Originally Posted by
Lt.Arclight
Even a "pre-sharpened" razor isn't really "SHAVE READY". Although sharp,the edge will generally require some polishing. Depending on who honed the blade,some may need more than others. For those new to Str8's-there are many things on your mind.:hmmm: And sometimes adequate stropping isn't the first.:D
Many of us have our own pre-shave rituals that have been learned by trial and error. IMO,using a PROPER stropping technique, I'd give that blade about 10-15 strokes on linen and then around 50 on the leather.YMMV.
Remember, pre-shave prep is crucial to a good shave. Lynn's shaving DVD is a wealth of knowledge and has other useful info-I'd highly recommend it.
A shave ready blade will NOT pull-but only if proper technique is used. Too much or too little angle will create discomfort.Once the skin is stretched,short deliberate strokes should easily remove all stubble. Remember, if you do need to go back-don't forget to wet the area and add a small amount of lather.As your skill progresses you WILL find the correct angle.
That being said,re-stropping the blade is perfectly acceptable and may bring the edge back to where it needs to be.
In my experience, I found that I would dull perfectly sharp blades by repeatedly touching it to determine sharpness. Once stropped-don't touch the blade to anything other than your face.
You seem to be on the right track. CONGRAT'S on your first shave. Don't get discouraged. Respect-but don't FEAR the razor. Let IT do the work. Best of Luck.:tu
PS: Rich 202: A shave ready blade will easily cut your whisker's in fact some exception razors literally feel like a "velvet" squeegy,wiping the stubble from your face. Unfortunately, NONE of our first shaves were that good and even with alot of experience,there are bad days. Just KEEP AT IT.