Thread: Beginner in need of guidance

Yeah, I had that problem. Some times I'd dry my hand before stretching. Other times, I take a wash cloth, which I used to wipe lather off the blade (I dinged the blade by rinsing it under the faucet once - lesson learned) and hold that, pulling the skin with the wash cloth between my fingers and my face. Seems to give a bit more traction.

Good that you're strectching the skin.

Originally Posted by Sunshine1

Thanks for the tips!

I actually did the section thing earlier. That worked out well. I think excess pressure is deff a part of my problem.

ON the topic of pulling/stretching the skin to get it taut. How do you guys do that without your fingers slipping?

That's one of the things the alum block is for. Wet your fingers and rub it on the alum block, it will allow you to get a good hold on your skin even when still slippery from the soap.


It's important to read the beginners how-to guide at the top of this forum: http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ead-first.html and watch Lynn's video, perhaps several times until you know exactly what your going to do.

Wait for your next shave so you can see if the blade has become dull . It should be super sharp and sail through all hair in any direction.

Hows your stropping technique ? You might be accidently dulling it yourself .

Remember to strop with no pressure and go slow.

I have had blade edges deteriorate during a shave but that was from over honing and creating a weak edge .

4th Shave- I did MUCH better this time...aside from a slight nick I didn't cut myself at all when shaving with the grain. When shaving against the grain on my neck I got a few nicks but other than that it was a much nicer experience. I managed to get my entire neck smooth(save a few tiny spots).

I start my preshave by putting a hot cloth on my face and re-wetting it with hot water after it cools and repeating 3-4 times. Then I rub gold bond lotion onto the places I plan to shave and let it seep in. Then redo a hot cloth mask until it cools. Then I make my lather.

This time I did something different though. I took 1mL of glycerin and squirted it on top of my soap puck before whippin' up my lather. It made for a much sleeker feel and a much nicer experience. I also did my face in quarter sections, to prevent my lather from drying up. Shaving has become more of a guy-spa-relax-time for me now, rather than a chore.

The only thing I should do different next time is make sure to keep my blade angle shallow throughout the entire duration(I have some bad razor burn in some places(albeit with less nicks!)) and not to apply so much pressure. I also think I should strop 10-20 times *before* going back for a second pass against the grain. I feel like my razor is loosing it's 'fresh' edge too quickly. Other than that I think I'm progressing pretty well.

Originally Posted by Sunshine1

4th Shave- I did MUCH better this time...aside from a slight nick I didn't cut myself at all when shaving with the grain. When shaving against the grain on my neck I got a few nicks but other than that it was a much nicer experience. I managed to get my entire neck smooth(save a few tiny spots).

I start my preshave by putting a hot cloth on my face and re-wetting it with hot water after it cools and repeating 3-4 times. Then I rub gold bond lotion onto the places I plan to shave and let it seep in. Then redo a hot cloth mask until it cools. Then I make my lather.

This time I did something different though. I took 1mL of glycerin and squirted it on top of my soap puck before whippin' up my lather. It made for a much sleeker feel and a much nicer experience. I also did my face in quarter sections, to prevent my lather from drying up. Shaving has become more of a guy-spa-relax-time for me now, rather than a chore.

The only thing I should do different next time is make sure to keep my blade angle shallow throughout the entire duration(I have some bad razor burn in some places(albeit with less nicks!)) and not to apply so much pressure. I also think I should strop 10-20 times *before* going back for a second pass against the grain. I feel like my razor is loosing it's 'fresh' edge too quickly. Other than that I think I'm progressing pretty well.

Glad to see it is working better for you each time (don't worry, you'll hit occasions where it gets worse, but then better again - all part of the process).

Good to see you're keeping an eye on things like the angle. It takes only a little distraction or loss of focus to make a mistake - trust me.

You don't have to strop in between passes. Keep in mind that it may seem harder, if you go from WTG, versus XTG or ATG, even with shorter whiskers. Nothing wrong with doing multiple WTG passes too, if you want. Each one takes a bit more off.

