Thread: First shave... Somewhate disappointed. Need suggestions.

Stroping sloooow is a good thing.
Speed means nothing. As time
goes by you will notice that
it does get faster and easier
though.

Try and strop about 30 or
so times. It may help the
edge a little.


Terry

When you strop the spine should at all times stay in touch with the leather! Even when you are at the end of the strop and you turn the blade upside down!

Noted.
Is this to prevent the blade from damaging the strop?

If you lift the spine you will roll the edge
of the razor. A rooled edge means no more
shaving until the razor has been honed.

It can nick the strop as well.

So just be careful and stay focused.




Terry

also, i wouldn't go doing the thumbnail test on the blade after you get it honed by whoever you send it to. the person doing the honing will do the test/thumbtest/ whatever way he chooses and that simply is a gauge on how keen the edge is.

if you do it after its been honed to see for yourself, understand that you are dulling the edge. if you do it more then once then you are dulling it even further. i don't think people use the thumbnail test once past the 8k, after that you are finishing your tested work with high grits. no more thumbnail testing involved.

like others have said. the only test that matters is the shave test. use the blade and see if it needs work. one test i use is i move the edge along my arm just slightly above the skin and see if it pop's off hairs, they should ping off like grass clippings on a well honed blade. so, get a edge honed, strop it (with it laying flat and pull that strop tight becuase loose strop means a roll in leather which means you aren't aligning the steel at the end you are dulling the edge by rounding it off) and then shave the bad boy.

~J

I'm willing to bet that the barber put a wire edge on your nice new Dovo.

I did this myself the first few times I sharpened a razor. The wire edge is sharp as heck at first, but halfway through the first stroke it chips out and then starts yanking your hairs out of your face.

I'd suggest knocking off the wire edge. I slice through a thin piece of cardboard like on a cereal box. Then rehone the razor til it's sharp and no further.

you shouldn't have performed the thumbnail test at that stage (did you do that test before the first time you shaved with it) . Running a shaving sharp edge over a thumbnail will dull it. The only time i use it is before i am done with the 4k norton, you should either take it back to the barber for a quick hone telling him you dulled it already, or send it to one of the honemeisters here.
Also note that using a straight is not an quickly learned skill. Part of your problem may have been technique. The chin is hard for several reasons, one of which is many men have wirey hairs there that grow close together, making it hard to get the razor through.

Plenty of good advice here. I don't know I can really add more only just emphasize that learning to shave with a straight is a slow process. The manuals say it could take 6 months to be really proficient so if you get through the first shave with no cuts and no irritation you are doing fine. The close shaves will come later.

Its hard to tell if the barber properly honed the razor or not considering you skill level. Certainly it should never pull and a real sharp razor in the hands of an experienced shaver should slide down your face almost with no feel to it at all and of course remove the wiskers.

Also the shave is the ultimate test. I've had razors pass every test known to man and shave miserably so its a play it by ear kind of thing so keep at it.

Originally Posted by jscott

one test i use is i move the edge along my arm just slightly above the skin and see if it pop's off hairs, they should ping off like grass clippings on a well honed blade.

That's the test I do as well, the HHT never worked for me.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The manuals say it could take 6 months to be really proficient so if you get through the first shave with no cuts and no irritation you are doing fine. The close shaves will come later.

Yep, about 6 months before I could confidently shave with a straight razor before work in the morning. Before that, it was my weekend ritual only. Can't emphasize enough how much watching/feeling someone else shave your face will improve your technique. I can't remember if you said that "old codger" had also given you shaves in the past.

Incidentally, did these guys (Mark Twain) go to get shaves because they couldn't/wouldn't shave themselves? Or for the same reason I'd get one -- because it's nice.