Thread: Not having much luck

+1 on kenrup his post said it all

I'll give you some strong controversial opinions, cuz, well I'm just in that kind of a mood.

Always start with a review of the honed blade. Even if it came shave ready, pre-honed, or whatever you may have dulled it with poor stropping or bad shaving angles. Think about getting a barber hone for light touch ups. If the blade isn't honed right, you've got a problem from the start and more difficulty will only follow. Its a foundational requirement. If the blade isn't sharp, hone it some more. No puzzles here. Not sharp = hone more. That simple. Once in a while do some circular honing and start over again.

Next, stropping is pretty darn important. Use a light touch and a wicked flat strop. Build up some speed and practice. Get good at it instead of just being so-so at it. The practice is worth the effort. I know, I know, its easy, speed isn't important, blah, blah, blah. Balderdash! Do it right and stop letting people put compromises into your head. A truely well stropped blade can shave you in under 3 minutes. Compromises built up to make you feel okay about yourself aren't the tough love you or your strop hungry blade really need. Seriously, the forum is full of razors that need some truely proper stropping. Don't let yours be one of them.

Study up. Read the barbers manual and focus on honing, stropping, and shaving angles; patterns and directions too. Go ahead, this is one of those "there is no such thing as too much knowledge" sports.

So, honed blade, properly stropped; then shave with a light touch in the right direction with the right angle. BTW, if the razor doesn't "feel" exactly like a razor, then its not set right.

Do some decent prep. Use your brush and scrub the face with the bristles. If you can't devote 4 minutes to prep, skip the straight that morning. Make it a night time or weekend technique. You can always shave a section, say the non-goatee area with a straight, just for practice and then finish with whatever.

Forget about shaving your face and consider just making a few good strokes on your face. If the first several strokes aren't magic, then shaving your whole face is really only practicing failure. On top of all that, it irritates your skin too. Once you create magic, then go forth and fell all the whisker demons you desire.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Next, stropping is pretty darn important. Use a light touch and a wicked flat strop. Build up some speed and practice. Get good at it instead of just being so-so at it. The practice is worth the effort. I know, I know, its easy, speed isn't important, blah, blah, blah. Balderdash! Do it right and stop letting people put compromises into your head. A truely well stropped blade can shave you in under 3 minutes. Compromises built up to make you feel okay about yourself aren't the tough love you or your strop hungry blade really need. Seriously, the forum is full of razors that need some truely proper stropping. Don't let yours be one of them.

Controversial is right.

While you're at it perhaps you're not shaving fast enough. Forget about taking your time. Plough on in there buddy! Who's gonna notice the scars anyway?

No.

Strop. Strop well. Strop properly. Practice stropping.

Then when you get really good at it and are doing it properly speed up if you like. Other wise you'll do what I did when I took similar advice. You'll slash into your strop or drop your razor and ding it. I have done both and boy I wish i'd taken my time.

So compromise? Yes I think I will. I think i'd rather take my time stropping if it means doing it properly and having an intact razor and strop.

Besides, doing it slowly and methodically is something I find calming and therapeutic.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I'lStudy up. Read the barbers manual and focus on honing, stropping, and shaving angles; patterns and directions too. Go ahead, this is one of those "there is no such thing as too much knowledge" sports.

So, honed blade, properly stropped; then shave with a light touch in the right direction with the right angle. BTW, if the razor doesn't "feel" exactly like a razor, then its not set right.

Do some decent prep. Use your brush and scrub the face with the bristles. If you can't devote 4 minutes to prep, skip the straight that morning. Make it a night time or weekend technique. You can always shave a section, say the non-goatee area with a straight, just for practice and then finish with whatever.

Forget about shaving your face and consider just making a few good strokes on your face. If the first several strokes aren't magic, then shaving your whole face is really only practicing failure. On top of all that, it irritates your skin too. Once you create magic, then go forth and fell all the whisker demons you desire.

