Can't get the blade to cut

I just bought a new Mehaz razor at a local store along with a brush, soap, and a strop. The clerk told me that the blade was ready to shave. Now that I've been to these forums and looked around a bit, it seems that I was probably misled (and ripped off a bit as well), but alas, I wasn't aware of this site until too late.

The issue that I'm having is that, try as I might, I simply can't get the razor to do anything to my face. I've tried a variety of angles, from nearly parallel to the skin all the way to completely perpendicular, but all I ever get is a rasping noise, a scraping feeling, and skin irritation. No hair ever seems to come off in the lather, and my face is just as scruffy as when I started, not to mention much redder.

Are there any obvious points of shaving technique that I might be missing, or do I need to have this razor honed? I've certainly picked up the impression that a factory-honed razor generally isn't up to the task of giving a really good shave, but I'm surprised to find that mine, which thumb-pad testing suggests at least has a knife edge, won't shave at all.

Yep it needs to be honed and stropped. I'm not familiar with that brand of razor but at least its not a Zeepk. There are plenty of gents here that will be glad to hone for a nominal charge.

I'd suggest Lynn Abrahm's dvd on staight razor shaving because one bad stropping can ruin the honed edge. :w Or so I've heard.

About the only place you can be assurred of a "shave ready" razor is if one of the members here sells you one and makes the claim. It would be very unusual for a new, out of the box, razor to be shave ready.

And by the way, welcome to SRP.

You can also get shave-ready razors pre-honed from Jim at www.vintagebladesllc.com......

Yeah, I figured as much. I've stropped the heck out of it without making any noticable difference, so I guess it's time to ship it off to one of the honemeisters. If I could do it over, obviously, I'd just buy one pre-honed (and save some money to boot), but, alas, it's too late to do that.

But it's never too late to buy another razor!

Heh, certainly not, but I'd like at least to manage a decent shave with the razor I've already bought -- or to write it off as unusable if it isn't.
Thanks for the welcomes, by the way. I'm really excited to get started with this; I've had a couple of fabulous straight-razor shaves from barbers that left me completely unable to put up with the rubbish I was getting from disposable multiblates. How long is the turnaround for these mail-away honings?

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Originally Posted by existentialhero7

Heh, certainly not, but I'd like at least to manage a decent shave with the razor I've already bought -- or to write it off as unusable if it isn't.
Thanks for the welcomes, by the way. I'm really excited to get started with this; I've had a couple of fabulous straight-razor shaves from barbers that left me completely unable to put up with the rubbish I was getting from disposable multiblates. How long is the turnaround for these mail-away honings?

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7 weeks.









...actually, I really don't know. Got ya there for a minute though, didn't I?

I have limited exp, but I would have to concur with these other gents. Sounds like you got a blade that isn't quite sharp enough. The good new is that there are solutions for you. You have found the right place, welcome aboard.

So what is the recommended approach here? Mail off this blade to get honed properly so I can go ahead and start shaving, then buy a stone and an eBay junker or antique razor to learn honing? Go straight to honing my own? Stick with mail-away honing for the life of the blade?

Welcome!
That's up to you. It's definitely easier to keep an edge sharp than to start from fresh. I would suggest that you look in BST for a Shave Ready Razor (in addition to sending the other one off). The Wapienicas are outstanding razors and very reasonable. You may even see if Lynn Abrams has any shave ready Wapis around - you could nail two birds with one stone.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DEwey

Welcome!
That's up to you. It's definitely easier to keep an edge sharp than to start from fresh. I would suggest that you look in BST for a Shave Ready Razor (in addition to sending the other one off). The Wapienicas are outstanding razors and very reasonable. You may even see if Lynn Abrams has any shave ready Wapis around - you could nail two birds with one stone.

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Actually, I have a couple of shave ready Wapis.

Mehaz is a Solingen company. It should be a creditable razor.

edit: Info is on kenrup's site. I can read, I promise.

So I've had the razor back from Ken for a week or so now, and it's definitely significantly sharper than before; it definitely cuts the hairs it touches now, and I can almost hear the individual hairs popping when I get the angle right (it seems to need something a little more acute than 30 degrees). I still can't get it to shave properly, though. It seems that, regardless of the number of passes I do, I'm left with a uniform stubble a couple of millimeters deep on my cheeks and slightly deeper on my neck. I don't get any pulling, burn, or nicks from the razor.
Do any of you more experienced types have any idea what this might be about?

First, let me assure you that results will only improve from the point where you are now. It's normal that your first "straight" shave won't be very close.

I'm going to sum up some points that may improve your results. Excuse me if there will be obvious things among them.
Here it goes:

1. Beard prep:

wash your face with a good facial soap, prior to doing anything else.
(you need to remove the natural oil that's on your beard hairs, otherwise the lathering won't be able the moisten them properly)
A good prep is at least 50% of a good shave.
Then spend some time swirling the lather on your face. The hairs need to be "massaged" a little.

Leave the lather on your face, while you strop.

2. Stropping:

Hold the strop reasonably taut. Place the razor flat on the canvas side of the strop. drag it over the canvas, spine leading. Turn it OVER THE SPINE and continue in the opposite direction, always with the spine leading. Do about 20 laps (going back and forth once = 1 lap) on the canvas. Keep the pressure low. Then do 40 laps on the leather side. Pressure should be just high enough to feel some drag from the razor on the strop.

3. Re-lather.
Make sure the lather is wet enough. It should be as wet as possible without running from your face. (Later you 'll learn how to make superb luxurious lather, but before you build the experience to do so it's better to err on the "too wet" side than to err on the "dry" side.

4. Shave.
(with the grain)
Place the razor flat on your skin, and lift the spine about two times its own thickness, till it starts to cut hairs. Again, when new to this, err on the "too flat" side than on the "too steep" side.
Do a first pass with the direction of the growth. Pressure should be as light as possible. The lesser the better. It is quite normal that this first pass doesn't leave a close result. If you feel confident enough you can do a second pass, going against the grain this time. Many people do a second pass ACROSS the grain and then a third pass against the grain. I think it's all about personal style and choice.
I always do 2 passes myself, one with, and one against the grain.
(against the grain)
Rinse your face with hot water.
Re-lather. I personally prefer brushing a light coat with lathery water on my face. That way I can see the actual removal of the hairs better.
With this pass, you 'll make short whisking strokes against the growing direction of the hairs. It's not all that difficult on most parts of the neck and cheeks, but the other parts of your beard area will be more challenging. Go slow, relax and keep your face wet. Apply more latter if you need to.

5. STOP.
don't shave over and over those same spots where the result is not as you wish. You 'll just mess up your face that way. Focus on the parts that are smooth. As you learn in the next months (and years) those baby smooth areas will expand with your growing expertise.

6. Aftercare.
Splash cold water on your face, to close the pores. While still wet, apply some of your favorite aftershave. (It stings less that way)
Enjoy a job well done.:)


If the razor starts loosing its sharpness, it will pull when shaving against the grain. While still early in the learning process, you're bound to dull a razor much sooner that an experienced shaver.

I hope some of this helps.

Have fun,
Bart.