I must be nuts.

Ok, So my wife thinks I've lost my marbles...Not the first time but its the stragiht razor thats perched on the sink thats giving her less doubt now. First things first, I bought a Dovo 6/8 to start my straight razor shave learning with.
Its a cellulose handle brand new and I've given it a whirl already.

Lets just say I got a shave with it but It looked like I was attacked with a weed whacker. I was a bloody mess and I havent been right for 3 days since.

So now Im sporting a 3 days growth Im ready to give it another whirl. I did learn a few things in the first hack job but I have questions now. Like any learned thing Im going to be learning as I go like everyone does.
Perhaps someone can give me some advice before I carve a flap in my chin or lose another pint to poor preparation.

I started off by washing my face then applying a very very hot towel for about 2-3 minutes. Having my instrument at hand at the ready I applied my Watson shaving soap lather, then paused and aligned my nerve with my hand and gave the down stokes of the first pass. It felt like I was snagging and burned like fire all the way down my face.
I didnt relent, I went on and continued. I tried to hold my hand at that 30 degrees as a U-tube video shows. My first question, Was my razor sharp enough out of the box new or do I need to Strop it? Shouldnt it be ready to shave with out of the box? Next, I re-lathered and proceeded to finish with the upstrokes. I had more success with this as far as cleaning up but by this time I was so raw it was more a means to get it over with than a shave.

My biggest question is the razor itself. I didnt feel like I was fighting to control it or it didnt not conform to my face I was just not used to its use so when I cut in I was trying to get too much too fast on the first pass. My own fault. But the razor I feel should have bit thru more being new is this true? How sharp should a new razor be? What test can I give it to see if it is sharp enough before I set at the task?
Also, I was given some Shave cream in a tube with the razor as a sales extra from the supplier. Is this to be used in lieu of Soap and if so how does it work compared to the soap? Thanks for reading and I appreciate any feedback it will do alot to help out a newbie before he renders himself a new nickname like leather head or flap jack or any of the other numerous nick names a guy who did himeslef ugly with a straight razor might inccur from his unscupullus buddies.
Regards.

If you did not strop, lets start with that and then let us know how it goes. Since it seems that you have already shaved at least twice without stropping you may have to do some catching up. Normally I would advise you to strop a minimum of 50 laps on linen/canvas and then another 50 on leather. Because you did not strop beforehand for the first couple of shaves you may need to step it up and do 100 laps, maybe more, on linen and then leather just to get the edge back. Try this and see if that doesnt help you avoid the harassment of the unscrupulous.

I am kind of new at this as well, but from what I gathered so far from readng posts and some experience of my own, most straight razors are exactly shave ready out of the box and need some gentle honing.

Once the blade is sharp enough, it will give you a clean, very very close shave the first pass especially after you get the basic hang of it.

Also, from experience I can tell you do not apply ANY pressure to the blade on your face. Let it glide across the lather. Take your time;don't rush the shave. You will get faster in time the more you do it. It used to take me about 40-60 minutes to shave, now I can be done in about 10. Perfect every time.

The more you shave the better you will get at it and very soon you won't get a single scratch. I THINK I can speak for just about everyone on this forum, the first time is pretty much a big, bloody mess. Mine certainly was.

This is an ART FORM. practice practice practice and very soon you will have the nicest/closest shave you can get anywhere.

Good luck and happy shaving. I hope I was of some help. There are seasoned shaving vets on here who can probably give even better advise than I.

Where did you purchase the razor from? It is quite possible that the razor is not "shave ready." If that is the case, you are not going to be able to get a comfortable shave with it.

Best advice I can offer is read this..... Straight Razor Place Wiki

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Originally Posted by Fbones24

Where did you purchase the razor from? It is quite possible that the razor is not "shave ready." If that is the case, you are not going to be able to get a comfortable shave with it.

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Well sorry guys I mispoke right off the bat I didnt buy the Dovo I bought a Giesen and Forsthoff "Timor" I had been looking at the Dovo line and thats what stuck in my head when I read another post about it here. But yes I bought the G & F 6/8 and I got it from amazingshaving.com.

