Technique or Razor Edge? The beginner's dilemma.

So I ran into a little hitch when I began my adventures with straight razor shaving. I wasn't certain it would be something I'd enjoy, or even really develop any sort of attachment to but obviously I've found I'm very excited to develop this skill set. I read up on straight razors for about two or three weeks before making any sort of purchase and decided not to pour too much money into it at the start, I can always shell out a couple of hundred on a beautiful razor if it pans out that I want to down the road.

With that in mind I read a number of reviews and watched a few YouTube videos regarding the Gold Dollar razors and thought to myself it seemed like a good, inexpensive investment and ordered an introductory kit from StraightRazors.com for myself including a pre-honed and shave ready Gold Dollar, Blades Grim soap, synthetic brush, and strop. Everything seemed to arrive in good order. The blade was oiled and neatly wrapped. The soap smells amazing and I cannot begin to describe how much an improvement the lather is from shaving gels in a can. I'm sure a lot of people here already understand the feeling though. I quickly examined my loot and then took to the sofa to read up on the information it came with.

I'd already read and watched a number of guides about shaving with a straight razor, and after getting familiar with the included info I went to the bathroom and got ready to try it out. I stuck to the sideburns and walked away without a scratch (woohoo!) and felt rather accomplished, even though the shave wasn't as close as I was used to with cartridge blades. I kept it up over a few days, practicing with both my left and right hands. I always made sure I stropped the blade before each shave also, doing ten full laps on the fabric before doing twenty five to thirty laps on the leather.

My problem though is I'm not fully convinced my blade is actually very sharp. I know many beginners have this problem of edge vs technique, but I wanted to describe what is going on to see if I should either a) Send it back for another sharpen and hone (the deal came with a lifetime service!), b) Invest in a whetstone (the Norton 4k/8k combo), or c) Continue to practice my terrible technique.

What I'm experiencing is a lot of tugging from the blade on my facial hair. Sometimes it is even just to start a stroke as it snags and catches, and after each shave I'm finding that I am not getting a smooth shave at all. Even if I take the time to go with the grain, across the grain, and then even against the grain I still have a lot of stubble. Not only that but it causes a great deal of irritation on my skin also, and I've read over and over how smooth the shave is (incomparable to cartridges) and that your skin should not feel irritation.

A few things about my technique: I'm careful about my angle with the blade. I go slowly and ensure that I do not flatten out, nor come up to high. I understand about 30 degrees between my face and the blade is ideal. I also use very light strokes. I don't apply pressure on the blade to push it into my skin, I rest the edge on my face and then glide it down and let the blade do the work. I also apply a generous wet lather of soap.

Am I missing something key with my technique or should I look into re-honing the edge? I appreciate any help you can give, and also thank you for reading the wall of text!

Watch give it a 110% try then decide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93zQP7CToWQ



I made this vid specifically for this issue if the razor does not pass this simple test then it is the razor, if it passes then adjust your techniques first :p

I will give this a try. Thank you!

------ Edit ------

Okay, so after following your instructions I can say without a doubt my blade is dull. Phooey. I showered, soaped up, stropped, hot towel to the face, then one pass and it honestly felt like it was combing my stubble and not shaving it. Thank you very much for the information!

While the gold dollar aren't well regarded here, they can be forced into relinquishing an OK shave. Send it back for a free hone. Don't buy any hones yet.
It is not hard to trash an edge while learning to strop...Don't ask how I know.
There are frequently shave ready razors available on the classifieds here at very reasonable prices. Would give you a good comparison of what shave ready really means.
It is something that you need to stick with. 100 or so shaves, it all starts to come together. Best of luck.


Sent from a moto x far far away...

You have a couple variables with the gd razor. Is it your stropping, is it the razor was poorly honed or is a one that due to poor quality wont hold an edge.

A vintage would be a much better option a take out some of the razor doubts. That said there have been multiple times people have brought up the site you brought from and I haven't heard much favorable about the razors yet so maybe do a search and see what you can find.

