Thread: All I Know is Pain

That 7/8" Hart Steel razor is a fine piece of equipment! It's a "chopper;" i.e., it's a BIG razor. I have two Harts, a 6/8 and a 7/8 and I love them both. They are excellent razors. But, you'll have to send it out to get a professional honing. Once that's done, you'll love that big chunk of steel! Sssmmmoooootttthhhhh!

To summarize: watch your angle, practice your lather, the razor might be to blame (for some of the issue).

I'll add my own $0.02 on those subjects. Because of their design, shavettes require a higher/steeper than actual SRs. The beginner's guide here has a lot of information on proper technique, and it's best to spend any available free time reading it .

Lather is tricky. And even if your lather is fine, it usually takes we noobs longer to shave. As a result, even the best of lather won't hold up to a shave that takes 30 minutes or more. If you lather in sections (examples: left cheek/sideburn, goatee area, right side of neck, etc.), it will help eliminate that variable. I'm still working on my lather, and when in doubt, I revert back to sections.

I don't think I've seen it mentioned in this thread yet, so I will do it... Remember NO PRESSURE! Pressure and straight razors do not mix. This applies to both stropping and shaving. Stropping should basically feel like "weight of the blade only". And shaving: it is said that you should think of it more as wiping away the lather with the blade.

The other tips thus far are excellent.

Hope this helps! Good luck!