Thread: Pull is a trap command

Yesterday, I had my first ever complete straight shave. It went well, with the chin being the most difficult spot to shave. I was sold a beautifully restored razor that came shave-ready by a regular here, so I know it was sharp, but I had a few day's growth, and it pulled like a very dull DE blade, so I finished up the difficult spots with my DE. Oddly enough, my old trouble spot (my neck) with any razor (DE or cartridge) was a breeze with the straight: zero pain, close shave. I stropped the blade last night after the kids went to bed.

This morning, with only 24 hour’s growth, I stepped out of the shower, looking forward to my shave with the idea that it’ll be much easier because I didn’t have all the growth with which to contend. To my dismay, the shave was worse. I’d used Proraso with shave oil yesterday and just used soap today, which is my usual lather with a DE. Perhaps the oil and cream made a difference, but man, that sucker pulled like there was no tomorrow. It felt like I was dragging a rusty razor across my face. The bright spot was, though, that using the straight on my neck was still a pain-free delight. It was the rest of my face that bore the punishment. It’s not so much that I nicked myself a lot (I got a few), but the pulling and the razor burn are the killers. And the shave is nowhere near the smooth shave I get with a DE, but I chalk the lack of a smooth shave up to inexperience.

I know it’s impossible for anyone else to know what I’m not doing right, but I presume that a straight razor shave isn’t supposed to be painful. I’ve watched Lynn’s DVD, and I’m going WTG on most strokes and not shaving areas without lather. The only things I can think of are that I’ve got my angle wrong and that I tend to forget to stretch my skin because I don’t with the DE. I suppose I may have also messed up the edge with the strop, but I've really no way of knowing that. Any other possible tips? At this point, I'm tallying up what I can sell the razors and strop for, and I don't want to go down that road until I've given this a fair shake.



Many thanks...

Hi-

I don't have all that many shaves under my belt at the moment, but your description matches my first few... Here's what has helped me:

* Sharp razor - you should be able to pop hair off your arm without any pressure. If it won't catch and pop the hair all along the blade, it's not sharp enough.

* Shave prep - the more the better. Hot shower, shave oil, good cream, the works. You might try applying the lather with your brush, massaging it into your beard with your fingers, and then putting on more lather with the brush. Works for me.

* Blade angle - lay the blade flat on your skin as if you were going to strop the razor on your face. Then, lift the spine ever so slightly until it shaves. In general you want to use the smallest angle possible (closest to flat on your face) - otherwise you're just irritatating your skin.

Also, make sure you're not using too much pressure when you strop. You can dull the blade pretty quickly. Don't ask how I know...

Does any of this help?

--Dan

I have been straight razor shaving for about 2 weeks now, and my first week was exactly as you described, other than with the neck... I still can't get my neck as close as I was able to with the Fusion.
I agree with drb above and those things all make a big difference.
I concentrated (which means took my time and didn't try to just get it done quickly) on getting my stropping technique down, and really focused on light pressure and how the blade was touching the leather and my razors have "popped" the hairs much better since I started doing this.
I also found that my lather was too dry, and I have been making sure it is the proper consistency the last few shaves, much better. Part of the "problem" with my lather is that I bought a Moss Scuttle (awesome!) to keep the lather warm, and the heat from the water was causing the lather in the bowl to evaporate a little quicker than normal, so I just add a little more than I used to.
But I would definitely say give it some time and focus, I still am not 100% happy with my shaves, but they get better every time.

Certainly don't give up yet. If the blade seemed to be blunter after you'd stropped it then you might have been stropping incorrectly so make absolutely sure that you've got it right; at the end of each stroke the blade must be flipped over with the spine staying on the strop and the edge going up and over.
It might also be that you've an ultra-tough beard that dulled the edge on the first go and now it needs more stropping than you gave it. Anyway, whatever the problem is I'm sure that you'll soon get it sorted and be giving yourself good shaves with the straight, so don't sell the things now.

My first few straight shaves were a bloody, plainful mess, and not very close. With time, they got better and better. I found the learning curve was a bit steeper than I expected. Now, I get good close comfortable shaves... when if first started to click it was awesome. Now, I look forward to shaving. It definately took a bit of peristence for me.

You just have to have alot of patience with a straight. It will takes many weeks before you get really good shaves and months before you are really comfortable with the razor. That's just the way it is. We usually recommend when you have a straight honed by a honemeister to not strop it the initial use for obvious reasons. Other than that its just practice. Watch the blade angle, about 30 degrees and no more, minmimal pressure with the razor-let the blade do the work not you, good prep, no pressure on the strop and just keep at it. No fancy strokes in the beginning just finish with a DE or cartridge the first few shaves.

Originally Posted by TULIP

The bright spot was, though, that using the straight on my neck was still a pain-free delight.

Then you know how to do this. That sentence proves it!

Maybe you can improve on prep or Cheeks, chin, whatever - it might *seem* like you're doing the same thing as you are on your neck but probably not, there's too many variables. Basically I'm saying keep up the practice, if you can successfully shave any part of your face, eventually you can shave all of your face. Try thinking about the scything motion, it's probably what's happening on your neck without necessarily realizing it. It's very subtle, you can feel when you're doing it right.

I've seen several references to the "scything motion", but I don't know what it is. Is it similar to the motion on a hone? Or is it more like you keep the heel in place and pivot around it, moving the toe in a circle? (Obviously that's a very highly exaggerated description.) Clarification would be great.

-Josh

I'm sure someone has a link with illustrations, but
essentially it is a stroke of the razor with mostly
downwards motion perpendicular to the blade, and
a small amount of forward motion leading with the
toe of the razor.

This is akin to a slicing motion that you would use
when cutting a tomato, the small amount of forward
motion assists in the cutting process.

- Scott

Okay, that sounds pretty straightforward. Thanks!
-Josh