I think in the early stages if in doubt get it done professionally.

Your technique could still be an issue too. It takes time. I wasn't getting close shaves at first and thought it was my edge, but in fact I was using too much pressure.

Keep at it you will get there, if I can do it anyone can.

If you decide to send the gd razor back for rehoning and/or decide to purchase another razor, while you are waiting practice stropping with a butter knife. This will help improve technique and establish muscle memory. You can also practice shaving with a butter knife for same reasons. This sport/hobby does require practice, practice, practice and take your time.

If you are getting into straight razor shaving only, not collecting or restoring, I would not invest much money in a lot of hones. The Norton 4/8 is a good investment and an excellent hone but there are members here that have maintained a razor for years with a simple barber hone, just some food for thought.

Good luck in you straight razor shaving journey and happy shaving!

So, the razor shaved well the first time?

If so it was probably properly honed, and stropping damaged the edge.

This is not, uncommon for new shavers, as said an edge can be damaged with a single swipe on the strop, usually too much pressure, lifting the spine while stropping or hitting the edge at the flip. The shaving edge of a razor is much more delicate than most folks think and thinner that we can see even at 400X magnification.

Get together with a mentor, to re-hone the razor and learn to strop.

Recently in another thread where a new shaver asked a similar question about the first razor he had honed, and the shave was uncomfortable. Experienced shavers advised the shaver to look at the razor’s keeness, first and eliminate it as the issue.

They were roundly poo pooed by others that claimed it was the soap or technique. While those things, can make a difference, a smooth, keen edge will always shave, technique and soap/cream can enhance, but with new shavers, it is almost always the quality of the edge and stropping.

A local mentor will greatly cut your learning curve.

Photos of the razor and edge might help advise you.

2 things immediately stuck out from the OP - Gold Dollar, and StraightRazors.com.

My wager - it was never anywhere near shave ready. And if that was the case, I have doubts sending it back will result in a satisfactory shaving experience.

My advice: Find someone nearby that hones that can help you out. Or failing that, find one of the members here that hones straights to try and get an edge on your razor.

And while I'm thinking about it, keep an eye out in the classifieds here for a razor that's actually shave ready. I also recommend Straight Razor Designs as a vendor for new razors. Their razors are actually honed before they ship them out. Verifiably, not as a marketing ploy. They're my go-to for anything straight razor, and I only go elsewhere if they don't have it.

My first razor was a Gold Dollar 800 honed by Wet Shaving Place. I did not want to spend a lot on my first razor as I did not know if I was going to like shaving with a straight. WSP did a good job on the razor, so I knew what a shave ready razor looked like and felt like. I was quickly hooked on straights. Soon afterwards, I purchased some hones and a few dull GDs. I learned to hone them to the point they shaved as well as my first one.

It did not take long to move on to better razors, but the skills I developed in shaving with my first GD800 and the skills I learned in honing those first dull GDs have served me well.

My advice for newcomers is: purchase your first razor from someone who can professionally hone it, whether it is a Gold Dollar, vintage razor, or moderately priced starter razor from a well known manufacturer. If you get a poorly honed razor to start, you may give up on straights before you ever develop the techniques to shave with one.

( I made an account just to comment on this thread)
Straightrazor.com (and all other Luke wilson websites - The Grooming Network) cannot provide a shave ready blade. They simply don't posses the proper equipment or know how.
They used to advertise that they hone with a chef's choice sharpening tool which is a rotary sharpener for kitchen knives.

OP, I won't clog up your post with a one page long diatribe about how much I dislike this guy and all of his websites, but siffuce it to say my dad bought a $250 damascus letter opener from them as my first straight, and they don't take returns.

You can make some GD's shave worthy, but your best bet would be to get a properly honed straight from one of the members here, and use it as your reference point. Also, if a blade is truly shave ready, you should not strop it before use. The honemeister will do that for you, and it eliminates the chance of you rolling your edge and having poor results.
Good luck!

