Thread: Heavy Beard - Need Help/Advice

Originally Posted by Lynn

I usually advise people to take on the chin in three parts. Under the lower lip going straight down and then the two sides going straight down and save the actual chin itself for last. The problem is that the chin is rounded and you have to build up the skill to keep the cutting angle as you shave around the rounded part. This takes some practice. As the guys advised, stretching does help. Take your time, it will get there for you. Sounds like you made a great start already.

Have fun,

Lynn

Hi Lynn, does SRD post to New Zealand?

Thanks

A lot has been said and i agree . Your patience is the most important factor in your case.
I am not sure to advice you this or not but i do know this will help you a lot.

Try to learn scything motion shaving(I do understand this is not easy)
most people learns this method of shaving after using straight couple years.
By using this method you will help the blade slice the hairs a lot easier then using down strokes.

This may very well slice your face TOO.
GL

Thanks everyone for your input, I really appreciate your taking time to answer my question. I had done a lot of research prior to starting, so I was ready to expect nicks, razor burn, improper stropping, folded blades, so-so shaves, etc. and other typical beginner problems, but not being able to cut the hair at all really threw me (especially on a super-sharp razor).

Since I'm in my first week of straight razor shaving I'm pretty sure user error is the culprit, but after a few different approaches I was out of ideas. I have the thickest beard of anyone I know and I was starting to think maybe it just wasn't possible. It's reassuring to hear others have run into the same thing.

I have a lot of good ideas now, so I'm excited to try them tomorrow, I'll let you know how it goes. I have a feeling proper stretching and a shallower angle may do the trick. Thanks again for all the feedback!

I've had a few days to incorporate everyone's suggestions. And thanks again for all the feedback it gave me a lot of different things to try, but I fear I have taken one step forward and two steps back.

I tried to concentrate on really stretching my skin while while using a much shallower angle, ranging from around 10 degrees to having the spine right against my face. I was able to get through the troubled lower jaw/chin area (the actual chin itself isn't as bad), but not without much tugging and pulling from my beard. But in the end the shallow angle resulted in some unbelievable razor burn. My alum block gave me a nice surprise after that one.

Long story short, I have pretty much been unable to shave my beard and my shaves have been getting worse and worse beard-tugging wise. It can probably be chalked up to a dulled blade, and I don't doubt it happened out of inexperience and/or poor stropping. But the thing that throws me is my razor stills feels very sharp against my thumb and across my thumbnail and still shaves arm & leg hair with ease. But the beard is a no-go. I have been doing nothing but researching and practicing stropping for the last few days, but I have a tough time gauging my progress since a sharpened butter knife will cut my arm hair while while nothing short a chip of obsidian seems to cut my beard. I have no idea where I am in the middle of those two extremes and whether not I am going in the right direction.

So I guess I am back where I started. I know I have to improve my blade sharpening skills before I can even attempt to shave my beard, but since my beard is so difficult I have no real way to see if I am getting better or not.

Perhaps, going back to step one and mastering a few sections first and slowly building on it to move on to the next section.

I recall trying to shave the whole face as a newbie and not getting the desired results and having to be patient to let the hair grow back to try again. I should have just focused on sections and mastered them before moving on to other sections.

Pabster

I had the same problem. Try doing short strokes at different directions and that could help. I found out mines grows at a diagonal down and toward my chin. Be patiant and keep trying. It just takes time. Ps invest in witch hazel and a styptic pencil.

_______________________
Devilpup

Originally Posted by bmcgrath

But the thing that throws me is my razor stills feels very sharp against my thumb and across my thumbnail and still shaves arm & leg hair with ease. But the beard is a no-go.

Hold on, have you run this blade along your thumb nail?

Originally Posted by AxelH

Hold on, have you run this blade along your thumb nail?

Yes, I put a drop of water on my thumbnail and lightly ran the blade across it to test for smoothness, similar to what Lynn does in his DVD. I would strop afterwards. I also watched the Dovo manufacturing video on youtube, and they did something similar but using horn. Do you think that dulled the blade?

This is where you have damaged the edge by running it across the thumbnail, please dont do this. I do this only when I find a razor for sale and I want to check the blade for chips unseen by the naked eye. Some intense stropping may help if your technique is good, but then again the razor may need to be touched up on the stones.

Concerning the chin you got some very good advice from everybody, all of it is good and here is my two pennies worth: when you look at the contours of your chin break those contours into smaller flat planes and adjust your strokes accordingly.

Hope all goes well from here and welcome to SRP!

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

This is where you have damaged the edge by running it across the thumbnail, please dont do this. I do this only when I find a razor for sale and I want to check the blade for chips unseen by the naked eye. Some intense stropping may help if your technique is good, but then again the razor may need to be touched up on the stones.

Awesome, thanks for the feedback. I'm going to send that razor back to the honemeister and switch over to my unused razor (which is still unbelievably sharp). I knew I screwed something up

There is plenty of good advice in this thread, so I am just going to chill out a give myself a good month or two of trial and error and see where I am at that point. It seems like I have all the tools I need, I just need to put in the hours to get better. Thanks again everyone!