Thread: Second shave (and first nick(s))

So, despite saying I would wait for my brush etc to arrive before I had my second shave with a straight, I gave in tonight and had a second shave anyway. I used a square/spike point Kraut & Donal "Regina", and had a mixed bag of results. I did a full WTG/ATG shave, and again missed some bits (I think due to not stretching skin properly). I went over these bits again, and that was when my first nick occurred - I lost focus on my mo area, and the blade sank into my cheek. Not much, the blade's too small to sink in much cos it's so light, but enough to smart and ooze a little blood. The styptic stopped the bleeding after a minute or so though, and cleared up another spot where I took the top off a wee bump on my cheek.

The blade feels like it's pulling though (both shaves), and I'm not sure if it's the blade or the beard prep - I got the bloke who sold it to me to give it a touch-up so it might not be the blade. Regarding the beard, I had a hot shower, put hair conditioner on my beard, and used boiling hot lather (made with a crappy nylon brush, which may have contributed). Could the pulling have been caused by not stretching my skin properly, or is it more likely to be beard prep or blade?

what about stropping? a good stropping will make a huge difference in the apparent sharpness of the blade.

my first shaves were pretty much like yours, until I realized that I wasn't putting enough pressure on the blade during stropping. Take a look at the stropping videos on the wiki, and see how much their strops deflect downards during the strokes, that helped me to visualize how much pressure they were putting on the blade. good luck.

Originally Posted by MuzzleVelocity

what about stropping? a good stropping will make a huge difference in the apparent sharpness of the blade.

my first shaves were pretty much like yours, until I realized that I wasn't putting enough pressure on the blade during stropping. Take a look at the stropping videos on the wiki, and see how much their strops deflect downards during the strokes, that helped me to visualize how much pressure they were putting on the blade. good luck.

Hey MV,

Thanks for the post, that's great advice. As it says in the Wiki about stropping pressure, "Not too much, not too little. That's about as precise as a description as you will get." Which doesn't help a n00b all that much, guess one has to just do it and learn.

My question is this... Do different blades require different pressure/technique? All of my razors are 5/8, full hollow. However I have a couple spike, and a couple rounded.

Just curious if there's anything I need to be on the lookout for when stropping a different type of razor.

Thanks!

WP421

Originally Posted by warpigs421

Hey MV,

Thanks for the post, that's great advice. As it says in the Wiki about stropping pressure, "Not too much, not too little. That's about as precise as a description as you will get." Which doesn't help a n00b all that much, guess one has to just do it and learn.

My question is this... Do different blades require different pressure/technique? All of my razors are 5/8, full hollow. However I have a couple spike, and a couple rounded.

Just curious if there's anything I need to be on the lookout for when stropping a different type of razor.

Thanks!

WP421

My experience is that for full hollows, you should just use enough pressure to consistently keep the entire blade flat on the strop during your stroke. Because of the thinness of the blade, if you use too much pressure, you can cause the edge to bend upwards.

For the less-hollow or near-wedge blades, I feel like I need a little more pressure to ensure the length of the bevel maintains contact with the strop. Could be a personal thing, but I get great shaves with both my full hollows and my quarter-to-near wedge blades.

Hope this helps.

Right here in the SRP Wiki is an excerpt from a barber manual on stropping and honing that is very informative. Read it carefully and you will pick up some useful tips. I try to keep a bit of pressure on the spine while stropping and flip the blade between my thumb and forefinger without bending my wrist.

The barber manual recommends practicing the flipping without moving your arm at first. Take your time. Speed will come with practice. Smooth is more important at first. As far as the shave. It takes time to learn to manipulate the blade on the different areas of the face and neck and coordinate it all with skin stretching and blade angle. All of it works together.

IME a shave ready razor should glide and cut the whiskers without pulling. Read my sig line below to avoid future nicks and cuts. Works for me. Take a look at the tutorials in the SRP Wiki here if you haven't already.

Good facial prep is a must. Along with proper stropping. Another thing. Although it is really tempting to just go for the gusto and do it all, and expecting great results, we have advised people new to straights to just shave the area between the sideburns and jaw line, and WTG only. There is a reason for this. It is the easiest place to shave and learn. You have to get a feel for how the razor feels in your hands and against your face. Also, you need to learn the angles and pressures.