Thread: Things that took me a long time to figure out when I was a noob

I see a lot of the same questions posted over & over, and for good reason. The answers are confusing. As a public service announcement, I'd like to share with you the things that gave me fits when I was a noob. (My noobdom is more recent than many, so I feel particularly qualified to speak )

1. My razor was honed by a master. Why does it pull/burn/not shave?

Suppose you were to take a sharp bread knife and, holding it horizontally, mash it straight down onto a loaf of bread. It would smash the loaf, not cut it, regardless of how sharp it was. That's why the blades in bagel slicers (and guillotines) are mounted at 45 degrees to the direction of travel.

To get a razor to shave, you have to move it in a way that's not quite pushing & not quite slicing. It has been described as "scything," but that's not right, either. It's a feel thing that's very difficult to explain. The blade has to be at the right angle to your skin, has to be moving with the right tempo, and has to come up under the hair, all while employing a very light touch. It's not as simple as using it like a metal squeegee to wipe the hair away. You will get it in time. Oh, and do not slice, or you will get sliced.

2. My hone doesn't hone. Is there something wrong with my hone?

Once again, honing is a total feel thing. You can't simply lay the entirety of the blade on the hone & drag it horizontally. Most razors are not perfectly straight & true. Some have a slight bend, some even have a slight twist. You have to roll it as you stroke, making constant tiny micro-adjustments to keep the edge in contact with the hone as you stroke the blade across it, all while using a very light touch. You must also learn to feel the very subtle but unmistakable feeling of suction that occurs when the blade is sharp. This is the feeling of two very flat surfaces rubbing together. That's how you know it's time to go to the next grit.

3. My strop doesn't strop.

Here we go again. Total feel thing. You need to pull the strop tight so there's no slack, & use a very light touch with the razor. A little rolling is generally needed because the strop is not perfectly flat, nor is the blade perfectly true.

4. Alright already, I have a light touch! Why do you keep saying that over & over?

Because you probably don't have a light touch. It's extremely easy to think your touch is light when it isn't. Particularly when shaving, the unconscious tendency when the blade isn't cutting the way you want, is to bear down on it harder & harder. This will only give you razor burn & dull the blade. Honing, stropping, & shaving must all be done with a very light touch. Really. I mean it.

These things are impossible to convey in print, and are very difficult to convey even in a video. Keep at it. Once you get it, you'll see what I mean.

Hope this is helpful. Happy shaving. -Johnny

man, this should be a sticky.

If I may add one thing I see a lot of:

If I spend more on a razor, will I get a better shave?

Assuming honing, stropping and technique are the same, many vintage brands (whether English, German, French or good ol' American) will all shave with equal excellence. True some regions and makers are a sure thing for a superior shave, and some are hit-or-miss, but there are many affordable brands that give a sublime shave, and wont cost you an arm or a leg.

Sure, it may look Spartan, but if it shaves with the best of them you are only paying for frills and fanciness.
A few examples would be Geneva Cutlery/Genco, the non-Wonderedge Dubl Ducks, anything from Geo. Wostenholm and Sons, Boker, Torrey, Morley Clover brand et al.

These can usually be had for very reasonable prices, and are (in my limited experience) all excellent shavers.

Hey Joke, thanks for the props. This post has quite a few views, so I think it may be helping. If the mods want to sticky it, that's fine by me!

The less hollowed my razor, the more pressure I like to apply to it against my leather strap. I don't know why - I guess it's a feel thing I've never rolled an edge while strapping, but I'll bet that it's easier to roll a hollow than a wedge

This is a great post Johnny. I agree that it should be sticky. I've tried to convey similar ideas before, but usually fail miserably. It took me almost 2 years shaving with a straight to really start to understand points #1 and #4. Very well said.

Jordan

Soooooo what yer saying is that shaving with a straight must be done with feeling.....

I whole heartedly agree