First time straight shaving was just... weird.

So I just got done with my first straight shave. Just got two razors honed up so I was really exited. However, now that I finished, I'm just scratching my head. It didn't feel like it was necessarily cutting and it was getting stuck against the grain on my chin going up. All the spots I shaved over (sideburns, chin, and mustache) are still feeling like I didn't go over them (I shaved yesterday so I can't really tell how much it took off). It also didn't feel sharp and I'm surprised I didn't get any cuts at all even though there we're many times I thought for sure I deserved one. Straight razors must be very smooth and forgiving. My razor also didn't pass the hanging hair test but I know it's sharp because I just got it back from getting honed. I just feel like I'm in the twilight zone, lol. It must be my angle. I'm just surprised angle made that much of a difference.
At this rate, it's going to be a weird ride.

Angle indeed plays a major role...

...but my first and most important question would be, who honed your razors? Was it someone reputable with a good history and knowledge specific to straight razors? I don't mean to offend, but it wouldn't be close to the first time a beginner decided to hone their first straight razor themselves, which is a very poor idea until you have a thorough understanding of its use and exactly what a truly well honed, sharp straight feels like. Almost as bad, some new users take their straight to a "knife guy" who assures them he knows how to sharpen a straight because he has experience honing "thousands of knives", which may very well be true, but is absolutely not the same skill set as properly honing a straight.

As well as what 71L mentioned
Were you stretching your skin as it also plays a big factor especially when going against the grain

Stretching the skin to make site the blade passes at the root of your growth is a tremendous game changer too. If youyou did 1 pass going with the grain and then feel your face stroking your hand up of sideways you will still feel stubble as you didn't get that direction. Getting a feel for which way your beard grows and stretching the skin is a huge game changer.

What Substance said +

Stretching the skin is extremely important - you will not be able to shave any part of your face without it. At best you won't cut any hair, at worst you'll cut yourself :p

I'd recommend waiting a couple of days till you've got some growth on and giving it another go - with stretching.

Your bevel is not set well. When the bevel is set right and the honing is done correctly the razor will cut hair.

Plus slow down and just do one area till your comfortable with the blade and angle,, first time with a straight, your months from getting really good shaves and yes, who honed your razors ,ales a difference, as a new guy if you did your own you don't even know what the edge is supposed to be like. Tc

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mainaman

Your bevel is not set well. When the bevel is set right and the honing is done correctly the razor will cut hair.

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A little birdie told me that the OP is not the person who honed the razors.

Work on technique as the others have advised already.

I've got not much to add. With a shave ready blade the important factor are low angle on your blade, skin tight, no pressure on the blade, shave the lather not the whiskers. By that last it what I am trying to say is try to get all the lather with very little skin contact. It sounds silly but works well to keep those pesky rashes and weepers away.

It seems this forum replies very fast. I just typed this and went to sleep, lol. I probably should of mentioned it but I do currently shave with a shavette. I don't do too good with it but it was the only thing I used before trying my "real straight razor/s". What I found mostly odd is that I could get a somewhat decent shave (not bbs but kinda close) on my shavette but I didn't feel like I shaved with my straight razor. I know the two are different so thats why I chalk it up to angle. I also believe my straight razor was honed very well because I got it honed by someone who seems very respected here. : )

A shavette and a real straight are very different angle-wise, if I remember right a shavette needs a higher angle

IN that case it's all on you brother, have you watched Lynn's shave for new guys? Just do a little at a time,my ou truly are a long way from getting good shaves, it has to be a process and some are slower than others, Tc

as a new shaver myself, here is my 2 cents.

angle is paramount, and everyone will agree that its not the same angle as a shavette
dont try and learn your whole face at once. do one area and learn that, and get decent at it. then move to a new area.
this art has a learning curve like tennis and chess. . . youll be learning for a looong time before your really good at it
if you feel like something isnt working. ask lots of questions and search for videos to try and show you better or different technique
find yourself a mentor
lastly (based only on what others seem to say) shavettes are more forgiving when it comes to angle, so if it was an issue for you with the shavette then its going to be a bigger hurdle with a straight.

This is going to be fun, lol. I realized right away that it was going to be something that's going to take a while when my blade got stuck and couldn't move on my chin. I'm definately looking forward to this. Should I still use my shavette to clean up or is switching between the angle required for them not reccomended? I'm still learning on both. Thanks.

my method was to use my DE to clean up. however, i had already learned the DE well enough to get a nice shave from it. I dont know how well youre going to do trying to switch between 2 methods, if you are trying to learn both

personally i would clean up with something that you already know very well, and choose either straight or shavette to learn. . . then once you get the hang of one pretty well, try the other

I have a feeling your blade is not being held at the right angle. Try a few light short strokes until you'll feel and hear the blade cut. Then keep that angle through the entire pass.

Sounds like your blade angle may be too shallow. You want to the spine to be about two spine widths off of the skin for the WTG pass. A little bit lower for the ATG pass.
On the bright side, you didn't have the angle so high that you ended up with razor rash.

Clean up with whatever technique (shavette, DE, cartridge, electric) until you get the hang of it.