Thread: Silly Question

I wanted to know if some of you guys that have been straight shaving for a while could describe the way a shave should feel with a properly honed and stropped razor. I have been shaving with a straight for a few months now but it is still uncomfortable to shave ATG. Is this normal or should there be no discomfort at all?

--Josh

I think it will depend on your skin, but the first time I used a truly sharp razor... it was like wiping off lather with a stick of butter... but I've never had sensitive skin either.

What are you using... and where was it honed?

Not a silly question, but a tough one. I don't have any discomfort shaving ATG, but that's my face. I use an alum block and rarely feel a tingle. My face doesn't feel right unless I finish with a good alcohol-based after shave. There are guys with faces that cannot take ATG strokes.

If you get a rash after ATG, just go with WTG and XTG. Maybe your face will adjust to the str8 and you will be able to use ATG later. Can you use ATG on some areas of your face and not others? Maybe your technique needs fine tuning, more practice. There is an area on my right jawline that took me about three months before my left hand was coordinated enough to make the ATG pass. I just did ATG everywhere but there. Eventually, my coordination improved and I can now shave the jawline ATG. Take your time, shave slowly, and aim for comfort, not BBS. The BBS will show up on its own. Oh, most importantly, enjoy!

Originally Posted by jds627

I wanted to know if some of you guys that have been straight shaving for a while could describe the way a shave should feel with a properly honed and stropped razor. I have been shaving with a straight for a few months now but it is still uncomfortable to shave ATG. Is this normal or should there be no discomfort at all?

--Josh

In the beginning I would take my razors straight from my Norton 4k/8k, strop it on some leather, and shave. I got pretty good shaves but I felt slight discomfort when going against the grain. However, once I bought my Coticule stone and some chromium oxide paste, I no longer felt any discomfort when going against the grain. For me, the extra sharpness that a finishing stone and paste provides has stopped all discomfort, as minimal as it was, and has really given me excellent smooth shaves.

Hope this helps you.

Like a hot knife through butter. Of course, the knife cools a bit by the third pass.

X

This is a straight shaving forum and, for that reason, the focus tends to be on the razor and honing/pastes. But the downside is that we forget that the foundation of any good wet shave is good preparation. If your skin is getting irritated it probably has to do with the length of time you lather more than the sharpness of the blade. Try really lathering up your face for an extra minute before each pass and you'll see a big difference.

the perfect shave actualy shouldn't feel at all. that's it you just swipe the razor and don't feel anything, but the hair is gone.
i only have few razors that provide me with this experience. in my case it can't be the stropping or the prep since they are the same, so it must be my honing or the razors itself.
i still keep trying to get the others as close as possible to the level of those few.

but yeah you should be quite comfortable, you could feel the razor cutting, but it shouldn't be pulling on the hair. against the grain is usualy the hardest.

Originally Posted by gugi

the perfect shave actualy shouldn't feel at all. that's it you just swipe the razor and don't feel anything, but the hair is gone.

Gugi is correct, you shouldn't feel anything. Lot's depends on face prep, keenness of your blade, your technique in stropping and shaving and somewhat your skin.

When I started honing and straight shaving I went from 1200 to 8000 grit hone and got a better shave than the cartridge razors. As my shaving technique improved and I was able to keep the blade angle closer to 30 degrees it got better and smoother. In my quest for the perfect shave I purchased polishing hones and now most of my razors have no tugging just a smooth shave. With a sharp and polished blade, the correct blade angle and no pressure from the blade on your skin you will also get a great shave. Be aware of your stropping, angle and pressure and you will like the results. Send your razor to a honemiester to get the edge up to par and you will reduce the variables to only your skills, and you can work on improving them.

Good luck.

It should be a smooth shave with no pulling if it is sharp. A dull blade can pull, cause discomfort and just plain not shave the hair well at all.

There should be no discomfort.
Sharpness is the key. A very light stropping on diamond paste. Only the weight of the razor.
If the blade cant pass the hanging hair it aint sharp.

You can get it sharper. Don't give up it's a long learning curve!

Nick