Question about first few SR shaves

Hey guys. I have now shaved with my SR twice now. I took a hot shower (with the water running on my face a lot), got out (without drying face off), lathered up, and shaved. However, both times I have been getting little spots of blood all over where I shave, especially on my neck area, and I'm wondering why this is? I watched the shaving video by jockeys in the Wiki section, so I was trying to do it like him for the most part. My SR will pass the HHT so I know that it's not the fact that it's not sharp enough... I was wondering if it is because I'm not holding the SR at the right angle? It seemed to do a little better when I held it at a narrower angle and not cut me as much, but I don't know...It was just pretty uncomfortable, and I know that this is not how a SR shave should be. Jockeys said that if it is uncomfortable at all, then you are doing it wrong... so what am I doing?

*one more thing, I am using the Van der halen shaving soap... it doesnt' seem to lather so well (using a boar brush, but will try it with a badger brush tomorrow). Thanks!

Hello, Razoredgeknives:

Four reasons come to mind for your problems with these shaves:

1. Your preparation might not be optimum. I know Van der Hagen has some fans here and there, but I don't regard it as a quality soap. Also, your preparation might need work.

2. Your razor angle could be wrong, perhaps to aggressive.

3. I get the impression you are using excessive pressure. You do not need pressure. Let the razor's weight be enough pressure.

4. Finally, your face still needs to get accustomed to this type of shaving.

Regards,

Obie

I am new but it sounds like too much pressure and/or to much against the grain.

I had the same problem a couple weeks ago when I tried to learn to use a DE. I found out that there were three things that I had to change due to those being closer to a SR than I thought they would be.

1. I was useing too much pressure because I thought it would be like an injector, but it was much more aggressive than my injectors. after my first bad nick I never had the problem of too much pressure with a SR.

2. I was useing the wrong angle which also came from being used to injectors that set the angle for you. this also took me a while to learn with a SR.

3. the red dots I got seemed to be only where I went against the grain. the first two things were bad enough to get the aftershave really burning, but going against the grain on top of the other two things can be disasterous. I didn't have this problem with a SR probably due to that first bad nick, which was before started doing ATG passes.

even though a SR is quite a bit different than a DE I still think these perticular lessons that I learned should be transferable.

razoredgeknives,

I have been using a straight razor over the last couple of years for 99% of my shaves, and I still have to be mindful to back off on the pressure; It is so easy to drift off and apply too much !

Constant vigilance are the watchwords :)

For me, weepers are clear indicators of too much pressure, incorrect angle and not enough stretching.

As with DE/SE shaving, life is much easier if you can manouver your face into a series of flat planes for shaving.

Shaving around acutely curved surfaces such as the jaw line makes it much more difficult to maintain the correct angle of the blade.

Best of luck !

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

THe VDH soap is not one of the cadillacs, but I doubt your problems stem from the VDH. I use it every day and it's adequate, better than many for the money.

Angle and pressure are the most common culprits, assuming a good razor and a good edge, of course.

On the WTG stroke, if your touch is right, you can feel the edge engage the whiskers as you start moving the blade, and the whiskers will actually "draw in" the blade. Your movement is lateral, across the face, and I'm finding I need little or almost no pressure holding the blade to my face. The edge catches the hair and the hair for a split second pulls in the blade to the face. When you find that point, just a tiny bit more pressure, merely to steady the blade really, is all it takes.

Find a post by JimmyHAD and look at his signature line. It's simple, but true, and it also is perhaps the hardest thing to learn about straight shaving.

I use VDH soap, the "Deluxe" and like it a lot. At $1.54 a puck at my local WalMart, it's a great buy. It's not the Mercedes Benz of soaps, but it is a solid Toyota Camry. You might step up from it, but for now it's really okay for what you need. It lathers well, so I think you might think about your water (hard, soft?) or technique. VDH Deluxe "likes" hot water on the brush. I soak the bristles (badger) in hot water while showering. Then I take out the brush and flip it a couple times, and lather. Sometimes I refresh the hot water in the brush with just about a teaspoon of really hot water. The advantage is that that hot water warms the lather a bit more and feels great on your face.

Buying another soap won't be your answer for moving from poor to adequate shaves. Your soap is okay for now. Focus on the edge, the angle, the touch.

BTW the HHT is not much of a predictor of how the razor shaves your face. Some can pass the HHT because the edge is actually a little wiry or even has some micro-jaggedness that catches the hair and cuts it, not smoothly slicing it. The HHT is as much a "trick" as it is a test. The only thing that counts is shaving. You didn't tell us the type of razor or who honed it, so for me the edge is still an open question. A good razor honed by a recognized razor honemeister, not a local shop or knife store, is the only insurance.

Here's a clue: anyone offering honing services who does not advertise on SRP, the largest community of straight shavers, and PURCHASERS of straight shaving products in the world, is likely not a good vendor! You are not likely to go wrong with folks on this site.

That may be unnecessary in your case to say, but I wanted to note it just in case.

Happy shaving!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by razoredgeknives

Hey guys. I have now shaved with my SR twice now. I took a hot shower (with the water running on my face a lot), got out (without drying face off), lathered up, and shaved. However, both times I have been getting little spots of blood all over where I shave, especially on my neck area, and I'm wondering why this is? I watched the shaving video by jockeys in the Wiki section, so I was trying to do it like him for the most part. My SR will pass the HHT so I know that it's not the fact that it's not sharp enough... I was wondering if it is because I'm not holding the SR at the right angle? It seemed to do a little better when I held it at a narrower angle and not cut me as much, but I don't know...It was just pretty uncomfortable, and I know that this is not how a SR shave should be. Jockeys said that if it is uncomfortable at all, then you are doing it wrong... so what am I doing?

*one more thing, I am using the Van der halen shaving soap... it doesnt' seem to lather so well (using a boar brush, but will try it with a badger brush tomorrow). Thanks!

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I had the same problems in my neck area. I then looked at the growth patterns and noticed I was doing ATG on the first pass(the hairs on my neck grow north apparently). That gave me small cuts.

I then started WTG on my neck on the first pass, I never get those bloody spots any more,

Discomfort is part of paying your dues. Until you've shaved this way for a while and your face become accustomed to the insult, you will experience irritation. A shave balm such as Nivea might help. Some have recommended shaving less frequently if you don't have a job requirement to be clean shaven. As for the little bleeders, I got them all the time at first. I was cursed with acne as an adolescent and still have the battle scars which would come open frequently. By now, they seem to have condeded and it rarely happens. Along with the pressure and angle, if your face is not a pristine landscape to begin with, this could be a contributing factor. Despite the initial difficulties, I hope you stick with it. Good luck and welcome to the brotherhood of the blade.

Lawson,
thanks a lot for the advise, and thanks to every one else who has posted here,i think I will try to get my shading angle right and the amount of pressure correct. I purchased this straight razor off of the classified section of this forum and it was advertised as shave ready, however, when I got it it wouldn't pass the HHT. So I stropped it on a .25 micron paste and that seemed too do the trick. But I guess, just to be safe, I'll rehone the edge. I'm not going to pay anyone to sharpen the blade, because I sharpen knives as a side business.that is one of the reasons I am getting into SR shaving, so I can make sure I can offer expertise to any of my customers...plus I think its neat :). But that is a good point, thank you!