I've tried hot towels and preshave oil. This is why I got into straight razor shaving. Can someone help and tell me what I might be doing wrong. I still get razor burn on upper lip and chin.
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I've tried hot towels and preshave oil. This is why I got into straight razor shaving. Can someone help and tell me what I might be doing wrong. I still get razor burn on upper lip and chin.
I would guess too much pressure and/or too many passes?
Or edge that ain't right. Tc
Now for a few more reasons, your experience level, taking on too much till you know what are the angles, as mentioned too much pressure and too many passes. Maybe you need to get se cold water, stop using the shave oil, it could be these or many more. Your new so if you started with a truly shave ready edge, not one who claims to be from the Ebay site, maybe your stropping degraded your edge and your scraping your face. Slow down and maybe try some different areas of your face at a time to get the feel then move to the harder areas. Look up a mentor and get done one on one us a good way to figure this out without having to put a n 4-5 months trying to get good shaves. Good luck. Tc
Did you send your razor out for a Pro Honing? Last I read you were going to.
IF you did, then I would think that you are either using too high of an angle/thus scrapping the beard off And Or too much pressure. You should only be using enough pressure to keep the blade in contact with the skin.
Please let us know.
Those are my sensitive areas too. The razor has to be SHARP, and I never go against the grain there.
No I have not. My beard bothered me so I decided to try a Art of Shaving shave ready razor to the test. Bad deal on my part is what I'm thinking. Not really ready.
Yea, you get razor burn shaving with a straight razor for the same reasons you gat razor burn with DEs and cartridge razors. The major one is too much pressure on the blade, wrong angle on the blade, dull blade and if your lather is not right that does not help either.
I have a mustache so can't say about the upper lip. I also don't do the hot towels and pre shave oil thing. With the chin you have to keep the angle right while following all the contours there. Some of the stoutest whiskers on your face are there so if your blade is not up to snuff you may find you are leaning on it more to compensate. Hope that gives you something to work with.
Bob
It just might need to be honed to shave ready. I believe AOS shave ready razors are TI razors that come with a factory edge. Factory edges may not be shave ready. I bought a brand spanking new TI razor and honed it myself because I did not like what I saw of the edge with my loupe. Once the TI was honed she shaved very well.
Bob
Thank you for your help. Still burning though. Ha ha.
Live and Learn! Get it Pro Honed, it will get you started down the road without having to guess if the razor is sharp.
Bob, I was just watching a video today by a pro barber (he does use the shavettes) and he stated that the average number of whiskers per square inch on the face was 100. However the moustach and chin area the average was 400. Which makes sense.
I want to learn how to hone my own razors. If not I'm going back to safety razor.
Tried that. Just a complaint on my part.
Thx that's something to think about.
All in due time my friend. As you are finding out the hard way is that learning how to Properly Strop, Make Lather and of course Shave have to be at least semi mastered first. Once you have those skill down Have At It With Honing. Actually after you get those skill down, learning how to maintain your razor using a high grit hone should come first. If you get that down then you should be able to maintain your razors for years.
Already many great thoughts shared. Shaving too often with poor technique, is razor shave ready, stropping issues, poor lathe. There are several variables. Most of which all come in time. Patience plays a large part. Lip and chin are trouble areas for myself too. I wear a beard most times but when I go neked I get a bit of razor burn on lip and chin.
Keep with it. Things get better.
That is a whole other ball of wax with it's own, steep in my case, learning curve. Putting a shave ready edge on a straight razor is not exactly the same as sharpening a knife. There is lots of good info in the honing section of this forum. It is enjoyable and rewarding in the end.
Bob
In my experiance, i have spent almost a year learning to hone. Most of what i finsh on the stones are decent but at times i miss and it is not a good edge. What Roy is saying would be best. To learn to shave and strop first. That will only take you a few months. Honing can take much much longer to learn. Now some folks just pick it up and have no issue honing but they are special people as most folks it take much longer to get a great edge, sharp and comfortable.
