumb test, but shave test, not so good. This is the link to where I learned how/why to do this. http://straightrazorplace.com/srpwiki/index.php/Sharpness_tests_explained
 
#61
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

BWAAAA HA HA HAHA No way, you didn't try the thumb down the length of the blade of that TI!?!?!?!?

Lesson 1: NEVER, EVER, ever, test a blade with your thumb by going the length of the blade. ACROSS, from SPINE to EDGE ONLY, especially one that is known tp be 'razor sharp'. I have seen more nasty, wicked cuts from idiots who do that when they ask me to sharpen a knife for them. Since it was an issue, and no one seems to listen, I just stopped sharpening them to that level, with the exxception of my own. One of these days I will have time to take a certain knife maker on his offer to 'let me show you how to REALLY sharpen a blade kid'
 
#62
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

Switch did you look at the link I posted?

You do it so light and slow when it starts to catch, you STOP, remove thumb, further up the blade you repeat, you do it with a wetted thumb. I now have it where it passes a hanging hair test.

Read my link it explains if better than I can.
 
#63
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

yeah I know, it was great reading too
wink.gif

I just laugh so hard when I hand a knife to someone that I have sharpened and tell them, do not thumb test it, and a few seconds later,"DAMN! That fucker's SHARP!" No shit man, I told ya not to...
One day I will have the scratch to get the stuff and go old school like great grandpa, but for now, time and skill only allow the nice Mercur and some DE blades, which I must say, those Feather blades are quite nice!
 
#64
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Switchblade</div><div class="ubbcode-body">yeah I know, it was great reading too
wink.gif

I just laugh so hard when I hand a knife to someone that I have sharpened and tell them, do not thumb test it, and a few seconds later,"DAMN! That fucker's SHARP!" No shit man, I told ya not to...
One day I will have the scratch to get the stuff and go old school like great grandpa, but for now, time and skill only allow the nice Mercur and some DE blades, which I must say, those Feather blades are quite nice! </div></div>

Keep an eye in the buy/sell forums at both Badger and Blade and straight Razor Place and you'll find a good deal. Also Whipped Dog has some great deals on user grade straight that come shave ready. His strop is a great entry level strop to get you going since you will nick it several times before you get the technique completely down.

Charlie
 
#65
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

Ive decided to go with a Hart straight razor, walnut scales, square cut. Silver tip badger brush by Rooney, Hart soap dish. Im still deciding on the other stuff. Im getting more and more excited about this.
 
#66
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jig Stick</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ive decided to go with a Hart straight razor, walnut scales, square cut. Silver tip badger brush by Rooney, Hart soap dish. Im still deciding on the other stuff. Im getting more and more excited about this. </div></div>

"square cut" - are you referring to a square point? If so, and this is your first go at straight shaving, you might want to reconsider a round point. Square points can really bite you bad if you're not extremely careful.

Just a suggestion.

Charlie
 
#67
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

Charlie, have to agree with you on the square point. It can leave a very clean cut that will leave only a small scar.
 
#68
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

I still have a very, and I mean very faint scar across my chin because as a young, dumb, fulla cum Marine, I thought grampa's straight was going to be an easy shave implement because yes, I was that hardcore...hahaha, freakin 18 years old. Dumber than a box of rocks and just as tough. As soon as that razor bit, I put the sucker down, went over to the paper, got a big wad, made my way to the first aid kit, and bit my toungue as I applied the make it stop bleeding powder. No muss, no fuss, and the only thing granny saw was a band aid and a very clean bathroom. I still don't know what happened to that straight after I dried it off and put it back where I found it though. Whenever I look in the mirror and shave the left side of my chin, I can see that ever so fine line in the well lit mirror.
Anyone else asks, uh musta been barbed wire when I was a kid or somethin
 
#69
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

Actually decided to try a Shumate square point that I had been restoring/honing to practice. Did good until the left side. Got careless and bit myself just in front of the ear. Switched back to the Reppenhagen, a nice round point and finished up with some nice pink lather. LOL

Charlie
 
#72
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

Ah, bearding the clam, well done Sean!
Simply move the aperatures apart, and gently lay the foam across the portions to be 'cleaned up'. Be sure to only run the razor in a downward motion and do not get any foam into the center of the bearded area. Once teh beard is trimmed from the outside inward, simply apply the right potions for the clean ujp, then, as my ol grand dad used ta say, get to it boy!

Ooohhhhhhhhhhhhh! THAT beard! oops, my bad!
 
#73
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

Been straight shaving for a little over three weeks now, and WOW. If you havent had one, do yourself a favor, find a barber that does them and get one. I will never go back. The two biggest things I have learned in these 3 weeks, you cant be scared to cut yourself (because its GOING to happen) and spend the money, do the research and buy a good razor, its worth the coin.

I spend a little more time in the bathroom to get ready, about 45mins total if I am going to shave (including shavin). Got my first baby butt smooth shave today, with no stubble left using a straight. I had been leaving patches under my jaw that I couldnt get, but figured out the right strokes today. Not much more satisfying than controlling a blade that can cut a hair just from the weight of said hair, and running that blade around your neck and not cutting yourself.
 
#74
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: IdahoMike</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dude, Switch I now have come to the conclusion that Shaving Secret is without a doubt synonymous with AWESOME!</div></div>

Ok, so I was at the drugstore this evening, and I remembered SOMETHING about shaving oil. So while standing there looking at all the bazillions of things they're trying to sell ya, I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was called. All I remembered was, it was an oil and you add it to the lather.

That's a new one on me, and I thought I'd try it. Did not find anything except Cromwell & Cruthers Shaving Oil. "The Shaving Cream Alternative". I'm like 'is this the stuff'?

So I picked it up and brought it home. Came to check this thread again, and find that it's the wrong stuff. Worth a try, or two different dogs barking up two different skirts?

What say you? Thank we'll get back to styling and trimming beards, eh. Or should that be 'sculpting'?
 
#75
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

This has been a really good read. Some of my fondest memories as a kid was going to the barber shop with my brothers and my dad, and watching Chuey(our barber), get his razor ready and watching in amazement as he shaved my dads face. I still remember when he first put that shaving cream on my so called sideburns(peachfuzz), oh shit.....I thought I was a man.

Nothing like the feel of a straight razor shave. You guys are peaking my interest, and I think I am gonna have to get some gear. Those Gillette replacements are crap.

Keep this one going, Thanks for all of the info.
 
#76
Re: Boys becoming Men,,,(Shaving,,,)

gonzaga, if you go to get a straight do some research, and spend the money to get a good one and a decent strop, you will thank yourself. I have been using a straight for about 45 days now and love it, dont need the ol gillete mach3 anymore. I use to hate shaving, but I look forward to it everyday now.
 
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