Although this is officially day four of the journal entries tracking my use of this new slant razor, I'm guilty of deviating from the plan and using it all weekend as well, when I had intended to put it down for a couple of days.
Today I used the Old Woodward brand shave oil and shaving butter after a prep of a cold-water face wash and cold-water splash and massage. I did a WTG* first pass with the slant, and got a PDG* shave there. Then a second pass with the Merkur 33C using combinations of XTG*, ATG*, and diagonal XTG-ATG* combination strokes.
Then a cold-water rinse, and a splash of witch hazel. Cleaned up my gear and sink area while that dried, then some alcohol-free after-shave lotion with added jojoba oil.
Net result in two passes was not quite entirely BBS*, but nearly so. Close, comfortable, easy. In all, a pleasant experience to start the morning.
Bottom line, after six day's use of the 37C slant, I'm completely at ease with this razor. I'm going to keep experimenting with it, although at this point I'm not sure I'll ever use it for three consecutive passes against my somewhat fragile skin, which may be overkill anyway. [UPDATE: I was again a poor prognosticator; I now regularly use this razor for daily three-pass shaves. My normal routine is to shave one day with the 37C slant, then the next day with the 33C Classic, then back to the slant, and so on.]
That's it for today. Happy Shaving!
* WTG = with the grain; ATG = against the grain; XTG = cross grain; PDG = pretty darn good; XTG-ATG = diagonal strokes that are not quit fully ATG and not completely XTG; BBS = baby-bottom smooth
Today I used the Old Woodward brand shave oil and shaving butter after a prep of a cold-water face wash and cold-water splash and massage. I did a WTG* first pass with the slant, and got a PDG* shave there. Then a second pass with the Merkur 33C using combinations of XTG*, ATG*, and diagonal XTG-ATG* combination strokes.
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| The dynamic duo of this day's shave, both Merkur razors: the 37C slant (left), and the 33C classic, (right). Notice how the head of the slant seems so much bigger, heavier, aggressive. (Maybe it just frightens the whiskers off the face.) |
Then a cold-water rinse, and a splash of witch hazel. Cleaned up my gear and sink area while that dried, then some alcohol-free after-shave lotion with added jojoba oil.
Net result in two passes was not quite entirely BBS*, but nearly so. Close, comfortable, easy. In all, a pleasant experience to start the morning.
Bottom line, after six day's use of the 37C slant, I'm completely at ease with this razor. I'm going to keep experimenting with it, although at this point I'm not sure I'll ever use it for three consecutive passes against my somewhat fragile skin, which may be overkill anyway. [UPDATE: I was again a poor prognosticator; I now regularly use this razor for daily three-pass shaves. My normal routine is to shave one day with the 37C slant, then the next day with the 33C Classic, then back to the slant, and so on.]
That's it for today. Happy Shaving!
* WTG = with the grain; ATG = against the grain; XTG = cross grain; PDG = pretty darn good; XTG-ATG = diagonal strokes that are not quit fully ATG and not completely XTG; BBS = baby-bottom smooth
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