Thread: New guy, first post, need some advice/help

Hello all. This is my first post on SRP. I'm an experienced DE shaver and I'm very familiar with using a brush, making great lather, proper blade angle with a DE, etc. So I felt confident enough to move into trying to learn how to shave with a straight. I bought a shave ready, sight unseen and poor man's strop kit from Larry at Whipped dog. Here's the problem. I've tried every way from Sunday and I can barely shave any hair off my face with the razor. It doesn't really skip. It doesn't hurt or anything, but it just doesn't shave my face. I've watched tons of videos and it looks like the guys just gently slide the razor along and the hair comes off. Not for me. I'm pretty sure I have the right angle but barely any hair reduction.

What can I try?

Thanks in advance for your counsel.

Did you strop before you used it? Poor stropping technique can dull an edge in a heartbeat
.

Originally Posted by Chugach68

Did you strop before you used it? Poor stropping technique can dull an edge in a heartbeat
.

Thanks. Per Larry's instructions, he said not to strop before using the razor. So I didn't. I have since stropped it thinking that might have been the problem but I've had no improvement in the results. It's been quite a puzzle so, for what it's worth, I bought a hand held microscope from Radio Shack to compare with the pics I found on this site regarding beautifully honed edges. Mine seems to be sharp and smooth from what I can tell. I just can't shave with it at all. I find it hard to believe that only my beard is straight razor resistant.

One more useful bit of info -- the razor does shave hair relatively easily from my arm. I run the blade about 1/4" above my skin on my arm and it does catch and slice off some hairs. I know the only test that really matters is the "shave test" but I thought this info might also be helpful.

If the edge has not been dulled, it is more than likely technique. I have shaved with razors from Larry and he does an excellent job at honing. My beard is pretty tough. You might see if there are any members close to you that could meet up and help, other than that, I would say just keep trying, different angles and such. It is a skill that takes time (a long time) to get good at. I am still learning as I try different things.

Stropping is very important since it must be done before each shave to maintain shave readiness. I try to strop like the razor was moving back and forth itself with only it's own weight evenly distributed along its length and across its width. Pay close attention to feel and sound. Rewipe the strop and razor if you feel any grittiness. The edge is more delicate than one would think. When I learned this, my shaves got better, I got fewer strop nicks, and I needed to refresh my razor edge much less often.

My hairs do not wipe off in one stroke. I have to shampoo, keep my lather wet, stretch my skin to raise hairs, and stroke into the hairs from several directions to get close to BBS almost everywhere. Using guillotine and windshield wiper rotation around the pivot helps with difficult spots.

When I started, I felt like I was 1st learning to eat with chopsticks. Now the SR feels like an extension of my hand.

Keeping hairs lathered with wet lather makes hairs easier to cut. Rehydrate the lather and reapply wet lather to your face to keep hair wet. Hair gets harder to cut as it dries.

If your razor is shave ready, pressure against the skin is unnecessary. I keep the spine close to the skin and cut the hairs barely touching the skin, almost like one is trying to brush dust off a very fragile surface without damage.

HTH

Larry's razor do come ready to shave and since you didn't strop it (good on you) most guys don't listen, it has to be either the prep the stretching , or angle of the blade on face, this is not as easy as it looks your first time out, listen I used a DE for over 40 years and it still took me a couple of months to get the shave right. It a long trip but worth it, and soon you will be doing it right. As advised look to some of the members in your area , one on one help will shorten the learning curve. Good luck and ask away we,ll do what we can. Tc

prep,stretching and angle perhaps ? My first thoughts.salute.

It's hard to tell, and you'll have to figure it out largely yourself, so think what could be it. First the razor can cut arm hair - that's a good sign. Is the facial hair so much different than arm hair? Then you already have experience with a DE.

It could be helpful to draw parallels between DE and straight razor.

So, may be take a DE blade and see how it cuts arm hair - do you see similarities, big differences?
Next consider that the difference between a DE and a straight razor shaving isn't a big one - you draw a blade across your skin and it cuts the hairs. With a DE you have a special holder, but that's still only a holder. May be try the armhair again - shave a small patch with your DE carefully paying attention to how the blade is angled with respect to your skin, how much pressure is exerted, then take the straight razor and try shaving a small patch right next to the first one angling the razor the same way the DE blade was angled, moving it the same way, it should have similar pressure against the skin. If that works on your arm it may be easier to replicate the same thing on your face (use a flat part below a sideburn).

You could also look for somebody in your area who could help you in person.

I think there may be other members near you. My geography is even worse than my spelling. A one on one with a senior member or a mentor might be able to get to the bottom of things.