The first few shaves

Hi all

when after the first couple of shaves, i'm still struggleing to get that "babys bum" finish. is this normal? has anybody else found this?

WELCOME ZOD yes it takes a while to get the bbs shave. make sure you are stretching the skin as tight as you can and do all three passes wtg,xtg,agt hair will grow in differant directions on your face once you learn where these trouble spots are you can concentrate on them. remember stretch skin tight as possible do an against the grain pass and touch up as needed :gl:

Everyone has this problem when they start. There are many factors in causing this.

1: was the razor shave ready and honed when you bought it?
2: Are you stropping before you shave?
3: Are you stropping correctly and enough before the shave?
4: Is your face prep good enough?
5: Are you using the correct angle of the blade when you're shaving with it? Too steep an angle won't cut the hair much, just scrap the top layers off.
6: Are you stretching enough and correctly? Everyone needs to experiment with the directions they stretch their skin to get good results. For example stretching down on my neck may work, but for other guys stretching sideways works better.

What do you use for prep? What kind of blade are you using? Some brands just aren't good and you'll never get a good shave from them.

Thanks for the advice.
I'm using an old Marples & co, bee hive straight. I think i have it sharp enough. it seems to pass all the tests mentioned in these forums. I think you might have it with 5 & 6. I have noticed that it is shaving but i am now thinking my angle is all wrong. For instance, when i wipe the foam off the blade there are whiskers" LOL" in the foam. I'm using a hard soap which i mix in a bowl to a nice consistency. Wilkinson sword soap if it helps.
Thankyou for the help

The first few weeks I only got what I would call adequate shaves. By that point I had perfected the technique and it became easier to get good quality shaves. I do not try to get BBS every day, normally only on the weekends do I have the time to strive for the BBS shave. Just remember take your time and have patience and everything will become easier the more you use the straight.:gl:

The only thing I can say is keep experimenting with stretching and angles. Is your lather slick enough? Straights tends to like slicker lather than other types of razors, like DEs. Is the blade getting stuck on the hairs, or snagging?

Try using the blade flatter to the face and then work up on the angle very little by little until you find a good spot for you. I also know that some grounds work will for others and some don't. For example I really like my Extra hollow GOTTA, it works a lot better for me over my 1/2 hollow Wapi.

also make sure you know how your beard growths. Direction is important.