Brand New Razor, Worst Shave ever!

For Christmas I received my first straight razor (a Thiers-Issard 5/8 Carbon Blade).

The product packaging said it was ready to use out of the box...but I tried and it wouldn't cut my whiskers worth a damn!

So, I sent it off to www.classicshavings.com "professional straight razor sharpening service" and just received it back today.

I just gave it another try fresh from the sharpening service and while I could cut some whiskers, it felt like it was "snagging" and needing to be pushed through the hair (yanked out little by little). I read on your Stickies that Lynn Abrams (classicshaving.com honemiester) is a pro..but it's not cutting through my whiskers!

On the upside, I haven't cut myself a single time, on the downside that almost makes me think that the razor sharpening service maybe didn't get it sharp enough?

I've watched dozens of youtube shaving videos, and read every online "straight razor" tutortial google has on the first page!

I guess I need a personal opinion on what I could be doing wrong! My beard is pretty tough (but I trimmed it down to stubble with an electric buzzer before starting), but after my face was too sore from the tugging of my straight razor, I pulled out by Mach3 Turbo (the one that vibrates) and didn't feel a thing -- and it was even a razor cartridge 3-4 shaves old.

What gives?

Any insight would be helpful.

As a side note, I haven't yet stropped the razor. I was hoping it would come back from the sharpening service ready-to-use so I could find out if I like straight razor shaving before investing in even more gear (as if a $200 razor wasn't enough). Is basic stropping what's _absolutely_ ruining my shave, or is something else awry?

Thanks!

RN


p.s.s. I use a badger hair brush & Art of Shaving un-scented shaving cream, and Art of Shaving after-shave balm.

Thats a good question. I can tell you this happens a lot. Two possible candidates include you needing to strop and you needing to learn how to shave with a straight.

I would initially suggest stropping the razor, say on blue jeans, extensively, then perhaps on a flat leather belt, then try again, only on your cheeks.

In the mean time too you could read up in the archives because most likely this is predominently a learning curve issue.

Are the creams and brush new to you too?

I had similar issues when I did not strop enough when I started a month ago. I was using a paddle strop and now do 40-50 strokes every morning before I shave while I have the lather already on my face.

I also was using too steep an angle and too much of the blade in the areas where my beard was heaviest. A month and 5 razors later, I have three vintage razors that shave almost as well as I was able to do with a DE, but with less irritation andnever any pulling. They all shave well, but both the one that needed sharpened when I got it and the one professionally sharpened pulled the hairs heavily. Proper shave prep and better technique made the difference.

Stick with it, it gets better.

My first couple straight shaves were painful bloody messes. I now know it was a shave technique issue, not a sharpness issue. I think if you razor was honed by Lynn, you probably have a shave techinque issue. For me, I just kept at it (I kind got obsessed to figure out straight shaving) then little by little the shaves started getting better and better....

It doesn't really matter how much you read or how many videos you watch, you will never get that perfect shave first time. It could have been your prep or lack of, your angles when shaving and a whole multitude of other things.

Start with just the cheeks first until you get better, this way of shaving takes time to master as its a whole different level compared with DE or cartridge shavers.

Don't be discouraged though, all good things take time, and remember we have ALL been down the same path you have.

Wanna hear some horror stories, check out my shave journal in the shaving section.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Are the creams and brush new to you too?

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No they aren't. I've been using good shaving cream and my badger hair brush for almost 2 years now, even with my cartridge shaving system.

I've been hunting a good shave for almost 5 years :(

As far as preparation, I made a batch of shaving cream and lathered up then took a steaming shower until the mirror was very foggy, then applied a fresh batch of shaving cream as I got out, dried off, and took to trying my new razor. Hopefully it's just technique and not lack of preparation.

Would any of you say that not stropping extensively before a shave greatly affects the outcome of your shave?

Thanks.

Thanks, I guess I'll work on my technique more. I tried a 15 degree up to say a 30 ish degree. too low of an angle meant no cutting, 30ish meant the tugging was pretty strong. I'll keep at it though.

-RN

Quote:

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Originally Posted by razornoobie

No they aren't. I've been using good shaving cream and my badger hair brush for almost 2 years now, even with my cartridge shaving system.

I've been hunting a good shave for almost 5 years :(

As far as preparation, I made a batch of shaving cream and lathered up then took a steaming shower until the mirror was very foggy, then applied a fresh batch of shaving cream as I got out, dried off, and took to trying my new razor. Hopefully it's just technique and not lack of preparation.

Would any of you say that not stropping extensively before a shave greatly affects the outcome of your shave?

Thanks.

Thanks, I guess I'll work on my technique more. I tried a 15 degree up to say a 30 ish degree. too low of an angle meant no cutting, 30ish meant the tugging was pretty strong. I'll keep at it though.

-RN

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Absolutely it would!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

Start with just the cheeks first until you get better, this way of shaving takes time to master as its a whole different level compared with DE or cartridge shavers.

