Off the Beaten Path: Turning Back the Clock to 1962 - 4th Attempt at Straight Razor Shaving Now 100% more Shaving Cream

Hello Everyone,

My adventures in straight razor shaving land continues. I did a third straight razor shave off-camera, and while I was getting much better, I still was not getting the baby-smooth shave I desired. Thus, I purchased more items from www.classicedge.ca/ and obtained what I should have had at the beginning: Shaving cream and a badger-hair brush.

Here goes my 4th adventure in straight razor shaving.

My now complete kit

Actual Shave post warm cloth and stropping ~15 times

Final Result after 2nd round of shaving with cream and oil

So while it went much better and I got some decent hair shaved off, my face still has a 5 O'clock shadow. I did another 8-10 rounds of honing with the combined low/high grit water whetstone I purchased after this and I'll try once more while at home tomorrow to shave and see if more honing was the problem. Other than this, I just can't figure out for the life of me why this isn't working. 

I don't suppose anyone can help me out? Yes, I'll even take advice from those who are not Catholic or Christian too (though you should seriously snoop around my site. Go on, I dare ya). I'd really appreciate it. Just remember my blog rules though, nothing malicious eh? We Canadians like peace and civility eh. 

Pax, Julian Barkin. 

Off the Beaten Path: Turning Back the Clock to 1962 - 2nd Attempt at Straight Razor Shaving

Hello Everyone,

So, as you saw in my first ever, failed attempt at straight razor shaving, it didn't quite do so well. Therefore I decided one likely issue was it wasn't "shave-ready" or in other words, my blade was dull. Thus I finally got the said Japanese, water stone for honing from www.classicedge.ca/ I ordered, and I decided to go for round two.

These first two videos are the honing portion of fine tuning my blade into a beard-cutting machine. The first video explains what I got and shows the coarse side honing, the second the fine side honing and the "thumb" test I was talking about:

Introduction and Coarse Honing

Fine Honing and the Thumb Test for Readiness

Great, just had to cuss at one point .... just goes to show you how we are so used to swearing in our modern culture, throwing out words like water. 

And so, we turn to the morning after. Here I take my second attempt at straight razor shaving. I stop the blade again, and actually count my oil drops,  and will see if this time, I get my shave .... with stypic pencil at the ready for minor oops-ies. Might I add I am not working for a few days so in case of accidents, I don't go to work as if Freddie Kruger had a field day with my face?

Just before Stropping the blade and putting cloth on face

Adding pre-shave oil and the inevitable shave .... 

So did it work??? ..... Well, It was definitely cutting away much more hair than usual, however, no sweet clean shave. Still, the blade being dull WAS a significant problem to my success. Therefore I am now considering doing either, some of, or all of 1) more honing; 2) possibly buying shaving cream, or 3) shaving after 18-24 hours with less hair, instead of after 2 days of growing a jungle and trying to hack it all down with a machete. I'll be trying to shave after a bit more honing tonight to see if that will help, and then trying once more tomorrow.

Pax Tibi Christi, Julian.  

Off the Beaten Path: Turning Back the Clock to 1962 - Failed Attempt at Straight Razor Shaving

Hello to all,

This post .... is not specifically about the Latin Mass, though it is connected in a sense. It deals also with a general trend of young chaps in my generation, whether they be EF-attending young men or not. I'll let the introductory video explain away, though excuse my ugly, fat, bloated mug of a face first thing in the morning. The camera does add 10 pounds. And like I say in the video, I can't believe I am exposing myself like this .....

Introductory Video

And now without further ado, my miserable attempt at doing something of Traditional Man Culture/tradition/Latin Mass Culture circa 1962 .... whereupon I fail miserably.

Part 1 of the Shaving Fail

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Anyhow, likely the razor was not in a "ready-to-shave" condition, as I did a test from YouTube videos, the thumb/thumbnail test, and it was a smooth glide, so likely the answer is dullness (though I should go easy on the shave oil). I've taken the liberty of spending my hard earned work money, and ordered myself a special water honing stone from a Canadian company in Oakville, www.classicedge.ca/ to sharpen my blade. Once I get it, I'll film the sharpening of my razor and try again. 

And spiritually speaking, cause the wolves are ready to pounce on me saying "hypocrite! Vulgar brute you swearing fiend!" I did go to confession later that day and DID confess using vulgarity to the self in excitement or self-conversation at no less than a Latin Mass Parish. So if you want to be a Pharisee remember my blog rules, and depending how vitrolic you are, you'll get a yellow card or be booted from S.U.D. and your posts archived for evidence.

As for the rest of you, if you think its something else besides sharpening my blade or less oil, let me know. Maybe I need more stropping than 10-15 passes?

Pax, Julian Barkin.