Second attempt.

Tried my second shave with a new Dovo silver steel today. Horrid experience. I have a scar on my chin so I almost always have to bleed (quattro, normally) when i shave, but right now i look like i was mauled by a womprat.

The issues is that...well the razor could HHT when i started this mess, but it won't now. It might still be good to shave, but it's hard to know if i don't know how to shave.

Might be giving this mess up and counting it as a loss. It looks like I'm going into a field that prefers beards anyways.

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Originally Posted by thepaintbox

The issues is that...well the razor could HHT when i started this mess, but it won't now. It might still be good to shave, but it's hard to know if i don't know how to shave.

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Not to be an ass, but it seems that the actual issue here is that you're putting any merit in the HHT... It can be applied, but purely qualitatively, and only once fine-tuned to your own hair (and that can't be taught... Only learned, which is why the general message is "don't use the HHT")

Few questions:

What strop do you use?
How much do you strop?
When do you strop?
where did you buy the Dovo from?
Did it go to a professional honer after you bought it?
Did you strop it when it came back from that Pro, or just use it right out of the box?
What's your beard prep like?

Cheers,
Jeremy

Just take it slow and easy. Don't try to succeed or pass or get a great shave. It's like if you took up sailing and had a bad day. You wouldn't return to port and say you failed. Learning to shave with a straight razor takes a long time to fully understand.

It would be pretty similar if you played a round of golf, didn't get a hole in one, and declared that the sport wasn't for you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thepaintbox

Tried my second shave with a new Dovo silver steel today. Horrid experience. I have a scar on my chin so I almost always have to bleed (quattro, normally) when i shave, but right now i look like i was mauled by a womprat.

The issues is that...well the razor could HHT when i started this mess, but it won't now. It might still be good to shave, but it's hard to know if i don't know how to shave.

Might be giving this mess up and counting it as a loss. It looks like I'm going into a field that prefers beards anyways.

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Don't give up yet. First of all, for now, don't even try to shave your skin. Just shave the easy parts of your face with the straight to get the hang of it and finish with your previous razor.

Now, on to the questions...

Have you read the beginner's section of the Wiki?
Have you read the stickies at the top of the beginner's section of the forum?
Do you have a strop?
Do you have any idea how to strop? (see first two questions)
Have you experimented with different angles? Try putting the spine closer to your skin?
Are you doing any decent pre-shave prep?
Did you buy the Dovo from someone you know for certain honed it properly?

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Originally Posted by thepaintbox

but it's a question of how is it possible to learn?

in response to an earlier question...not professionally honed, stropped x40ish, vintagebladesllc, prep isn't fantastic, but it's a think weak beard. it shouldn't be too terribly difficult to take this down.

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We all started somewhere, and like yourself, I had nobody to instruct me on how to do it. I tried gave it up, tried again, gave it up and being stubborn, tried again until I finally caught on. I made a right hash of it first time around too.
Now for some advice to help you.

Get the razor professionally honed first.

While it's gone, read all the beginner stuff on angles of blade to face etc.

Use a butter knife and practice stropping with that.

A light touch and correct angle is all that is required to shave with. No pressure. Don't force a blade that catches at any point.

Fine beard or not, prep is very important.

How did you learn to ride a bike/drive a car/ride a horse...Time and practise no doubt, were integral to all those skills. Have patience and take it slow to start.

The results are more than worth the time and effort put into learning. This is something that you won't be an expert overnight with.


Mick

I think i might switch to DE for a while and then maybe come back to it when i know what it should be. And a professional honing may happen eventually.

PaintBox, If you will cover shipping, I'll hone the Dovo up for you, on the house... Everyone deserves a good straight shave at least once in their life...

If it wasn't pro-honed, that's why it's giving you such bad shaves. I'll hone it and strop it, then send it back, just shave with it right out of the box, don't strop it... See if that serves you any better.

Zombie...I pm-ed you.

PM received and replied to. Glad I can help

I have been shaving with a DE for a number of years before starting with the straights a few weeks ago. The DE nicked me just about as much when learning as now with the straights.

There is a learning curve for sure! I just try to slow down and relax. Perhaps that is the whole point to SR shaving.

:tameshigiri:

seems akin to pipe smoking. while i did finally get down fairly well. turns out the secret to pipe smoking is also patience.

Hey, Paintbox... I just got the razor... My guess is that this razor is one of the VintageBlades razors that was honed by Lynn, because it still has a fantastic edge on it (I actually dry-shaved a small portion of my face with it, very comfortably... Do not attempt this until your technique is much more refined)

I'm going to strop it up and send it back to you. Make sure you do research on angles, a lot of guys butcher their faces right out of the gate due to bad technique... Make sure you keep everything at the right angle, with no pressure on the face (you're cutting hair, not skin... Takes a while to discern the difference ;) )

It'll be stropped tonight and in the mail tomorrow. Good luck!

Cheers,
Jeremy

Also, PLEASE don't store it in the dovo blue tin case for an extended period of time... That thing is a moisture trap and will cause blade rust... You have a few small waterspots on the blade, so find a drier, open-air location to store it, away from humidity, with decent airflow.

Jeremy

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ShavedZombie

I'm going to strop it up and send it back to you. Make sure you do research on angles, a lot of guys butcher their faces right out of the gate due to bad technique... Make sure you keep everything at the right angle, with no pressure on the face (you're cutting hair, not skin... Takes a while to discern the difference ;) )y

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I'd like to add keeping the skin tight is another big fundamental. If the skin is not pulled tight, the when the razor hits the hairs it pulls the skin forward until the pressure of the razor vs the hairs is greater than the skin's tension on the hairs, at which point the razor finally proceeds through the hairs. This is a very uncomfortable feeling, and detrimental to a nice shave. If you are getting your skin nice and tight, this threshold of razor on hairs vs skin on hairs is reached much easier, and the result is a shave that feels much more smooth.

I hope that made sense.

Seems there's little to add. The previous posts give some great advice. The only thing I might recommend is getting a shave from your barber to see what a proper shave should feel like. Don't be afraid to ask him for some pointers. After all, what's the worst he can do? With a razor to your neck?

You know, I could probably find a barber that still does that, but I've looked online and haven't found anything. I cut my own hair, so I actually don't have a barber at all.

DE shaved last night. That was remarkably nice. I did 2 passes and am happy to say that the Merkur has surpassed my Quattro in shave quality.