Thread: Reaching back to go into the future

Originally Posted by gssixgun

...Damascus...

This is always a buzzword for a catastrophic first razor? Or do "Damascus" and "Vintage Straight Razors" not go well together?

Originally Posted by MisterMoo

This is a buzzword for a catastrophic first razor, I presume.

Yes and no. There's custom made damascus, hand-hammered by a professional, and there's (factory) damascus-look. In general, real damascus razors are as expensive as they are high-quality, whereas the fakes are commonly advertised for $50-100. It is safe to say that the damascus razors at Vintage Straight Razors are not hand-made and cannot hold a proper edge.

As a sidenode, damascus is a term often used for layered steel, but it has a different original meaning. I'm not very knowledgeable in this area.

Originally Posted by MisterMoo

This is always a buzzword for a catastrophic first razor? Or do "Damascus" and "Vintage Straight Razors" not go well together?

Honestly this is just going to get very confusing but I will try...

There is no such thing as "Real" Damascus any longer, there are people out there chasing it

What the custom steel guys call Damascus is actually "Pattern Welded" steel

What is being sold as Damascus by the Pakistani Steel slingers is total crap at this point in time

Some of the Damascus being sold in the US by US companies that supply knife steel is also not suitable for razors

Before any of you say it "Yes I have tested every single one that I can get my hands on" every time I see some poor newb that has been suckered by a new name out there I send a PM and ask to test the razor..

Keep in mind besides the quality of the steel the actual geometry of the razor comes into account too, many of these are simply RSO's or Razor Shaped Objects and cannot shave regardless of the steel


Some of the Quality Pattern Welded / Damascus does make for a good razor... note I did not say great but that is another thread in itself...


Now let all the steel bangers jump in

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Honestly this is just going to get very confusing but I will try...

There is no such thing as "Real" Damascus any longer, there are people out there chasing it

What the custom steel guys call Damascus is actually "Pattern Welded" steel

What is being sold as Damascus by the Pakistani Steel slingers is total crap at this point in time

Some of the Damascus being sold in the US by US companies that supply knife steel is also not suitable for razors

Before any of you say it "Yes I have tested every single one that I can get my hands on" every time I see some poor newb that has been suckered by a new name out there I send a PM and ask to test the razor..

Keep in mind besides the quality of the steel the actual geometry of the razor comes into account too, many of these are simply RSO's or Razor Shaped Objects and cannot shave regardless of the steel


Some of the Quality Pattern Welded / Damascus does make for a good razor... note I did not say great but that is another thread in itself...


Now let all the steel bangers jump in

Not a bit confusing, thanks. That was perfectly lucid, especially considering how much razor dust, oxides, mentholated pre-shave lotions and badger bristle tips you've probably inhaled over the years.

(It was my assumption something called "damascus" as a typical lower-priced first razor purchase would likely be a sad performer. Thanks for your further explanation.)

Right,
I've been frustrated over this whole SR thing and have got a lot of good advice both on this thread and by way of PM. Thank you all.
One of my particular frustrations is shaving the hollow of my cheeks. I pull the skin but the rounded tip of the blade makes it more difficult to get a grip on the hair. What am I doing wrong? I wind up using my Mach 3 to finish the job.
I'm ready to give up.

Try puffing your cheeks out while you stretch the skin. Gives a more level shaving field. Puff just enough to more or less even your cheek out. At least that's what worked for me. (My 2 cents worth.)

Originally Posted by foldedandhoned

Right,
I've been frustrated over this whole SR thing and have got a lot of good advice both on this thread and by way of PM. Thank you all.
One of my particular frustrations is shaving the hollow of my cheeks. I pull the skin but the rounded tip of the blade makes it more difficult to get a grip on the hair. What am I doing wrong? I wind up using my Mach 3 to finish the job.
I'm ready to give up.

Cannot answere your questions,I feel bad for you and your tribulations.But you are not going to learn this overnight.
Listen to all the above tips and tricks,get a mindset that this will take you 6 mos. to begin to play the sport without frustration.
You have to learn muscle memory,both your facial muscles and your hands.Do not give up,it will all come together.

How Stubbly do you like to be/ can you get away with being day to day.
I took 3 days off and had a really good shave , my face had been fairly abused prior. You are even allowed to use an electric or cartridge.
How long do you spend on your shave? Mine easily takes 35 mins for a.full shave or about 20 minws for a one pass.
If you expect immediate results then maybe you are right about it not being for you. No one can help you to get immediate results, but we can help you improve over time.
Just do a.partial straight shave then finish with something else.
I was having fairly ordinary shaves until I started pm-Ing a mentor over a few days explaining exactly what I was doing. The act of writing it down helped me to understand where I was going wrong, in addition to the really helpful advice I got.

Well all you can do is try and gets refund, and put it behind you. No sense in Getting angry. If its any consolation the first razor bought was not a razor i should have bought.
My first shaves (after Getting a properly honed razor) were still not encouraging, but it is coming together now, provided I don't try to change things (using a different razor for example) then I take a few paces back, but that's ok because I can still see the improvement.
I will tell you the things I have been doing, but they might not work for you, however as I like being thrifty where possible (most of the time) none of it is expensive.
I cold water shave, after washing my face as a minimum, or showering.
I use Palmolive shaving soap, glycerin and shaving cream mixed together to make my lather.
I lather twice before shaving, one on top of the other with a very short break inbetween.
I have been using a cream with vitamin e in it both pre and post shave, the vitamin e is supposed to help calm and heal skin.
I use alum to help grip my skin when stretching. Stretching is important if you want a good shave.
I relather between passes, I usually break this down into areas ie left cheek, shave that bit etc. This is only on second/third passes.
After shaving I use witchhazel, followed by vitamin e cream.
If I am at home (rather than away at work) I spray on some EDT so I smell nice.
Hope this might be a catalyst for some more questions, though with my level of experience I am almost out of answers.
Regards ed.

Put the bad experience behind you if you can. Read the library on this forum and if you have specific questions ask them. Forget about having experience with sharpening knives, believe me honing a straight is different.

Bob