They were good to include a bonus in the purchase as well so kudos to them. I popped for a nice german made badger brush with an acrylic handle and used some teak off my old Scarab to fab up a holder for it.
I figured that old deck board saw alot of fish blood it might as well see some of my own.

OK, firstly, did the place you purchased it from say that it was shave ready? A lot of vendors sell razors, and if you want it shave ready you either send it out for honing or they do it for you at a slightly additional charge ($20 usually).

From your description of when you pulled the blade over your face, I would say that you used WAY too much pressure and didnt stretch the skin. A non-shave ready razor will also cause the pain you describe.


Try just stretching your cheeks and having another go on that "flat surface", using almost no pressure at all, and see if its any better.

Also, dont try and swipe all your whiskers off your face from ear to chin in one swipe. I tend to find many smaller movements are going to be much more comfortable.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Biggie77

Well sorry guys I mispoke right off the bat I didnt buy the Dovo I bought a Giesen and Forsthoff "Timor" I had been looking at the Dovo line and thats what stuck in my head when I read another post about it here. But yes I bought the G & F 6/8 and I got it from amazingshaving.com.

They were good to include a bonus in the purchase as well so kudos to them. I popped for a nice german made badger brush with an acrylic handle and used some teak off my old Scarab to fab up a holder for it.
I figured that old deck board saw alot of fish blood it might as well see some of my own.

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From what I can tell, those razors are not shave ready. You are shaving with the factory edge which might be okay, but not good enough to wipe the whiskers from your face.

Send the razor to someone and have it honed professionally, then try again. I think you will see a big difference.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wedwards

OK, firstly, did the place you purchased it from say that it was shave ready? A lot of vendors sell razors, and if you want it shave ready you either send it out for honing or they do it for you at a slightly additional charge ($20 usually).

From your description of when you pulled the blade over your face, I would say that you used WAY too much pressure and didnt stretch the skin. A non-shave ready razor will also cause the pain you describe.


Try just stretching your cheeks and having another go on that "flat surface", using almost no pressure at all, and see if its any better.

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I've been searching the sight I bought the razor from and cant seem to find anywhere that it states they are sold "Shave ready". Nothing in the razor box to tell me otherwise either. I was reading the Wiki and found the shave ready tests I can do those and just to save face..No pun Ill do that first before I have another go at myself. I did put what I thought was a good pull on my skin and tried to be consistant with my strokes but it was not smooth thats for sure.

Lets face it you either learn or your ugly. Id like to learn.

Some things to remember:
Good beard prep-best to shave after a warm shower

Use a good quality cream/soap-Truefitt & Hill, Taylor of Old Bond Street, Proraso are all good choices. Learn to build a good lather

Make sure your SR is properly honed and stropped

Use short strokes and take your time. Remember that you're learning to perform an old skill in a new fashion. This will take time, but it WILL get better

Enjoy!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Biggie77

Ok, So my wife thinks I've lost my marbles...
....snip...
Lets just say I got a shave with it but It looked like I was attacked with a weed whacker. I was a bloody mess and I havent been right for 3 days since.

So now Im sporting a 3 days growth Im ready to give it another whirl.
...snip...

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Welcome --

My guess is that blade is not as sharp as it should be.

First you need a backup so you can sneak up on
this thing. I recommend a five buck investment
in some BiC yellow handle razors for sensitive skin.
They are not terrible and if your straight is ever duller
than these it is time to give it a touch up on a finish hone.

At first:
I would have you shave the easy parts with a straight
and finish with a tossable. Then bit by bit work on
the rest of the face bit by bit.

The BiC is also an ideal blade to work on your "Latherin".
It has a big gap and rinses clean. They are sharp enough
for two or three go to work shaves before you need to
toss it out. It has a single blade so it trains you and your face
It also makes it easy to feel the grain of your whiskers.

So grab a bag of backup blades and send your razor
out to be professionally sharpened.. Have fun.

