Thread: first shave with dovo...catching??

Hey fellas,
i started shaving with non sharpening straight razor about 2 weeks ago and now i converted to a dovo best quality razor.
it came shave ready and and i successfully accomplished my first shave today after the shower.
i used some colonel's soap and made the lather and allowed to sit on my face for a few minutes while i whipped up some more, and re-applied and had a go at it.
the only question i have is that it took me about 15 mins to accomplish it, but it wasn't because i was going to slice my nose off, it was because it felt sort of like the stubble was too thick.?..? sort of like it was catching. its not that i had a face full of fuzz, it was just short of 5 o clock shadow.
any suggestions? more "beard prep"? maybe some olive oil or some sort of pre shave stuff?
strop some more? ( the instructions said not to strop it since it was shave ready, it was purchased from vintage blades llc )
thanks in advance-
Raf

Beard prep could be part of it, but I would say that technique would be the first place to look. Make sure you are using proper angle( about 30 degrees) and proper pressure( almost zero). Also be sure to read through the wiki on this site as it has a large amount of information designed to make shaving with a straight easier and more fun.

30 degrees -ish check
Almost no pressure -ish check
Read through wiki reads -in progress... Thx

Originally Posted by Theseus

Beard prep could be part of it, but I would say that technique would be the first place to look. Make sure you are using proper angle( about 30 degrees) and proper pressure( almost zero). Also be sure to read through the wiki on this site as it has a large amount of information designed to make shaving with a straight easier and more fun.

+1
Do work on the prep. It never hurts to improve
your shave prep.

As for shave angle move toward
a low angle. Perhaps with the spine
one spine thickness above the skin.
A low angle tends to keep the edge sharper
longer than a higher angle.

Strop lighter, smoother, slower and more deliberately.

Thanks! I've yet to strop but I'm sure I will soon.
What's the life (sharpness) expectancy of a blade that just gets stropped?
I'm deploying and being new I don't have a hone, just a strop.
Lots of good tips in wiki. I do achieve a bbs shave in most areas of the ol' money maker, it just
Seems to take many passes to cut the stubble at first. Technique prob.
Thanks...
Raf

Originally Posted by cochinito77

Thanks! I've yet to strop but I'm sure I will soon.
What's the life (sharpness) expectancy of a blade that just gets stropped?
I'm deploying and being new I don't have a hone, just a strop.
Lots of good tips in wiki. I do achieve a bbs shave in most areas of the ol' money maker, it just
Seems to take many passes to cut the stubble at first. Technique prob.
Thanks...
Raf

With a smooth correct stropping action and correct shaving
angle the edge can stay for months.

Shave with a light touch and it will feel smoother
and the edge last longer.

Try massaging the first batch of lather you apply to your face with your fingers, then let it sit for a few minutes.

Next, rinse your face and apply some inexpensive bay rum you obtain from your local drugstore.

Finally, apply another batch of lather to your face and begin shaving with a 30 deg. angle on your razor and very light to no pressure on the blade.

The above is called the Robeson beard prep method. That's one way to do it.

It does take a while to develop proper technique with a straight razor, and there's not much you can do about speeding that up except to read the Wiki, keep shaving and let the progress come. Anyone who says they got it right the first, or even tenth, time is probably pulling your leg. Also, because you shaved when your stubble was short, it may have offered more resistance to the blade than if you had let it grow out a bit. Good luck!

Strop every day. Like some of the other guys posted, pre-shave prep is important. Try the olive oil or some other already prepared shave oils. I have thick beard so for me, pre-shave prep rules! The more you shave, the better your technique becomes.

A beginner chiming in here...

When I started using my Dovo, I remember a similar feeling (and in certain spots, I still have it). The problem was the angle...30-ish seems to be the general concensus, but I am around 20 (if I move it closer, the razor sucks to the lather). Also, the angle seems to depend on the blade, and on the specifics of the honing (learning that with my second razor). What I am basically getting at is, I feel like the major problem with catching and dragging tends to be the angle. That angle also happens to be specific to the blade and the honing.

What works well for me is to consciously vary the angle until the dragging goes away, that should be the sweet spot. The reason why some parts of your face produce a drag is because you change the angle as you move around and (I am guessing here) because the thickness and density of the beard varies, requiring different angles to cut smoothly. I am 10 shaves in and just getting the hang of it....so, yeah, keep on trucking and you should get there.