Thread: Two weeks in...questions of course.

I started with a barber's/disposable.
Got a great razor from gugi.
Read a lot on this site and watched some of the videos.
I've been straight razor shaving 5 days a week for two weeks now.
Stropping every other shave.

Things go really well. Just wanted to bounce some things off the community.

It seems that...
WTG - I should use very little to no pressure, almost as if I'm gently wiping the lather/hair off? Still produces a scraping noise.

I get a decent, clean looking shave with WTG only. But, I catch myself feeling my face all day and noting where I missed spots. These spots "appear" when I feel XTG and ATG. If I do a "full" WTG, XTG, and ATG for more than two consecutive days, my skin gets a little raw even using balm.

My neck is my Everest right now. Can't seem to get it clean without making it raw.

If we go to the trouble to strop on canvas and then leather to align an invisible edge to optimum - what happens when we rinse the lather/whiskers between strokes? Does the change in temp harm the edge? Seems the expansion/contraction would?

All in all, I really enjoy the experience. There's a quote I'm paraphrasing that goes something like - When a machine does the work of a man, it takes something away from the man. I'm enjoying the focus and precision that is notably absent from my former cartridge razor.

Originally Posted by Sundance

It seems that...
WTG - I should use very little to no pressure, almost as if I'm gently wiping the lather/hair off?

Perfect.

Originally Posted by Sundance

Still produces a scraping noise.

That sound is the individual hairs popping!

Originally Posted by Sundance

If I do a "full" WTG, XTG, and ATG for more than two consecutive days, my skin gets a little raw even using balm.

You might want to skip a day. That's what I do. I find the closeness from the previous day's ATG shave is not visibly detectable so I still look good.

Originally Posted by Sundance

My neck is my Everest right now. Can't seem to get it clean without making it raw.

Try to lighten up on the pressure and don't go over and over the same spots.

Originally Posted by Sundance

what happens when we rinse the lather/whiskers between strokes? Does the change in temp harm the edge? Seems the expansion/contraction would?

In theory, it might stretch the edge out slightly making it sharper, but it probably just warms the blade making it more comfortable so your skin doesn't start reacting to cold metal before you are done.

X

Sounds like you're ready to strop before every shave. That might help reduce the burn, i.e. sharper is often better.

Little to no pressure is good. The scraping noise is normal, usually louder as the razor gets more hollow (or less sharp). It might take a week or so more before your skin gets used to a straight. Keep experimenting with razor angle too.

I'm not sure about rinsing whiskers with hot water since I wipe the edge on paper, cloth, or my palm.

It'll get better.

EDIT: With a straight, I normally only need to shave every second day.

A few thoughts:
Drop the angle of the blade on your neck. I use a lower angle on the more sensitive areas with marked improvement. It'll take a little experimenting to find the sweet spot.

Strop before every shave. It'll make the shaves smoother. Never mind what rinsing will do to the edge - think about what 24 hours laying around with micro-crud will do to it. You gonna strop before your shave now? I actually give it a quick 5-10 laps after the shave just to make sure the edge is dry, but that's just a preference.

If you have a good "full" shave - WTG, XTG, ATG - you may not need to shave two days in a row, as previously mentioned. The extra passes, especially going ATG, should get a closer, longer-lasting shave. Otherwise there's no point and you should stick to just a good WTG shave everyday. I can get by with just WTG if I do a solid job and it sounds like you can, too. Of course, I always go for BBS, but that's just me.

Well done so far and good luck!

Your WTG technique sounds good! The scraping noise is normal. Alarming, but actually an indication that you're doing it right.

As others have said, try skipping a day, and strop EVERY time!

Even just shaving my legs, which is much finer hair than men's facial hair, I've found that I get a much better shave on the second leg by stropping after the first. It really makes a difference and you'd be surprised how tough your hair is on that blade.

I've been straight razor shaving 5 days a week for two weeks now.
Stropping every other shave.

Why strop every other shave? I strop every day before my shave, at first I would only do maybe 20 laps since I didnt feel very comfortable and figured more laps would increase my chances of rolling an edge. Now I do fifty no ifs ands or buts. I have two razors I have been rotating allowing each to rest for a couple days in between(resting razors is a personal prefence and is highly debatable as to the good it does). I have gotten probably 15 shaves off each and they are still going strong. Havent even had to turn my filly over to use the paste yet.

It seems that...
WTG - I should use very little to no pressure, almost as if I'm gently wiping the lather/hair off? Still produces a scraping noise.

I noticed that at first the scraping noise was really loud but as my angle and pressure got perfected that noise is a very subtle. Not at all like velcro getting pulled apart, like it did at first.

