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I just got my first razor it is a Dovo Ebony silver steel , 5/8 carbon steel , it came honed from Vintage Blades. When i shave it does not take off all the hair and pulls the hair just a little bit , it look like i have a 5 o'clock shadow. Is that what it is supposed to look like or is the razor just not sharp enough
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason240
There is a big learning curve- as your stropping and technique improve you will find that your razor seems to keep getting sharper. :)
Are you shaving WTG and ATG? One pass will not do it. I'm assuming you've read the wikis and/or watched the videos but since you didn't mention it, I thought I'd ask. As BKratchmer said, there is a learning curve. You can't expect a perfect shave on the first try. And to answer your question, no it's not supposed to look like you need a shave when you're done.
It also sounds to me like you may not be stretching the skin as you shave. That is really important... Watch a few videos and notice how they stretch the skin on different areas of the face. Also consider the two previous responses. Stick with it.....
As the others have said, it'll be a technique issue! Dont worry about the ATG and XTG passes until you are happy handling the razor. With the WTG pass you should be able to get a pretty smooth shave, you'll only feel stubble when you run your finger ATG.
Practice, practice and you'll get there..!
Good luck and keep us posted!
thanks guy for the info. i took my razor and honed it on my norton 2times on the 4000 and 8 on the 8000 and the stroped it 45/55 it is shaving a lot better and get closer evry shave
I also had continuing concerns that my first razor wasn't sharp enough. After about 2 months of working on stropping and shaving techniques, just like BKratchmer said, my razor keeps seeming sharper.
I am new myself, but as others have said, as you master the angle and pressure of the blade, improve your stropping, and learn to strecth properly, you will get closer and closer shaves. Never hurts to send your razor off to Lynn (you can find his honing services in the Classifieds section) if you want to be sure you have a shave ready razor. But most likely it is sharp enough.
It took me six months to figure this stuff out, take your time. Stropping wrong can dull a well hone blade in minutes and I think this causes most new guys' problems with sharpness and pulling. Then there's stretching, which you reall need to learn for your face, angles, etc.
Its a tough learning curve, keep at it!! If you need help, pm me if you feel ok with it.
Though i cannot say 100% that it was shave ready, because there is that variable that it might not be( i dont know maybe lynn missed it haha) i can say 99.9 percent that your razor was shave ready and honed by the godfather himself. That said, technique is the key, i remember when i first got my razor, (from vinatge blades too) it pulled and pulled , but, it was me who was doing it not the razor. Just keep at it, Hope everything works out:)
What are you doing for beard prep? Things to soften your beard include: hot shower or wash face w/hot water & soap followed by hair conditioner, then a hot towel followed by a few drops of pre-shave oil or something like Proraso pre-shave before you lather up. Some or all of those steps make a huge, huge difference. They do for me.Quote:
Originally Posted by jason240
Also, until I got the blade angle down, my razor pulled and didn't shave off the hair as well as it does today.
And keep an eye out for any post from JimmyHAD. In his sig he explains how to hold the razor in your fingers. That helped my technique a lot as well.
Be patient & stick with it!
Namaste,
Morty -_-
The blade came hone by lynn. I'm sure it is my technique BC every shave gets better and better.Like others have said , the stretch of the skin and the angle of my blade has done wonder after trial and error. I always shave after i get out of the shower but i think i could prob use a better lather BC im using gillette shaving cream and really nothing for a pre shave. I don't really know to much about what to use when it comes to soaps or shaving cream so if any one has suggestion pleas comment.
Castle Forbes is a decent starting cream and Tabac for soaps. Preferences can vary wildly but these two seem to consistently perform and be readily available on the web.
You'll need a lathering device like a brush (washcloths and even just hands can work) so that's one other consideration.
Here's some good reading.
Shaving Soap - Straight Razor Place Wiki
Brushes - Straight Razor Place Wiki
Making basic soap lather - Straight Razor Place Wiki
I'm new to SR shaving as well and only have 5 shaves under my belt. I had a hard time getting a lather on my first couple of shaves and the reason was I was doing it completely wrong. Following the advice of the great people on this forum, I went to Walgreens and bought a cheap shaving brush/soap kit that cost about $8. It came in a green box and the name escapes me right now.
I experimented with it making lather over and over until I got the hang of it. I suggest you do this because good prep obviously equals a good shave.
Was it Van Der Hagen?Quote:
Originally Posted by Fbones24
Amazon.com: Van Der Hagen Premium Shave Set (Soap, Bowl, Brush): Health & Personal Care
That was it! I basically made about 10 lathers in a row using that to get comfortable and to figure out how much water to add.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue
It is very possible that your razor was one that "slipped through the cracks" and wasn't quite there in the sharpness department. It does happen.Quote:
Originally Posted by jason240
This is very normal too, just part of the learning curve.Quote:
Originally Posted by jason240