Finally got the goods!

Some time ago I decided to make the switch to straight razors. I started with an inexpensive little shavette to see if I'd like the fell of it and only recently ordered a Dovo from SRD.

Well, it arrived Thursday just as I was leaving for work (no time to open the box, it was torture). I had two shaves with it already and let me just say WOW! Having the honing done by the folks at SRD is awesome and I love the way it feels.

I had some quick questions though. I have fairly sensitive skin on the neck and was wondering how can I avoid razor burn in the area?

I stropped the razor a good amount times when I first got it (did lots of research and watched a couple of vids over and over so as to get it right) and I'm still unclear as to how often I should strop it. I do have a fairly tough beard and shave my face everyday and my head every two or three days; Any advice?

At that rate, when should I have touched up on a hone?

Spartan,

Congratulations...Glad that you liked your new str8 razor.

As for your questions...First, concerning razor burn. Some razor burn may be unavoidable initially. You can keep it to a minimum, though by not trying to achieve the perfect BBS shave on your neck. Try only 1-2 passes initially. Follow up with some soothing non-alcohol Thayer's w/ aloe vera or aftershave balm (ie. Nivea) on your neck afterwards.

Second, you probably didn't need to strop the razor when you first received it from SRD. It should have been shave ready. Don't worry, though, you didn't do anything wrong. Most of us strop the razor everytime before shaving to align the blade. It was recommended to me by an SRP old-timer to strop 50 on the fabric side of the strop and 50 on the leather. You can start with fewer repetitions, say 25-30, and work your way up from there. Some folks even strop on the fabric 10 times after their have to remove any gunk on the blade and keep it looking like new.

You shouldn't need to hone your razor anywhere from 6 months to a year. You should take advantage of SRP's one free honing of every newly purchased razor, which I think is still in effect.

Take care...

One way to avoid razor burn on the neck is to stetch areas and use a light touch to shave it. It can be a learning experience to figure out the optimal angles/directions to get the desired results with minimal passes.

Good Luck with it and there is a lot posted on SRP with this topic.

Pabster

My razor burn was from simply too much pressure or angle, or both. Poor/little face prep was also a culprit for me.

My routine every time after a shave is to strop it 30 strokes before I put it away. This way, I only need to strop it 30 to begin. It's a personal thing, but there are quite a few of us who recommend a few strokes on the strop to help make sure the edge is completely dry. I'll bet you find that most recommend 40-60 strokes on the strop.

You have a good razor & only now have to develop good form...just takes practice. It may take your face a little while to grow accustomed to a straight as well.

Best of luck!!!

I have a Dovo as well :D, i love her!!! I get shaving rash on my neck as well, but since i have been using straights, its disappeared :D. Also i use shaving soap designed for sensitive skin lol. Maybe try a different soap?

I'm so glad you're first couple of shaves have been such a great success and I have to say...you're off to a great start! Just the fact that you were able to strop the first couple of times and not roll the blade says you've taken time to teach yourself the correct method. Always remember to keep the strop taught, make sure the spine is always in contact with the strop and don't use too much force while stropping.

As far as how often to strop, it's a good practice to strop every day. I read an article from one of the old time razor manufacturers that mentioned stropping after shaving to help dry out the blade. I like doing that because it allows me to split up my stropping between two different times, after shaving and right before shaving. Since you have a new razor, this brings up another point I want to let you know about...properly drying your razor. Run the blade under hot water right before wiping it dry as the hot water helps dry the metal. Most importantly, make sure to dry the inside of the scales. The corner of a normal face towel will slip right down in between and you can do a swipe from each side of the scales. I made that mistake on my very first razor and wound up with a pesky little water spot on the blade.

Well, with all that said, welcome to the world of str8 razor shaving and we hope to see you in SRP for a long time to come.

Happy shaving!

Thanks for all thre great info guys. I 'm going to start stropping after I shave and just before as well, both to cut the work in half and to help dry the razor.

I love this forum for the way everyone helps out. Can't wait for it to be my turn. Thanks again, I'll post a reply in a few weeks with updates.