Thread: "Pulling" Explained

Pulling! Gentlemen~ The sensation you feel from "pulling" or that bizarre catchy-ness you feel when you first start straight shaving comes from pressure applied against the skin.

It has nothing what-so-ever to do with sharpness. In fact, the sharper the blade the more pulling it can cause.

When it gets explained as bad, poor, inexperienced "technique" it is literally the application of too much pressure (any at all) against the skin.

A hydrated whisker, shaved alone, will be removed with no effort at all. The whisker will be obliterated. BUT, if you use that same exact razor with the application of pressure against the skin, you'll get "pulling". A nasty drawing sensation against the skin.

This problem is compounded with an against the grain pass because your shaving into the skins pore.

It is the objective of the straight razor shaver to shave the whiskers without touching the blade to the face!

Impossible you say? Well, yes, it kind of is, but keep this in mind when you shave. Look for some individual hairs close up and shave them without touching the blade to the skin and you shall see. Be careful if you get too close to the mirror. If the scale hits the mirror your in trouble.

THIS IS WHY A DE RAZOR SEEMS TO HAVE LESS DRAG!!

This gentlemen, is the answer to why you feel less drag with a Double Edge. It is because the saftey bar prevents heavy contact of the blade with the skin. It's the safety bar that runs down your skin and the DE blade only makes controlled light contact.

I would list the proper angle and proper pressure applied while shaving as the most important tenant of the straight shaver.