Going down hill fast

I hope you all had a good Easter with your family. If you have an answer to only one or a few of my questions, I will appreciate it.

So I have a Dovo Buffalo Horn 5/8" Stainless Steel purchased from SRD. I have shaved with it twice. I also have the Premium I leather strop with hard pressed wool felt from SRD. I did not strop the blade when I first got it because they are "shave ready". The first shave Friday evening worked out pretty well with only one very shallow nick about 3/4" long, just a tiny bit of blood, and some minor razor burn. Pretty good considering I just switched from a Mach III, and the only other experience I have shaving is with a knife, once, on my cheek (dumb experiment a few years ago that worked out just fine fortunately).

I didn't shave Saturday, since I shaved late Friday.

Today’s shave wasn’t as good. Razor burn. A couple of nicks. I stropped, while the shaving cream was soaking in, I used hot water and shaved with Proraso shaving cream (store brand version from bath & body works). Also used a hot towel before lather, another after lather (like in the video that came with the order from SRD), then shaved after re-lathering. I used a hot towel after shaving too, but I think it was too hot, which might explain some of the irritation. Either that, or the Nivea aftershave for Sensitive Skin. I don't usually use aftershave.

The first passes of the shave weren’t so good, as the blade was going up and over the whiskers instead of through them. Since I have razor burn, it is possible I over compensated after the first passes. I ended up doing a 4 pass shave, lathering between passes.


So I have some ideas:

1. I am going to use a double edged razor that I just picked up, and see if the lather/after-shave are part of the skin irritation problem.
2. I am wondering if I should buy a hone. I have a spyderco tri-angle sharpmaker for knife sharpening, but I am not going to use this on this razor.
3. I am wondering if I should buy a lower end razor. I currently have the Dovo Buffalo Horn 5/8” stainless. I figure with a lower end (meaning about $100 instead of $200+) razor I could have two razors to compare against. (If anybody wants to help me buy a razor from ebay without spilling the beans and causing a bidding war, send me a PM and give me some advice on a razor and maximum bid). I don't like gold on the blade if possible. I care much more about function and steel quality on the blade.
4. I was pretty careful not to put pressure on the sharp side when I was stropping, and I knew enough to drag the blade heel side first, but I didn’t do any prep on the strop after I took it out of the bag. I wonder if that might have dulled the razor (e.g., dust and/or no strop treatment).
5. I have a shaving mirror mounted to my wall that I used when I was shaving with the mach III. Worked fine there, but I think I need to lower it now that I am using a straight razor.
6. Maybe I shouldn't look so closely in the mirror when I am shaving?
7. Anybody in the Twin Cities going to have a SR meet?
8. I mixed the shaving cream in an old coffee mug. Maybe a coffee mug was too small?
9. Any other advice/tips?
10. Can you over strop a blade if you are otherwise careful?
11. How do you clean the business end of a razor while your shaving, and once you're done.

I am sure this is answered somewhere, but feel free to provide a link if you have found it useful.

Thanks guys for helping a SR noob out.

We have all been in your shoes as some point, so don't get down on yourself. Razor burn typically comes from too much pressure or too steep of an angle of your blade to your face. If you're fairly new to straight shaving, then I would hold off on getting a hone for a while because learning to hone while learning to shave is a difficult task. As for a second razor, it always a good idea to have a spare or three or four in case you damage one (ie roll the edge, drop it, etc). However, I would stay away from ebay, most likely a razor you purchase from the bay will not be shave ready. Instead, check the classifieds here and I'm certain you will find something you like, is cost effective, and is most importantly "shave ready." As for lather, I don't think the size of a coffee cup is the issue. Maybe your lather was too dry, like shaving, making a good lather takes time to get the water ratio just right for you and your beard. If you have not done so already, be sure to read the WIKI and FAQS and you'll probably find answers to questions you didn't know you had yet. Keep us posted on your progress and remember part of the fun is learning even from mistakes.

I have been shaving with a straight razor for two months now. Believe me when I say that I can relate. I went exactly through the same experience. My first shave was great...the others...not so much until recently. I blamed my razor, thought it was dull. Blamed my stropping. Blamed everything except me. However, I was determined to succeed and kept after it.

Turned out it was me all the time. I finally hit on the correct amount of pressure and blade angle. It didn't happen over night. It took a good six weeks before I began to get consistently good shaves.