Welcome to SRP first and foremost. This journey is full of excitement, adventure, peril, adversity, and triumph. I also agree that it sounds like the razor is not "shave ready" and that it sounds like you are applying too much pressure to the edge. I made this same mistake when I first started and this is how I landed at SRP. ***WARNING***when you do get a "shave ready" razor (check out the classifieds) or you send the one you have out to get honed, be VERY CAREFUL when you go to shave with it. I had thought I was making progress with a factory edge TI from Art of Shaving and then I read the Wiki here at SRP and decided to order a "shave ready" Dove from SRD (Lynn, the founder of SRP is one of the proprietors and hones all of their razors by hand and you get a free honing certificate for later). When I went to use the same "technique" that had "kind of worked" (scraped whiskers off my face, not cut and it felt very similar to how your post described) with the new razor from SRD I gave myself a very deep slice on the cheek that took a good 3 weeks to heal (no Straight shaves during that time). This is when I joined SRP (and ironically why I chose the name "Sharp").

Anyway, get that blade honed or pick up a 2nd blade that is honed as a first step in the right direction. Also, look at the member's map and see if there are others in your area. Meet ups are a great way to get to know others in the community as well as shorten the learning curve significantly.

Read the Wiki and please keep asking questions, SRP is a wonderful community that wants to see people such as yourself succeed in this lost art.

Cheers!
:beer1:

Glenn

A good way to tell if it was shave ready. Was the seal on the case the razor came in broken? If not it was sent to you with the factory edge. I just bought a Dovo Prima Klang and the seal was unbroken. I just had to strop it up and go. I will be sending it out for a professional hone but I had to try it.

If I may pass on a newbie's learning curve. Your sr8 must be sharp and professionally sharp to cut those hairs in a fine and smooth fashion. Like it has been suggested send out your razor to one of the master's on the classified's. I sent my to Lynn, takes about 2 weeks to get it back sometimes sooner. If you can get a cheap ready-to-shave razor from the classifieds here as a second blade while the other one is being sharpened.

Strop your blade on linen then leather. 25/50 for starters. Stopping takes time to learn also. Go gently and watch the videos.

Wash face cleanly.

I prep my face with a dab of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. A few drops on the finger tips then rub it in. Let the skin absorb it all, don't dose it like a cooking pan.

Prepare a good lather, put hot hot water on face and apply with brush.

Start shaving just your cheeks with light strokes and stretch the skin. Practice the cheeks first and the rest will come later. The neck and chin are challenges.

Just a little bit more patience and it will happen. I am getting the best shaves I have ever got right now.

Best of luck!

I see nothing on amazingshaving.com that indicates you are purchasing something more than the factory edge.

So there are a few things that are going on. First your razor isn't shave ready. Check out the classifieds for a honemeister near you.

Secondly, you have bad technique. Getting a good shave with a straight takes more than a sharp razor, but good technique as well. If you dont' have either, then your face will look like it got attacked by a weed wacker.

After you get your razor in shave ready condition (and don't try to do it yourself, or take it to some knife shop, straights sharpen differently and you want someone experienced to do it) then you need to focus on your technique.

Strop well, practice with a butterknife so that you won't cut up your strop and damage your razor. The stroke needs to be swift, but the turn is where most beginners make their mistakes, so slow down for that and learn to do it right.

Prep well. It sounds like you are doing well in that dept, keep it up. Over prepping is better than underprepping.

Before you touch the razor to face, get your skin nice and stretched in a way that lifts the hairs up off the skin.

When you put razor to face, make sure you are using as light of pressure as possible. More pressure will mean a worse shave, but men who are used to using a cartridge have it engrained in them that more pressure will give them a better shave. It is a habit that must be broken. Light light light pressure!

Keep your razor angle below 30 degrees. This is another area most beginners stuggle, as it is difficult to judge angles well when looking through the mirror. Another good way to judge the angle is to have 2 spine widths between the spine and your skin.

