Still a blotchy bad shave.

For a 3-4 week beginner is it still normal to have a vast majority of the stubble/whiskers still left on the face after many passes?

The razor is a full hollow and I can hear a gratifying sing as if it slicing through the whiskers on each pass. But after a many pass shave trying different angles and stroke directions nothing much has been shaven off (looks like a blotchy 1 day growth at best) apart from a fine whisker powder that is floating in the basin I would think nothing has been taken off. I grab the DE and the whiskers are cut off at the base which can be seen while rinsing the blade in the same rinse water.

When I use my straight on my finer arm hair I am able to scoop off a pile of hairs but maybe as they are finer.

I know everyone on the forum has been great (thank you) in response saying the technique will come and I am trying to relax and just enjoy it but I would have thought I would see some results by now so I may get someone to check the honing just in case I have damaged it.

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Originally Posted by planetocean

For a 3-4 week beginner is it still normal to have a vast majority of the stubble/whiskers still left on the face after many passes?

The razor is a full hollow and I can hear a gratifying sing as if it slicing through the whiskers on each pass. But after a many pass shave trying different angles and stroke directions nothing much has been shaven off (looks like a blotchy 1 day growth at best) apart from a fine whisker powder that is floating in the basin I would think nothing has been taken off. I grab the DE and the whiskers are cut off at the base which can be seen while rinsing the blade in the same rinse water.

When I use my straight on my finer arm hair I am able to scoop off a pile of hairs but maybe as they are finer.

I know everyone on the forum has been great (thank you) in response saying the technique will come and I am trying to relax and just enjoy it but I would have thought I would see some results by now so I may get someone to check the honing just in case I have damaged it.

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Are your passes WTG, XTG, and/or ATG?

Sounds like your razor is not sharp enough. Even with 2 WTG passes I can get a near BBS shave.

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Originally Posted by carazor

Are your passes WTG, XTG, and/or ATG?

Sounds like your razor is not sharp enough. Even with 2 WTG passes I can get a near BBS shave.

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Yeah I am shaving with all the grains. When I wipe a portion of lather away and I zero in my eyes on a single whisker or a concentrated small group of whiskers and make an attempt to shave it/them off it does not matter in what direction the razor is angling I still cannot cut that single whisker/whiskers and that is when I am really focusing on it at an almost pointblank range with the skin pull tight.

Perhaps the razor is not sharp enough as I have damaged it by a possibly few bad technique strops or something else that I am unaware of, I thought it was just me and my technique, I am really not sure.

At this point, I would say it's a good idea to get the razor checked, or just get it honed.

Are you keeping the blade at about 30 degrees for ATG strokes?

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Originally Posted by JohnJ

Are you keeping the blade at about 30 degrees for ATG strokes?

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Yes from 20 to 30 and degrees around this to see if makes a difference. I have read to keep the spine about 2 widths from my skin but I also vary this to experiment to see if I can get a closer of more comfortable shave. After the approximate 4 weeks now I think I am holding the razor almost second nature (or a lot better than I was) and I do not even realize I have swapped my razor from my right dominate hand to my left so I can’t justify why my shaves are that bad.

I will get the razor honing checked again and if it’s still alright that only means that it is still my technique that needs honing.

If you wish, you can send it to me and I will check what is wrong with it and if it needs honed I'll hone it. All you have to do is cover the return shipping. If interested, PM me.

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Originally Posted by shooter74743

If you wish, you can send it to me and I will check what is wrong with it and if it needs honed I'll hone it. All you have to do is cover the return shipping. If interested, PM me.

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Thanks for the replies and shooter74743’s kind offer.

Unfortunately I live on the lower side of the planet so it maybe a little more difficult to except your kind offer, however if I lived in the US I would have no trouble in sending you the razor.

However on a more positive note my shave today was way more than 100% better than my last. :)

For my previous shave to which this tread is based on I performed a cold water shave as I had been reading all the positive postings on the cold water shave was better and based on a book published early last century, http://straightrazorpalace.com/pre-s...ter-shave.html .

So I thought if my previous hot shaves to this were not that good perhaps the cold shave may do the trick, well this trick is obviously not for me just yet as I swapped it around again today and had a hot shower, hair conditioner on the beard followed by a hot soap and cream with glycerin lather mix on warm skin with a warm razor. I was basically pouring on this lather at one point with my badger so it was extra lubricating to make sure it the razor was not too taxing on my skin.