It is easy to over think the problem and lose focus on the basics...pressure and blade angle. With straight razor shaving patience is a virtue. Keep at it and you will get there.

To help with the irritation use witch hazel and/or alum block those 2 work wonders. A Shavette really works well it keeps ya in SR practice and its a good inexpensive back up as well.

In my opinion it is probably your stropping. It helped me to watch a video or two on youtube and the Lynn Abrams DVD before I started any new part of this hobby. If not your stropping technique causing a rolled edge, it is probably just your shave angle and that will just take time to get used to, expect this on and off when you're beginning; it happened to me for about a month.

Being from SRD, unless you completely mess something up, you wont need a hone for at least a couple months. Just practice your stropping then go back and give your razor an extra few passes on the strop (in addition to your normal ones) with a better technique before you try again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MikeMN

I hope you all had a good Easter with your family. If you have an answer to only one or a few of my questions, I will appreciate it.

So I have a Dovo Buffalo Horn 5/8" Stainless Steel.... I have shaved with it twice.
....snip....

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Learning to use an open razor takes a bit of time.

While you are learning there is no problem with using a DE or
even a Tossable razor. In fact I recommend the BiC Yellow
handled razor for sensitive skin for just this case. Also for
travel...

It has a single blade and a large opening. The single blade
while not the best in the world shaves well enough. The large
gap lets the lather rinse clear and clean. Practice holding the last
1/4 inch (1 cm) of the handle with two fingers. This will result
in a gentle touch and will minimize razor burn. You want that
same gentle touch when shaving with your straight. BiC also has
a grey handle single blade razor that might also work, both are
inexpensive easy to find -- and will give you time to learn.

Practice -- just shave the easy bits and finish with a tossable or
a DE.

Practice -- lathering takes a bit of practice.

Skip the after shave, cologne, pre shave and other stuff.
Lots of folk react to "products" so less is often more.
Just wash, rinse clean, lather, shave, rinse, rinse, rinse.
A balm like Nivea can help so can half a drop of
mineral oil.

Single pass with the grain, rinse feel for missed patches,
more lather and finish the missed bits still with the grain.

PS: My Dovo Buffalo Horn handle razor is top drawer.

I just did a hanging hair test Like in this video and while my razor is not that sharp (I had to hold the hair closer than the guy in the video, about 1/8th of an inch away from the blade, whereas in the video it looks like about 3/8ths ), the Dovo was still as sharp using the same hair for comparison as a brand new feather DE. I'm guessing it's technique on my part

The hanging hair test is more of a trick than a test of sharpness due to the amount of variables. The true way to test the sharpness is to just shave. Don't put much thought into this test. You can read all about it in the wiki and through some quick searches

Based on what you have posted I would go with too steep of an angle between the blade and your face and too much pressure. I am basing this on a couple of things. While the HHT is not the best indicator of a shave ready razor I'm pretty sure that a dull or damaged blade (maybe from poor stropmanship) won't pass it as well as yours does. Given that your razor was almost certainly sharp when you got it you are probably still OK in the sharpness category.

Razor burn comes from too much pressure relative to the sharpness of the blade. In addition, your first shave probably exfoliated way more skin than you are used to, which would make it even more sensitive to subsequent damage. Hopefully you can give you face a rest for a day or so before shaving again. I would lighten way up on your pressure. Bear in mind that there is no penalty to using too little pressure, other than another pass if you actually lift the blade off your skin. Going the other way is not so good, as you have experienced.

Try lowering the angle of the blade until you have one or two spine widths between the spine and your face. Sometimes guys get confused over the proper angle with the default error seeming to be too much angle.

Good luck. Give it a little time and you'll get it. We all experienced the learning curve at some point and you have a big group of fellow straight shavers happy to help you get over the hump.

I almost forgot....Welcome to SRP!

(maybe from poor stropmanship)..... HAHA!!!! stropmanship.. good one!!....

Technique has to be the problem, with you and with anyone starting out. Why?

Because anyone new to straight shaving can go out and get, or order online,
a shave ready razor, a wonderful strop, the best soaps and creams in the world,
and even a closet full of hones. So he's all set to get on with his first shave
and expects it to be great because of his wonderful equipment. But it isn't great, why?

