shaving problem

I had my third shave this morning and it was not smooth at all, its getting worse my first two were alright, but not like i would hope to be. I had the razor honed by lynn. What am i doing wrong?

I shower and leave my face wet
fill my mug with hot water and let sit for a minute, then drain
apply colleen 's soap with a shavemac silvertip and let it sit on my face while i strop
I strop 30 passes with a tm latigo on both sides then shave with a revisor
I shave with the grain at 30 degrees and pull my skin tight

could my stropping technique be the problem, I do not apply a lot of pressure and i 'm laying the razor flat and going slow.

Correct stropping finishes the honed edge for a smooth, comfortable shave. Based on your post, I'd guess it is your stropping technique.

Try applying enough pressure so that you feel a little resistance between the strop (both linen and leather sides) and razor.


Scott

when i strop i do apply enough pressure that there is some resistance

Then try adding a little more pressure. Are you keeping the strop pulled out with no sag?

Also, have you learned to test the stropped edge with your thumb? This will tell you if the edge is shave ready even before shaving.

Scott

I do pull the strop tight

the razor does not pass the hht test but my hair on my head is very fine

It barely cuts into my thumb I can press firm and it still will not cut, maybe I dulled the razor from stropping from the first shave, I was a little shakey. If thats it will i have to have it honed again

If you can stretch your strop across a hard flat surface and really strop it slowly,
making sure you're keeping the spine against the back, it might tell you.

Even a little slack in the strop can round off the edge. Found that out the hard way.

A paddle strop may help, as there's no give in it.

1. Make sure you draw your blade along the strop in an X motion too so that you're stropping the whole blade.

2. A Cutting Angle (leading with the tip ahead of the heel) in the shave will also help.

3. Try rinsing, toweling (hot wet) and an extra lathering after stropping.

These should maximise your results.

X

I agree with Scott (and others) but I'd focus on adding pressure on the strop especially the leather side.

Also try adding a dab of the conditioner Tony offers with his strop and let it dry before stropping again.

After that it may need to go back to the hone for a touch up. You may have bent it just a touch.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rshave1

It barely cuts into my thumb I can press firm and it still will not cut, maybe I dulled the razor from stropping from the first shave, I was a little shakey. If thats it will i have to have it honed again

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I shudder to think that you pressed your razor firmly into your thumb, but if that did not cut your thumb (thankfully) then your edge certainly seems dull.

BTW, when doing the thumb test, don't press the thumb and edge into each other. I have just made a little demo video of the thumb test and will put it up on Google video.

Scott

If you slightly brush it sideways, it's supposed to give you a sticky feeling. Pressing down without cutting to the bone means that your razor is butterknife-dull.

Third shave with a straight and you not getting great shaves eh? Most people would be happy with a partial and reasonable shave after a month of shaving. You probably had beginners luck the first two times. Just keep at it and the shaving will improve.

Dude,

Got to be your technique and stropping. That Revisor was as rockin' a shaver as I have ever come across. But, don't worry as some people just have a steeper learning curve and I can always hone it back up. Don't worry about any other test but the shaving as all the others are purely speculative.

Lynn

I did notice that the razor was way sharper when i first got it from lynn, but after stropping I can't cut butter! so I will have to make lynn $20 richer