Thread: Ok Already, whats wrong...

Hi everyone, im new here and already frustrated with straight razor shaving. I have a German Straight razor which i purchased new. looked unbelievalably sharp but i gave it a light stropping before i began. i have shaved with this straight razor 2-3 times now. however i am getting frustrated and have some questions. Should you hear the blade like cutting the hairs off the face? kinda like a scratching sound? cause i lightly ran the blade on my arm and it cut the hair off totally silently and really easy. but when it comes to my face, it seem too feel kind of like a pulling on the hair as it cuts, not to mention it doesnt shave too close. but thats not even my main problem, the cheeks and side of my neck i can shave pretty decent, but when it comes to my chin and and directly under it down teh middle of my neck, there is no chance. the blad just gets stuck in the hairs, every which angle, pulls on the hairs and it really hurts. I lather my face quite a bit and stretch the skin alot. is there something im missing here? why is this so impossible? please help me out. thanks

Originally Posted by The_Hun

Hi everyone, im new here and already frustrated with straight razor shaving. I have a German Straight razor which i purchased new. looked unbelievalably sharp but i gave it a light stropping before i began. i have shaved with this straight razor 2-3 times now. however i am getting frustrated and have some questions. Should you hear the blade like cutting the hairs off the face? kinda like a scratching sound? cause i lightly ran the blade on my arm and it cut the hair off totally silently and really easy. but when it comes to my face, it seem too feel kind of like a pulling on the hair as it cuts, not to mention it doesnt shave too close. but thats not even my main problem, the cheeks and side of my neck i can shave pretty decent, but when it comes to my chin and and directly under it down teh middle of my neck, there is no chance. the blad just gets stuck in the hairs, every which angle, pulls on the hairs and it really hurts. I lather my face quite a bit and stretch the skin alot. is there something im missing here? why is this so impossible? please help me out. thanks

Welcome Hun,

1. I understand that some razors will be noisy. I have a 5/8 full hollow DOVO and can hear the sound of the blade cutting the hair. Some people have said that wedges are silent.

2. The hair on your arm is probably lighter than your beard so the razor will cut those more quietly.

3. Chin, mustache and neck areas are the toughest and will require the most experimentation to get a smooth, clean shave. Try to observe which way the grain is and experiment with different passes (with and across to start).

4. When you purchased the razor new, do you know if it came shave ready? Many new razors direct from the factory are NOT shave ready. You might want to send it to someone like Lynn Abrams or Joe Chandler to hone it up.

Just some food for thought..

Welcome here

There might be a number of issues that cause your problems:
razor not sharp enough
less than optimal preparation
inappropriate angles

The arm / face difference - usually facial hair is thicker than arm hair. However, finer hair is generally harder to cut with a blade, which is not sharp...

Best advice: find a more experienced shaver close to you who can help you in person. He should be able to diagnose the problem(s)

Second - if the above doesn't help / is not an option: get an expert honer to look at / sharpen your razor. Then - work on good prep, and also cutting angle.)

Cheers
Ivo

Howdy Hun,

I'll recommend a few things before you turn away from straight shaving out of frustration.

1. Buy and watch Lynn Abrams DVD called 'World of Straight Razor Shaving'. This isn't rocket science, but the difference between mangling your face and getting a super shave is in the details. Cost ~$20. There is a sticky post here.
2. Send this razor to someone on these forums who hones razors. There are quite a few experts doing it here, and it makes ALL the difference. Razors are not normally 'shave ready' despite the manufacturers claims. Cost ~$15-25. There is a sticky post on this in the forums. The folks listing honing start on about the 2nd page of the thread.
3. As for hearing the cutting, yes, that's normal. It's a bit more subdued the sharper the razor, but I think you'll always hear it.
4. Fully read the thread found here. It is the starting point for all beginning straight shavers.

Do these things and you'll be off to a much better start. Trust me, it does get better. Good luck,

John

Hi, i dont know if any of those are really an option. I live in Canada and phoned aorund but everyone says its a dead art and no one deals with it anymore. my blade is not hollow and seems to be solid on the back neck of the blade. My razor does seem super sharp, but again i am not sure since this is my first. i could find a hone stone 4000/8000 and try to hone it. let me know thanks

Hi The_Hun,

I just started straight razor shaving and I had the exact same problem as you did, the razor kept catching and not cutting. The suggestions I got were exactly what izlat mentioned, so I increased prep time and increased the angle to about 30-40 degrees. For me the angle was the problem, I was being too careful and used maybe 10-20 degree angle whereas I should have been using 30-40. I shave fine with it now, no catching and the hairs shaved readily. My razor was sharp, since it was honed and stropped for me by a member here. I also took a shower before I shaved and that may have helped. My razor, which is 4/8 hollowground, is quite noisy. Like izlat said, it would likely be the sharpness of the razor, your technique (especially cutting angle), and adequate prep.

Originally Posted by The_Hun

Hi, i dont know if any of those are really an option. I live in Canada and phoned aorund but everyone says its a dead art and no one deals with it anymore. my blade is not hollow and seems to be solid on the back neck of the blade. My razor does seem super sharp, but again i am not sure since this is my first. i could find a hone stone 4000/8000 and try to hone it. let me know thanks

Post a "Canada roll call" thread - there are plenty of us there, you know. Just specify your location

Cheers
Ivo

Originally Posted by The_Hun

Hi, i dont know if any of those are really an option. I live in Canada and phoned aorund but everyone says its a dead art and no one deals with it anymore. my blade is not hollow and seems to be solid on the back neck of the blade. My razor does seem super sharp, but again i am not sure since this is my first. i could find a hone stone 4000/8000 and try to hone it. let me know thanks

I don't know where you are in Canada but there are a few senior members on the forum from Toronto and nearby. X_man is in Toronto, and I think Toxik is in Canada, and Fire_Start is near Toronto.

Hi, thanks again for the reply. I have prepped plenty, shower before, hot cloth on face, let some lather sit on face, rinse off relather. but still crap sahve on chin and neck, really catches hard. here is my razor. http://www.cachebeauty.com/Razor/flamingo_razor_150.htm

Originally Posted by The_Hun

Hi, thanks again for the reply. I have prepped plenty, shower before, hot cloth on face, let some lather sit on face, rinse off relather. but still crap sahve on chin and neck, really catches hard. here is my razor. http://www.cachebeauty.com/Razor/flamingo_razor_150.htm

I'm leaning on it not being shave-ready sharp then if you got it directly from Cache Beauty.

As others have stated, there could be other issues but I think you need to get this razor honed my someone here at SRP, then shave and see what the results are. If it's still lousy, we've eliminated one issue and can focus on others.