Thread: Is it suppose to hurt the first time (and second, and third)?

How is it remove the whisker? If you can tell that the area shaved is really smooth, you just may want to experiment with the angle alittle (30 degrees or less). The irritated feeling should definitely go away in a couple days. If the whisker removal is not great and the burning continues, I would recommend another honing. You can send it to me if you need to and I'll hone it for you on me. You can spring for the shipping.

Keep us posted,

Lynn

Newbie advice.

1) Throw some warm water on your face (right jaw), let it soak in.
2) Lather up your right jaw with a nice moist lather. Work it in, make sure its a bit wet.
3) Shave your right jaw at a nice 30 deg. or so angle.

Does it pull? Is it close?

In my short-lived experience, moist hairs and a proper angle, as well as the right jaw seems to go much better.

Having said that, I admit I got quite a bit of pulling at the start, but the above as well as a nice high quality stropping session fixed most of the problems.

Lynn: The razor you honed keeps getting better...errr....I mean, I think I am improving.

( Looking at the razor under a 30x microscope revealed a nice polished edge. My self-honed version had a few tiny chips and less polish. 30x shows this quite well.)

The answer is no - but you need to understand that honing a razor is not an exact science. What is sharp for one person isn't for someone else. A lot depends on the thickness/corusness of your beard itself as well as the sensativity of your skin. When we hone a razor we can almost always get it in the ball park for you but sometimes it needs to be "fine tuned". Anyone who does this for money - as I do when I sell new razors - should be willing to rehone a razor at no cost if it isn't quite right for you. I have had razors sent to me to be rehoned because they were "too sharp" as well as the ones I rehoned for mot being sharp enough. Like I said, it isn't an exact science, but the answer is no it shouldn't hurt at all and the gent would probably be happy to touch it up for you.

Having said that and then reading other posts I must clarify. Beard prep is as important as a sharp razor. Without proper preperation it doesn't matter how sharp it is - it will hurt! Stropping technique is important too. You can take a perfectly honed razor and within a few strokes round off the edge so it isn't very shavable. You must strop correctly. As Lynn says - your shaving angle between your skin and the razor has a lot to do with it too. it takes time to get the hang of all of this but once you do you will never pay Gellette another dime!

How long ago was your razor honed, if at all?

If it was honed within the last month, stropping technique could be the issue. My Thiers razor seems to like a bit firmer pressure when stropping. If light stropping doesn't get you a more comfortable shave, go firmer.

If the razor hasn't been honed, then get it honed like the others advised, and then continue to work on the stropping part.

If your razor is cutting hairs while burning your face, then it's probably honed ok. If not then send it to Lynn, he offered and he's a master at it. That's an incredible offer and I'd take it if he told me the same.

If your razor is cutting hairs on the first pass but burning then your angle is probably to blame, or the face prep stage. Make sure your soap isn't too dry, make sure you're stropping correctly also. I didn't know I was stropping wrong until three weeks into shaving. Make sure the spine is flat throughout the stropping and don't apply pressure on the strop if it's already drawing the razor (kind of like a suction under the blade).

If your angle is too high then you're going to get burn. Lower the angle and use negative pressure. If you need to use a very high aggressive angle to cut any hairs at all then your razor wasn't honed to shave readiness.

this is my prep routine for any pointers you may need:

1)Soak brush in very hot water while I shower also put a drop of hot water on the soap puck while I shower.
2)In the shower I wash my face and I don't use conditioner. It actually makes my hairs stronger on my face.
3) Get out of the shower and keep my face wet. Lather up on my face after squeezing and shaking extra water out of my brush. I lather on my face, I think bowl lathering is a waste of time. You can dip your brush slightly into hot water if your lather is dry and keep lathering.

After I lather I put a very hot steaming wash cloth or towel on my face and press it into the lather for about a minute. Then I wipe off the lather with the towel and then apply the lather for my first actual pass. I strop before I shower.

Hope all that helps you in some way.

EDIT: I Saw the website for the place that sharpened your razor and it seems they know what they're doing to offer straight shaves for 50$ and have a honing service online. I would think you're stropping is dulling the razor or your technique is just off during the starting out period.

Welcome to the board. Good advice all around. I'll have to check out that barber shop. I wasn't aware of it.

Jordan

Originally Posted by jnich67

Welcome to the board. Good advice all around. I'll have to check out that barber shop. I wasn't aware of it.

Jordan

I just realized you live pretty close to me and I bought a hone from you that was shipped in the mail!

Originally Posted by Disburden

I just realized you live pretty close to me and I bought a hone from you that was shipped in the mail!

Indeed! I hope it's working well for you.

Jordan

This is all good advice.
You did get an offer to get that razor honed by Lynn, you should jump on that.