First shave with classifieds razor!

So I had my first shave a little while ago.

My prep was good. Two hot towels and lathered up and stropped (I stropped a bit today because I didn't want to sit with the lather on too long) then hot toweled again with lather on.

I first attempted my right side under the sideburn with my new straight razor. It was pulling way too much so I took out my DE w/ a feather blade and did the rest of my first pass with that. By the way, I experimented with multiple angles and tried different areas and could not find anywhere that the blade would remotely glide. I even tried to shave the middle of the cheek where hair is less concentrated with a little momentum.

After I finished my first pass I went back on the right cheek and did the whole cheek another WTG with the straight razor. WOW that felt good! It did shave the closest I have ever had from just a WTG Pass. I dried it off and let it sit while I finished my shave with me DE.

So, my dillemma is that I don't know what to do because I bought this razor "Shave Ready". Although, I should say that I have pretty coarse hair. but I don't know what constitutes "shave ready?" Should I ask for the money to get it honed? The only reason I bought this razor was because it was shave ready. Now I would have to pay for shipping and honing. What do I do?

I'd say give it a bit of time. Strop well, see how it goes in the next week or two. I'm pretty sure most sellers would be happy to rehone your razor. If not I'll do it for you, but only if after you've given it 6-7 shaves you still think it's not sharp enough.

That definitely sounds like a good idea. I was probably being a bit hasty. I will try to see if shaving and stropping technique improve my shaves. The only reason I was jumping to conclusions is because after my last post I compared a DE blade and my razor and felt like they were light years apart. When I did the DE HHT I could feel the hair catch on the blade. When I did the HHT with the razor is just slide right over it with no feeling of it "catching" even a little.

Anyways, I am just a newb and will take your advice and give my technique time to mature.

You didn't say how much stropping you did before shaving. I'd suggest at least 50 laps. My preshave ritual is 20 laps on linen and 60 on leather. If your technique is good try a little more stropping and see what happens.

I wouldn't worry too much about the HHT as it's dependent on both your razor sharpness and your hair type. Even on my most scary sharp blades the best I can do with my hair is a popping noise when they cut and it fails on some of my other blades that still give a pretty decent shave.

Yeah, stropping makes a big difference, and technique too. Dull razor is more dangerous than a sharp one, so be careful, but normally subsequent shaves get better :)
For almost everybody here there's a learning curve, including yours truly. I was way too timid stropping on my first shave, which combined with the awkwardness of holding the razor didn't make for a particularly effortless one, but the next ones got better.

I'd echo everything that, gugi says. For me, correct stropping was a crucial part of the learning curve. Took quite a while to teach my hand to move in the right way but when I got it, the improvements in the shave were immense. Since your WTG pass on the right cheek felt so good, I'd guess that the razor is shave ready (couldn't believe how close my WTG passes were with my first shave ready razor, thanks again, Steve). Honestly, you sound like you're doing great, mziter. The technique will come with practice. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by gugi

Dull razor is more dangerous than a sharp one, so be careful, but normally subsequent shaves get better :)

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That is what is scaring me! I will keep trying to do my first pass WTF with the straight razor. Maybe I will try leading a bit with the toe, but it was having such a hard time getting through my hair(2 days old) that I didn't want to put too much pressure and then all of a sudden have it slice my cheek off or something:eek:

Also how taught should a strop be? I have been stropping with a fairly taught strop with it rounding only a lit bit when I strop.

Also how much pressure should there be? I use just enough pressure to feel that both the spine and edge are flat on the strop. If you could please try and find some kind of pressure to compare it too that would be great because "light" is kind of relative.

Are there any other stropping tips you can give? Should it feel a certain way?

Also, it seems to me like the blade makes a different sound when stroping one side compared to the other.

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Originally Posted by mziter

Also how taught should a strop be? I have been stropping with a fairly taught strop with it rounding only a lit bit when I strop.

Also how much pressure should there be? I use just enough pressure to feel that both the spine and edge are flat on the strop. If you could please try and find some kind of pressure to compare it too that would be great because "light" is kind of relative.

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As taut as possible. Experienced shavers seem to allow some give in the strop (eg see some of Lynn's videos) but I'm not there yet.

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Originally Posted by mziter

Are there any other stropping tips you can give? Should it feel a certain way?

