Pulling like crazy

I've spent the last week reading all the advice posted here, thanks to all the great ideas.

So, my Dovo arrived today and was shave ready. I followed the stropping guidelines and the tips on how to break-in a new strop. I've preped my beard well and have followed the advice to only shave the cheeks on the first day.

Sadly, the Dovo pulled on my whiskers something terrible. I tried different angles with the same result. So, I stopped and finished with my double edge. I know it takes practice, but I could barely move the blade through my 2 days of stubble.

I have 2 nice nicks to let heal before I try again.

Was it shave ready, ie from a person who knew what they were doing when they sharpened it? If so, it's a technique problem. Reading is great. Doing (eventually) works. Keep learning (I still am), don't stop reading and good luck. Oh, and welcome to the forum.

Yeh, I bought it from Lynn who honed it for me, so I know it was shave ready.

Another possibility, it's pulling due to bad stropping technique. From what you said in your email, I gather you stropped before shaving? If you did there was no need because it came to you stropped.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wchidester

Yeh, I bought it from Lynn who honed it for me, so I know it was shave ready.

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Hmm. I would also be interested to know why your having a hard time shaving with a razor sharpened by Lynn. I messed mine up up by stropping it incorrectly by having it not be taut enough and accidently nicking the strop with the blade because the strop wasn't stationary enough and I didn't take my time. So I pre-ordered the new paddle strop from Straight Razor Designs. I really think that will solve my problem. If by some chance you're having the same problem I did, I would recommend trying the paddle strop and see if that works.

I just read keenedge response, that's exactly what happened to me. I opened up the razor and tried stropping it before I used it for the first time and messed up the edge. I now realize I didn't have to because it was just honed.

It could be a combination of technique, or the lack of it or..... stropping. An inexperienced hand can dull a shave ready edge PDQ if the spine is lifted while stropping 'rolling' the edge. I am sure Lynn would hone it for you again if necessary.

There is a barber manual excerpt in the SRP Wiki here with some really good suggestions for learning proper stropping. I particularly like the idea of learning to turn the razor between the tip of the thumb and the tip of the forefinger without making the stroke.

When you have that down in muscle memory begin to make your stroke without bending the wrist. By using the tip of the finger and thumb you'll get a better feel of lightness of pressure when stropping.

BTW, for the first couple of weeks I used a DE to finish my shaves. Here is a post by Lynn on the first straight razor shaves. If you want to avoid cuts and nicks read my sig line below and give it a try. :gl:

I bought a shave ready razor from Lynn that also "pulled on my whiskers something terrible" like you said wdChidester. I didn't strop before using the first time, and so this wasn't a factor. But, I got a great shave nonetheless.

Your problem might be a misconception of what the shave experience should be like. You will often hear SRPites suggest to think of straight razor shaving as "beard reduction" instead of as shaving. My analogy is to think of shaving like mowing tall grass. Mow it high. Mow it again a little lower. Finally, mow it again right above ground level. (If the grass isn't high, of course, just mow it to ground level with the first pass.)

Typically, my first WTG pass shaves off the top of my growth, and never reaches skin level. It reduced the stubble though. And, during this pass over the beard, definitely there is a "pulling" on the whiskers. If my beard is a bit longer, my next pass might also "pull" while I mow a little more of the beard away. But, whenever I get to skin level, be it one pass or several, the razor cuts cleanly and does not pull.

And, this was the experience with the unstropped "Lynn razor." If I had pushed hard, trying to cut my beard down to skin level with the first pass, I suspect I would have irritated my skin. Even with the shave ready razor.

I just had a conversation with one of the more frequent and experienced members of this forum about this aspect of shaving. And, even though I don't know how typical this "mowing down to skin" experience is, I don't think it is unique.

(BTW, I suspect that if a beard is longer, being several days old, the beard base is softer and the whole growth might be removed with one pass.)

My advice is to go slow, light on the touch, and don't worry how much it pulls while the blade is slicing off beard ABOVE the skin level. But, when you get down to the skin, it should not pull.

Try that, maybe.

Okay, day #2 was a little better, since I only had a 1 day growth there was not as much pulling. And after a longer stropping, the blade moved a little easier, I actually did both cheeks, and sides of the neck. I'll wait until my technique is better before I tackle the chin and adams apple.

Can anyone give me an idea of how many shaves I can expect to get before I'll need a honing?

btw- the bits of my face that I got to are so damn smooth...

Good going, wchidester!

As for the Adam's apple, that is the one location you HAVE to stretch the skin. Pull the skin on your Adam's apple to the side, off the larynx, and shave.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wchidester

Okay, day #2 was a little better, since I only had a 1 day growth there was not as much pulling. And after a longer stropping, the blade moved a little easier, I actually did both cheeks, and sides of the neck. I'll wait until my technique is better before I tackle the chin and adams apple.

Can anyone give me an idea of how many shaves I can expect to get before I'll need a honing?

btw- the bits of my face that I got to are so damn smooth...

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Congrats on the improving shave!

