Whiskers give the razor a hard time

I just shaved my second time. I let my beard grow over the weekend and just shaved it. I strop around 30 times.. basically until it feels like its a suction.. then i did the same thing for the cotton. I made sure I lathered enough on my face, until i couldn't see my beard any more basically.. well.. i started shaving.. going down my face seemed ok..(still had some long hairs going down) but when i went against the grain it felt like the hair was giving my razor a hard time :-\ It did this the first time i shaved too.. And I have to go over the spot over and over like its not cutting it.(not all the time) Is it not sharp enough? Am I not strop it enough or wrong? (away from the blade, i've seen the youtube videos) The razor will cut my hair that I put on it to see if its sharp. It also hurts when i shave like i'm getting a TOO close of a shave. I see blood but no cuts.. well not all the time and only does it on my neck mainly, and no razor burn. I relathered myself when it gets dry.. The tricky spots seem to be my neck and the curves :-\.

I was told my razor was honed. I bought it from classicshaving.com I asked for the honing service but got a call from them saying it was prehoned by them and got a refund. I'm probably doing something wrong.

Anyone have an idea.. I'm going to shave next weekend(when I can grow the hair a little).

I am kind of having the same problem with mine, 2 shaves and the razor just doesn't seem sharp enough to me, but I am a newbie so I don't know how it "should" feel. My cartridge razor feels ALOT sharper and more comfortable than my straight.
Good luck,
Photoguy67

If shaving skills are not at fault... and that's a big if seeing it's your second time, that razor may need some attention.
A well honed razor should cut smoothly & effortlessly
A pass in the HHT means nothing if the shave is uncomfortable.

One important thing tho, you should strop on the linen side first , not last. Is that what you did ?

Someone close by should be able to sort it out for you.

Seems like your razor is not sharp enough. Why do you strop on the leather first and then on the cotton? Usually it id done the other way round.

Presuming your razor was prehoned it should be sharp enough. If you strop you have to keep the strop taut all the time, apply little pressure and keep the spine on the leather all the time. I usually do 40 laps on the linen and 60 on the leather. IIRC thebigspendur has in his experiemnts found out that stropping more has no added value.

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Originally Posted by Tortri

I just shaved my second time. I let my beard grow over the weekend and just shaved it. I strop around 30 times.. basically until it feels like its a suction.. then i did the same thing for the cotton.

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It sounds like you are going from leather to linen? Is that the case? I use only leather, but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to go from linen to leather. That could have something to do with it.

Agree with the others. Leather then linen is a bad idea unless you are using certain of the Illinois strops, which oddly seem to work better that way. Also straight from the hone I find linen is not necessary at all; only after a few days of shaving, then it gives a "boost" before hitting the leather.
Keep at it, you're on the right path.

John P.

Hi Tortri,

Did you prepare your beard well? I ask because you did not mention that little detail. The best shave is obtained after a nice warm shower when your hairs are very soft.

Alternatively, try hot towel but shower is a lot better in my opinion.

Preparation is absolutely critical for classic wet shaving with straight razor.

I hope this helps.

mudo_koshaka

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Originally Posted by Tortri

It also hurts when i shave like i'm getting a TOO close of a shave. I see blood but no cuts.

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That's not normal. I'd watch your blade angle and pressure as you might be shaving at too steap of an angle and cutting into too much of the top skin layer. Also don't use too much pressure to "force" the razor through the hair. Let it do it's job with you only guiding it a little.

Make sure you dry your razor thoroughly after shaving and either oil it or strop it before putting it away.

If you shave with a razor and then dry it and leave it in the head, it will corrode on the edge. It will lose some of it's glide, and if it is bad enough, it won't come back without a honing.

Going against the grain on the neck is tricky. I use a low angle and a serious of short strokes with very light pressure. Lead with the toe if you can, it reduces pull.

By the way, I have used a linen or cotton strop only 2 or 3 times the entire time I have been shaving. I don't bother with them. I only use leather and get great edges.

Not to say they don't have a use, but they just aren't very important, you don't need to use them.

Toolarts

Thanks for your help guys. I'll give it a try this weekend. I'll only strop with the leather and make sure i strop after i'm finished with it.

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:nono: 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!:)