shave one

finally got all of my equipment, razor, soap, mug, brush, strop. decided tonight would be a good night to come home from work, and clean up the beard. it was quite long but i shaved it down to 1/4" or so and figured that was enough.

i do not thingk it was short enough. for some reason i just couldnt get the razor sharp. it was shave ready but it was pulling on every hair on my face. i finally broke out the clippers and shaved it down more. still had trouble. after i got both cheeks and1/2 of my neck (which resulted in a nice little cut from sliding the razor ||that much on accident)

i finally had to break out the old cratridge razor and finish up.

so now i sit with a red face, a few cuts, and the satifaction of knowing i didn't have to go to the hospital.

i have a couple of questions though,
1. the strop i got is very stiff. should it be more flexible?
2. what do you guys use to fix nicks and cuts in strops?
3. if i get the razor stropped right ans sharpened correctly, will it still pull on hair a little?
4. i tend to shave maybe once a week and let my stubble grow out kind of long, should i start shaving more often to get the most out of the shaving method?

thanks for reading everyone!

Depending on where you got your equipment then you may want to send it to a pro for honing. If you got it off the classifieds here as shave ready it should be fine and could be technique issues such as angle of blade, skin not tight enough.. etc.

If the blade is sharp enough there should be no pulling in my experience. I have gone a week without shaving similar to you waiting for a shave ready blade and it cut through it just fine with no pulling unless the angle of the blade was wrong.

To answer your questions:

1. It'll depend on the thickness and type of the leather, some are different to others. Work the strop with your hands, this will help soften the leather and condition it. You can also apply Fromm strop dressing to condition the leather.

2. Rubber cement is best. Glue the little flap down with rubber cement and then, once its dry, sandpaper over it with a high grit (I use 1k) sandpaper to make sure the area is totally flat and smooth. The condition with Fromm strop dressing.

3. This will depend slightly on your beard type. Thicker beards will pull more, but if the pulling is uncomfortable then you need to get the razor honed.

To that end, I recommend getting the razor professionally honed in order to ensure that you have the best possible edge.

4. This shouldnt make any difference! :)

Good luck!

When I first tried straights, I started with my face already shaved. I re-lathered, then laid the blade against my skin and experimented, figuring out the grain, and trying to use a couple different angles and grips to clean up any stubble I could find. After doing this routine a couple times, I advanced to actual shaving, learning a section at a time.

At any rate...this isn't a race. Take your time and only do what you're comfortable with. By the way ... Soak that beard! Then soak it some more.

I agree with the others. Get your blade professionally honed, at least take that out of the equation. Next, Concentrate on your pre shave prep. Hot shower or Hot towel, Pre shave oil. (you can make your own!) Good lather, let it sit on your face while you strop.
You want to get your beard as soft as possible before shaving. Mind the angle of the blade. This is a common mistake guys make when learning.

If I were you, I'd shave every evening just for the practice. Since your new, waiting until you have a heavy beard could hinder your progress.

I'm curious as to what kind of strop you have. Hanging strops are all pretty flexible. Paddle strops are stiff, but still do the job. Conditioning by rubbing your hands on the leather is recommended...

Be careful gluing the nicks in the strop. A little goes a long way. I'd put some glue on the end of a toothpick and apply under the tear. Too much and you'll have a mess on your hands. Hope this helps...

i soaked my beard pretty well, hot shower, lathered up then stropped. i think the angle has a lot to do with it. and overall noobness. the strop i got was off of ebay. it was a cheapie, but im glad i went with it instead of an expensive one. it just seems stiff for leather. it is quite thick though. and it is a hanging strop.

shaving with small stubble is probably a better idea than waiting.

thanks for the info everyone!