Thread: A Bad Beginner

So I've tried my second shave and I'm not doing so well. I got rid of cartridge blades over a year ago and use DEs now: a Merkur 33 and Merkur Slant. I have been very good with those and happy with the shaves following all the rules.

But I want to use straights. I love the look and feel of using a blade, even though I'm not getting a shave at all with it--yet.

I have a King Cutter from SRD, so the blade is sharp and shave ready. I have been using Lynn's advice in the video of starting with one area until I feel comfortable (right side, right had blade, left hand stretching).

My first shave had three days growth, and the blade didn't take much off at all. In fact it looked as if I hadn't shaved at all, let alone felt like it. I know my shaves the first month to two are going to be bad, but this didn't seem like a shave at all. A second pass didn't make it much better.

I am not using any pressure, as that's the advice I have been seeing. It seems to pull less if I put on a little pressure, but I don't want to go to far, based on the advice presented here. The shave gets better with less pulling the flatter the blade goes.

Any advice for this beginner?

Also, a question about stropping. I am keeping the blade flat (mostly), and have not nicked by leather. I am going slow to improve my technique. When I roll the blade (spine only, I have not used the edge yet--yea!), I hear a light "ping" sound when I roll the razor and have the blade in full contact with the strop. It sounds like it is picking the strop, but it is not being moved backwards on the edge at all (like honing). I stop the blade then roll on the spine. Is this right?

Thanks so much for your help!

Matt
Still working to become qualified enough to call myself a beginner...

You will receive lots of advice I'm sure. One thing you will hear from most of us is that you should start gradually and not attempt a full shave to begin with. It's not a crime to finish off with your usual razor. Stick to shaving the easy areas while you get used to the feel of the blade.

Steammaker--
I have just recently started myself (last week). I must have watched Lynn's video 6 times before I even attempted my first shave. The first thing I noticed was that the angle of the blade is critical for a good cut (beardwise and skinwise). My results have been mixed--a couple of spots on my face shave easily, a couple of spots are very hard and a couple of spots (my cheeks inparticular) seem to enjoy getting major blood letting gashes.
So I think you're going about it in the right way (a small section at a time). I backed way off my initial whole face attempt and have been doing better just concentrating on my neck and sideburn areas. I think that most of the veterens here will tell you that taking your time will pay off in the long run. One thing is for sure, shaving with straight razor is more of an art and a true skill than anything.
I'm still excited about conquering this new challenge, but I've slowed way down how much I try to get done each time--I'm sure that in time (several months?) we'll both be glad we tried this.
Oh yeah--IT IS a totally cool way to shave.

Welcome to straight razors,

Well i just started myself a month ago. I have gotten several shaves in now. On my first shave it was a bit apprehensive myself. I not only tried my whole face, but didnt get the results I had been hearing about. I thought straights would give me the best shave ever the first time I used it. Not so, unless you just are that gifted.

What I learned was that I learn with each shave. Do watch the dvd on shaving, it is a great tool. Also do some more looking around on youtube, there are tons of guys with great advice.

As for the second shave, well again, you are just at the beginning. Dont get too discoraged. My first shaves were poor and also bad razor burn. You have already done better than I with not applying to much pressure.

I too was not even looking like I shaved after some of the earlier shaves. So I just kept adding pressure as that seemed to be what worked. Also gave some bad burning. What I did to improve was less pressure and a lot more stretching. You didnt say much on stretching so maybe give it a try. Make sure that your skin in taught where you are shaving.

As you said, blade angle helps as well. Experiment with it, that is the only thing I can say. Stropping is key as well, make sure you keep it flat. Dont want to dull the blade. Also saw a video, once you get the motion down speed it up a bit, helps some how. Also pay attention to prepping your face, can be just as important. You will get it, it gets better. The learning process I find is part of the fun.

Hope this helps,
Brian

Man and His Razor

The hardest concept for some folks it the blade angle. It is really important that the razor almost be vertical when shaving. That means 30 degrees or less. What happens is that for most of us, when you hold a straight razor, your hand tends to bend back at the wrist which opens up the angle of the blade to 45 degrees or more. This cause pulling usually or scraping with not a lot of hair being shaved. Give the razor a good stropping (50-60 strokes) and try again using little short strokes with not much pressure. You can clean up the spot you are shaving with longer strokes after this.

Have fun,

Lynn

Stropping -- No, that is absolutely not correct. The blade never stops on the strop, ever! Keep the blade moving and begin moving the blade in the opposing direction before the edge contacts the strop.

Blade edge contact with the strop must always be done with spine leading motion.

With regards to your stropping question, the blade should be flat on the strop, 'mostly flat' sounds a bit dodgy at the best of times. Stropping is useless if you are just running the spine up and down the strop with out the blade contacting leather, and you stand to roll the edge if the spine is sitting high of the leather.
The stropping action should be smooth and flowing with the roll over the spine starting before the stroke is finished. That way the edge is off the leather if and when you do stop to complete the roll over.


Hope that helps for that part of your question.


Mick

Sounds to me like the dreaded bad stropping dulled a shave ready razor.

You may need to have the razor rehoned now. Probably you need to evaluate the present condition of the edge to decide how to proceed now.

Like Lynn said you have to watch that angle. I've been shaving for years now and I still notice if I don't pay attention the angle slowly changes as I shave all by itself.

Hello Matt,

Time and patience are your friends.

Thanks,
Mike

remember when you were a kid and you went cliff diving for the first time , you were afraid it was so far down to the water perhaps you even thought you may paralyze yourself by hitting a rock or something then you did it perhaps you belly flopped ouch! but you discovered it wasn't so bad so you tried it again all went as planned and whoo hoo no stopping ya now.

well shaving with a straight is kinda like that in the way that putting a sharp piece of steel next to our faces seems a bit out of wack because its not advertised to us any longer. In an age of nanny government and regulations from every sector of society this thing just seems so damn unsafe which in a way makes it so much more lovely then it really is ( I dont love my hammer ) just a tool that people for a long long time have used to remove facial hair.
be brave and join the generations of men who have used this tried and true method dont be a wuss get that blade in there, whats the worse that can happen, you bleed a little ?