Thread: First SR Shave... The Results.

If you can get a good (comfortable) shave with a DE razor, your prep is probably OK. Especially if you can do an ATG pass with the DE.

The straight razor needs to be as sharp as a DE blade, and you should be using less pressure with the straight razor. The sharper the razor, the lighter the pressure can be. And the lighter the pressure is, the less razor burn you'll have.

I have "calibrated" my own "shave-ready" test. If a razor catches and "pops" the hairs on my arm, when I move it about 1/4" above the skin, I find I can shave with it comfortably. If it doesn't, I find that it pulls, tugs, slips, and needs more pressure to cut my beard. That's with _my_ hair; that test may, or may not, work for you.

However, I'd bet that if your DE blade passes that arm-hair-popping test, and your straight razor fails it:

. . . the straight razor is not "shave ready".

Razor angle also has to be right. For a DE razor, that's set by the geometry of the DE razor head, so you have no experience in keeping it correct with a straight razor. It can be a steep learning curve.

Try stropping the straight razor a lot. 100-200 laps helps, sometimes, with an "almost-sharp" blade. If your stropping technique is good, it won't hurt. I have had good results using a CrOxide pasted strop, but you _can_ overdo that.

Charles