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is there any device available to snap onto the spine of the razor in order to enforce the 30 degree angle for learning with? a spacer that forces the blade to 30 degrees if touching the face? I am having trouble gauging angle and a device like this might help beginners.
Yeah, they are called safety razors. :D
Seriously though, I don't think there is anything of the sort.
Don't over think it. it's not too difficult to determine the correct angle as long as your razor is sharp. Too shallow and the blade floats on the lather while if too steep and it feels like it's digging in.
I think you can find the angle fairly easily by laying the blade flat on your cheek and raising the spine as you shave downward with no pressure. At about the magic 30 degree angle you will hear and feel the sound we talk about on this forum, the sound of spreading butter on toast. That is the sound of whiskers being cut. Below roughly 30 degrees the razor will slide smoothly over your face, but it won't be cutting whiskers. If you are starting with a shave ready blade and proper preparation, this will work for you. If you're not sure your blade is sharp, save yourself typical Newbie problems and get it honed properly first. The sharpness of the blade is the one variable that you must eliminate from the shave. If you don't, you'll never be able to tell whether your technique is an issue or whether the blade is not up to the task.
My blade seems to cut even flat against the face... the blade is new and was just honed and stropped some 40 times and it has lots of trouble cutting the hair off my forearm... maybe my stropping has damaged the blade. i stropped as light as i could.
Stropping lightly is good, but where the spine and edge were during the process is important too. You say the blade was new. Was it advertised as shave ready? It would be interesting to know who actually honed it.
As for the angle, lay it flat and bring it up slowly. You'll be able to feel the difference between it sliding across your face and when it cuts whiskers. It is true that it can cut whiskers when it is flat on the face but not as well as when the correct angle is achieved.
What might help is to post your location and find a mentor in your area.
To go with what ace is saying (sort of) lay it flat against your face and try shaving. You'll cut some hairs not very closely but it shouldn't irritate the skin. Then increase the angle slightly and do another pass. Then increase slightly again and do another pass. Try that for a few shaves and you'll quickly find an angle that works for you.
Yes, I agree that would be best.
I live in Decatur, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Anyone willing to mentor a beginner in exchange for beers at the brick store and eternal thanks please email me srp -at- groovydomain.com.
This is how I started. I placed the blade flat against my face and started lifting the spine away. Slowly gliding it down on my face until I found a comfortable angle. I am totally new to wet shaving so this might not be the best way but it worked well for me.
Taking your time and watching the angle and feeling your face after will tell you if your angle is correct. It comes with practice and patience. Keep at it, go slow and soon enough you'll be shaving just fine.
It won't work.
The angle _at the edge_ is what you have to control. An "angle guide" mounted on the spine would control that, if your face were flat. But your face is curved, in several different directions.
You have to learn to control the angle by using feedback from how the razor feels on your face as it's cutting. "30 degrees" isn't a good rule. A good rule is something like:
. . . If the razor is gliding without cutting hair, the spine needs to be raised;
. . . If the razor is scraping hair, rather than cutting hair, the spine needs to be lowered.
At least, that's how I do it . . .
Charles
Feather makes a model called 'Pleana' that does that (though not 30 degrees). The 'shim' that sets the angle is close to the edge, not on the spine, and that's for a good reason as your face has variable curvature.
But these never felt like a real straight razor to me.
Try keeping the spine of the razor off your face by one and a bit spine thickness. Alter as necessary to find your ideal angle, but it won't be much from that I wouldn't imagine. Too much and you will cut yourself, too little will achieve nothing.
Mick
Agreeing with others, I will also throw this in. Each and every straight razor is different, and 30* is only a reference number to give you some idea of where you should be. Some of my razors shave better at more, and some at less of an angle. It really is all about the feel. Keep at it, you will get it right.
One of the basic shaving advantages of using the straight razor is having the freedom to use a very wide range of shaving angles to custom fit your shave. I don't attribute my best shaves to having successfully kept my shaving angle to a narrow window, but rather to finely tuned subconscious management of many different angles which let the razor efficiently meet the demands in front of it.
