Thread: Whiskers give the razor a hard time

Tortri,

It's not necessary to eliminate the linen strop - only do it as a precursor to the leather stropping. On another forum, ShaveMyFace.com, another inveterate straight shaver, Dr. Chris Moss, comments that before each chave he does 50 reps each on linen, coarse leather, and finish leather. I suspect that if your stropping technique is good and that you never lift the spine from the strop and don't muscle the razor down into the strop, it may be very difficult to over strop a razor as that function is a burnishing or a polishing of the edge. Either should enhance the sharpness and thus enhance the shave.

Good luck, good shaving

Welcome to the SRP!

The guys have covered the leather/linen subject so I will only comment on what your trying to do while shaving.

Simply put, your trying to do to much to soon. Just shave your cheeks at first and use only a WTG stroke. Finish up with a DE or whatever you have. The XTG or ATG strokes you can perform as you get better at this.
The angle of the blade is approx. 30 degrees or 2 spine widths away from the skin. Some guys use an angle where the spine is even closer to the skin.

Good luck!