Thread: My first SR "shave"...beard 1, razor zilch zip nada.

Either my choice of moniker was prophetic or I may need more time on the hone. I was able to get my cheeks relatively smooth, but the neck and chin was where it all went awry. At first I thought I had sliced off a steak but quickly realized the pain was from hairs nearly being wrenched from my flesh. Those that didn't cut just bent obscenely or caught and pulled the skin upwards. No blood at least.

My thinking is that I simply didn't hone the blade enough. The blade I started with was rather dull with some minute chips. I took these out and established a bevel at 2k grit, then used a carborundum 103 until the blade passed the fingernail test (I started testing while the blade was dull so I could get the feel). This morning I stropped with linen then leather before I shaved my cheeks and plucked my chin like a chicken.

Am I correct in thinking that bad stropping technique would have prevented me from even clearing my cheeks? It may be that I had just the barest of edges going and should have kept honing. The 103s don't cut terribly fast, so going from 2k to a shave should probably take more than the 60 or 70 passes I took. The last 20 or so were on a wet then lathered hone. Any thoughts?

You really need more than just a 2k hone.

I also think you bit off a little more than you can chew here. Your first razor should be honed by a professional.

Then once you are comfortable shaving, think about getting a second razor and some more hones. But I would only hone a razor that needs touched up at first, not an ebay special.

The link below should fix your problems.

Member Services - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

You really need more than just a 2k hone.

I also think you bit off a little more than you can chew here. Your first razor should be honed by a professional.

Then once you are comfortable shaving, think about getting a second razor and some more hones. But I would only hone a razor that needs touched up at first, not an ebay special.

The link below should fix your problems.

Member Services - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

First of all WELCOME; I agree with slartibartfast, get a razor you can compare the sharpness with enjoy months of shaving with it and strop. After get second razor and hones and try again yourself.
See classifieds.

You are one of those jump right in kinda guys huh???

Remind me never to do anything dangerous, like skydiving, with ya

It is going to take just a wee bit more work than that to get it to shaving, every now and then you do run across one that takes an edge that fast, because somebody left it that way...

The guys are giving you good advice to get your first razor honed correctly so you have a razor to learn on then start on honing with touching that one up down the road on the #103...

Just send it out.

Stopping on a 2k and going to a barber hone. You may as well sit down for 2 hours and do 200+ laps on the carb hone.

You really need a better progression, or a coti if you want one hone.

I had a bad experience with a hone miester, bought a Inox and had it pre-honed, when it got to me it was so dull it could nto shave anything let alone my face. So I must humbly disagree with conventional wisdom, I rather get the honing job done myself and see that its done properly then to send it to a professional and have ti come back real real dull. Ok, there you have it a disenting opinion and advice is always worth what you pay for it.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

You are one of those jump right in kinda guys huh???

Remind me never to do anything dangerous, like skydiving, with ya

It is going to take just a wee bit more work than that to get it to shaving, every now and then you do run across one that takes an edge that fast, because somebody left it that way...

The guys are giving you good advice to get your first razor honed correctly so you have a razor to learn on then start on honing with touching that one up down the road on the #103...

I know Glen. It's always the problem that a newbie gets a dull "shave ready" razor. That's always the case. It is never bad technique, improper stropping, or face prep that has anything to do with cuts/nicks and razor burn. It's that horrible edge...

Yeah and when you get that razor back from Glen, DON'T STROP IT.

This is how your razor will feel at its sharpest. Let it be your benchmark so that you know what to strive for when you do your own honing.

Good luck!

Ogie