Lessons Learned...

Part of my intent with my Tsuyu cutdown was to focus on my technique, as well as keep my razors clean. Now that Tsuyu is coming to a close, it's time to review the results.



All in all, I'd say that this has been a success on all fronts.

First off, of course, I've been keeping my razors free of rust, keeping the edges all nice and sharp. So yeah, that's been good. But best of all, my shaves bad been getting better and better. You might have noticed in "My Daily Shave", but I've been getting 9s (and even a 10!), so that's good.

The things I've been working on are the basics, but basics can always use some polishing up.

First off, pressure. 0. Absolutely none--meaning, of course, for a massive blade like the 8/8 Friodur, NEGATIVE pressure. This really cleaned up a lot of my irritation, and helped with nics (not eliminating, but reducing them a lot). This is something I have to keep reminding myself of, but the more I focus, the more natural it becomes.

Second, angle. Not only blade angle on the skin, but the angle of approach to the hair--tweaking the WTG/XTG/ATG angles a touch here and there, finding places where a little different approach leads to a smoother cut. For example, along the line of my jaw, which has always been difficult to get totally smooth no matter how I stretch, slightly angling the blade about 10 degrees from totally vertical will get it just right. In addition, instead of trying to stretch the skin too much, I use the blade in a much more precise manner to catch a very thin line of whiskers. It take more time, but it is much more effective than trying to rearrange my face to make more planes.

The angle of the blade to the skin is something that is much harder to explain clearly, but this page on the SRP WIKI helped me TONS, and practicing it has made a real difference in my shaves. Great stuff.

And third is stropping. This is something I'm still experimenting with, but I'm trying to find the difference made by changing the number of strokes and and pressure. It's slow, but I'm thinking I might be coming to something. I've been increasing the linen/pasted strop passes, and lightening the pressure on my leather passes and the edge seems to be a bit...smoother. Maybe? It's hard to tell, really, with with all the technique changes...but we'll keep at it and see what happens.

Then, of course, there is the lather. I've got some good things to say about that, as well, but that's a post for another day.

Esta Indecisión Me Molesta

The pain of choice...it's terrible!

My birthday is coming up, and my wife told me I could choose my present--and of course I've decided on a razor!

But which one? I've been looking at so many...I've settled on a few options, but I'm not sure what to buy...Care to offer some advice?

First up, we have some true greats--the Wacker razors, new production from Solignen Germany.

The 7/8 "Old Sheffield":

Big and well suited to my tastes.

Then this pair--both 6/8, one full hollow, one 1/4 hollow...

I prefer bigger blades, but these are pretty cool.

And this GORGEOUS (but expensive) beauty, the 7/8 "Jugendstil" (German for Arte Nouveau):



Truly beautiful, but almost too much so...with that gold worked spine, and the long cut blade, the thumb notch..but it would stretch the budget, or rather my wife's patience.

Then there are some more inexpensive options.

From Revisor, this 6/8 shoulderless thumbnotched blade with a worked spine and elegant scales:


And this version, without the worked spine (and $50 cheaper):


And of course, the last one. A lot of people on SRP recommend this one, the Thiers Issard Le Grelot, a "biggish" 6/8 wedge grind, with a thumb notch and simple lines.

It's simple, and elegant, and it has a reputation for great shaves.

I actually could swing TWO of the latter three razors for the price of one of the Wackers. But the Wackers are bigger, which I do like. Oh, what torture!
What do you think?

It's not the size of the blade, but...

You get the picture.




So I've jumped back to the Henckels. I've decided that the Genco shaves, while in the end very good, weren't in fact comfortable enough and I wanted to work on some techniques that need a much sharper razor, so I'm back to the Henckels (I used it yesterday, too, but I forgot to post...sorry). I'll be taking the Genco back to the stones soon, Steve, don't worry. I'm not giving up on her!

I am happy to say, I think my new technique practice is paying off. I got a much more comfortable shave from the monster today, though still not without it's stings (sharper than a serpent's tooth, this bad boy...), and I might even be able to deal with the size in a better way soon.

