The First Touch

Ok, well, I finally got those blades next to my face. I tried both my Double Arrow and my Kropp in test shaves today--one on each cheek.

I did my normal shave--I've been wetshaving for a few months now--with MWF and my Omega Professional Boar. Then, I started with the straights.

The DA is definitely not shave ready, but it did cut hairs. I don't think it'll be a big problem to get it shave ready when I get my hones...we'll see.

The Kropp was much better, of course. I think I might have dulled it a little playing with it before the shave, :o, but it was cutting and moving fairly smoothly. I still need to work on my angle of attack, of course, but..well, I still have both my ears, and I only needed on pint of blood afterward! ;) (Actually, no nicks at all...Yay!).

Now to figure out stropping!!!

Interesting... I have yet to try shaving with the straight razor. I have been to busy lately, and I don't want to rush my first time. My goal is to do it this coming weekend or MLK's at the latest.

Cheers,

Preussen555

I have two Double Arrows. Both arrived “close but no cigar” as shave ready goes. They were very easy to get honed up from there. Only problem has been that they require re-honing much more frequently than any of my other blades.

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Originally Posted by JimR

The DA is definitely not shave ready, but it did cut hairs. I don't think it'll be a big problem to get it shave ready when I get my hones...we'll see.

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Hmmm. My face is the only test that matters when it comes to the edge. I have yet to be convinced that the HHT is anything other than something to impress people. However, there are members who swear by it.

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Originally Posted by dward

Hmmm. My face is the only test that matters when it comes to the edge. I have yet to be convinced that the HHT is anything other than something to impress people. However, there are members who swear by it.

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I can see that, for sure. But in this particular post, I was talking about the hairs on my face :D. It tugged and struggled to shave, though it did take some stubble.

Congratulations on your shave and your entry into the world of straight shaving!
Look forward to hearing more of your experiences.

Thanks netsurfr!
I have an update. Thinking that I may have messed up the edge by TNTing when I shouldn't have, I waited to try again until my Filly strop from RupRazors came in. It did, and this morning I used the pasted side to frehen up the edsge of the Kropp--about 8 passes, until the edge looked smooth in the light. No random sparkles, etc. Then, 30 passes on the linen and 20 on the shell.

This time, I got a very smooth cutting pass on my cheeks. I extended a bit and tried my jawline (small cut there, nothing more than I still sometimes get from my DE) and then moved to my chin. Here, I had a problem. The blade would NOT cut the whiskers--if got stuck at the beginning of the stroke. I was scared to use more force, so I gave up. This s right under my bottom lip. The hair there is MUCH coarser than the rest of my face, for some reason...I know this from my DE shaves.

I guess the blade is still a little dull; I'll try another round on the CrO2 before my next shave. If that doesn't work, I guess I'll give it a go when my Barber hone gets here.

This is fun!

Try a few shaves where you stop a lot more on the leather (50+ passes each way.) It worked for me where repeated honing didn't.

I found the same thing. The cheeks and some parts of the neck are easy for the blade to shave the stubble. The chin and mustache are where the rubber meets the road. It takes a truly shave ready razor to cut those whiskers.

It takes some time practicing to get to where you can hone a razor to shave ready. It is good to have at least one honed by a pro to give you a benchmark for what a shave ready razor will feel like.

It should go through those chin whiskers like a hot knife through butter. I got lucky in that I had a honemiester living nearby and he showed me a lot. That, a severe case of RAD and a lot of patience and persistence got me to where I can get them sharp. If you can find a forum member near you who is experienced in honing and will show you that is a real +. One way or the other keep at it and you will be having smooth shaves before too long. :tu

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I found the same thing. The cheeks and some parts of the neck are easy for the blade to shave the stubble. The chin and mustache are where the rubber meets the road. It takes a truly shave ready razor to cut those whiskers.

It takes some time practicing to get to where you can hone a razor to shave ready. It is good to have at least one honed by a pro to give you a benchmark for what a shave ready razor will feel like.

