Thread: First (or second) Shave and Question

I received my 6/8 Dovo Special from Straight Razor Designs today and decided to give it a go. The shave was smooth but had some razor burn. I know my blade is sharp since it was honed by SRD. I had some tugging and pulling (not much WTG though). I was wondering how shavers achieve the smooth and fluid ATG strokes seen in the shave videos like Joel's and others.

wellcome to the world of straight razor shaving. 3 things are vital to getting that sharp razor to glide down or up your face. 1 face prep lots of water and a bit of hair conditioner will go a long way to soften up you beard and make it easyer to cut. 2 strech the skin as tight as you can however you can , it takes some expermentation. 3 the touch, this was the hardest thing for me getting the pressure right,light so you dont get razor burn or cut yourself but firm so the razor dosnt skip around its a fine balance. there are lots of other things lather, angle exc.
go slow and get the easy parts of your face (sideburns ) down frist before moveing on and you will do fine.

Originally Posted by bokaba

I was wondering how shavers achieve the smooth and fluid ATG strokes seen in the shave videos like Joel's and others.

It will come naturally over time. I would try to perfect the WTG and XTG passes first, simply because it is easier. If you want to go ATG, read the Wiki page on shaving passes, paying close attention to the skin stretching and blade angle sections. When I go ATG, my razors lie almost flat on the skin, and I use a feather light touch. No pulling the razor ATG, just letting it glide. This, of course, requires lather with good glide (not necessarily cushion). The lather I use for ATG passes is almost fluid, not the meringue like stuff that is fun to build but has little use in and by itself.

As an aside, a thick pre shave oil can help a bit during the learning phase, as it ads another protective layer. I really dislike PSOs otherwise.

Good luck,
Robin

A straight razor from SRD is one of the best ways to start into straight shaving because you know there is no issue with the sharpness or quality. Everything mentioned above will help with the razor burn with prep, angle and pressure high on the list. It took me some time to get to the point where I could get to the smooth shave but it was worth the journey. You may notice razor burn in some areas and not in others. My problem was the areas on my neck and chin where I had to use peripheral vision. It was hard to gauge the angle and my grip made it hard to control the pressure. Note what you are doing in the areas you get good results in and try to maintain that technique in the other areas. Be sure to stretch you skin. Develop a technique that works for you and is comfortable. As you gain more experience you technique will change for the better.

Good luck

Originally Posted by bokaba

I was wondering how shavers achieve the smooth and fluid ATG strokes seen in the shave videos

What came first the Chicken or the Egg???

I have said this statement before "that a confident hand is needed for a smooth stroke"...

Honestly, I am not so sure what creates, what here, does the confidence of much practice create the smooth stroke, or does the smooth stroke create the confidence....
I can tell you that the longer you do this the better you get at it....BUT the better you get at it, the longer you are going to continue doing this

Ohhhh noooo another shaving conundrum...