Thread: Advice needed

Hi and welcome. Have you checked the local help list. Meeting with someone who understands shaving with a straight will help immensely as they can make sure your razor is shave ready, your stropping right and check your technique. Try wiping the lather off instead of shaving. Prep and stretching will alalso have a big effect on how good your shaves are. Good luck and keep with it it is something that takes time and practice to get right.

Originally Posted by feltspanky

You may have dulled your razor through improper stropping. Maybe time to send to one of our SRP Canadian members to be re-honed and made "Shave Ready"

Here's some pics of my straight

Stropping is " The Other Technique" you have to learn. IF you haven't dulled it too much a strop might bring it back. The practice won't kill you anyway :<0) Lay your strop down on a flat surface (near the edge of a table or something) and give it 200 laps. Go slow keep it flat, see if it improves. 200 more won't hurt. If this doesn't help then you could need 1 of 2 things or both. A refresh hone and someone to show you how to strop. Good luck, you will get it eventually.

Originally Posted by 10Pups

Stropping is " The Other Technique" you have to learn. IF you haven't dulled it too much a strop might bring it back. The practice won't kill you anyway :<0) Lay your strop down on a flat surface (near the edge of a table or something) and give it 200 laps. Go slow keep it flat, see if it improves. 200 more won't hurt. If this doesn't help then you could need 1 of 2 things or both. A refresh hone and someone to show you how to strop. Good luck, you will get it eventually.

Thank's for your advice, i'm gone try that and if doesn't work(stropping or evetualy honing by a pro) i'll just stick whit my shavette. Before that i'm gone do my best to make it work and also give me time to make it work. Gino

I started with straight edge disposables before I bought full-time and permanent shavers. The cutting angle is different and initially "sharper" in the disposables, but not realistic for continuous use like the permanent shavers.

The gain is that you know when you are getting a good shave from the get go. My shavette and others only lasted about 5 days and the 2nd/3rd shave was usually the best in terms of a good shave with the "forgiveness".

Honing and stopping the SR to the desired sharpness you desire is key. Eventually through trial and error, you will find a point that works well for you. For me, its an effective sharpness, but with enough forgiveness. After I got this down, I went back to a disposable for kicks and thought it the most unrefined shave I had since I first started straight shaving.

Straight shaving does take more finesse to hit your sweet spot and the skin does get conditioned from a straight shave the more you do it. It took me about 30 shaves to get a consistent BBS shave and I used a safety razor to clean up what wasn't getting BBS while I was learning.

Its all part of the learning curve and it will likely take you less time than me because you are already straight shaving. Welcome to SRP and everyone is here to help you just as I was helped in 2009. (Red Faced and weepers everywhere)

Pabster

Originally Posted by 10Pups

Stropping is " The Other Technique" you have to learn. IF you haven't dulled it too much a strop might bring it back. The practice won't kill you anyway :<0) Lay your strop down on a flat surface (near the edge of a table or something) and give it 200 laps. Go slow keep it flat, see if it improves. 200 more won't hurt. If this doesn't help then you could need 1 of 2 things or both. A refresh hone and someone to show you how to strop. Good luck, you will get it eventually.

At this point i'm very discouradge about straight shaving, i do understand that i can't great results just in few shaves but i guest i did something wrong whit my blade. I took the advices of you guy's but i just can't get the blade to cut. When i received the razor from Whipped dog i took the time to read the instructions, whatch video's about stropping even about straight shaving and it seem that there's something wrong. When i shave i tried to put the blade flat on my face and put a litle angle(less then 30 degre) the wiskers are not cuts if i go around 30 degre there's pulling and tuging, so i guest my stropping isnt right. Even if i send back the razor to be honed again i'm at a point is it worth it?? Personnaly right now i get way better shaves whit my shavette. I'll continue for maybe a month or so to practice but if it's not better then that i'll just continue whit shavettes. My first shave was wtg 1 pass cheeks only, so as my second shave. My 3 shave the cheeks and the neck so as my 4 and 5 one pass only irritation and razor burn big time. My 6 and 7 shave still wtg 1 pass cheeks, neck and the chin then again tuging puling razor burn irritation big time at that point my angle was very steep and i had that result. It seem that my stropping is not apropriate but i tried to follow the instructions(video) lay my strop flat so as my blade but dont get better ressults i even do 200 laps slow and taking my time and no better results. Like i said i'll still continue for a month but i found every thing right now A BIG FUSS and really frustrating, instead of learning i unlearn. I know i can't compare SR shaving to DE but when i started DE shaving things where getting better and better, i can tell You this is not the case for straight shaving. DE shaving and Shavette shaving is fun but straight right now for me i dont know