Because the only thing that he doesn't have, the one thing he cannot buy, is weeks
away----------------technique.

Our newbie will either quit or develop the necessary technique by asking questions on
this forum, practicing, enduring difficult shave after difficult shave, asking more
questions, getting more answers, and generally sticking it out. There are many who don't.

It is understandable that people new to golf think they can walk on to a driving range
and hit a drive like Tiger Woods. But people new to straight shaving aren't just swinging
a golf club, they're dragging a razor across their faces, for crying out loud!

If it weren't for the razor burn, nicks, cuts, weepers, razor rash, alum blocks, styptic and everything else we
have all gone through, none of us on this forum would have any technique at all. So, to expect
a Newbie to just come up with it is quite a stretch. That is why the issue is not usually with this lather or that lather, but what you are doing with the razor, i.e. technique.

Where are you in Minnesota? There are quite a few of us around here and if you live nearby, nothing beats getting help in person.

I am going through the same thing exactly! :banghead:

First shave OK...second shave sucked! I am sure it's not my HA (Honing Ability) as I have been honing fine knives for years using quality hones. I followed the honing instructions to the 'T'.

I've concluded that it can only be my stropping or my shaving technique, so I ordered some handle strops to practice on because I'm tearing up my hanging strop...and my face!

And I've taped a small yellow sticky on my bathroom mirror with one word on it in big Red Letters: PERSEVERE!

THAT'S MY NEW WATCHWORD...:shrug:

WP34

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wolfpack34

I am sure it's not my HA (Honing Ability) as I have been honing fine knives for years using quality hones. I followed the honing instructions to the 'T'.

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I mean no offense, and you certainly may be one of many exceptions, but we on this forum have encountered many knife sharpeners who confidently declare their honing ability while merrily trashing their razors. Worse, they tell us we don't know what we are talking about when we try to help them. It seems that many knife honers have to unlearn some of their skills in order to properly hone their razors. What hones are you using for your razors?

1.

Quote:

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Skip the after shave, cologne, pre shave and other stuff.
Lots of folk react to "products" so less is often more.
Just wash, rinse clean, lather, shave, rinse, rinse, rinse.
A balm like Nivea can help so can half a drop of
mineral oil.

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Amen! Avoid anything with alcohol. A skin moisturizer, shave balm, Vaseline "Intensive Care Lotion", or some almond oil will be kinder to your skin. If you have a wife or girlfriend, raid her "moisturizer" stash.

2. Four passes ???? After four passes, _my_ face would start burning. Start with one pass; nobody gets a multi-pass, "baby-butt shave" right until they've had lots of practice.

3. There's nothing wrong with using a DE razor and blade. It's probably a good way to learn what "no pressure" means. Start with _one pass_; shaving ATG with a DE razor will give you razor burn, just as if you were using a straight. Less chance to cut yourself, though.

Charles

it is already has been said i am sure. It is most likely your angle. try to make small strokes and find the best cutting angle and use it.
make small strokes .gl

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Utopian

Where are you in Minnesota? There are quite a few of us around here and if you live nearby, nothing beats getting help in person.

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I sent you a PM as well, if you are anywhere near St Paul, I'll try to offer some help

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Utopian

I mean no offense, and you certainly may be one of many exceptions, but we on this forum have encountered many knife sharpeners who confidently declare their honing ability while merrily trashing their razors. Worse, they tell us we don't know what we are talking about when we try to help them. It seems that many knife honers have to unlearn some of their skills in order to properly hone their razors. What hones are you using for your razors?

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No offense taken...and I understand your position and bias completely. But...a blade is a blade is a blade. I get that there are many differences between a knife and a razor, but they are both at their very essence tools. The same 'common mistakes' made by new folks learning to hone apply to knife sharpening as well. Angle, pressure, over-honing etc...

I'm making no claims to perfection, or of being a 'Razor Honemeister', I am simply saying that I know how to hone after about 40 years of picking up a stone, and I am now learning how to hone a razor. I use a complete set of Naniwa Superstones from 220-12000, and I lap these stones regularly. The only thing I never learned was how to strop,...but I am learning now.

But since I am a FNG to this art...I'll just continue to read the great stuff here at SRP and keep watching the videos. Improvement is always in order in all things in life...

Thanks for the input...

WP34