The frequency of razor honing really depends on how oft you shave with the same razor, stropping technique, and being accident free - ie not dropping or knocking the blade on something.

By far, the most important and, in my view, controllable factor is stropping technique because good stropping will be able to refresh the blade from regular use pretty effectively while bad stropping will dull your blade equally so.

So, it's hard to give you an exact calculation. If you grab yourself a barber hone, you'll be able to refresh the blade's shaving keenness when stropping no longer does the trick.

Just bear in mind, the razor should never get dull in the absolute sense - when the blade needs a touch up - you'll notice because the quality and comfort of your shaves will tell you. If you let the razor dull beyond that point, it would be time to send the razor out again.

In short, strop slowly, shave often and get a barber hone for when stropping no longer gives a good shave.

Cheers!
:beer2:

I have bought new straights that were professionally honed and shave ready. I thought they all needed a few passes on my chrom ox .50 strop to smooth out the edges for a smoother shave for the 1st shave.

Since I learned to shave with disposable straight blades, I know what a very sharp blade feels like and shaves like and I know how these blades feel on a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th shave. This experience gave me great insight into keeping my fixed straights sharp and finding the way to do it.

The leather strop and canvass are more about realigning the fin/edge and sharpening the edge every so slightly. Each of my straight razors need a visit to my pasted paddle strop every two to five shaves depending on the straight razor. This has kept my straight razors going for 9 months without a honing, but a true honing will likely have to be done at the one year mark for each straight razor in my rotation.

Without the pasted paddle strop, I believe a touch up stone honing would have been in order about the 12th - 15th shave with the same razor. So my pasted paddles stop was a good investment for me as it allows me to get many more shaves with the straight razors between stone honings.

I hope this helps and good luck!

Pabster

Okay, Day #3... Ouch!
I'm still working on my technique and still making the same mistakes (ie: digging the toe into my cheek and have several gashes to prove it). I'm beginning to think a round point would have been a better choice for a 1st razor.

I still have not tried an XTG pass, and probably wont until I get the hang of using my other hand. I'm a lefty and switching hands will take some time.

Although my Dovo came shave ready, I can't but think my inexperience with a stroop has messed up the blade. I see some of you actually are using a microscope to get a better look at the blade, maybe I need to visit Radio Shack.

It is more likely that your inexperience with the straight razor is causing your problems vs. the strop.

Your razor is one of Dovo's better shavers. Your improvement the second day and digging the spike in would really indicate that you need to relax and just practice from the side burn to the jaw for a few days until you are comfortable with the razor and you get improved results in just that area. Once there, then move on to the cheeks and so forth.

Shaving with a straight razor is usually not something that just happens and you end up with the best shave of your life on your first try. There generally is a little learning curve.

Lynn

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wchidester

Okay, Day #3... Ouch!
... Although my Dovo came shave ready, I can't but think my inexperience with a stroop has messed up the blade. I see some of you actually are using a microscope to get a better look at the blade, maybe I need to visit Radio Shack.

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Check around for a barber hone. If you really did dull the blade a bit the barber hone will bring the blade right back in 5 strokes or so. It will keep you shaving comfortably as you learn how to best attack your beard and strop your razor.

goodluck!

Another technique for not letting the spike point cut into your cheek via. your WTG movement is to puff out the check a little as you shave over that area. It will lift the spike point off the skin a little

Good Luck,

Pabster

I had a bad first shave experience as well. I purchased my shave-ready Dovo and put it straight to a strop. I mis-understood the "shave-ready". I thought I had to strop it first. Well, my stop technique was that of a new person and I dulled my blade. It does get better.

Personally, I have also experienced this pulling. And as mentioned in the post about reduction, I do have almost no pulling on the final skin level pass. I do believe my razor could use a honing or at the very least a run on a pasted strop.

Oh, its a spike point and I love it. Dangerous, but then again, it is a razor sharp piece of steel against your face and neck, so there is some inherent danger.

Another thing to avoid pulling is adequate skin stretching. You don't have to pull it drum tight but if you don't pull the skin taut enough the razor will tend to pull regardless of how sharp it is.

IME the spike point is mainly used in detailing around the nostril/lip area and other hard to get into spots. I always am aware of where the point of any straight that I am shaving with is regardless of the point style.

With a spike point I'm shaving my cheek or neck with the point past the skin (not even touching). Of course on the sideburn area you have to ease that point in there towards the ear. A good example of watching where the point is or you may get a rude reminder. :)

JimmyHAD... wish I had your concentration. I do well on my strokes. But, when I move from one area to another, I tend to let down. :(

I am still learning the whole process of shaving with a straight razor. I have several razors that have been professionally honed and I also experience pulling from time to time. The area where I feel the pulling the most is on the underside and the tip of the chin.

When I follow the advise given on this site by the more experienced and in the Wiki, I have little or no pulling. It starts with proper prep, a sharp razor and proper technique. I am still learning the growth of my beard and how to stretch the skin. When I stretch the skin, use a light touch and good technique I get a great shave and a confidence booster.

Good luck.