SMF

Forgot to mention I changed blades! Used an Astra for the first time. Seemed pretty sharp (definitely more compared to the Derbys). Sliced through my growth with no problem.

But I did try using an Alum block for the first time after the shave... WOOooo it stung in certain places but subdued relatively quickly. It felt like a good sting but not sure if that's normal yet.

Well done -- you are making good progress ---- you may still want to give yourself a day off before your next shave to give your skin a break. Shaving is hard on the skin - no matter how you slice it (pun intended ).

Well done indeed, if I can give any advice it's my first rule is an irritation free shave.

bennay, the sting of the alum is of value, to me, by showing me the areas where I've been more prone to using a bit too much pressure or maybe going over an area a little too often, and when it tends to sting, I know it's doing what it was made for. Wendell's got a good point about taking a day off once in a while to allow the skin to adjust itself to the changing shaving conditions.

I am an alum user - although I have been without stock since just before Christmas and haven't gotten around to getting more yet, I like its astringent properties.