Thread: Harsh Blade

I have been using a straight for a few weeks and overall get close comfortable shave WTG and XTG. My last attempt at ATG is for another post. The razor is a new Dovo Inox (stainless steel blade) that was shave ready from Classic Edge. On the face and most of neck it is okay. On the neck under the chin and a couple of other places on the neck the blade feels, for lace of a better word, harsh. It reminds me of what I would imagine a serrated blade would feel like or almost an over sharp feeling. Since the rest of the face is comfortable I am doubting it is the blade. Above the jaw on the face I can hear/feel when the angle is too steep and it is more scraping than cutting. Even then it is not "bad".
I am thinking the harsh sensation is from angle or not proper stretching. Any thoughts?

I also purchased a stainless Dovo from Classic Edge. Phil does a great job producing a shave ready edge so I'd agree with you that it's very unlikely to be the edge. When I first started using a str8 I had the same sensations you describe. Through experimentation I found out that I was inadvertently increasing my angle because of the different grip and posture. Keep an eye on your angles below the jaw line and you'll likely see an improvement in feel and result.

For sure Phil's edges are excellent so I would go with the angle on the blade as the culprit also. To try and maintain a constant angle you have to always take into consideration the contours of your face change constantly and you have to try and follow them. Also the angle that you use changes with each different pass http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwiki/index.php/Pass . A very good lather is also critical.

Bob

Just a quick update, it was technique. Last night I went back and paid very close attention to the angle. Also, I thought tilting my head up was stretching the skin under my chin more than it was. When I put a finger near the bottom of my throat and pulled down it tightened up more and I got way closer to a comfortable shave in that area. I won't talk about the rest of the face today. As soon as I finished I realized I was back to using too much pressure on the blade and irritation happened. Gotta watch those fundamentals.