Don't do what I've done

Hi,

Just 4 weeks ago I walked into 'The Art of Shaving' shop in San Francisco, half an hour and nearly $400 later I walked out with a Thiers-Issard basic straight razor, a small Dovo strop, a travel kit and most importantly an Alum block. Since then, apart from discovering I could have bought the same kit at a much lower price, I have learned: it's not as easy as it looks; razors don't come 'shave ready' despite what it says on the box; like in so many things in life, size matters!

After about 10 shaves I am a little more confident with the razor and have managed to reduce blood loss to manageable levels. I still find the chin area to be virtually impossible! I think I will have re-contoured my chin before I get the hang of it.

i have watched Lynn Abraham's excellent video of shaving technique - thank you for that sir - but I think this ham fisted Sexagenarian will be unable to replicate his dexterity.

Stropping is a problem, I have managed to strop my brand new razor to a state where I get more pulling and tugging than a shunter in a marshalling yard. No matter how carefully I try to replicate the 'X' patten I only manage to put more nicks in the strop.

In my enthusiasm, I have bought a four sided strop and a travel strop, but I find I should have bought much larger equipment to avoid the problem of a 1.5" wide strop and a 3" wide blade.

So please, if you are thinking of trying straight razor shaving, look carefully at some if the posts on here, I wish I had, I could have save much money, if not much skin.

Hang in there. If this octogenarian can get it going in the right direction you young whippersnappers can. Get that fine razor pro honed and keep going. I've found that I sometimes have to finish a shave using a DE, SE or disposable as I learn my facial contours. IF you haven't noticed, the SOTD often features a shave done with a DE, SE and at times a trac razor.

As far as ham fisted goes, I'm the original 'if a pound of pressure is good than ten more would be better. I resorted to bench stropping and know my pressure is whisper light. Training your muscle memory is a bitch but worth it.

Keep us posted to your progess.

Don't give in to frustration, relative to many, you have a good start. Decent equipment that will take and hold an edge - you're already ahead of the crowd. The stropping will come, even stropping on the thin four sided strop. The chin will likewise work itself out.

You have had the razor professionally hone since purchase, haven't you? If not, this would help a lot.

You got a reputable brand straight razor even if you feel you overpaid and that's really important. Better than buying a Chinese or Pakistani razor that shreds your face.

The dexterity will come, and I can promise you that. One day you'll step up to the mirror and be able to reach areas you couldn't reach before, and with facility.

My stropping reputation earned me the nicknames of "Nick" and "The Slasher."

Videos helped me more than anything. I couldn't watch them enough before I got it down.

Don't feel like you were too old to take up this adventure in your 60s. Not everyone had the foresight I did to take this up in my mid-50s.

You're doing all the right things, and eventually everything is going to work. Your face will feel great and you will look forward to your next shave.

Wellcome to SRP first and formost.
Lived in the bay area all my life,been to that store many times just for grins,and a good laugh:)

Hey and welcome to the forum. Don't worry we all make a few missteps along the way to a good straight razor shave. A good shave will come as I found out after taking this sport up just prior to turning 60 and yours will come too.

Bob

Are you from the bay area? Please update your profile to include your location. Help maybe next door, but we've got to know where that is!

Thank you all for your warm welcome.

Since I last posted, I've ordered a Boker 'King Cutter' online, it should arrive professionally honed and stropped, I'm hoping that will either make my shaves more comfortable or at least slice my skin less painfully. I am then going to send my original razor to the same chap for his attention. I have no intention of giving up at this stage.
I live in the Vendée department of France, so I've ordered from a European vendor - to reduce delivery time and costs.
One question I have, perhaps I can call on your collective wisdom? Whilst shopping for my next razor online I was confused by the different models and costs of razors available. I first though the price differential was explained by the often unusual materials used for the scales, but I've found you can have even the most exotic scales fitted to any razor for just a few £££. Apart from the difference in size - but surely 1/8"x3" of mild steel can't cost that much - once you have bought into a quality brand (Thiers-Issard, Boker, Dovo etc) are the (much) more expensive models better in any practical way? Or is it just the decoration that hikes the price? I've no desire to display the razors I buy, I just want to shave with them.