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I'll drink to that. Keep in mind also that back when straights were the only method of shaving, men learned to use them in early to mid adolescence when their facial hair was thinner and easier to cut. Most of us learned to straight shave when we were adults with heavier, thicker growth which adds to the learning curve.

A couple of years ago I bought a new razor. It was a real pig to get sharp and I didn't like it, and ended up giving it away. Just a few days ago someone posted a picture of a razor that they'd just bought and it was identical; and it was a TI. I had owned, and then given away, a TI without even realizing it. But it was a pig. I don't think that they're good ones to learn to shave with.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Timeo Danaos

A couple of years ago I bought a new razor. It was a real pig to get sharp and I didn't like it, and ended up giving it away. Just a few days ago someone posted a picture of a razor that they'd just bought and it was identical; and it was a TI. I had owned, and then given away, a TI without even realizing it. But it was a pig. I don't think that they're good ones to learn to shave with.

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One of the razors I'm learning to shave with is a TI, but it has been honed by someone much more skilled than I. I like mine a lot.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

It doesn't really matter how much you read or how many videos you watch, you will never get that perfect shave first time.

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Amen, brother. After watching Lynn's DVD I thought, "What's all the fuss about?" Then I shaved and learned what all the fuss was about. There's definitely a learning curve.

My vote is for shaving technique, not stropping. If Lynn or any of the other honemeisters here sharpened it, it should work fine right out of the package for the first shave at least.

When I started I too had the pulling and tugging issue. It went away with time as I found the correct shaving angle. As to stropping, I usually confine myself to 25-30 strokes on my Tony Miller strop. Every couple of months they get the same number of strokes on a chromium paddle. This seems to work fine for me.

Keep at it, and good luck.

To check out the barbering manuals in the Library section.

There are some helpful hints about the basics of the cutting stroke.

Turned me into a shaver.

Paul

hard to add anything that hasn't been said already....
it's extremely unlikely the problem is with the razor. it is a learning curve and my first shave did have significant pulling. i had stropped the razor, but i think not knowing anything I was overparanoid about using too much pressure on the strop and probably didn't really strop the razor properly. The second shave was much better. there also is a learning curve, believe it or not. It doesn't seem like you're doing things any differently, but you probably build fine muscle memory or something and things do get better.

So, do as Alan suggested and strop on jeans and a flat leather belt. Shave only your cheeks. Don't try to make it perfect. Be happy with just presentable. If you can give your skin some rest between shaves (shave on the weekend if you have to).

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I do not consider a factory edge to be shave ready. I hear your kind of story all the time from people! The new razor needs to be finish honed and stropped. I also recommend you leave your stubble long and not pre-shave with an electric. Consider that you may not be doing anything wrong so much as just not doing the right things yet! Give me a call during the week 8am - 5pm eastern at 508-842-7132 if you want me to talk you through all this. Don't give up! Shaving this way is just another skill to acquire.

Since you indicate that your problem is with a SHAVE READY razor sharpened at ClassicShaving.com---

Then you should contact THEM first.

Ask them if the razor was stropped. They will know.

If it was stropped, then you should be able to shave with it out of the return package. If you can't, it is more likely your technique.

While I have seen it bandied about here that razors can get dull during shipping, I don't believe it. If the razor was dry when shipped, and especially if it had an oil film, it should not corrode at all--unless it sat in a warehouse for a year in Cambodia. Now I could be wrong, but we are talking about what is LIKELY here.

I have purchased razors from Ebay that have been sitting long enough that a small part of the bevel developed some corrosion, but the REST of the edge shaved without needing to be stropped.

So, contact ClassicShaving and make sure.

When you strop, remember the following:

1. Light pressure. I have removed 1/4 of the bevel in places on a razor by stropping too hard. If you press hard, you can chip the edge, fold it, do all kinds of nasty things to it.

2. Pull on the strop good and hard to make it straight.

3. Prep the strop by cleaning it and rubbing it down really good. You can use your fingers, but I find a small pickle jar rubbed up and down the strop 20-30 times really gives it a nice smooth finish. Make sure it is dry before you rub it.

4. Be sure to do the X pattern.

5. 25 - 30 strokes (Each stroke is an X pattern, out and back).

Then, prep and shave. The best stroke is either straight down with the blade exactly perpendicular to the motion, or the toe can be a little ahead of the heel to give the "cutting stroke" mentioned in the barber manuals.

Get your cheeks shaving first, don't worry about chin, mustache, etc., until you get the feel of shaving and cutting. Then the others will come naturally with a little study.


By the way, a razor that has been properly honed but not stropped will usually shave, it is just a rough, irritating shave and a newbie can easily cut himself on it. The stropping smooths out the edges of the teeth and makes the razor glide more easily.

Hope this helps.

Paul

I've read that a razor can be dulled if it is knocked jarred and so perhaps it could lose it's edge in transit; but probably this doesn't happen often, if ever. If a new razor that's been honed ready-to-shave isn't giving a good shave, it's probably not the razor that's at fault. Keep trying and it'll get better at each attempt, as you become better at it.