Heavy Beard - Need Help/Advice

I've had a couple days with my first pair of straight razors, but I am having no luck shaving the heavier parts of my beard near my chin. I bought a pair of basic Dovo 6/8 pre-honed by Lynn, so I don't think sharpness is an issue. At first I shaved a small patch of hair on my arm, and the razor proved very sharp and cut through no problem. So I took a shower and put some on some Proraso preshave and lathered up with the regular Proraso cream.

I decided to follow the SRP beginners guide and only start with the right sideburn/cheek. I shaved the flat part of my right side no problem, but as soon as I got down to the right side near my chin where my beard is heaviest the razor just stopped. So I pulled back and tried again and again it would not go through. I tried different angles and different approaches, all with no luck. It would simply stop the razor in its tracks. I even tried to give it some push, probably more so than was safe, and all that happened is the razor stuttered over that part of the beard. I realized at this point I was going to cut myself so I decided to try again the next day.

Since the razor worked well on other parts of my face, I sort of ruled out sharpness. I checked the razor to make sure I didn't fold the edge and compared it to the other, untouched razor and it looked fine. So I thought beard prep was probably the issue. The next day I took a shower and did the full hot towel, lather, hot towel, wipe, lather treatment. But again, same issue. The razor simply does not want to go through that part of my beard no matter how I approach it. It's worth noting that even using a DE with brand new feather blades that part of my face will tug at the razor.

At this point I'm kind of at a loss and I'm not sure what to do next. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome aboard! The chin is probably the trickiest area to shave. What a lot of us find works is to shave the chin in very small sections w/ short strokes (fractions of an inch), making sure to pull the skin tight as you go.

My chin area behaves the same and I have to stretch the skin, use short repeating strokes and sometimes, apply a little more cream or soaps to that area.

Pabster

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

I agree with the others here. Chin is tough. I'm about to do it for the third time today (I'm a beginner). The first attempt was exactly like yours (I actually filmed it on Page 6 of my beginners thread here on the forums).

The second attempt was easier. Here is what I am doing, to sum up what others are saying:

- VERY LIGHT on the pressure. If it's tugging too much, pushing harder is not the answer.

- Adjust the angle and glide over it. It will still have a scratching sound, not a smooth gliding sound, but it should be cutting nevertheless.

- Lather up heavy and do small strokes.

As a beginner, the first two things are harder to do, but we can all lather up heavy and take small strokes quite easily. When you feel too much pulling, lower the angle and mentally recite in your head, "light pressure, light pressure."

Works for me, and it's a work in progress. Remember, the chin is arguably the hardest part of the face, along with the neck and then mustache area.

Keep it up and it will start to come naturally. Like you said, it's NOT your razor so it has to be one of the things mentioned above that is causing the discomfort.

Make sure that you are shaving with the grain. Most people, myself included, have what seems to be random growth patterns on the neck and chin. Let the beard grow for a few days and study the pattern of growth.

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Originally Posted by Lynn

...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....
Lynn

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Exactly. I had kind of forgotten how difficult that was at first. When I was starting out the chin was a challenge for sure. I have the additional issue of a bunch of scar tissue from where I tramatically sheared off the end of my chin bone when I was a kid. A work around that helped me while I was building up the skill to maintain the cutting angle as I went around the rounded part of the chin was to do a XTG pass along my jawline starting out by my ear and coming in to the middle of my chin.

When I test shave a razor it's the chin I use because it's the toughest place. If the chin goes good I know it will shave the rest of my face with no problems. You just need to keep practicing. I usually go N-S on the top and front and S-N on the sides of the chin and sometimes either E-W or W-E along the front. In the end you have to be able to guide the razor down and around the contours of the chin to get it right.

I had the same experience - it may or may not be for the same reason as you.

Having read the 'how-to', watched vids, read the wikis, I saw that WTG blade angle was supposed to be about 30 deg. Like yourself, this worked great, until I hit heavy growth, at which point the blade just stopped - like hitting a wall. I tried techniques that limited the length of the cutting edge that engaged the heavy growth - angling the edge so only a small portion was engaged. 'Had limited success from these techniques. What turned out to make much more of a difference was the blade angle. I was fixated on keeping 30 deg. At 10 deg, I could feel resistance, but it cut more normally. Before learning that, I had trouble using a flexible full hollow blade, turning to the heavy grinds. If 30 deg gives too much resistance, try the section with much less blade angle.

'Seems frustrating now, but you'll have it licked VERY soon. 'Took me about 6 wks - probably take others about 6 days.

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Originally Posted by bmcgrath

........as I got down to the right side near my chin where my beard is heaviest the razor just stopped. So I pulled back and tried again and again it would not go through. I tried different angles and different approaches, all with no luck. It would simply stop the razor in its tracks. I even tried to give it some push, probably more so than was safe, and all that happened is the razor stuttered over that part of the beard.

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You've perfectly articulated my problem as well. I have two straights, one honed by Lynn, the other by Hi_bud_gl (Thanx guys!). I KNOW they're sharp, but I get to certain regions and it's like hitting a bog. They just stop.

I'm making some progress as I become more comfortable with the straight razor as a tool and slowly develop the motor skills to use it. Stretch, blade angle, and pressure (or lack thereof) seem to be the issues.

It's a slow and sometimes frustrating process. :boohoo: Thanks for highlighting the problem and thanks to the "experts" for weighing in.

~Dan

Quote:

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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

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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

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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.

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

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Originally Posted by AxelH

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

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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!

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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.

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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!

Try using a hot towel prior to your shave just to soften up the beard as much as possible. Also, you pointed out that the razor shaved your arm hair just fine, but not your beard. I have also experienced this, so I do not believe that this method is an adequate sharpness test. This of course is my opinion, I don't speak for everyone here. Have you tried pre-shave oil? Good luck on gettin' that perfect shave!