Day 3
Changed soap this time, went for some Tabac and a SR 3824 for a complete luxury option. I am not shaving my whole face with the straight yet, I am on the cheeks and neck but avoiding the jawbone and chin areas. My clean up razor is an Aristocrat #47 open comb. This is a really great shaver and I don’t know if I will ever be able to part with it.
Anyway back to the straight shave. I got my left cheek and flat part of my neck done in nice smooth sweeps, what a confidence boost this was. The end result was much better than before. As good as I would get on a first WTG pass with the #47 loaded with an Iridium blade, apart from the jaw and chin obviously.
It had to happen sooner or later, Just as I was finishing my left side I took a nick out my cheek. Close to my mouth. At least I know what went wrong. As I approached the corner of my mouth I let my mind slip from keeping the blade flat and I lifted up a little at the back and pop a bleeder (not deep), didn’t feel a thing but it bled like I had slashed myself and turned my Tabac foam a lovely pink colour which I an sure the wife would have an outfit to match.
I was not so keen on the pink foam but I ignored it anyway. Checking first that no one could see me with pink shaving cream, I continued and went for the right cheek and neck. I tried it again with my right hand and I am getting better. It is still like the first day with my left hand but I am very dominant in my left handedness so I expect this will take me longer than others, as long as it is still improving I am happy.
By this time the Tabac was drying up and I realised it was time to quit before the pink foam reached my toes. A nice cold water splash more or less stopped the bleeder and a quick dab with the styptic pen took care of the rest. No where near as painful as my ear was when I nicked that. I am only slightly disappointed that I cut myself because otherwise it would have been a good solid third shave. These things are to be expected, no pain no gain as they say.
Todays lesson was like the time when you are just learning to drive. At first you don’t even know what it is you don’t know, then when you do know you wonder how you will ever balance it all, clutch, gears, accelerator, steering and at the same time look in 360 degrees at regular intervals. When you are learning that at first you may forget that you are in the wrong gear or because of a distraction you bring the clutch up too fast and stall.
That is just about where I am just now with the straight shave, I think I now know what I need to learn and realise there are some difficult manoeuvres to master but at least I can drive in a straight line now without kangaroo petrol…speaking metaphorically of course.
To be continued…