Wow, that's terrible. I won't even hone my pocket knives with one of those rotary tools.

Also, just FYI, The Grooming Network recently purchased Hart Steel... So I'm not sure where the future quality of that brand is going, but if the past of luke's websites is any indication, the quality won't exactly be improving..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

Watch give it a 110% try then decide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93zQP7CToWQ



I made this vid specifically for this issue if the razor does not pass this simple test then it is the razor, if it passes then adjust your techniques first :p

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Thank you for this video, very helpful!

I would take the others advice and check out the B/S/T section. Can get a great, actually shave ready razor for a really reasonable price.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by yondermountain91

I would take the others advice and check out the B/S/T section. Can get a great, actually shave ready razor for a really reasonable price.

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I agree. I've shaved with a DE and shavette for some time but decided to go "All in" and get a straight. A Relative heard I was looking and kindly tried to surprise me, ordering an inexpensive (hopefully) straight and stop somewhere mailed to my home. No name, just a sticker "China". I tried it and Cut the hell out of my face. I found this forum. Started reading and watching the BST, and bought a shave ready, very reasonably priced blade a few days ago. No blood or discomfort. Now I'm sold.

I had the exact same problem with my first blade.
The shop insisted that the blade was shave ready from the factory.(Dovo)

I then sent it out 2 times for professional honing and still it tugged.( even though the honer insisted that it passed his HHT)

Turns out that it is stainless steel which can be awkward to hone.

I then ordered a Hart Steel blade from America and had my first proper shave..
Good luck :)

OP I bought the exact same kit that you did and have the same concerns about the actual sharpness. I have ordered a vintage blade supposedly shave ready by whipped dog, I am hoping to see a big difference.

In the mean time I have found that stropping much more (think 100 laps instead of 20) helps a lot but you may find you are just attempting to polish a turd. Buying or making a preshave oil will make a difference as well if you haven't already.

In my case I am hoping the better blade makes a difference, then I can use the gold dollat to practice honing, because if I ruin it, who cares? I can't complain too much about the kit though... it is cheap enough to tell me if I had any interest in pursuing it further.

Just to follow up, I bought a Norton 4000/8000 stone and was on my first attempt able to put a better edge on my gold dollar than it came from the vendor, that is simply unacceptable.

The good news is that the blade itself is not total crap, it has just been honed by morons. Don't give up too early. Personal skill makes a huge difference, but you can only learn so much if you are working with poor tools!

The 4/8 is a good start, but you'll probably need a 1K to get that into shape. I'd wager it needs a complete bevel set to shave properly. It can be done on the 4K, but you'll be at it a while.

Edit: For the record, this typically also applies to more expensive razors as well. Most 'shave ready' production razors aren't.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KYMotorcycleShaver

OP I bought the exact same kit that you did and have the same concerns about the actual sharpness. I have ordered a vintage blade supposedly shave ready by whipped dog, I am hoping to see a big difference.

In the mean time I have found that stropping much more (think 100 laps instead of 20) helps a lot but you may find you are just attempting to polish a turd. Buying or making a preshave oil will make a difference as well if you haven't already.

In my case I am hoping the better blade makes a difference, then I can use the gold dollat to practice honing, because if I ruin it, who cares? I can't complain too much about the kit though... it is cheap enough to tell me if I had any interest in pursuing it further.

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Larry at the whipped dog does a fine job on honing a razor you should definitely be happy with it. That's where my first shave ready came from, and that was five months ago and all the maintenance I do is strop and occasionally use the balsa strop. For me at first I used a table strop it helps you from rounding the edge as easily, till you have the skill down. From there it's all technique. It I took me a little over three months to get a good close shave every time.

If you have the slightest suspicion that the razor is dull, then it usually is. Pass it through the hair one or two millimeters over the skin on your arm (or your chest). Do any of the hairs get cut in mid air? If a few hairs pop off then it might be ok (but not necessarily, it could still be a rough but sharp edge), if not a single hair comes off then I wouldn't shave with it.