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

It hurts? like pricking while shaving or burns afterward? How were you shaving before?
I think using linen might offer some info about how your stropping is coming along. I have a feeling your blade is not so sharp that linen won't improve it.

If your stropping is dulling the razor- thus requiring more pressure and causing more snatching than cutting(more burn)- the linen will finish it off

I've had very little razor burn so thats a guess. seems to come from a dull razor -too many passes with too much pressure and angle to get it to cut.

prickling could be honed-in chips, high shave angle chips(some kind of edge damage from angle, bur or something along those lines.

A straight exfoliates so your skin may need to adjust to this new treatment //could be all you need is extra prep and TLC til your technique builds

The easiest problem for me to see out of all this is that the angle of the blade is too high due to inexperience or due to a dulled edge from improper stropping or honing.

No updates onthe shave?