Also, it seems to me like the blade makes a different sound when stroping one side compared to the other.

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There should be a slight drag, kind of relative, I know but it's the best I can do:shrug:. Perhaps more articulate members than me can chime in.

When I experience the different sound thing, I think it's because contact is uneven regarding spine and edge. When it's right there's a satisfying shick sound both ways. Hope this helps.

I hold the strop very taut and do 60 careful laps up and back. I hardly use any pressure at all, only enough to keep the blade in contact with the strop. Take your time, do it right, and the shave should be great.

X

No need to discuss stropping. You've already received some greaat advice.

From your description it sounds like you are using too geat of a blade angle. My first few times felt as though I was trying to pull the whiskers right out of trhe skin rather than cutting them. I think you will find it easier to start with a flatter angle and gradually increase that angle as you gain the feel. By flatter, try nearly laying the blade flat, but not quite. I saw some great advice in an earlier entry. Go for comfort first. It won't take long to develop your feel. Just be patient...

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Originally Posted by mziter

Also, it seems to me like the blade makes a different sound when stroping one side compared to the other.

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It's normal for the sound to be different. Most strops have a slight grain which runs just like your whiskers. When you are stropping with the grain it makes a different sound than when going against the grain. In addition to that there's the doppler effect so unless you are standing directly in the middle of the strop it will sound different going away than it does coming towards you.

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Originally Posted by AusTexShaver

It's normal for the sound to be different. Most strops have a slight grain which runs just like your whiskers. When you are stropping with the grain it makes a different sound than when going against the grain. In addition to that there's the doppler effect so unless you are standing directly in the middle of the strop it will sound different going away than it does coming towards you.

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We're not shaving the strop. How does the Doppler effect come in to play? Think we're too close to hear. Please explain.

Here are two bits of shaving wisdom I can give you, the first I read on here IIRC and it stuck as a great way of thinking when shaving....
"Three things have to come together at the same time and same space to get a great shave, The hair, the skin, and the edge of the razor"....

The other is my own bit of stropping wisdom, "Pay attention to the spine of the razor when stropping, the edge will take care of itself" this prevents the lifting of the spine and the dreaded rolling of the edge.....


Very nice offer BTW Gugi... You da "Man"

I'd like to add that technique is very important.

If your technique is good you can shave with a less than shave-ready razor, if your technique is not good, then there's no razor that'll do the job properly.

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Originally Posted by AlanII

We're not shaving the strop. How does the Doppler effect come in to play? Think we're too close to hear. Please explain.

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The best example I can give is to put a finger to your cheek and rub it up and down from your jawline to your sideburn. You will notice a different tonal pitch going up than you do going down. Works better if you have a couple days growth.

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Originally Posted by AusTexShaver

The best example I can give is to put a finger to your cheek and rub it up and down from your jawline to your sideburn. You will notice a different tonal pitch going up than you do going down. Works better if you have a couple days growth.

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The Doppler effect is about 1% change in the pitch, so the difference would be say 1000Hz vs. 1010Hz.

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Originally Posted by AusTexShaver

The best example I can give is to put a finger to your cheek and rub it up and down from your jawline to your sideburn. You will notice a different tonal pitch going up than you do going down. Works better if you have a couple days growth.

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The Doppler effect is about 1% change in the pitch, so the difference would be say 1000Hz vs. 1010Hz.

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Originally Posted by gugi

The Doppler effect is about 1% change in the pitch, so the difference would be say 1000Hz vs. 1010Hz.

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Certainly, but how will that help with a Heisenwhisker?

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Originally Posted by BeBerlin

Certainly, but how will that help with a Heisenwhisker?

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As long as you don't look at it, it will be there!

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Originally Posted by AusTexShaver

It's normal for the sound to be different. Most strops have a slight grain which runs just like your whiskers. When you are stropping with the grain it makes a different sound than when going against the grain. In addition to that there's the doppler effect so unless you are standing directly in the middle of the strop it will sound different going away than it does coming towards you.

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Man, the Doppler effect has nothing to do with stropping, unless you are stropping at several hundred miles per hour.... Please post vids if you are.

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Originally Posted by Utopian

As long as you don't look at it, it will be there!

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Actually, if you even THINK about it, it may or may not cause it to exist (or not), if I understand my quantum mechanics, and I don't think I do... unless thinking about it means I really don't, wait...:thinking: What?