If you find going back to a DE is what you need to do than so be it. Its your choice. Just remember that to shave, strop, hone and repair/restore straight razors properly is a long road.
When i picked up a DE fir the first time it took me 10 to 15 shaves to figure it out. Its nowhere near the same with a straight!
Good luck on what ever you choose.
I am trying and maybe trying too hard. But im thinking I am using a bad angle. But as far a honing I'm waiting till I get the shave and strop down. You are correct sir. Thanks for your comments.
For an angle try using between 1 and 2 widths of the spine gap between the spine and you face. The more gap you have the more you are scraping the whiskers off not cutting them. That won't do much good if your edge is not OK though as was said earlier in the thread.
Bob
I know it's gonna be some time and effort. I love doing it. I feel better when it all comes together.
I am still pretty new to the hobby also, and I am just starting to get consistently good shaves (and occasional great shaves!). It’s been about 6 months of consistently shaving with a straight to get it all down and figure out what strokes and angles my face/beard requires to get a close and comfortable shave.
Keep at it! When it all comes together it is an amazing feeling. You will definitely get it, just practice all the aspects of shaving (stropping, lathering, shaving and eventually honing) and it will come. They say it takes around 100 full shaves to become consistently good and more time to get that great shave we are all chasing. I’m almost there and still get some irritation on my neck occasionally.
Thanks. That make me feel better. A couple of razor burn only a couple of nicks, I don't think I'm doing half bad. Again thanks.
In my case, trouble usually goes back to pressing too hard. I really focus on shaving the lather rather than the whiskers as well as keeping the angle to the blade to my face correct.
If you do as suggested and build a good lather, have the razor honed by a real razor guy, take the advise Lynn gives and just start on the easy part of your cheeks first until your comfortable and try not to scrape the whiskers off, plus don't try to do multiple passes you won't get burn or nicks, just go slow and try not to do a full shave, with multiple passes. Tc
I've been straight shaving now for less than 4 months. At first, the desire to get it all down prompted me to want to shave every day, but that can be hard on your face as a new shaver. I had better results shaving every other day, with less irritation letting the skin heal. I tried pre shave oil, and soon decided it was not for me, as it tended to want to make the razor stick to my face, and not glide, which is what you want. I then found that it was imperative to have enough water in the soap in order to get good gliding action. This helps the razor move over the skin and cut whiskers, and you will use less pressure. Pressure is not your friend here, but a shave ready razor is.
I've had a mustache for 45 years now, and it ain't going away anytime soon, so I don't have to worry about my upper lip, but my chin seemed to give me fits initially. Perseverance is you friend here, and with experimentation with skin stretching, and trying different blade strokes, and angles, you will make your way. I can now get a fantastic shave every time out, but you simply can't expect to nail down the results right off the bat. Shaving is now very much a meditative and relaxing endeavor for me, and I hope you feel the same way soon, but it just takes a little time.
Hope you can do it, I,m not sure that shaking hands and straights are a good combo. Aside from the obvious, it takes some dexterity to maneuver the blade into positions. Plus starting a blade on a section can be tricky if your not soft on the first of the stroke. Just having arthritis is tough enough, we have a few members who are very good at this switching back to DE,s because of old Arthur. So be careful, and look for a mentor it,ll help. Tc
I think I got it now . The skin stretching and a couple of passes with the grain is working. I'll do this for a while to let my skin get used to it then gradually go into against the grain. I do think I was trying too hard and shaving to often. Now it's more relaxing. Thanks for your help.
Shaving too it fen is not a factor , it's when your not doing it correctly, I've been shaving everyday and there are several who do,, some of us have 5 o'clock shadow 3 hours after shaving, but if your face is irritated then time off will help. Tc
I'll be ok from it in reality. I'm not that bad and if it's a bad day or time, there is always another time. Some days are worse than others.