Thread: New shaver

So long as the leather is smooth (no raised wrinkles) and clean, it's fine. You can roll an edge stropping if you lift the spine off first... But you'd likely know it, it's visible. Buy a cheap loupe online, one with an LED should run you less than ten pounds. It will do wonders for letting you inspect your edge. In the meantime, if you suspect your edge is damaged, run a cotton ball gently on the edge (just touching). A chipped or damaged edge will pull cotton. It should cut arm hair above the skin ("treetopping").

30 degrees is too much. More like 15 or 20. Try lowering the shave angle first, sticking with the cheeks, before futzing with the edge too much. All signs point to technique. Eliminate that first.

As others have said, there's possibly a member near your location to assist.

I have nothing much to add that hasnt been said, but remember to lay the blade almost flat to your face and stretch your skin too. Slow and steady with short strokes will win the day for you. Welcome to SRP.

Hi guys
Thanks very much for all the advice.I will try this out cheers again take care. Steve.

Hi and welcome aboard. With the strop try lying it on the edge of a bench and using like a bench strop. Takes another variable away. Go slow and light keeping the blade flat spine leading. Probably want 50 laps min as leather only

I too have nothing really to add except welcome and stick with it. Good advice already. Definitely check your stropping technique.

Welcome, Steve.

All great points so far. I can attest to an Invisible Edge razor being shave ready. On your first shave you should have just used the razor as it would have been stropped before being sent out. Hopefully you haven't rolled the edge and it's just down to technique.
Make sure you have a good read of the library https://shavelibrary.com/

What razor did you get by the way?

Be assured, and take comfort from, that when you are starting out with a straight razor, you are doing everything wrong. If that offends then let me rephrase that by saying, you’re still doing everything wrong.

The easiest thing to do wrong and the thing with the most consequences is: Too much pressure. This is a bad habit that we pick up from the cartridge shaving world where if we want a closer shave we press harder- because that 6-bladed abomination is something like a snow shoe and can evenly distribute the pressure in a way that a single, unguarded blade cannot. Thus, blood.

You must endeavor to use the lightest touch possible. If a light touch is not shaving you smoothly then perhaps your razor is not as sharp as it should be. But remember, more pressure is never the answer. People with post-shave abrasions and cuts often say they shaved too closely, or their lather was poor, or their razor wasn't sharpened on a magic Dwarven stone- there are always confounders- but in reality, if there is pain and injury, they shaved too hard.

How to describe a light touch: You can see the lather being removed. You can hear the whiskers being cut. But you feel next to nothing- no scrape; no tug.

Think well on this.

Oh, and howdy.

Semper circa,
LG Roy

Hi Welcome... Shave ready shouldn't nick you at all ..ideally

Don't get discouraged though. Remember the beauty of learning shaving with a straight razor is there's always tomorrow. Don't worry, worst case you rolled your edge which can be easily fixed.

Hi guys.
Thanks for all your comments and advice, of course you were all correct is saying that it was down to my techniques which were crap in one word. However I have since changed the angle and as if by magic I can hear the wiskers being cut , not pulled or tugged. It feels great. But still a huge amount of learning to do. Thanks again for all . Be safe take care. Steve.