First attempt at shaving with a straight razor

Hi all,

Well I thought I was ready to give it a try this morning. Did all my usual prep, and thought I will just do the sideburn area to start off slow. I paid very close attention to the angle and pressure but it felt like I was scraping the side of my face with a sharp rock. I tried it on both sides but it just wasn't cutting easily at all, the blade dragged and scratched/scraped the whiskers off. So, I stopped and re-lathered and shaved with my DE ( which, ironically, ended up being one of the best shaves I've had since I started using a DE razor).

I was given the razor as "shave ready", and please understand that I am not complaining as it was a very generous PIF and it has encouraged me to give this a try.

Is it possible that it just needs to be stropped? I don't own a strop, therefore I didn't strop the razor before trying it this morning. Should it shave as comfortably as using the DE or does it feel rough the first time?
I'd like to give it another try, I assume I am going to have to purchase a strop and try again. Can someone offer a suggestion for a good beginner's strop and where to get it?

Thanks for any and all help!

1st: shave-ready is not the same for everyone. 2nd: razors hardly ever are truly shave-ready out of the box. 3rd: after honing you need to strop before you shave. 4th: the razor should be used at a 30 degree angle while shaving. 5th: you need a very good prep before shaving with a straight: proper cream or soap applied with a brush 6th: when you start shaving with a straight razor you may experience a bit more skin irritation than usually but you should not have to apply a lot muscle to work your way through the stubble.

And remember: practice makes perfect.

Further to Kees's comments, you may find the links in my signature worth reading.

Hang on. Make that "will", not "may". Good luck!

Since this is a PIF (pass it forward) razor i think that we can assume that it was shave ready when you got it. the pre-shave use of a strop though is a big part of the comfort factor. Stropping aligns the edge and cleans it making it smoother on the face.

But as Kees notes, the first few weeks of using a straight is a big learning experience where you first learn the proper way to hold the blade to the face and the practice if very light pressure to glide through the beard. as well as the wonderful ex foliating that the razor will do ...particularly if too much pressure is exerted.

Remember strop first 40 to 60 full laps on the strop with little pressure, spine leading and taking great care that you flip it over on the spine, not the edge :)

Check the classifieds and Vendors Corner forum. There are several sources of inexpensive, but very good strops.

Keep working the area between the sideburn and jawline, WTG only until you are comfortable with the blade angles and manipulating the razor. Take your time. There is no hurry.

Another good source of information is Lynn's CD. It really is a good reference for the novice. It's over 3 hours long and covers most of the major topics of straight razors, including shaving with one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bbsupersport

I was given the razor as "shave ready", and please understand that I am not complaining as it was a very generous PIF and it has encouraged me to give this a try.

Is it possible that it just needs to be stropped? I don't own a strop, therefore I didn't strop the razor before trying it this morning. Should it shave as comfortably as using the DE or does it feel rough the first time?
I'd like to give it another try, I assume I am going to have to purchase a strop and try again. Can someone offer a suggestion for a good beginner's strop and where to get it?

Thanks for any and all help!

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Hi!

I looks like your str8 razor was not sharp enough... :hmmm:

Furthermore, depending on where you bought it, shave-ready razors are NOT as ready as they should be...:rant:

Before to attempt anything, you should run the so-called HHT test (Youtube is your friend).. If you str8 doesn't pass at least this test (if you have a full hollow blade), just don't shave... :nono:

An other test is to shave your arm and feel the sensation.. If the blade is pulling/dragging then you know the answer... A proper prepared blade can easily cut your arm hairs without even touching the skin.. I mean, passing the blade in the middle of your arm hair, without touching the skin, your hair should be cut...

Moreover, some of us are not using a strop anymore.. Depending on what you want, you can avoid to use one and have without any problem a BBS shave out of it...

Hope this help..:tu

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Karakoup1

Before to attempt anything, you should run the so-called HHT test (Youtube is your friend)...

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Youtube will never be my friend. Come to think of it, I do not know too many people who befriend a website. Neither would I like to.

Be that as it may, courtesy of the the venerable xman, we proudly present Sharpness tests explained - Straight Razor Place Wiki - including Youtube video. Enjoy.

[quote=BeBerlin;276643]Youtube will never be my friend. Come to think of it, I do not know too many people who befriend a website. Neither would I like to.quote]

And so do I.... :gaah: :rofl2:

I just wanted to point out the fact that a video was out there... A video being 1000 times more self-explanatory than words...

The best test regarding a razors ability to shave it to shave with it. If it does not shave well, it could be all of the things mentioned above.

Have fun,

Lynn

Newb to newb: I don't think your razor was sharp enough. If it's properly sharpened, I doubt you'd have even as much irritation on your WTG pass with the straight as you'd have with your regular DE. I've only done two shaves now with a straight, but in both instances, my WTG pass was *more* comfortable, and quite a bit closer, than my WTG pass with a DE. Granted, I do pull the skin tighter with the straight, and I'm sure that helps (BTW, you *are* pulling the skin tight, right? You will get *Much* less irritation, tugging, pulling, and a closer shave if you do). It can be kind of a pain to figure out how to stretch and/or pull the skin tight and still see your face in the mirror as well as hold on to the blade, but that's what makes this fun. ;)

Again, just a newbs point of view, but if you are doing all the things in the videos (correct angle, no pressure, and *pulling the skin tight*) and you're still getting tugging, pulling, and irritation, I'd be willing to bet my left ear (which fell victim to my straight about ten minutes ago) that your blade isn't sharp enough.

Edit: I don't know if this is a common newb mistake or not, but I wanted to add... When the straight is skipping, tugging, and/or pulling, I have a tendency to want to apply *more* pressure in an attempt to make it stop skipping. Wow, this is wrong, wrong, wrong. It'll only make your face more irritated and increase the risk of cutting your skin. Re-lather the area, and use *less* pressure.

Thank you all for the great advice and help. I have a few things to try now to help narrow down what the problem was. And I'm in no rush, as I am enjoying some of the most pleasant shaving experiences ever using a DE with good quality shave creams, a brush, scuttle and aftershaves. However, I am intrigued by straight razor shaving and will keep at it.

[quote=Karakoup1;276641]

Moreover, some of us are not using a strop anymore.. Depending on what you want, you can avoid to use one and have without any problem a BBS shave out of it...


Excuse me!? I think I need a clarification on this statement.

That's like saying, "you can become a great golfer, and you don't need to practice anymore". :w

Please, anyone..........

Steve

Tony Miller has a great apprentice strop or if you prefer, purchase an Artisan strop with a practice strop. Use the practice strop until you get a good feel for stropping.

The comment about not needing to strop should be totally disregarded if you want a comfortable shave.

Hm, no strop?

I guess you could use a number of alternatives (e.g. your own hand, jeans, etc.) but no stroping whatsoever would, indeed, make for an uncomfortable shave in my case.

Maybe if you have tough and desensitized skin it's not so much of an issue? :shrug: