Thread: Dull Blade??

Check out this video. Use very light strokes almost no pressure when you strop. There is a possibility that you may have rolled your edge. I can't speak to the stiffness of the strop, I'm somewhat of a newby myself... so take what I say with a grain of salt... but definitely watch this video

based on that I think I might have rolled it. I've been stropping too hard. I spent about 10 minutes stropping as lightly as I could and I got a much different feeling and a much different sound from the strop. I did about 20-30 laps just for practice and it felt much sharper on my arm and took off the hair much more cleanly. definitely a lightbulb moment, so many thanks, Cage. I'll strop it more tomorrow and see how it shaves.

Originally Posted by U2Bono269

based on that I think I might have rolled it. I've been stropping too hard. I spent about 10 minutes stropping as lightly as I could and I got a much different feeling and a much different sound from the strop. I did about 20-30 laps just for practice and it felt much sharper on my arm and took off the hair much more cleanly. definitely a lightbulb moment, so many thanks, Cage. I'll strop it more tomorrow and see how it shaves.

Stropping correctly is probably the most important thing to learn after angle and pressure. Give it 30 linen (if you have linen) and 50-80 leather with the new technique and see how it goes, it probably will be better.

Try this... shave to short stubble length in the WTG direction with a safety razor. Then, finish with your straight razor. Use light pressure, letting the blade nip off the tips of the whiskers. As you become more comfortable, with each shave, leave a little more whiskers for the straight razor.

When you use the straight razor only, you typically lay the blade flat on your face during the first WTG pass or two, reducing the whiskers with each WTG pass until it reaches short stubble length.

When you lay the blade flat, you will be cutting whiskers at an extreme diagonal, and you can expect some pulling. After your whiskers are reduced to skin level, either by safety razor or straight, the pulling should cease.

seems the blade was at least part of the issue. After some proper stropping it was much sharper and I got a better shave. Technique was still off but I made some strides in both razor angle and shave direction...I'm learning which directions are best on my neck and it was extremely helpful, and less pulling due to the noticeably sharper blade. I'm still touching up my face with a cartidge razor but each time I have to do less and less. I think the blade is still not as sharp as it could be but that's just me learning my stropping technique.

Its good to hear that you're making strides in the right direction. Continue to take it slowly and patiently! Most of all ENJOY yourself!

It's really hard when you don't have a reference for anything. Shaving, stropping, the ol' enchilada. Everything is new. Just hang in there and expect issues all along the way.