Thread: Agony and pain...or why i'll stop using my straight razor

hi,
i've been shaving off and on with my straight razor for some time now and although it's so sharp you can cut a hair with it just by pressing it against the blade it kills me when i shave...the thing is that i've got a very rough beard (testosteron....can't help it that i'm so manly ) and i wear glasses so sometimes i have issues stretching my skin...is there anything i can do about these to issues?

No hair produced by a human is too thick or coarse to cut with a straight razor barring the razor not being "Shave ready". It seems that literally everyone and their pet hamster has a 'Really thick, coarse, rough, steel wire, treetrunk beard.'

Certainly hundreds of thousands of men, if not more likely millions, have been shaving since the advent of the straight razor.

But be that as it may, Learning to shave with a straight takes time and patience. And that is if everything else is as it should be. Sharp razor being actually sharp, beard being properly treated beforehand and such. I have had razors which would pop hairs just fine but later, when put to my face, felt very uncomfortable.
Some of those times it was because I had rushed the beard softening process. Sometimes it was the razor which was not quite there yet. Other times it could have been razor angle although that seemed to come fast in my opinion or skin stretching/facial contortions. Really, it just takes a little bit of practice.

But what I'm trying to convey is that your beard is in no way or shape too thick. The problem is somewhere else.

Not trying to be harsh or unfriendly.

yea theres guys that shave there heads with them,
ive seen guys on videos here with Visibly thick, wire like hair, swipe it off like a knife through warm butter.
theres a vid of an arab guy on here shaving a indian guys head with thick hair, in just a couple swipes.
you should get ur razor honed by a pro, it costs the same as a 4 pack of mach5's. then youll know its sharp,
then try to take a hot shower before, if you already do that, try lathering up, and then putting a hot towel on your face over the lather. then relather and shave.
try using ur tongue to help stretch from the inside, i find that ican even fill in those hard to reach areas under the jawline by pulling the back of the tungue as far back as i can.
the pain and agony is caused by bad or poorly honed razor, worng pressures/angles.
dont use any pressure, just make contact, let the sharp edge do the work.
good luck!

your razors to dull and your technic probably needs some work. You should try to get to one of the gathering and get some pointers from one of the more experienced members. Drop me a pm and I will help see if there is one close to you.

If your razor's sharp enough, then I'd say the problem probably lies with your beard prep. However, if you're a rookie like myself it would probably pay to get it honed professionally, just to make sure it's not the razor.

With the prep, one thing I've tried myself to soften my beard before a shave is to have a long hot shower, during which I apply regular old hair conditioner to my stubble and leave it on there for a minute or two. I wash it off, dry off, then whack a hot towel on my face to heat up the hairs and keep them moist. After that I lather and shave as normal. I've found that using boiling water (or just under boiling) gives a really nice hot lather that keeps my beard good and soft, and even when I was using a blunt as hell plastic throwaway razor (when I was out travelling), these techniques kept it pain- and irritation-free.

Being Sicilian, I am thinking (naturally) about the olive oil treatment for beard prep. Here's what I was thinking of doing, tell a n00b where he's gaffing up:

Given I am showering in the evening:
1.) Start shower, use a gentle face soap to clean off the days gunk
2.) Use some olilo di oliva on my whiskers, leaving it on while I'm finishing up the rest of the job. (sort of in lieu of conditioner)
3.) Don't dry my face, or the oil off? Lather up and leave that on my face for a few mins. while I'm stropping.
4.) At this stage, should I rinse off and re-lather?
5.) Shave

Any expertise anyone could provide would be much appreciated.

Thanks everyone...

I too wear glasses (bifocals) but I take them off to shave. Can you get by without them for easier skin stretching ? What do you shave with when you don't use the straight ? My straights are as sharp if not sharper than an average DE blade. How long have you been at it ? All of the above replies addressing issues with technique, preparation and sharpness may have something to do with your problem. Point being take a look at those things as persistence is really worthwhile with this hobby. When you finally start getting good results you'll be glad you stayed with it.

Beard prep and angles have been mentioned. My $.02 I'd like to throw in is blade pressure and beard reduction (not clear cutting). The pressure should be firm but relaxed (think nimble). The straight is made to reduce the beard, not get BBS in one swipe. It may take two or three passes to get it absolutely smooth. Also, until you feel super comfortable with the shave I would suggest just doing one pass of your face with the grain. Hope that helps and don't forget about the wiki for lather making and prep.

Originally Posted by atzerath

..is there anything i can do about these to issues?

Try finishing the blade on Chromium Oxide. Either on a paddle strop or a simple block of balsa wood flattened with sandpaper.

I was shocked at what a difference CrO made to smoothness. Since you are certain you already have sharpness, this would be a logical next step.

Re glasses, only you can decide if they are necessary. Personally I leave them off.

I wear glasses while shaving. Some guys can make do without them, but they are a big help to me.
You may need to adjust the way you hold the razor. Be sure your shaving angle is correct. The razor should be as flat against your face as possible. There is an angle, but many newbies (like me) use an angle that is too steep. As soon as I flattened it out, things began to work better.