Well to cut a long story short my shave today was the best yet and I did not do any touch ups with the DE.

However I think my main new 4 week old razor could do with a polish up after all on the honing as I grabbed my 2nd $18 razor, http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...ach-razor.html for the finishing tidy up of my shave and it seemed to do this task well as my 1st razor could not get the last few rough patches removed. Perhaps I need to re-strop my first razor for the final tidy up as I have lost its edge by the time I finish my longer beginner shave.

I am just pleased I am starting to see some results for my efforts, still not perfect by any means and still some razor burn, but at least I making some headway.

Thanks.

I'm only a few weeks into straights and having the same issue. I purchased my razor new and was told it was honed by Lynn @ SRD but Im not certain since I bought from another online shop ( wont be doing that again, will use SRD).

Anyhow I can shave arm hair no problem, I strop the razor after each use 30-40 times with light pressure and a taught strap.

I hear feedback and can tell there is some reduction of growth when I shave, my passes are WTG since I am new and my angle is about a spine to spine and a half of angle 20-25 degrees? I remember watching Lynn say not to open up too much, I am also pulling my face firmly.

Any thoughts? I ordered the basic Ralf Aught razor which I know will be sharp as it comes from SRD, I will post back if its the sharpness.

Thanks for any feedback.


Mark

If you have to strop before the end of your shave, then it's probably time for a professional bevel reset and honing. If you use too much pressure honing you can actually thin the metal just behind the edge itself, and that can lead to the edge crumbling. Stropping can correct some of that crumbling, or at lease make it feel corrected--for a very short while.

About those bits that just won't shave smooth, we all have them I think. Mine is my chin, especially the underside, where the barbs are coarsest and are also fairly dense. A single WTG pass won't do it unless the blade is pretty freshly honed, so I end up doing a little ATG buffing to clean up those coarse/dense bits.

In buffing, you don't lift the razor at all, you just put it on the skin, nearly flat to the skin, and go forward a quick millimeter, then back, then forward again, and advance forward through the tough spot. I get a good shave right away, but also end up with some little zits in that area over the next day or two. The buffing is a little irritating, so have some witchazel or similar potion at hand for a postshave splash.

Hope this helps...

Mark,

Look at this you have unearthed my thread from 2011 and now it is 2014, how time flies when you are having fun with a straight razor, has it been this long?

Since I posted this thread I have become considerably more experienced in the art of straight razor shaving and have never picked up a modern disposable since. Although I have used my DE the odd number of times, perhaps only 1 in 15 shaves or so, can’t be too many as I am still on the original boxed pack of blades.

Anyway after reading my above original posts I can remember how green or inexperienced to straight razor shaving I was and how bloody frustrated I got. Almost like “why the hell are my whiskers not being shaven off and why is my skin so red raw after an hour of shaving”, yes 1 hour!

I have no problems now with my razors cutting the whiskers and it takes me longer to strop the razor and clean up all the gear etc. than to actually shave, not quite but almost.

The only times I cut myself now is because I am either too tired and not concentrating or too cocky, like trying to do some fast fancy maneuver for no reason.

As for blade angles I have no idea, they are all over the place depending on what area I am shaving, I do not exactly put a protractor to my face but the whiskers are shaven off no problem.

Anyway looking back to the past, I am pretty sure I damaged the tip of the blade without realizing it and most likely from inexperienced handling and stropping of the razor. And also inexperience in knowing how the razor was supposed to perform when sharp (or blunt). I had no idea and basally I thought I was doing everything correct.

This could be the same for you, without realizing it you have blunted the edge of the razor and also combined with a lack of skill can give you a very bad shave.

Or the razor could be perfect but still even though you think you are doing everything right chances are you may be lacking skill which will definitely come over time.

I purchased a balsa wood board/strop and a little tub of chromium oxide way back then which did help in refreshing the blade to its former glory and the shaves were so much better after I did this.
Sometime after this I purchased a Belgian corticule stone and slurry stone and did my own honing, these are the only 2 items I use now to sharpen the blade and I have never paid for honing.

If there is a way you can verify the blade is sharp the only other thing would be experience and that will come eventually, as they say good things take time so do not give up.

By the way, you do not have to spend big money on new razors for a good shave; my best shaves come from no more than $30.00 razors from an antique shop, if you can find any good ones.

My first razor was quite an expensive new Wacker thinking it will give me good shaves. Wrong, what gives you good shaves is experience providing you have an adequate and sharp straight razor.

All the best and let us know how you get on.