I initially did much of what you are doing. Over time, I eliminated things that didn't help much and added things that worked better. The key, IMHO, is not to change too many variables.

Some observations I had:
- hot towel feels great, and makes for a more relaxing experience, but didn't improve the quality of the shave (for me). I do it now, as a treat.
- I found that a preshave cream applied before each pass, helped.
- I found that I can get a better and more consistent lather with the shaving cream I use, than with two soaps I tried. The cream was more forgiving with my inconsistency with amount of water used.
- the more beard I remove with WTG and XTG passes, the easier the ATG pass was.
- it was worth it, in the long run, to learn to use either hand. Hard to do initially, but I think I do better, using one hand for one side, and the other hand for the other side, on certain passes (e.g. XTG, I use the opposite hand).
- I used to strop before and after shaving, but found that after was good enough for me (to dry the blade and prepare for the next shave).
- I have to fight my anal obsession to get a perfect shave, and sometimes just be satisfied with a darn good shave. The attempts at perfection often lead to more irritation, when I'm being over zealous.

So don't be afraid to try to vary things, just don't make it hard on yourself and introduce too many variables at once.

Originally Posted by Sunshine1

4th Shave- I did MUCH better this time...aside from a slight nick I didn't cut myself at all when shaving with the grain. When shaving against the grain on my neck I got a few nicks but other than that it was a much nicer experience. I managed to get my entire neck smooth(save a few tiny spots).

I start my preshave by putting a hot cloth on my face and re-wetting it with hot water after it cools and repeating 3-4 times. Then I rub gold bond lotion onto the places I plan to shave and let it seep in. Then redo a hot cloth mask until it cools. Then I make my lather.

This time I did something different though. I took 1mL of glycerin and squirted it on top of my soap puck before whippin' up my lather. It made for a much sleeker feel and a much nicer experience. I also did my face in quarter sections, to prevent my lather from drying up. Shaving has become more of a guy-spa-relax-time for me now, rather than a chore.

The only thing I should do different next time is make sure to keep my blade angle shallow throughout the entire duration(I have some bad razor burn in some places(albeit with less nicks!)) and not to apply so much pressure. I also think I should strop 10-20 times *before* going back for a second pass against the grain. I feel like my razor is loosing it's 'fresh' edge too quickly. Other than that I think I'm progressing pretty well.

I just shower, the hotter n longer the better. Whilst showering I use Baxters of California facial scrub , it has some nice grit in it.
Then afterwards I shave .
The difference is I have never had razor burn... So I cant really comment on your situation ..

So I think I may have messed my blade up a little. I didn't do enough research(not that its ever possible to), and I didn't know that you're not supposed to let the strop droop at all and that it's best to strop with your leather on a hard surface or keep it very taut. So I think perhaps from either pressing too hard to not keeping it taut enough I might have rolled the blade a little.

It's tough to get pictures as it's so small. Can a light-moderate blade roll be fixed by stropping on the canvas then going back to the leather? Or will I need to hone it using a stone?

I have a small natural Arkansas stone...not sure what the grit is but I'm sure it's pretty high. Shown here; Smith's 4" Arkansas Sharpening Stone - Walmart.com

(edit- upon further research it seems to be soft arkansas stone = 1000k grit)

Probably more bad technique while learning to strop than the strop not being tight enough. You could try the canvas followed by leather. If it is visible damage you may have to send it out to be honed. I wouldn't use the stone you have.

I really like my Hart Razor!

On one side of the blade the cutting edge(maybe 1-2mm wide) where the light catches is nice and uniform the entire length of the edge. On the other side it thins out towards the middle 1/3rd of the blade. The inconsistency is why I think I may have made a mistake. Is that normal or no? It seems to be performing well regardless.

I think my actual stropping technique is pretty solid. Aside from a nick or two when I first started I haven't had one since. I roll it over the spine when changing direction and apply a decent amount of pressure....not a whole lot, but enough to keep the blade edge against it.

I'd rather not use my 'free hone' ticket I got from SRD until a couple months down the line when I really need it. I'll try the canvas to leather method. How many of each do you guys recommend?