My first technique improvement is a growing mastery of "negative pressure". With most of my blades, I found that the weight of the razor was just enough--no pressure was needed. But with this one, I think that's TOO MUCH pressure. Using the same technique as my smaller razors with a very big, very stiff, very sharp blade was leading to irritation and unpleasant shaves. But remembering some comments I had read about actually using negative pressure--taking the weight of the blade off the skin and just sort of moving the edge in a pattern that accidentally conforms to your face, thereby taking the whiskers off, removed a whole lot of that irritation. I haven't mastered it yet, of course, but I have gotten two shaves that are much improved with it...so my focus on technique here is really a good idea.

Yay me!

Technique #2 is stropping. I've been doing ok with stropping--ok meaning I haven't rolled my edge and they haven't been deteriorating because of bad stropping--but I want to be able to use stropping to actually improve my edges, maybe even use it to control the shave a bit more. I've read some threads on SRP that discuss stropping in more depth, and I'm going to try some of the different techniques--experimenting with pressure, taughtness, and passes to see if I can spot the results. But first, I think I need to work on the negative-pressure thing a bit more, so my shaves are more reliably comfortable with the Henckels.

Some things I still need to work on are a couple of tough spots on my neck and the right side of my chin...still some stubborn stubble there. Oh, and not cutting myself. That's pretty high on the list right now...

I also need to talk some more about this Florena cream...it really is something special...

Dazed and confused...

I just don't know what to think about these shaves...

So, this Genco/Florena week is really giving me pause. As I mentioned last time, I rehoned this razor a bit to get her back to cutting shape, and if you've been watching the Daily Shaves, you'll notice a pattern emerging. Day after day, great shaves. Not perfect, but great. The kind of shaves that, if they remained consistent, could very well lead to total fidelity.

But I DON'T KNOW WHY. The razor is not sharp enough. I know that. The first pass in each shave is actually quite tuggy...nearly uncomfortable on the upper lip/chin area. The second pass is better, but not as close as I'd like it. And my touch up passes leave me just totally freaking smooth. And every day, I get a bit smoother, and a bit more aggressive...and I have NO IRRITATION.

NONE. Not a single moment of wince, no sting when I throw on the warm water or my AS (not even with a splash, like I tried the other day without telling. Shhh.). Nothing. After each shave, my face feels like it never touched a blade. And what's more, there's not been a speck of blood in days. Days. That's a true first for me--even a good shave has the occasional weeper, but this week? NOTHING.

I mean...are these actually perfect shaves? The actual process isn't perfect, no, but afterward...I haven't quite hit 100% BBS, but I get closer every day. And every day, I push the envelop a little more on how aggressive I am with the blade--more blade buffing, more water-pass time, and more angles of attack. I can't figure out if this is going to end with me getting pure BBS shaves, or taking half my chin off...

So here's the thing. Should I try to rehone a bit? Try to bring that keenness up and balance it with the smoothness more (something I have no idea how to do) or should I just accept the brief discomfort of the first pass as payment for the sweet aftermath?

So weird...but so nice!

A Shave Worthy of Comment...

I brought this 4th in with a bang, my friends!


I got what was undoubtedly the best straight shave I've ever had today. 99.9% BBS, 0 irritation and using all American products (well, one German product by way of Canada, but close enough. The Germans were allies in the Revolutionary war, and Canada is PRACTICALLY America).

The shave really was great. That Genco responded beautifully to the touch up honing I gave it--and the edge produced by the Nakayama stone is something else. Smooth as velvet...really, I didn't need any aftershave at all today, but I used one out of habit.

Here's the thing. The edges I've been getting with my latest honing trials are not the sharpest possible. When compared to the edge I had on my Wapi, for example, they don't cut as smoothly on the initial pass, and with the Nakayama edges I can feel the blade kind of "gripping" the hairs as it cuts them. However, it is sooo comfortable--a really sharp edge, like the Wapi or the edge on my Henckels, is a faster, smoother cutter but somehow less gentle. After a shave with a really sharp edge, my skin feels tender, a bit abraded. After the shaves from these Nakayama edges I've been getting, my skin feels like it hasn't been TOUCHED by a sharp edge. No abrasion, no nicking, no nothing. It takes longer to shave, but the end result is much more desirable in my book. The longer time is the only reason I didn't give this a higher score on the ol' Daily Shave-o-meter...I had to really really take some time and take my touch-up pass slowly and carefully (which I need to train myself to do anyway) to get my face really smooth.

But I did it. With an edge I honed myself, and a truly comfortable face.

