Every Trick in the Book

The Dragonfeng razor proved its mettle today, allowing a three-pass shave wherein two passes didn't touch my skin. It is an excellent low-angle shaver. At least, with a brand-new blade -- in this case, another Rapira SS. Fresh blade and low angle are frequently advised for comfort. But unforceful strokes, such as I would use with a new blade in the Weishi, set this shave apart. It's clear that this razor is a specialist in that range, like a prism breaking the "red" in a spectrum into different hues, and allowing the discovery of infrared radiation.

Meanwhile, I reached into the archives of my mind for a special pre-shave emulsion. I sprinkled some baking soda on my microfiber cloth, loaded it with water, and wet my face with that. Then, four drops of the cheapo homemade shaving oil (grapeseed, mineral, olive) and more water, plus a towel soak. Microfiber was on the TV yesterday as a "makeup magic eraser." (Don't ask me why I was watching Rachael Ray.) I used the wrung cloth to remove all oil from the surface, not seeking its protection.

Williams was my choice of lather. I did something I've long known how to do, but on principle, seldom do: lathered on the puck. I just figured it would be easier to clean the puck that way, given the ridiculous amount of water that cheap soaps like. Despite the oil prep, I still wasted the first lather on conditioning the skin, backing it off with a wet towel and relathering. I didn't rinse before the third pass, and kind of regretted it, but at least I remembered to after the first.

Potassium alum was my aftershave, kept wet for a minute and lifted (along with the soap residue) by a wrung cloth. I then used the cloth, soaked, to back off the salinity, dried with it wrung, and repeated. My microfiber towel has grown to be an indispensable shaving tool, though it's just the plain, auto detailing variety, not the $20 version.

Finally, a drop of Shave Secret sealed off the baby butt smoothness and conditioned my blade for storage. I usually first put the oil on my palm where the blade is stropped, and dab my fingers in it to distribute. This time I started on my fingertip, and shared with the palm last. I think that's better. I was rewarded with a menthol coolness that my sensitive skin VERY rarely has the opportunity to experience, as with menthol usually comes an alcohol burn. This was only the second occasion I can recall where the feeling was exclusively cool.