I finely did it. 20 years ago I decided I wanted to try a straight. I went and bought the only thing I could find. It was a Bartman made in Solingen. I got a strop and went to work. Put it on my face and said yeeeouch! No matter how much I stropped it still hurt. So in the drawer it went. Many years later I took it to a professional knife sharpener. Same results. In the drawer again it went again.

A couple of weeks ago I bought another package of disposables and said this is stupid. I have a razor and I’m tired of spending money on razors. So out came the razor again only this time I went to the Internet found this forum. I got a barber hone on ebay and some honing film strips (15 micron, 5 micron, and .3 micron $5) and a DMT extra fine home at woodcraft. I went to work and finally got an edge that passes the hanging hair test with ease. No more ouch. MY FIRST STRAIGHT SHAVE after only 20 years of trying.

So here is my question. I glide that thing over my right cheek with east and no slicing and what shows up but a bunch of little blood spots. There are no skin bumps that I know of and no zits. Some parts of my face were relatively blood free and others looking like a battlefield. So what gives? Is my angle wrong? I didn’t use a protractor but I think I was close to 30 degrees. I had absolutely no slicing action. It was messy.
Craig
Other than that I am really happy about this success. I suppose I can’t complain since I am basically like a 13-year-old kid starting to learn how to shave for the first time. As for the saving money……… I used to pay about $20 a year on razors. I just spent $7 barber hone ebay, $47 Sheffield razor ebay so I can let one reset while I use the other, $44 DMT, $5 honing film, about $30 for soap making supplies so now I and a buddy have shave soap for the rest of our lives and some to pass on, and hours and hours of fun and frustration trying to make it work. That makes $133 or 6.5 years of disposables. I’ll probably end up buying another razor and hone so in 10 years I might break even. I’m not sorry I did it.