Thread: I am a Straight Razor Shaver

Thanks for posting your experience. I've enjoyed your posts about the paddle strop, but this particular thread gives me some encouragement as someone who is a few months behind you in learning and is experiencing the same frustrations about straight-razor technique. I'm putting off honing for now, but will probably pick that up next year so that I can look after most of my blade's maintenance.

Very good thread. The key is learning, particularly in understanding the sensitivity of the blade to pressure.

Honing up a blade that is already shaving and needs to be updated is very simple. Just keep the blade flat, flip on the spine, and use an x pattern.

Stropping is also easy. Relatively flat strop, light touch, flip on spine, add patience and the strop does all the work.

Where I think most guys mess up is in failing to understand how gentle it all needs to be. It's almost so easy that we overpower the blade.

Trying to hone on anything lower than 8K, or treating the blade on a strop like your buttering toast instead of trying to polish a razors edge, are a few other potential pitfalls.

When shaving you need to maintain a 30 degree angle, not only for shave quality but also so you don't dull the edge on your face. When I shave I try to cut off the whisker without touching my face with the blade.

Great post. Thanks. As a beginner, I sometimes get frustrated. Just when I think, "I'm getting the hang of it," I get a sub par shave. Then I say the razor must be getting dull. Then the next day's shave is great. So it was me.

Straight razor shaving is a great test of one's tenacity. I keep telling myself that the only thing that could prevent me becoming proficient with a straight is myself. I decide when I quit and I will not quit. I will be shaving with a straight years from now. It's just too much fun to stop.

Thanks again,

Ken

Thanks for the post...my story is very close. Thanks for the encouragement (and knowing that I'm not the only one!)

No way dude. That was an

AWESOME POST!!!!

Originally Posted by MiamiStyle1

Great post, thanks!

Great post. So often, people will try something that requires a bit of technique and then condemn the whole practice because of their failure. People assume that something should fall into their lap, and then don't invest the thought, research, and caution that any new skill would require. I had a friend who always used an electric. He asked me about shaving with a razor (he meant a disposable one). I told him he'd get a better shave than with the electric. The next day, he said "I'll never try that again". He was cut up on his cheek. I asked him what happened. He said that when he applied a lot of pressure, the blade would cut him. WTF? I asked him why he didn't try to shave with light pressure, and he just shook his head and said wet shaving was crap.

I tried snow skiing once. I fell down a lot. When people ask me if I ski, I say "I suck at it", not "Skiing sucks" (if I worked at it, i suppose I could learn to do it, but there's no snow where I live). It's the same with straight shaving, or riding a bike, or tying your shoes.

Thanks for the encouragement. I am also hooked. Is there a precursor to RAD for those that buy other equipment building up to the first attempt at refreshing their first razor? Because I definitely got whatever that is... as you can tell from my previous posts today. RAD to follow no doubt.

Buying up all the razors and gear is no substitute for patience and careful practice. I learned that here.

I'm new at it too, a couple weeks or so. I'm having good luck in not screwing up my face shaving. For one who used to hate shaving, I can say that I enjoy the ritual thoroughly. Like anything else that gives you pleasure, it's starting to cost me money. Just bought my second razor and brush and a couple of amenities. Ching! Ching!