So So Results

I completed my first straight razor shave this morning, and the results were so so. I did not cut myself, but the shave was not comfortable. I felt like the razor was pulling on my bead. I would say that the razor was not sharp except that I bought a brand new Dovo silver steel razor that was hand honed to a "ready to shave condition" by someone that is very well known on this site. Given this, I am pretty confident that it is a technique problem. I have watched the CD and read a lot, so I am familiar with the basics.

What are common problems that would make the razor feel like it was pulling the hairs instead of cutting them comfortably? Do I need more pressure against the skin? I different angle. (An angle of well less than 30 degrees seemed best.) What is the best way to tell if your razor is sharp other than shaving?

Thanks

Dave

There are a few things

The pressure you put on the blade to your face, the angles you go at and it takes some time and teqnique. You could be dragging the blade or the angle to wide or you just need to shave a few more times till you start to feel what is better for your beard growth.

What helped me most in the beggining was watching some of the shave videos here. It is kinda funny and may seem a little odd to sit there and watch someone else shave but it gives you a good look at what others do to get that sweat shave.

No nicks on the first go is a great start and you are in the right place for help and direction. You wont find a better place to have positive feedback and insite.

And after your first shave you will need to strop your blade before each use and that to will need to be worked on. That will be the sharpining your razor gets from here on in.

Just my 2 cents and you will get plenty more input by tomorrow afternoon from the regulars here ;)

PS welcome to SRP !

You can't expect the first one to be perfect. There's a lot to learn & with practise it will come. You'll have to play around with angles a bit & stroke direction. I take small strokes, to mow the bristles down a bit. I follow with a longer one to ensure i've not missed anything. More pressure is not the way to go. You'll get irritation & likely cut yourself. Apart from the shave itself you could try a TPT, but it's likely to pass if it came to you honed.
Keep at it!

Welcome to SRP! :)

This is a problem that is common to many new straight razor shavers, including myself when I started. Here are a few things that helped me.

1) Take a hot shower or use a hot towel to soften your whiskers.
2) Work up a nice lather and apply a generous amount to your face. If the lather begins to thin while shaving then reapply.
3) Stretch your skin.
4) Take small strokes.
5) If the razor is still grabbing, adjust the angle of your blade. When I started, I had a tendency to place the blade too perpendicular to my face, which caused the blade to pull my hair.
6) You could try adjusting the amount of pressure you are placing on the blade. When I started, I was fearful to put any pressure on the blade at all, which caused my razor to pull my whiskers. Not much pressure is needed at all, but for me, a comfortable shave requires a little pressure.

Getting a comfortable shave will take some time. The more you shave, the better it will get. Good luck!