Thread: Despite thourough pre-shave routine, stll having trouble

I began straight razor shaving recently, and have noticed the chin/mustache area is the most difficult spot. My pre-shave routine is a hot shower, during which I apply hair conditioner once or twice to my face. Then apply it once more before applying shaving cream (don't have pre-shave oil yet). Then I go straight to shaving (chin area first), so I know my hair must be pretty soft after just exiting the shower and applying hair conditioner.
But after this my razor is still not having satisfactory results on this area, and others. The hair is mostly not cut down to the skin-level, and the razor is uncomfortably moving accross my face- sometimes it feels a little like I'm hacking away (having to run the razor repeatedly over certain areas, and having the razor come to a "stand-still" when it encounters hair). This was after a good stropping (albiet being down by a newbie). This all may be to blame on my beginner-status, but maybe this is a sign that I need to send off my razor to be honed.
Thanks all for any advice.

I personally use neither hair conditioner nor pre shave oils (the latter being prone to clogging up the brush and making the sink difficult to clean). Have you tried letting the lather sit on your face while stropping, then re-applying it before the first shave? Or using a hot towel on top of lather? Improving your preparation to get better results - Straight Razor Place Wiki is always worth a read, too. But if the razor consistently delivers sub par results, sending it off for honing is always a good idea, if only to ensure that the razor really is shave ready.

Good luck,
Robin

The chin and tache area is definately the hardest spot to get right, so dont expect to nail it right of the bat. It does take time to get this area sorted..!

I agree with Robin about sending the razor to be honed. If its pulling or not removing hair then this is a sign that the razor may need a honing. If you're not sure about the shave readiness of the blade (IE: You didnt buy the razor from a seller who is known to sell shave ready blades) then its worth sending it to a pro.

That said, it may also be a technique issue so make sure you watch your angles when you shave and aim for about 30 degrees or slightly less. This may also help to improve the closeness and comfort of the shave.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Sometimes, especially with the first WTG pass, even sharp razors "pull", and require a little more force to slice thru the whiskers. However, the razor should never stop in its tracks, refusing to cut thru even the toughest whiskers. I think your razor needs honed.

You describe the razor as being uncomfortable moving across the face. That should not be. The razor should move steadily through the whiskers without discomfort. Hearing the razor is fine, but you should not feel any hair tugging against the razor. When you encounter heavier parts of the beard, you will know where these are and apply slightly more pressure to get through the denser parts of your beard, but it should never feel like "hacking".

Are you going with the grain? Going against the grain on a first pass will make the razor stop. At least it will on my face.

Sounds like your razor is not shave ready. You might want to get it sharpened and we can eliminate that variable.

You also mention starting your shave on the chin. Not a good idea. The hair on the face on most guys lays downward that mean that your first shave line should start at the sideburns and go straight down to the jawline the second the cheek the third by the side of the mouth once both sides are done then you can do the chin. this area has more curves and stiffer hair than anywhere else on your face so taking it in small chunks is the best way to get it well.

I think my technique could improve, by possibly going a little more WTG and improving my angle, but also I may need to get it honed. I will probably be doing this shortly, from one of the guys here on the classifieds (I believe Lynn is one, but I will look into this further). Thanks for the help.
Although I am a little worried about getting a sharper razor haha. I haven't gotten any real nicks or cuts with a straight (although I did when learning with a shavette), and thought it was a little suspicious I hadn't drew any blood yet. Thanks again.

You do not mention your stretching technique. If you are not pulling the skin tight, you will 1) not get a close shave, 2) have an unpleasent experience as you describe and 3) greatly increase your chances of cutting yourself.

The best way to properly stretch the skin is to use your other hand to pull the skin from behind the razor with the fingers contacting your face as close to the razor spine as possible. This is not always possible, so in some cases you will need to find out what actually works for you.

This brings out another issue with your current approach. If you apply lather over your entire face, and then start to shave at your chin, you are going to have a problem with stretching since there is still lather where you need to touch your face. As others have pointed out, you need to start just below the hair line on the side of your face, stretching from just above the hair line and workd down and across from their.

If after shaving an area, the face is still too slick to get a good stretch, you have used too much conditioner, preshave oil etc. Your skin should actually be slightly dry to the touch after a properly executed stroke.

If the razor still seems to pull even with proper stretching, then it is probably not sharp enough.

How many times have you shaved with a straight? It might be that you're holding the razor at too steep of an angle.

I couldn't really find a good way to stretch the chin/stache area, other then making odd facial expressions and/or tensing up my facial muscles. I will attempt to strecth this area manually also and see if it helps. Thanks very much for having patience with us newbies. All your help is really appreciated.

To TheCornerBooth,
I have shaved about a dozen times with a straight, and about twice as many with a shavette, so I am a huge beginner. The angle could be contributing to my problems.