Now, I'm not saying that these edges I've been putting on my razors are the best. I could do with a touch more sharpness (as well as consistency); my true goal is to balance the super-close, effortless cut of a really sharp edge, with the velvety smoothness of the edges I have been getting off the Nakayama recently. I know it's possible: those are the edges that already exist on my Kawaguchi razors. So a really good bevel, polished and maintained on a really good stone. That's what I want, and I aim to get it.

Until I do, though, I'd be more than happy if I can keep getting shaves like I got Today.

Oh, and Happy Independence Day, all you Yanks out there!

Some Lessons Learned...

Oh man, did I learn something this morning.

Nothing teaches like your own stupidity...

First lesson: oil your blades when not in regular use.

I got out my Genco this morning; it's been a few weeks since I used it last. It's been in "dry" storage, or so I thought, so I didn't bother to oil it until recently, when the humidity reached what I thought were dangerous levels. When I got it out, I cleaned the oil carefully, and gave it a few very light passes on my Nakayama as a kind of "touchup", then stropped and went in to shave.

I started with the Torrey, to affirm what I had learned yesterday about its edge--half a pass, and indeed I was getting a fine shave. Then I went back to the Genco. My anticipation was, alas, disappointed. The edge was as dull as a drive down a Kansas highway (I grew up in Kansas, I can say that). It wouldn't cut at all...luckily I could finish up with the Torrey, and I got a fine shave.

Later examination of the edge on that Genco showed it had been eaten up, I can only assume by rust, as it had been fine when I put it away, and the few passes on the Nakayama could not have chewed it up that much.

So, oil your razors when you put them away.

Oh, and the second lesson?

Never, EVER let Florena get in your nose.

Just, don't. DON'T.

These Hairs Are Shaaaaved!(Honing Diaries Contiued)

There's nothing like a bit of American Steel to make it feel like July!

I've been running into a wall with this little black handled Torrey for a while now. I've tried a couple of different variations on the aggressive and conservative pyramids, inserting a 2K/4K pyramid, doing the "get sharp dammit" dance, and more...esoteric...tactics to get this thing shaving.

I finally did it, I think. And just in time for Independence Day!

Last night I got "serious" with the honing. I took the Torrey back to the 1K and made sure of the edge at EVERY POINT. Toe to heel, popping hair like crazy. I went to the 2K and smoothed the edge with 20 x-strokes. I investigated the edge with the TPT (still not the best at it, but getting better) and checking the scratch pattern on the bevel under magnification. When it seemed to be mostly 2K scratches, I went to the 4K/8K. I put it through an aggressive pyramid to eliminate all the scratches from previous stones. In fact, I added a couple of 5/5 rounds to make sure it was good and smooth. The scratch pattern from the 8K was nice and even, and I went on to the finish. Here I tried something a little different from previous attempts...

I decided to use natural finishers all the way. I gave the razor about 75 strokes on my coticule, checking with the TPT to see how the edge was progressing. Again, inconclusive...but I'll keep at it. Then, having seen that the coti was smoothing out the scratches from the 8K, I went on to my Nakayama. I gave it a good 40 laps, using x strokes and back/forth, taking care to get ever millimeter of blade--the smile is slight, but enough to add some trouble...

After the edge seemed to be nice and smooth on the TPT and under magnification, I gave it 10 strokes on my pasted paddle strop, oiled it and let it sit. This morning, I stropped 35 strokes on cordovan,　then shaved. And it was great!

It wasn't an ideal shave...a little harsh, and not the closest, but that is as much a matter of my skill and my being accustomed to the Monster Friodur (this Torrey is downright DAINTY compared to that thing). I went into the shave intending to just give it a half-pass to see how it goes, but it was so pleasant I went whole hog on the Torrey. I have to say, the shave was better than the last few ones I've got off the Henckels...

I think that there are two keys to my success this time around. 1.) I was being DAMNED careful to catch the full blade with rolling X-Strokes. I'm always careful, but I'm just getting better at it and 2.) I gave it a lot of time on the naturals. I usually use a 12K Shapton Pro as my main finisher, but that hone is now in the possession of a friend, and the naturals seem to have taken over the job admirably.

I am definitely pleased with this one. I'll give it another test tomorrow, then it's on to the Genco for the continuation of my Tsuyu adventures...Good times!