Shaving disaster!!

So a bit of background to my thread, I've been researching on investing in a straight razor for about a year. I finally was given the opportunity to invest in one this year.

I did my research and concluded that it would be best to invest in a vintage razor. Because the metal would be far superior to what we can get today also it would be honed and stropped. Perfect!!

I bought my razor from the 'Invisible Edge' it is a Ford & Medley's Sheffield blade from the 1930's. The guy was great who sold me it and help answer my queries quite quickly. I also bought a 3" 'Miller' Barbour strop with the canvass underneath. From the strop-shop.co.uk.

I've been using Taylor of Old Bond for the last 10years. It's the shaving products that I much prefer. I use sandalwood pre shaving oil along with sandalwood cream.

So the shave, I attempted my first shave with the straight razor 4 days ago which was great (one pass), then my second which was even better being a 3 pass shave, but today it went pair shaped! My blade kept tugging on the hairs when I was doing my against the grain pass so much so the my face is red raw. I finished the 3 passes but I am now feeling as if somebody has just thrown boiling water over it. Lol

I know the blade has been honed properly and I always strop it at least 30 passes before shaving. It just was so painful going against the grain today under my chin and neck.

Can an anyone offer me a 'newbie' any advice. I understand your not getting the full picture but hopefully there is something in there that you can see is either wrong or of a concern.

Maybe my skin is just really sensitive.

question is - should it always be like this?

Thank you you for taking the time to read my thread.

You might want to read the links I have attached.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ead-first.html

http://http://straightrazorpalace.co...icipation.html

Take a step back and allow yourself a couple weeks to learn to use the razor and improve your technique. You will be glad you did.

Happy New Year

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JonnyKane

So a bit of background to my thread, I've been researching on investing in a straight razor for about a year. I finally was given the opportunity to invest in one this year.

I did my research and concluded that it would be best to invest in a vintage razor. Because the metal would be far superior to what we can get today also it would be honed and stropped. Perfect!!

I bought my razor from the 'Invisible Edge' it is a Ford & Medley's Sheffield blade from the 1930's. The guy was great who sold me it and help answer my queries quite quickly. I also bought a 3" 'Miller' Barbour strop with the canvass underneath. From the strop-shop.co.uk.

I've been using Taylor of Old Bond for the last 10years. It's the shaving products that I much prefer. I use sandalwood pre shaving oil along with sandalwood cream.

So the shave, I attempted my first shave with the straight razor 4 days ago which was great (one pass), then my second which was even better being a 3 pass shave, but today it went pair shaped! My blade kept tugging on the hairs when I was doing my against the grain pass so much so the my face is red raw. I finished the 3 passes but I am now feeling as if somebody has just thrown boiling water over it. Lol

I know the blade has been honed properly and I always strop it at least 30 passes before shaving. It just was so painful going against the grain today under my chin and neck.

Can an anyone offer me a 'newbie' any advice. I understand your not getting the full picture but hopefully there is something in there that you can see is either wrong or of a concern.

Maybe my skin is just really sensitive.

question is - should it always be like this?

Thank you you for taking the time to read my thread.

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In my humble opinion, using an ATG pass at the beginner stage is too advanced, and risky!!!

Follow Lynn's advice, I did, take it real slow, follow the links posted, and take your time..it's about the journey, not the destination.

Good Luck!

:D

Maybe only shave with the grain for a few days to get comfortable with it. You could do multiple WTG passes. Then add across the grain once you feel good with that. Most importantly shave prep is paramount. lather up and then go strop. Come back and relather. This allows lather to soften beard well. I would not add against the grain until you master the first two passes. I hope this helps. Don't change your routine. Same cream, same razor, same hot towel or shower, etc. There are many videos of prep, shaving, stropping, etc. If you get one good piece of info from watching, it was worth watching.

JohnnyKane,
Lynn certainly doesn't need a Newbie such as myself giving him the "+1", but he is exactly right.
Step back, slow down. Allow yourself to learn how to use the razor before trying ATG passes...or XTG passes for that matter.
There is a lot of technique that needs to be learned before you start chasing multi-pass, BBS shaves.