You may not have the right mindset to accomplish this, you have to want to without the frustration , I,m not trying to be mean but it sounds like without instant satisfaction you want to give up. And this art form is not for everyone, it must be learned and practiced. Take a step back and see what you truly are willing to do. Good luck. Tc

If I can expand on what my good friend Tc is saying, I'll put it this way;

This age old art has a huge learning curve and it takes patience.

I'm 5+ years in and still learning.

As the others have been saying there are many variables especially when starting out. It sounds like you haven't gotten a decent shave right out of the gate. That would be improper angle, shave prep, even the shaving lather. If the shaves got worse after you stropped then it is Totally Possible that you have damaged the edge by improper stropping.

My advice is to bite the bullet and have the razor honed by someone who knows what they are doing.

I could hone it for you N/C just shipping to and from, but I do have a favorite Pro if you would like a reference. Just PM me.

Once you receive your razor back all you would need to do is your pre-shave prep, lather and shave. That would take the variable out of the equation. Then you would have a foundation on which to build.

Hang in there it's a Long Strange Trip, but Well Worth the Journey

Everyone is different but you may be struggling to find the right amount of pressure on the X-stroke when you're stropping. I started with a 2 1/2" strop and I could never maintain the edge with it even after a year. I finally broke down and bought a 3" English Bridle strop with linen and that solved my problems -- no X-stroke. Now my edges stay sharp after many, many shaves.

[QUOTE=cudarunner;1480213]If I can expand on what my good friend Tc is saying, I'll put it this way;

This age old art has a huge learning curve and it takes patience.

I'm 5+ years in and still learning.

As the others have been saying there are many variables especially when starting out. It sounds like you haven't gotten a decent shave right out of the gate. That would be improper angle, shave prep, even the shaving lather. If the shaves got worse after you stropped then it is Totally Possible that you have damaged the edge by improper stropping.

My advice is to bite the bullet and have the razor honed by someone who knows what they are doing.

I could hone it for you N/C just shipping to and from, but I do have a favorite Pro if you would like a reference. Just PM me.

Once you receive your razor back all you would need to do is your pre-shave prep, lather and shave. That would take the variable out of the equation. Then you would have a foundation on which to build.

R

To be honnest the problem is that every time i try to shave whit my straight i torn my face apart. Has for my shave prep i know a shavette and a straight is different but i dont tare my face apart when i use my shavette as a matter of fact i have almost no nick no irritation no razor burn. When i use my straight i tried as much as posible to let the blade cut(no pressure). So ussualy my pre shave is shower i soap my face whit a mild soap, if i dont take a shower i'll do the same and i use water as hot my face can tollerate. After my face is washed i made my lather and my lather is slick and usualy weter for straight shaving. Has for the angle i use a steeper angle cause i don't want the blade to be aggressive( when i use my shavette no trouble the whiskers are cut) but whit the straight i even check on the towel when i whipe my blade there's almost no wiskers. The idea of sending the razor to be honed well will it be worth it ??? I'm pretty sure that i don't stroppe good so i will ruined the blade again so. I do understand that i cant get good results right away but every time i use my straight i torn my face apart and it's geting worser so i'll make my dessision in fews weeks. If i decide to quit i probably go whit a feather artist or other simmilar shavette who are close to a real straight razor whitout the maintenance of all that.