Thread: First shave- few questions

Hello,

I've just had my first shave, after deciding to switch over to a cut throat. I thought I'd go this way as the Schick twin blade sensor excel blades I use are over $20AU for 10, and I'm going through a few a week.

After doing research on this forum, I bought this gear:-

1. Dovo 2" Russian linen/leather strop
2. Dovo Ebony Spike Point razor- with Mr Abrams honing service.
3. Rooney small style 3 in Super
4. Norton 4000/8000 hone
5. Floris elite soap and crabtree and evelyn sandalwood
6. Stypic fluid

I've also been given 2 x Bengal 5/8 razors, and a Puma Inox Special Number 68 4/8. These are all old, and I"ll have to get a lap stone and start to try and bring them back, or send them off for restoration. The plan is that if I can get all 4 going, then I won't have to bother with honing too often.

I've watched several of the online movies, and read all the 'how to' guides. I also started to download the clips off Mr Abrams video, but they stopped after a few episodes, so I'll probably order the full thing this week.

Anyway, I've been practicing with the brush and soap, and I've got a good lather going. I've also been applying a hot towel to my face beforehand, while using the twin blade, to get the technique correct. I must say, the shave with the twin blade after using the brush and soap is significantly better than the King of Shaves Gel I was using before.

Now, to the point. I had a shave with the Dovo this morning. The box said it didn't need stropping after Mr Abams had honed it, so I didn't do it. But I did give it a hit about halfway through for the issues I'll mention next. That said, I've got a couple of quick questions:-

1. My beard is like a wire brush, particularly for the first day or two. I only had a days growth on, and I had trouble with the blade skipping and scraping on my face (my wife could heard it from outside with the door shut). I've read that this can be dealt with by shorter strokes, but I was wondering if I should try a the shallower angle closer to my face, more pressure, or could it be an issue with the blade's sharpness? I need to shave daily, so this is a big issue for me.

2. When I'm shaving, should I wipe the shaving soap off the blade with a towel, or run it under a tap, or swish it in the sink? The video's I've seen don't show this part, and I'd like make sure I don't inadvertently damage the razor.

3. After I finished shaving, my face was bright red from razor burn. I made sure I kept the lather on during the shave, but I was wondering if this is sympomatic of incorrect angle, or that the blade may be dull? I gave it a hit with the strop after first pass, but I couldn't really tell if it made a difference.

4. I've seen a fair bit of conflicting info on the stropping. How many passes on the linen and the leather are required for a new pre-honed blade? With a tough beard, should I strop mid way through the shave?

5. I noticed that the way I held the blade seemed to make a difference. Is holding it with the scales between the ring finger and pinkie the best way? It seemed to apply the pressure more evenly than when I had two fingers on either side of the scales.


Now, although it may sound like it all ended in disaster (except for the fact I look like I've had a close encounter of the third kind), my face is so smooth it's like a baby's arse (I have a young baby in the house, and yes, it's confirmed). So ultimately, it did actually work. If I can get the blade moving more smoothly over my face, then I think I can really get into it.

Any help you can give me would be appreciated.

regards,

craby