It should go through those chin whiskers like a hot knife through butter. I got lucky in that I had a honemiester living nearby and he showed me a lot. That, a severe case of RAD and a lot of patience and persistence got me to where I can get them sharp. If you can find a forum member near you who is experienced in honing and will show you that is a real +. One way or the other keep at it and you will be having smooth shaves before too long. :tu

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Thanks for the advice. I actually bought this one shave ready but through inept handling (sorry Mike!) I messed up the edge.

I'm planning to have one of my western straights and my Tosuke honed by a pro before too long, so I know what to shoot for. Although, to be honest...I think going through my whiskers like a hot knofe through butter sounds like a pretty good indicator...;)

I have to be perfectly honest, though...I am more interested in honing than in shaving with straights. I can't explain why, but I want to be able to bring something to that kind of edge with these hands...

Strange, I know. :o

Congrats, Jim. The importance of good pre-shave stropping on clean leather cannot be overstated nor over performed. Keep that up and the technique should just fall into place as you have the pleasure of learning with a well prepared blade. I assume you've got the beard prep down by now.

X

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Originally Posted by xman

Congrats, Jim. The importance of good pre-shave stropping on clean leather cannot be overstated nor over performed. Keep that up and the technique should just fall into place as you have the pleasure of learning with a well prepared blade. I assume you've got the beard prep down by now.

X

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Thanks X. I'm working on that technique. Slow and easy wins the race, indeed. I think my beard prep is ok--I've been DE shaving for a few months now, and I have an entirely too extensive collection of soaps, creams and brushes...

I tried the DA today. I gave it about 30 laps on the CrO2, and then 30 on the linen and 50 on the leather. It was popping hairs like crazy, and it had a distinctive sticky feeling on my thumb, so I tried the shave. It was a good deal smoother than the Kropp, though it's still not ready for my lower lip area. Looks like these boys have a date with a honemeister!

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Originally Posted by JimR

Thanks X. I'm working on that technique. Slow and easy wins the race, indeed. I think my beard prep is ok--I've been DE shaving for a few months now, and I have an entirely too extensive collection of soaps, creams and brushes...

I tried the DA today. I gave it about 30 laps on the CrO2, and then 30 on the linen and 50 on the leather. It was popping hairs like crazy, and it had a distinctive sticky feeling on my thumb, so I tried the shave. It was a good deal smoother than the Kropp, though it's still not ready for my lower lip area. Looks like these boys have a date with a honemeister!

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G'day Jim. I've never used a DA but my Kropp borders on perfection for my beard. Will be interested in your opinion once its shave ready.

I did a full pass with the DA today. I gave it another 20 or so passes on the CrO2, and then 50 on linen and nearly 100 on the leather. It felt really really sharp on the TPT, and popped hairs like crazy a centimeter above my arm.

It smoothly cut on my cheeks, so I moved under my lower lip. With a slight angle adjustment, it cut the hairs there too! Yay! I was able to do my upper lip, as well. BUT...it was seriously painful. Very serious razorburn...After the shave, I was red red red, and there was still some serious stubble left. I finished up with my Futur, and ended up ok when it comes to smoothness, but red...red red red. Oh my.

I think there were two problems. The blade is not sharp enough, and my angle/pressure weren't quite right. The first will be ok soon0I got my BBW/Coticule combo today, and a barber hone is on the way. I also have my Kropp on the way to a honemester, so...time to work on technique!

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Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

Your entire face was red or just your upper lip? I read it as your entire face, this leads me to believe that perhaps you are using too much pressure. Or the razor simply isn't sharp enough which would also lead to using more pressure than necessary but also tugging, or you perhaps have had another reaction to a soap and didn't realise. :shrug:

Just a few thoughts.

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It was patches--upper lip, under my lower lip, some patches on my cheeks...almost my whole face, yeah,but not quite. I'm sure that there are problems with pressure and angle...and that the razor wasn't quite sharp enough. As I understand it, it should glide effortlessly through most hair; it's near enough, there wasn't a lot of tugging, but not QUITE what I would call a sharp edge. Not if these claims of DE sharpness are accurate. ;)