Thread: Ideal pressure is no pressure.......

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

yep ,, I only have one eye lost the other 20 years ago , I will tell you this as time goes by andyou get more acclimated to how to shave with a straight it really isn't even a problem I have more trouble with my glasses getting in the way . you will figure out the angles in the mirror trust me soon you wont even noticed any blind spots,, oh and I do use both hands good luck ,, tc by the way that's a great offer from Lynn,, one of these days I,m going up there I,m about as far away as you

This makes me feel better. It gets frustrating trying to see what I'm doing sometimes. Especially when all my movements are opposite in the mirror. And yes Lynn's offer is great. I will be making a trip sometime. So far everyone I have encountered on this site has been helpful. Honestly Straightrazoerplace.com has been the best experience I have had on a web forum.

The amount of pressure I apply to the blade, varies on different areas of my face.

I feel your pain! My experience exactly. Read my thread here, something may help. I have learned that the lower the angle to the face at the start of the stroke, the less likely it is that the razor will dig-in and cut.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...-straight.html

Whiskers provide resistance to the razor. Thin and light whiskers provide light resistance and heavier, coarse whiskers (my curse) will provide heavier resistance, even for a super sharp blade. The trick is to figure out how much force you need to cut *your* whiskers but not irritate your face. It's a fine balancing act. And as someone else has mentioned, it also varies in different areas of your face. That's one reason why beard prep is so important -- moisture softens whiskers and reduces the pressure needed for the razor to cut through the whiskers.

As Lynn and others recommended (and not the first time) it helps to get a feel for that pressure by starting with a small area first. Then you can move on to other areas. It really does take some time to get a feel for the razor, your whiskers, and the grain of your whiskers.

So I think I may have found my enemy. The soap!
The soap came from the Van Der Hagen Men's Luxury, Shave Set so the soap is Van Der Hagen.
I tried shaving my cheek and not much luck on either cheek. So I finished up with my Gillette Fusion that normally does well with shave cream in a can. Ouch!!!! Even my Gillette nicked me a few times. Not a very close shave with either. Any thought?

Sounds like you haven't got your lather dialled in yet. Too thin and not enough cushion an too thick not enough glide. Without knowing how you lather and what you are getting it is hard to give advice. Hard water will also affect lather making

Originally Posted by coryschmidt

Whiskers provide resistance to the razor. Thin and light whiskers provide light resistance and heavier, coarse whiskers (my curse) will provide heavier resistance, even for a super sharp blade. The trick is to figure out how much force you need to cut *your* whiskers but not irritate your face. It's a fine balancing act. And as someone else has mentioned, it also varies in different areas of your face. That's one reason why beard prep is so important -- moisture softens whiskers and reduces the pressure needed for the razor to cut through the whiskers.

As Lynn and others recommended (and not the first time) it helps to get a feel for that pressure by starting with a small area first. Then you can move on to other areas. It really does take some time to get a feel for the razor, your whiskers, and the grain of your whiskers.

This. My beard is tough. Even with a sharp razor and good angle/ pressure I have to use proper beard prep or it will be a fight.

experiment with various pressures but everything is very very gentle

You might go by a bath and body works, they carry C.O. Biggelo (sp?) cream there usually. Might give that a try. Either that or an Art of Shaving store (or Dillard's or maceys/nordstroms etc) to try some of the AoS stuff. They usually have free samples of cream and pre shave oil (opinions mixed on if this helps or not) that you can get to try using a cream instead of a soap. Might help.

Originally Posted by JBPilot

You might go by a bath and body works, they carry C.O. Biggelo (sp?) cream there usually. Might give that a try. Either that or an Art of Shaving store (or Dillard's or maceys/nordstroms etc) to try some of the AoS stuff. They usually have free samples of cream and pre shave oil (opinions mixed on if this helps or not) that you can get to try using a cream instead of a soap. Might help.

Looks like a very good cream to start with, and I have a Bath and Body Works in my town. Makes my life easier to pick items up from the store to learn with. Then I'll order something nicer. If need be.
The soap I currently have builds a good lather. I tried making it thinner, thicker, thinner, thicker. I fairly course hair. I really do think a cream will be much better, and maybe allow for a little more forgiveness with the blade. Learning how to use the blade is going to take a while also. I do understand this.