Thread: Some help with my technique please

I would also agree here that the edge has NOT been dulled by stropping. I would say that a hanging strop is in order. There is a lot of technique to getting a good shave. I started out on a shave ready razor like you. I thought it wasn't sharp and emailed the person I got it from. I went back to the strop until it would pass the hanging hair test. That alone was hard to do, even harder on a paddle strop. Then the months of learning how to shave...

Glen

Here's what worked for me...

I had to unlearn many bad habits such as digging and scraping with the blade. I had to stop those compulsive repeated strokes over the same area trying to achieve the perfect shave.

Also, I switched to shaving and then showering. Most of what I was calling razor burn was really poor rinsing of my face and subsequent irritation from the shaving soap.

You'll find your way with experience.

Cheers,
LG Roy

Thanks again for the info,

Last night I ran the blade across the paddle strop so that it would pass the HHT. And it finally did.

I just finished up shaving since the restropping and the blade still doesnt seem sharp enough. I have ordered hanging strop to see if that can make a difference for me.

I have a very thick and heavy facial hair and even with my Futur I had a hard time finding blades that were sharp enough. Finally I came across Feather blades and they where just perfect.

This might be silly but are there straight razors that are known for being extremely sharp? Might the Feather Artist Clubs be a better way to go?

Originally Posted by JBahn

[...]
This might be silly but are there straight razors that are known for being extremely sharp? Might the Feather Artist Clubs be a better way to go?

Just to give you an alternative opinion, absolute sharpness may not be your problem, but rather how long the blade will stay sharp. A heavy/coarse beard can dull a sharp razor pretty quickly (usually, this can be restored through stropping, though)
Do you experience this dragging with the grain or only against the grain ?

Redwoood

I experience it with the grain and usually the first stroke I take with the straight is ok, it is the second stroke that drags. The hair on my neck isnt quite as thick and the skin is a little softer, on my neck I can get great shaves with little to no irritation. It is just on my checks and upper jaw where I get irritation and a bad shave.

JBahn,

I have a stiff beard as well...one thing that helps me is to strop whenever the razor starts to pull, I have some razors I can shave my entire face with, others I need to strop three times:

...Once while the lather is soaking on my face (50 laps)

...Once after my cheeks and upper lip (20 laps)

...once after my chin (20 laps)

For me the heavy 1/4 hollow grinds make it through the whole shave, the full hollows need to go back to the strop mid-shave.

Dave

Tobico,

That is one thing that passed my mind.l This blade seems so frail and flimsee; almost like it is sturdy enough to move through my beard. I was curious a razor with a less of a hollow would be a little better.

Originally Posted by JBahn

Tobico,

That is one thing that passed my mind.l This blade seems so frail and flimsee; almost like it is sturdy enough to move through my beard. I was curious a razor with a less of a hollow would be a little better.

Don't mistake the apparent flimseeness of a blade as a sign of some weakness. Sharp is sharp and the lightest 4/8s razor can give you every bit as good a shave as a 8/8s wedge meat chopper.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Don't mistake the apparent flimseeness of a blade as a sign of some weakness. Sharp is sharp and the lightest 4/8s razor can give you every bit as good a shave as a 8/8s wedge meat chopper.

That is very true. Sharp is sharp and that is all you need to take a beard off.

Originally Posted by RichZ

That is very true. Sharp is sharp and that is all you need to take a beard off.

I've got wood chisels of different sizes and different grades of steel. the thinner chisels and the softer metals have to be stropped more often than the thicker ones.

Sharp is sharp but for how long makes a difference, especially on wiry beards or dry beards.