Thread: HELP!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for responding Al.

I really think I have all your points covered. While it's possible I rolled the edge on my Wosty a month ago, Coachmike loaned me three shave ready razors that I shaved with unstropped at first just to see if there was a difference. There was an oh so slight improvement. I've studied every stropping video available and I'd be very surprised if I'm doing it wrong at this point. Besides, I eventually stropped all three of Coachmikes razor without feeling any loss of shave quality. I'm very comfortable holding the razor in either hand now and have experimented with every possible angle and pressure...and I do stretch my skin while shaving...especially my cheek and yet that is where I get the least hair removal.

I really wonder if I just have difficult to shave hair grain.

Thanks Robert. I thought of asking Coachmike, but he's been very busy lately and I already feel I took too much of his time when he actually drove to my wineshop to hand me his razors.

I was actually thinking of video recording myself while shaving and posting it on the forum, maybe I can get my wife to hold the camera to get the right angles.

I get confused a little.
1 why you hone shave ready blade again?(or i got this wrong)
Now 6 passes way to much you are lucky or you are using right pressure while you shave(no pressure at all). that is why you don't get razor burn.
you shouldn't make more then 2 passes in my opinion.
Stretch skin and try to go only wtg and xtg .
if this wont help let me know your mailing address i will send you razor try it out. of course if this helps you.
Send pm.
take care.
Gl
Some people out there is perfectionist. you may one of them .

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

I get confused a little.
1 why you hone shave ready blade again?(or i got this wrong)
Now 6 passes way to much you are lucky or you are using right pressure while you shave(no pressure at all). that is why you don't get razor burn.
you shouldn't make more then 2 passes in my opinion.
Stretch skin and try to go only wtg and xtg .
if this wont help let me know your mailing address i will send you razor try it out. of course if this helps you.
Send pm.
take care.
Gl
Some people out there is perfectionist. you may one of them .

No, I didn't hone any razors. I sent my first razor to Lynn to get it shave ready, I only stropped the three razors that Coachmike loaned me.

I do stretch the skin, and I don't seem to be getting razor burn from the straight, I do get occasional razor burn from my Mach 3.

Thank you so much for offering to loan me a razor but I already borrowed from Coachmike and I think it's safe to assume the razors are not the issue.

I might be a perfectionist, but I don't think expecting to see all the stubble removed with one or two passes is being a perfectionist. I'm not complaining about how smooth my skin feels, I'm complaining about seeing lots of uncut beard hair after many passes.

Originally Posted by WineGuyD

I'm complaining about seeing lots of uncut beard hair after many passes.

This shouldn't happen. Even after your first pass you shouldn't have so much hair left.(in fact none uncut)
You making 6 passes there is still uncut hair?
Why it happens?
Dull razor(you ruled out this by saying your razor's come from Lynn and Mike)
wrong angle( if this is the case then you should have really bad time using straights. it will be painful shaving experience)
stretching -you said, You have done it?
Now you say what else could be?
i am clueless.
what i mean perfectionist is Some people loves Perfect shave as they used to get from safety blade.
It takes time to get exact result. Practice ,and face needs to get used to straight razor.
Gl

Originally Posted by WineGuyD

I really wonder if I just have difficult to shave hair grain.

The hair under my jaw and on my neck grows from under my left ear, down across under my jaw and up toward my right ear. WTG & ATG passes there are quite challenging, but I'm perfecting my technique.

I had the same problem you describe, with the neck and under-jaw area inboard of my right ear until I started using the following technique.

In chapter 5 of the 1961 Barbering Text that you will find here, the last paragraph on pg 33 describes a particular cutting stroke that is illustrated in figure 27 on pg 34. That cutting stroke slices off the whiskers rather than chopping them like a hatchet. That's finally enabling me to get that troublesome spot I was never able to reach before. Not quite yet BBS, but I continue to make progress. Give it some thought. I'm liking this new cutting stroke (new to me).
Namaste,
Morty -_-

Just gat back from Lynn my recently acquired WWI Clauss USMC 4/4 and My G. Wostenholm Pipe 3/4 that he re-honed. I decided to shave with the Clauss USMC first, un-stropped, and what a difference from the past, it cut down my stubble like squad of ****ed off Marines taking down the Taliban in Kandahar! There wasn't a blade of hair left standing after two swipes...I even managed to give myself a healthy nick near my ear because I wasn't prepared for how keen the razor was. I did a partial opposite cheek with the Wosty just to see if it was as keen and it was. All in all, for the first time, I completed a full WTG & XTG shave quickly and without having to make more than a double pass.
This is what I had expected from day one and I'm so relieved that the problem is solved. From this point on it's just about fine tuning and figuring out the right hold for an ATG shave. On that note, can anyone point me to a video showing the right way to hold the razor for ATG shaving? I tried this morning in my euphoria but couldn't do more than an inch or two before the blade started catching and scared me that I was about to slice myself.

Shave two with newly honed Clauss USMC and it went so good I actually attempted an against the grain shave with nary a nick. I still could use some pointers on proper grip of the razor as well as angle. My best results were on the cheek and center neck but felt the razor skipping and sticking on other areas.

Can anyone point me to an instructional video for ATG shaving?

You use lowest angle .
The right angle is which blade will cut easier.
it could be vary.

I would say don't try to shave ATG . Not good for newbie and Most people do ATG Because they cannot get great shave with 2 passes.wtg+xtg
it takes time to learn how to use straight and facial skin to get used to straight razor.
Early jump will hurt more then help.gl
just my 0.02 c.

Much progress since getting back the properly honed razors. I'm getting a pretty good shave now with minimal or no nicks and fewer passes. I'm really enjoying the Clauss USMC, has a nice feel and weight(to my totally nubie experience) and I'm loving the chrome plating that keeps the blade shiny without having to oil it after each use. I also switched back today to the Institute Karite shaving soap just to see how it would perform against the wool Fat, and I found it to be just as good. I'm going to stick to the IK soap since it already made it self comfortable in my mug, the Wool Fat is in the original ceramic container and I'm going to leave that one for travel.
I've started to do a little ATG shaving on my cheeks and neck but I can't seem to control the razor around the lips...I'm terrified I'm going to open myself up. Lynn makes it look so easy in his videos. I'm really enjoying straight razor shaving now...thought I'd never get there!