Thread: Straight feels like its pulling hair out :(

Giving the straight razors a 2nd go, ive been shaving with DE's primarily a Cobra Classic for 2- 2 1/2 years. Ive shaved with a feather artist club with good results but im on my second shave ready straight and it feels like its pulling the hair off my face. I have a restored razor i bought from a respected member here and a new theirs issard 6/8 from SRD shave ready. Stropped the TI before my last 2 shaves with it, my first wtg pass feels like im pulling the whiskers out instead of cutting them im trying to use 30 degree and and have played with the angle, but when i relather i do a 2nd wtg pass and its great razor passes through like butter. Im just a little stumped surely out of 2 different razors they should be sharp enough but im stumped?

Sorry but it Sounds like a common newb problem did you shave with it freshly honed before stropping if so did it shave the same.
I think nearly all of us have killed the edge with poor stropping technique when we start I know I had the same problem when I started, with harshness on the first pass then razor rashes by the time I finished I thought it was my angles etc but no I killed the edge.
Then I invested in a crown barbers hone and all came good again

No offense i am a newb
Could be the first razor i bought i did not strop just shaved with it. This one i stropped real slow and methodically after watching Lynns DVD, i have a strop on a piece of wood and a hanging strop both 3 inch. But i wouldnt rule it out that i rolled the edge, i tried so hard not to!! My second pass is so smooth just like when i use a feather artist club, would that be the case even with a rolled edge?

P.S. i believe i posted this in the wrong section

It could be shave prep, especially if the second pass is way better as the remaining beard had more time to soften. Also, instead of the 30 degree angle, start with the blade flat on your face and slowly add angle, you should find the sweet-spot that way. And also it could be stropping as others have said, practice stropping with a butter knife or other razor shaped dull object to build some muscle memory

If you have been using a feather then I would bet it's stropping technique. Stropping is the necessary evil that has a learning curve also. You may be able to bring your edge back if it was a stropping thing. Try to lay it on a table and make sure it stays flat. That takes some of the variables out of it. ( if your using a hanging strop)

Could also be a pressure thing with the razor. A straight is a little different feel than a feather.

your in the right place :<0)

Thanks for the suggestions!! So i should send them off to get the rolled edges fixed or can that be stropped back straight? I do have a barbers hone but if i cant strop probably shouldnt be honing

Would it be possible to tell if the edge is rolled from a picture?

I would suggest trying to strop first. If that doesn't work try the hone as if your sending them out anyway there is nothing to lose. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Triad

Stropped the TI before my last 2 shaves with it, my first wtg pass feels like im pulling the whiskers out instead of cutting them im trying to use 30 degree and and have played with the angle, but when i relather i do a 2nd wtg pass and its great razor passes through like butter. Im just a little stumped surely out of 2 different razors they should be sharp enough but im stumped?

Ok wait a half second here because you just confused me


Just to clarify

Both razors fail on the 1st WTG pass
Both Razors shave on the 2nd WTG pass after a Re-lather
Both razors have been stropped


If that is true then your issue is your prep/lather

or

I am misreading your post and ignore me

Well I am very new also and have the same problem or having the same problem. I found that as I keep trying to keep the 30° I seem to get away from 30° then it polls when I get back to the proper angle it cuts like butter.

It's very easy to go above a 30 degree angle at first, try about a spine width above your face, that might be easier to picture/reproduce. For me 30 degrees is a bit on the high side except for a few problem areas.

Originally Posted by k5MOW

Well I am very new also and have the same problem or having the same problem. I found that as I keep trying to keep the 30° I seem to get away from 30° then it polls when I get back to the proper angle it cuts like butter.