Focus on these, and shave at a pace that you are comfortable with. The cheeks are easy, the lips and neck can be more difficult, and the chin will always be hardest. If you are feeling uncomfortable with an area, its perfectly fine to put the straight down and pick up your old razor. If you focus on technique, your skills will develop quickly and you will be able to use your old razor less and less. Before you know it, you will be getting the best shaves of your life.

Id like to thank everyone for the great advice and tips they will surely make this alot easier. Ive made a list of things here and been doing alot of reading and watching of clips online compiling the do's and donts.

I had my second shave this morning in fact and I must say it was alot better. First, I stroped my blade. I made about 50 passes on my strop. My logic was just to see if it made a difference and I honestly believe it did but now wish I had made about 150 passes instead of the 50.

I did pretty good for shave #2 I must admit it wasnt nearly as harsh as the first and i prep'd myself alot better by using conditioner on my face and keeping my lather applied to the area I was shaving. I suffered 2 small knicks at the curve of my chin which were menial to me compared to the first time. Also nearly no after burn either. I had alittle but not much more than I might get from a used Mach 3 or similar disposable. So yes, I enjoyed this shave a whole lot better.

Id like to get another Staight now, one that I know has been honed, stroped and is high quality. Only then will I know what this razor should be like. TO the newbie its difficult to tell how a blade should be I guess so my only conclusion is to get one that is already to go and then compare.

I wasnt all that familiar with how to hold my hands for the various parts of my face either on my first shave but I just do what feels natrual to me and go with it. I got that skin stretching is key also which made the pass so much more closer comfortable and really cleans you up nice.

Its all the tips this forum gives that makes me look forward to that next shave, I love it. What a cool forum!! Thank you all. I have a whole new respect for my grandfather who never knew any other way to shave than with a straight razor.

I recently saw a Hart Steel straight on Ebay, advertised by the wife who bought it for her husband and said "it just wasn't for him".

Jumping into straight shaving without preparation seems to be just too difficult. There is just too much stuff that has to be right for it to work: pressure, angle, technique, preparation, and edge, to name a few. Then there is care of the edge, stropping, and eventually, honing. I would think the success rate of people who are just given straights to start with, with no prior knowledge or preparation for it, is below 10%, if that.

This site offers the information and support that makes "getting" straight shaving possible.

Well I just purchased a certified "Shave ready" 5/8 straight. Here is the Ebay item number perhaps some feedback on my purchase would be useful. You all are very knowledgable and anything you could tell me about this straight would be gratefully appreciated.
Item# 300507696637.

I surfed alot of razors today before deciding on this one but I really like the antique blades, they have history and the fact this one was 100 years old and in near mint condition made it all that much more appealing to me. Then the seller has expierence in honing, and stroppiing and its coming shave ready is also a a very good plus to me. Now having two straights I will at least be able to rotate them out for honing. Also, this straight is a 5/8 hollow ground which is also going to tell me If thats a better balde for my face than my 6/8 Giesen & Forsthoff I bought new.
I love the little blade stand hes including too how neat is that?

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Originally Posted by ace

I recently saw a Hart Steel straight on Ebay, advertised by the wife who bought it for her husband and said "it just wasn't for him".

Jumping into straight shaving without preparation seems to be just too difficult. There is just too much stuff that has to be right for it to work: pressure, angle, technique, preparation, and edge, to name a few. Then there is care of the edge, stropping, and eventually, honing. I would think the success rate of people who are just given straights to start with, with no prior knowledge or preparation for it, is below 10%, if that.

This site offers the information and support that makes "getting" straight shaving possible.

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If my first time is any validation to your 10% success figure then put me down for failure lol. This is a great site, Ive learned alot albeight to increase my odds at success and limit my bloody failures. I just really want to learn how to do this the right way. I wanna be that guy who gets the perfect shave with a straight razor and pass it on to my sons.

I like the old ways of doing things and find them to be more satisfying then the fast commercial or generic way. This is an art form in of itself and to master it is a personal achievement as well as a great way to shave. I wont give it up now its to be mastered plus the investment is too much so Im commited now.