Controversial maybe but on the money AFAIC. Reading this barber manual in the help files did me a lot of good. I actually printed it out so I can refer to it easily and often. The prep part is super important and I agree that is the razor isn't getting it in the WTG on the cheeks then going further is not going to be a pleasant experience. BTW, I like to shave at night so I don't have to worry about rushing before I go to work in the morning.

Well it's good that you are trying to get better even though you are not happy with the results so far. That shows that you have the determination to succeed. I had similar experience when I converted to straights except I tackled honing at the same time. Here's what I did to help improve my technique:


1) Practice a light touch on the strop. No matter how light a force I thought I was using it really wasn't light. I still have to focus on using light pressure or it gets beyond optimal.
2) Test your stropped edge on your arm hairs. Try cutting one hair at a time from the toe, center and heal of the blade. If all three cut hairs easily your stropping is fine, move on to the shave. If not, you may need to touch up the edge which is another topic.
3) Shave in the evening when I can take my time and think about what I am doing.
4) Good prep prior to shave. Shower first is best.
5) make a good lather, apply lather, wait a few minutes, apply lather again
6) have an adult watch you that understands what you are trying to do. CarrieM watched me and noticed that my angle was way off when shaving out of the corner of my eye. Also I shave without my glasses until I get to trim my mustache.
7) Take your time, focus on the chore at hand and remember what you did for next time and enjoy the shave.
8) Make minor improvements on your next shave. Don't change too many things at once. If you do you won't know what is working and what needs improvement.
9) Don't shave with straights when you are frustrated, stressed, quitting smoking or can't focus on what you are doing. There are probably as many approaches to learning straights as there are members here on SRP and beyond. This is what worked for me.

I've had my straight a month, but used it every 3rd day or so, so only around 10 shaves in all. A couple were so bad it was like I'd never shaved, but a few have been really good and the improvement is clear.

Knowing and using good technique is critical, but I think my big improvements happened when I stopped obsessing about things. I stopped honing my (bought non-shave-ready) razor, and did more stropping instead. Any shaving strokes that got resisted I would just stop trying, maybe doing the area at a different angle on a later pass. If there was a bit of stubble left behind at the end, I just accepted it.

Something eventually clicks into place. Certain strokes start seeming easy. You develop motor skills that enable you to get things done. Where you felt totally cack-handed to start with, you start knowing what works or not, and what is safe.

It's a bit like juggling. You can read a book on it and know the principles inside out, and still not be able to do it. But once you start practicing there comes a magic moment when it falls into place and you can just do it.

As said, WTG only will not give you satisfactory results (for most folks).

If you then follow that up with an ATG pass, and still have stubble, then we're talking other issues at play...

Originally Posted by Rajagra

Something eventually clicks into place. Certain strokes start seeming easy. You develop motor skills that enable you to get things done. Where you felt totally cack-handed to start with, you start knowing what works or not, and what is safe.

It's a bit like juggling. You can read a book on it and know the principles inside out, and still not be able to do it. But once you start practicing there comes a magic moment when it falls into place and you can just do it.

Very true.... IME.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

As said, WTG only will not give you satisfactory results (for most folks).

If you then follow that up with an ATG pass, and still have stubble, then we're talking other issues at play...

True, but the annoying thing about ATG passes is that the areas you most need to do them are the areas where it is most difficult to do so.
I have heavy beard, and if I go against the grain in some places the blade really locks solid. Only once did I try to use pressure to overcome this, and that's when I got my only "linear" cut (not deep, just lengthy. )
As time goes by I can do more areas ATG in smooth strokes without fear of resistance, but there are a couple of problem areas left. I've learned not to fight it, and my shaves are now good anyway. The more I relax, the better my shaves.

I have a shave-ready razor on order. Nothing fancy, but it should be interesting to compare results.

Originally Posted by Rajagra

I have a shave-ready razor on order. Nothing fancy, but it should be interesting to compare results.

Makes a world of difference.