Unless you have a special need, I don't recommend implementing a physical restriction to the razor. I think I have seen some vintage advertisements of contraptions that were to be used on straight razors that promised to do this very thing, but I never tried any personally
The 30 degree angle is just a starting reference for beginners. They have to have somewhere to begin with. As your experience increases, you will find yourself using many different angles in different areas of your face.
Is a spine width about 30 degrees? Actually if that is correct then perhaps I am already cutting at 30 degrees. It seems slight but any higher then about a spine width i will cut myself while trying cross grain on my bad hand side. I think I need a different grip entirely for cross grain as while doing it i cannot really see my face behind my hand in the mirror. Even cutting with grain is difficult to see my face behind my hand but cross is impossible.
Mate, just keep it real simple for the early stages and go WTG only until you start getting comfortable. I use spine width as a guide without worrying about what exact degree it is. Each of my razors is a little different, but the spine guide works for all of them as a starting point. I make minor adjustments right from the first movement of the blade, 'til within a few fractions of an inch into the stroke, I am at the right angle for that razor to work efficiently.
You do need to change grips here and there, but there will nearly always be a blind spot somewhere along the way. I actually don't mind having a blind spot during the shave. It helps build confidence in yourself to the point where you just start closing your eyes and not worrying about using the mirror...Or maybe that's just me. Everyone's different. Mirrors are good for checking how it turned out at the end though, so don't consider throwing it away :).
Mick
Don't worry about exact angles. My guess is that two spine widths, the spine itself then raising the blade another spine width, is roughly 30 degrees. The key, though, is to stay at or under 30 degrees, because above that angle is danger. You'll find videos in which the shaver is clearly way over 30 degrees, but the guys doing that are experienced and are using darn near zero pressure. You can make a lot of mistakes and get away with them with minimal pressure. But if you get over 30 degrees and are using pressure, you and your face will be the first to know.Quote:
Originally Posted by groovyd
Your great sense of humor gives you away as a true aussie... next time i'm in the dunnie scratchin off my face i'll take mind of your masterly advice, close my eyes, and use the force. reckon i'll owe you a slab of **** then mate ;) Cheers!
I think I have already proven your point... it has been 3 days and i'm still hoping the scar will fade.
Man, I could have written your perspective perfectly. We are on the exact same curve my friend.
I started with the laying it flat on the face then lifting till it cuts tonite with good success. No nicks.
My face actually gets good and clean shaving only WTG. However, there are spots that I just cannot get then. THe curves are still a total mystery, but I'm content to shave the area's I CAN shave for now. Tonite I actually shaved abuot 90% of my face with the strait. I had to finish around the jawline and the chin with the old mach3.
Face is still raw and tender, but again NO NICKS. that is a major accomplishment during this stage I'm told. Last time to much pressure. THis time many missed spot, but a much better experience.
We need to keep in touch as we progress, maybe we can help each other as we go! :)
BTW, I have some Tend Skin coming for the burns and bumps. If you haven't looked into it yet, do. The stuff is supposed to work wonders.
Later mate!!
Yeah definitely we are riding the same wave and should keep in touch. I just ordered skin food and some camelia oil and some proraso pre-shave all hoping to make my skin feel better. I am also wondering what the difference the inox blade makes to a regular carbon steel and even perhaps just the blade being so new maybe it needs a few hundred shaves to take the edge off so to speak. I can do everything but the jawline and chin WTG without trouble assuming i can twist my face and neck enough in the mirror to see where I am going. I got two good half inch slashes on my right side I am hoping will heal. Look like a gang member.
I'm too impatient for all those techniques.
To me, 90 degrees is perpendicular. Half of that is too much, still. I go slightly more inclined than halfway. Works for me!!
Nothing wrong with looking like a gang member...better than a Sweeney Todd customer!