Have we ran out of political/religous/other controversial threads in the conversation?

if you havent purchased lynn abrams dvd on straight razor shaving i would like to suggest it to you, as it has so much valuable information on it that pertains to everything you need to know to properly shave with a straight razor, espicially technique, just a simple adjustment could result in a great shave for you with proper technique, just a thought

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Originally Posted by joke1176

Man, the Doppler effect has nothing to do with stropping, unless you are stropping at several hundred miles per hour.... Please post vids if you are.

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I'd do that but I'd have to slow down my normal speed some. :D

You're absolutely correct...doppler has nothing to do with stropping. It's an auditory illusion and has nothing to do with speed...only that a constant tone is moving toward or away from you. Hit a tuning fork some time and make a stropping motion and see what happens.

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Originally Posted by gugi

Have we ran out of political/religous/other controversial threads in the conversation?

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Naw...we're just bored and trying to bump our post count.:jedi:

I agree with what has been said. Its all about learing angles preasure not to much preasure honing stroping just take your time and have

Michael

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Originally Posted by AusTexShaver

Naw...we're just bored and trying to bump our post count.:jedi:

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Heh:tu. Apparently this was too short (10 characters, minimum).

Thanks everyone so far! I am going to try attempt number 2 tonight!

Tonight I really concentrated on doing very slow meticulous stropping and doing a very good prep. Again I did multiple hot towels including one with lather.

The shave was better! I managed to get 2 ATG passes and 1 XTG on just the cheeks. The shave was better and I did not nick my self but the pulling was insane! I tried a lower angle (spine closer to cheek) and it might of helped a little but the first pass was the most painful pass I have ever had besides the first time when I tried to shave around my chin area.

This time I almost finished the chin area on the first pass but couldn't so I finsihed it with the DE and then relathered and hot toweled for my secone pass.

The second pass I did another WTG on my whole face and managed not to nick myself although it was still pretty tough but not nearly as bad as the first pass.

The XTG on my cheeks wasn't bad although my XTG wasn't truly XTG (more of a Diagonal W/X).

All around my face was hurtin' a bit even though my skin wasn't razor burned. It is actually funny that the only places a had a bit of razor burn were around my mouth and chin where I had to clean up with the DE.

Although I am still not convinced my razor is as sharp as I would like it, I must admit that I am suprised that it was a fair amount better than the first time!

On a bad note I noticed a few different shiny spots when I look at the edge of my razor and realized that after doing a light TNT that the blade drags significantly on those spots (one is in the middle of the blade and there are several near the toe). Is it possible that they can be from shaving or did I hit the razor with something (I don't remeber hitting it and it would have had to been multiple times.) Can I still shave with it?

Sorry this post is huge, thank you ahead of time to anyone that answers!!

I took some pictures to show the reflection of the bad parts of the edge. Sorry for the quality but I had to take them with my phone.

Your pictures are very out of focus so it's hard to tell, but I think that's a huge chip after the shiny spots.
Regardless of this, I wouldn't shave with a razor that has sliced through a thumbnail - at that point it most certainly stops meeting my shave ready standard.

From the reflections it looks like your edge is wavy. How are you wiping the lather off your blade? The metal at the edge is very thin, almost like a foil. If you wipe the side of the blade on anything harder that the 'foil' edge it will bend and/or chip. Wipe the lathre off the blade on the back of your hand or on something in your hand and be delicate. I wipe onto a paper towel I hild in my hand just to keep my hands from getting slippery. When I first started shaving I wiped my blade on a paper tower over the edge of the sink counter and the blade looked like your pic if I didn't have my glasses on. :) You need to straighten your edge back to flat. Stropping on linen may help. You may need to do this several times and waot a while inbetween sessions. This may release the stress in metal and allow edge toreturn to natural state. Caution, chipping of edge may result if metal is too fatigued. Hopefully others will offer some more advice on this.

On the blades I had this issue with the linen stropping and honing brought the edges back to flat and they all shave good now.

Now that you say it I believe the edge could be wavy. I was using a cloth to wipe off the shaving soap, I must have been a little too rough wiping it off. Also in the above post I meant TPT not TNT, I realize that these are quite different and I will edit the post ASAP.