Having my existing razor honed and stropped is going to cost me about £35 (just under $60) I can't afford to be doing that on a weekly basis so I guess I need to be looking at buying some honing stones, I've read through the threads on honing and it seems personal preference plays a large part in informing choice. Well here's the rub, I have no knowledge or experience of honing, so I don't have any pre conceived preference and I am again confused by choice. Given my story and my apparent ineptitude at all things dexterous what would you choose?

Thanks,

Alwill747

Being a newb to this whole thing myself the Norton/Naniwa synthetics have worked great for me.They offer dependable grit range and consistant performance.In the past 2.5 years they have served me well in refreshing or full honing my own razors.The Norton 4/8 and Naniwa 12k are what I use along with the SRD Modular paddle strop with CroOx.

P.S.A lite steady hand and no pressure on the blade is all it takes to make these stones do their magic.:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alwill747

I first though the price differential was explained by the often unusual materials used for the scales, but I've found you can have even the most exotic scales fitted to any razor for just a few £££. Apart from the difference in size - but surely 1/8"x3" of mild steel can't cost that much - once you have bought into a quality brand (Thiers-Issard, Boker, Dovo etc) are the (much) more expensive models better in any practical way? Or is it just the decoration that hikes the price? I've no desire to display the razors I buy, I just want to shave with them.

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There are many factors so you can't generalize it with a simple answer. Every company makes its own pricing structure as they think it's appropriate. Market segmentation is typically a big factor regardless of what is for sale.
Some razors are made with much more skill and with more details than others (e.g. Dovo's Bergischer Lowe is in a different class from the bulk of their razors). Small production runs are more costly (more overhead) than big ones. The cost of exotic materials shouldn't be discounted, even if you think the material may not be that expensive, working with it and the amount of what needs to be discarded could lead to big overhead.
Also the price differences get magnified through the retail chain - $5 difference in production cost may end up in $50 difference at retail.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alwill747

Having my existing razor honed and stropped is going to cost me about £35 (just under $60) I can't afford to be doing that on a weekly basis so I guess I need to be looking at buying some honing stones, I've read through the threads on honing and it seems personal preference plays a large part in informing choice. Well here's the rub, I have no knowledge or experience of honing, so I don't have any pre conceived preference and I am again confused by choice. Given my story and my apparent ineptitude at all things dexterous what would you choose?

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You do not need to hone your razor on a weekly basis. Maintaining a razor sharp is much simpler than making it sharp in the first place. May be get a pasted strop for those and in your case hard surface is probably better than putting abrasive on a hanging strop.
But you are right, having a choices makes it more difficult; the way to solve this is to simply pick something and learn to use it. If you must have what suits you best there is no way around trying the different options for extended period and deciding what you like best. Absolutely not necessary if you only want the job done.

Enjoy the journey, it's worth making it more than just removing the hair.

to each their own
everyone likes different gear
at least your sticking with it, i think most give up due to the dexterity issue

Update.

My Boker arrived professionally honed and stropped. What a difference! Today I had a comfortable, nick free, close shave. I'm really enjoying this.

Now my original Thiers-Issard came straight from the shop, the chap said it was 'shave ready' so I can only assume it's my ham fisted attacks on the strop that has blunted the blade.

I'm now worried that I'm going to destroy the edge on the Boker in the same way. I've watched innumerable videos and I go about it slowly, but I still nick the strop occasionally. Speaking of the strop, I've sanded down some of the worst nicks with 1600 wet & dry paper, was that a bad thing to do?

After reading reviews on this forum, I've ordered a couple of 'sight unseen' razors from Whipped Dog. I intend to used these razors to learn and practise the art of honing - though to be honest, I'll probably just try 'refreshing' first if all.

I'm leaning towards buying a set of Japaneese synthetic 'Super Stones' would that be a good choice for a novice. Also, money is not unlimited, which grit sizes are considered to be essential?

Thank you as always for your kind advice.

Alwill747

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alwill747

Thank you all for your warm welcome.

Having my existing razor honed and stropped is going to cost me about £35 (just under $60) I can't afford to be doing that on a weekly basis so I guess I need to be looking at buying some honing stones,

Thanks,

Alwill747

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Wow. That's like extortion!

I have it on good account Methuselah is a member here and if he could learn to use a straight at his age anyone can.

A Norton Combo 4K/8K is a good starting point and you can do 75% of all honing with that one stone. A 12K Naniwa will give you a superior finish and if you want the ultimate the 20K Suehiro.

For real. This forum has saved him grundels of money on many occasions.