Who's Face is this????

Well got my first SR "shave" done. Most of right cheek right handed and most of my left cheek left handed. The rest, except for some nooks and crannys I wanted to try, was left up to my trusty Fatboy. Let me tell you it's learning to shave a whole new face ! I used as much info from Lynn's YT videos as I could remember while holding my Boker Red Injun 101 to my face LoL. I wasn't completely happy with the way it cut although sharp and it did pass HHT and TPT cutting, WTG still left "Visible" stubble on my face and rubbing my palm ATG felt electric razor "close". I varied my angles of attack and did best at 45ish degrees... I stropped 20 laps after to check for difference in cut and took my time displaying my most deciplined pupil behavior paying attention to blade/strop angle, speed, direction and blade flipping.

I've said this many times before but here goes again...

If you have acquired a shave ready razor from a reputable vendor who declares it to be shave ready, YOU SHOULD NOT STROP IT BEFORE YOU SHAVE WITH IT.

Sorry for the "yelling" but this is critical. A beginner has so many other new things to deal with, but a mis-stroke on a strop will roll an edge faster than you can think of anything to do to compare to the speed of doing some fast thing.

For the FIRST shave, just shave with the razor as is. Shave with the edge created by the honer. No decent honer is going to leave a razor unstropped, so it is ready to shave as you have received it.

Strop before all subsequent shaves. That way, if you notice a diminishment in the quality of the second shave, then you know that your stropping is at fault. If you strop before the first shave, then you don't know if a bad shave is the result of a bad edge or a bad shaving technique.

End of lecture. Congrats on surviving your first shave. Apparently no surgery will be required so it was a huge success!

Mia culpa for not clarifying that this was my first "Shave" I did try a couple section when I first got this blade, but waited until my strops from SRD showed up so that I could tend to the blades edge after I dulled it from its first test and use. No surgery but but a good through rubbing with my scyptic pencil...

+1 with Utopian on "NOT STROPPING" a shave ready razor before using it the first time.

But also, doing a TPT on a shave ready razor is like buying a new vehicle and then doing a crash test before using it. ��

TPT is a bevel setting test and really nothing more. On a shave ready razor, its demolition! :D

And, for all the new guys that read this thread.....Its easy to get hung up on this and that test or suggestion, but, just learn to use a straight first. Unless you can use it, all of these tests are pretty much useless, meaningless, or worse.

DoB, :gl: Not picking on you, many if not all of the new guys try to test, strop, or who knows what else before just using the razor. Now, me? Yeah, i did it too!! :shrug:

Very Respectfully,

Howard :)

All of the above and congratulations on surviving your first shave. As you shave more, you will get better with your angle and pressure, and you will remove more hair when doing the with the grain pass. It took me a month or so before I finally got a decent with the grain shave. A year later and my WTG is even closer and some days I only need a 2 pass shave, as opposed to 3 or 3 and cleanup, or 4. Just use whatever shaving method you were using to clean up until you get it.

Great advice, and well done DadsoldBoker. The only thing I can add is 45 degrees is a bit too steep, you will eventually find between 15 - 25 degrees a better angle. Stretching, good prep and a nice lather help a lot too. Keep it up, and best of luck.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Grazor

Great advice, and well done DadsoldBoker. The only thing I can add is 45 degrees is a bit too steep, you will eventually find between 15 - 25 degrees a better angle. Stretching, good prep and a nice lather help a lot too. Keep it up, and best of luck.

---

Thanks for catching what I totally missed. Yes, that angle is WAY off. You are much better erring at a lower angle rather than such a high angle. Keep that spine much closer to your skin.

I do not even wipe the oil off a new razor that is shave ready. You do have to know who honed the edge. If it is a Lynn or one from one of our custom makers then: Prep, lather, shave.
Worry about stropping for the second shave.

As said above, bad things are POSSIBLE whenever you put an edge on something be it leather or your face.

We've all learnt from our mistakes. To err is human! You'll get there. Good luck.

No gushers!
Successful shave!
Good job, it only gets better from here.
Then, if not already, the AD's should kick in.
Hones
Strops
Brushes
Soaps & creams
Scuttles
It never seems to end [emoji6]

I miss spoke originally stating that I stropped THIS razor to begin with and all the tests were done after the initial strop after the shave, but did go straight to the shave with it. I started off with the spine nearly touching my face then10-15 degree cut and was not satisfied with the closeness, thru adjusting found that a 30, 35ish and 40degrees worked better but knew that the scraping effect was not right. It'll be awhile before I can report back it usually takes me two or three days to be able shave, if I shave any sooner no matter the process my face protests and I will either irritate it or break out and a little growth seems to cut much cleaner, easier and smoother. I'm actually hoping that will change with a SR. I have to work on stretching. Finish up was with my DE. Face prep is cold shower with hot face rinse and was then conditioner applied to my face and left on to moisturize. Finish shower hot rinse face, leave face wet then hot towel. I use either Bigelow (Prorazo) or Williams laced with "The Body Shop" Satsuma Orangina body wash I steal from my wife. (It smells like orange heaven and its heavy on glycerin) Hot Bowl Lather, apply then face lather and start the shave reapplying as necessary the do the same for the left side. This is the process I developed with my DE and has given me the absolute best results, hence me trying the same for SR.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by outback

No gushers!
Successful shave!
Good job, it only gets better from here.
Then, if not already, the AD's should kick in.
Hones
Strops
Brushes
Soaps & creams
Scuttles
It never seems to end [emoji6]

---

"Should" kick in.... Has already KICKED in LOL

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DadsoldBoker

I miss spoke originally stating that I stropped THIS razor to begin with and all the tests were done after the initial strop after the shave, but did go straight to the shave with it. I started off with the spine nearly touching my face then10-15 degree cut and was not satisfied with the closeness, thru adjusting found that a 30, 35ish and 40degrees worked better but knew that the scraping effect was not right.

---

Sounds like your new "shave ready" razor actually needed to be stropped before the first shave.

Attachment 208190Just got "Mail Called" with this one from the same guy, I won't even touch it. I'll shave and report back tomorrow evening afterwards.