I'm burying the lead here, but to answer your specific question, "NO", it shouldn't be like a a pot of boiling water has hit your face...and you shouldn't be "red raw". Of course, I think you knew the answer to that question before you asked it. :D

Using a straight razor properly has a steep learning curve associated with it. It takes time. That time should be enjoyable...challenging, but enjoyable. It sounds like you have the right tools, the right attitude and the desire.
Allow yourself the patience and the time and it will all come together.
Here at the Straight Razor Place, you'll find all the encouragement you need along with great advice.

Good Luck and Welcome to SRP!

Follow Lynn's advice, he's a master at our sport. Only thing I would add is you must strop your razor after a shave or the edge will go to crap possibly overnight. I personally strop 40x after a shave and 60x before a shave, this obviously adds up to a 100x stropping to the blade before it touches my face. You can't overstrop a razor.

ATG is not for newbies. However, when you're ready, ATG is done with a much sharper angle than WTG. The way I do it, WTG the spine is about 2 spine widths from the face, XTG is about 1 and ATG is nearly flat. And I've learned, some parts of my face won't tolerate ATG. Good luck.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shooter74743

You can't overstrop a razor.

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Only if you know how to strop a blade:)

I agree, learn to strop.

Unfortunately stropping is not as easy as it appears and nothing like you see on TV or in the Movies. It only takes lifting the spine a fraction before you stop moving the blade, one time to damage the edge and that will remove a layer of skin leaving you face red and raw.

Dollars to Wantons that is what happened.

Buy you self some inexpensive magnification, as little as 2-3 dollars and look at the edge as described in this video.

this video.

If the edge is damaged it will need to be repaired and the extent of the damage will determine the extent of repair.

It does take some time to learn to strop, and you need to learn to strop to maintain your razor.

I am a bit far from you, but if damaged I would be happy to re hone it for you, PM me if you are interested.

It's probably a newbie issue or a stropping issue.
From reading many newbie posts, it seems like issues usually pop up around shave 3-5 (it did for me), you start getting over confident and stop watching pressure and angle as closely and also stropping wrongly could have had an effect on the edge by this time. Practice stropping with a dull razor shaped object ( a butter knife will work) to learn some muscle memory. Watch the videos and don't rush the process, I thought I had it down by about shave 20, but I realized at about shave 60 that I didn't.

Also try to find someone to look at the blade just in case you did roll the edge when stropping

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lynn

You might want to read the links I have attached.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ead-first.html

http://http://straightrazorpalace.co...icipation.html

Take a step back and allow yourself a couple weeks to learn to use the razor and improve your technique. You will be glad you did.

Happy New Year

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Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to say how encouraged I was to see the response to my thread no more than a couple of hours ago. I never thought this many people would reply to it. All your comments have been kindly digested and I have to agree upon reflection I was probably way to ambitious and keen to be trying to run before I could crawl.

I guess with with the build up to getting the blade and all the reading and studying I was doing you mentally think you're better than what you actually are. You're absolutely correct in saying "take it slow" so as to build on a very solid technique. Enjoying it and gaining all those very vital muscle memories. To eventually try the "3 pass shave".

I am looking forward to the beginning of a very exciting journey in the lost art of shaving with a straight razor and the beginning to finding new friends at SRP

I hope you all have a very wonderful new year.

Thanks

Jonny

This was not my thread, but thanks for the advice and videos! I am very new to this and need all the help I can get. Everyone here has been super helpful

I have been straight razor shaving for about a month now. My wife thought it was crazy spending so much money to get started but even she is enjoying it because my face is so much smoother. I am having the same problem as the OP. I usually do a two pass shave. One WTG and one ATG. The only problem is that I can't go ATG on my neck between chin and addams apple. That area is way to sensitive for me. I have tried different angles and different soaps and oils but nothing seems to help. I am happy enough to leave that area alone with only one WTG pass. At least everything else is BBS.