Thread: Frustrations of the first week...

1. Does it all hinge on a professional hone?
Most if not all the guys here would say a properly honed razor will give you the best chance of sucess, though don't expect miracles overnight.

2. Why is lathering so hard?
What are you doing and what are you doing it with? A starting point will give us something to expand on.

3. If I have already nicked the hell out of my strop, then should I just get a new one? Will the nicks mess up my blade?
Post some pics, but it'll probably be ok, at least until you stop damaging the one you have, mine has a lot of minor nicks that I just tidied up.

4. I'm an over-achiever. Is part of this learning experience a lesson in humility that will ultimately pay off?
Yes as far as i am concerned. As i said before dont expect miracles overnight, in fact sometimes my face didnt heal over night.

am i just going through the normal growing pangs of learning this art.
Again yes.

Don't panic, it can take a while, I am not there yet, but that's just me, some guys get it quickly, and some take a lot longer.

Sorry it must have been a posting frenzy, no-one had replied when I started my original reply, but as has been said, experement with your lather, and wet your face first (maybe). You can just whip up lather , try it, ditch it and start again. Have a few practice runs while you are waiting for your ra,or to be honed.
Good luck, ed.

Have it professionally honed. Accept nothing less. As for the lathering I'll assume your starter kit included a brush. Proraso is generally very easy to work to a good lather. Keep scrubbing and adding small amounts of water at a time until the lather starts to build. You'll be on the right track at that point.

Everyone before me pretty much gave you the correct answers to your issues thus far. The only thing I'd add is that if the lather is drying on one side of your face before you can get to it, you either need a bit more water or you are taking a long time in shaving the opposite side (which is completely normal when starting out).

In the midst of a shave if this happens, try wetting just the tips of your brush with a slight bit of water and work the lather still left on your face again to wet it.

If it happens continually, you need more water in your initial lather. Try adding 3-5 drops of water at a time until you have a nice, thick, creamy lather worked up. It shouldn't be cake batter thick, but it shouldn't be runny either.

Originally Posted by edhewitt

Sorry it must have been a posting frenzy, no-one had replied when I started my original reply, but as has been said, experement with your lather, and wet your face first (maybe). You can just whip up lather , try it, ditch it and start again. Have a few practice runs while you are waiting for your ra,or to be honed.
Good luck, ed.

Good advice. The stuff was expensive and so I was hesitant, but I guess it's no good to me if I don't know how to use it.

Originally Posted by crouton976

Everyone before me pretty much gave you the correct answers to your issues thus far. The only thing I'd add is that if the lather is drying on one side of your face before you can get to it, you either need a bit more water or you are taking a long time in shaving the opposite side (which is completely normal when starting out).

In the midst of a shave if this happens, try wetting just the tips of your brush with a slight bit of water and work the lather still left on your face again to wet it.

If it happens continually, you need more water in your initial lather. Try adding 3-5 drops of water at a time until you have a nice, thick, creamy lather worked up. It shouldn't be cake batter thick, but it shouldn't be runny either.

Mine has looked like cake batter. I'll keep going.

Here are 2 pictures of the strop that I am wondering if I slaughtered too much. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by theRevCol

Good advice. The stuff was expensive and so I was hesitant, but I guess it's no good to me if I don't know how to use it.

It'll probably not take that many goes to get something reasonable, once there you can just modify as you go. If you do it before a shower, save the lather and have a luxury wash

Originally Posted by theRevCol

Here are 2 pictures of the strop that I am wondering if I slaughtered too much. Thoughts?

Seeing as no one else has put their two penerth in, I will give you my very unreliable opinion. If their are substantial flaps, you can glue them Down and clamp them, if the nicks are at the very ends, just don't use that bit of the strop, if the razor is going to catch on them, sand them down.
i wouldnt replace it until you stop damaging it or you cut it in half
Lots of guys seem to have and use fairly battered strops, mine has quite a few nicks, as they are mostly in the same place I can see where I was going wrong ( heel side handle end).
There are a few threads on nicked/ cut/ damaged strops in the strop forum, and probably thr beginners too, best to look there for the right sort of glue to use (i think its contact adhesive but don't trust me on that).

no worries about that strop those nicks don't look deep