I get a decent, clean looking shave with WTG only. But, I catch myself feeling my face all day and noting where I missed spots. These spots "appear" when I feel XTG and ATG. If I do a "full" WTG, XTG, and ATG for more than two consecutive days, my skin gets a little raw even using balm.

You may and probably do have a different beard than mine, but I have found if I do a good WTG, then a XTG and come back with another XTG going at a different angle than the first time(opposite), I get a BBS shave. It does fade quicker than it would if I did an ATG pass, but my face loves me alot more. It will usually take a day to get as rough as it would of been right after a cartridge shave. Also there was a thread around here with a warning about rubbing your face all day as that causes pimples and your next shave will be a little bloody. But it is hard to keep your hands off, isnt it? I dont know if it is your face adjusting to a straight shave or your pressure getting better and therefore causing less irritation but it does take a bit of time to get over the initial irritation.

My neck is my Everest right now. Can't seem to get it clean without making it raw.

This was my everest also. It took probably a week of shaves for my face to adjust, my neck took about 2 to three weeks. Make sure and pay close attention to the way your whiskers grow(mapping) and always go WTG on the first pass. I have two little spots on both sides of my adams apple where the hair grows e-w on one side and w-e on the other. I try to hit those spots first so I dont forget about them and shave them accidently XTG while doing my WTG pass on the rest of my neck. Mess around with your stretching also, stretching in different directions cause the whiskers to stand at different angles. I have to stretch those problem areas to the east or west or my neck hates me. The other thing I have done is, I limit my neck to two passes, WTG and XTG, and live with whatever results I have. Everyday it gets better, my neck is never as close as my face, but I never get irritation anymore either. One day I may try ATG but I enjoy a comfortable shave more than a BBS shave.

If we go to the trouble to strop on canvas and then leather to align an invisible edge to optimum - what happens when we rinse the lather/whiskers between strokes? Does the change in temp harm the edge? Seems the expansion/contraction would?

I think you may overthinking this part, so you are right in line with the rest of us newbies. The change in temp wouldnt be extreme enough I wouldnt think after all it would only be maybe a 75 degree increase or so, getting it up to 250- 300 deg, now that might be enough but I dont know enough about metallurgy to know for sure. It is probably about the same thing as me saying that I rest my razors to allow the edge to re-align, personal preference, a lot of people around here dont rinse but only wipe between passes, some strop before and after and some just strop before. That is the great thing about str8 shaving, to each his/her own. It is a far more customized shave than the one size fits all other options.

All in all, I really enjoy the experience. There's a quote I'm paraphrasing that goes something like - When a machine does the work of a man, it takes something away from the man. I'm enjoying the focus and precision that is notably absent from my former cartridge razor.

Great quote, I am glad to hear you are enjoying shaving with a str8, just remember it gets better every day. Even the days that go bad are good IMO, as long as you pay attention to why that day went bad(so you never repeat the same mistake). One word of warning, do not get too complacent, I never cut myself until about a month and a half in, and then it was my stretching hand's knuckles. Pay attention to the edge at all times and enjoy.

Originally Posted by Sundance

Stropping every other shave.

+1 to all the advice already given.

One thing though, make sure you strop every shave. I do 25 material and 50-60 leather before each shave, and then 10 material and 15 leather afterwards.

The stropping afterwards cleans all the micro gunk off the edge and will help your edges last longer.

If you only strop every other shave, you will find your edge doesnt last as long, and the shave when you dont strop could well be alot more uncomfortable!

Other than that, it sounds like you're off to a good start! Good stuff!

These guys nailed it in regards to your questions. Stubear is right on in regards to how to take care of your SR, I do the same he does. I have one recommendation for you to try that works for me. I shave shave pretty much every day and if I use the three pass method you are, my face would be tender as well. I just shave WTG & ATG, then check for any areas needing touchups. Any touchups are ATG. Keep it up!

yes, the hollow ground razor makes noise, that's how it works with these.
the temperature changes have no effect on the edge geometry, i'm pretty sure long time ago i posted the numbers but it's pretty straightforward calculation, the change in the blade thickness is no more than a percent iirc.
better strop before every shave - that should improve the edge.
try the wedge razor too, if you haven't already, it's different and it's also a bit sharper, although the difference you'll notice will be mostly due to the stiff grind, not the actual sharpness.
don't worry about perfectly smooth shave, that usually takes quite a bit of practice. more important is the irritation, aim for no irritation, the closeness will come.

Hello, Sundance:

You have a mountain of sound advice to which I have nothing more to add. Also important, as Gugi points out, is this: You will need time to hone your straight razor skills. Stay with it.

Regards,

Obie