Thread: Lots of pain - bad lather or dull blade?

Hi.

I have a dovo full hollow razor, and have shaved about 20-30 times. For every shave, once the blade touches the first hair on my face, I feel an intense pulling sensation that is painful. I've purchased a 4000/8000 norton stone, and followed the youtube videos on how to hone. I did about 40 passes on both the 4000 and 8000 sides and stropped with the linnen and leather sides. The blade passes (I think) the thumbnail and the thumb tests

Is shaving typically painful and should I just "tough it out"? Should I hone the blade more with the 4000/8000? Strop more? Lather more?

Thanks in advance

The thumb nail test can actually dull the blade, especially after stropping. Use the thumb pad or HHT instead.

Can you post some photos of your edge? As close up as you can get.
Shaving shouldn't be painful.

Thanks. I think it passes the thumb pad test (the blade clings lightly to the grooves on my thumb) but does NOT pass the HHT. Should I continue to hone the blade with the 4000/8000/strop?

Thinking about more, I think my lather is fine. I literally feel pain for every single hair that the blade touches, so I think it has to be the blade...but not sure what to do

Originally Posted by bharner

Can you post some photos of your edge? As close up as you can get.
Shaving shouldn't be painful.

+1
It shouldn't be that way, on my face I barely feel a WTG pass

*disclaimer* I can set a bevel on a 1k and I can refresh an edge on my PHIG but I haven't yet tried my hand at the 4/8k range yet.

I have 3 razors I shave with. I can't get a single one of them to properly pass the HHT. They were purchased from 3 different, well known & respected, members here. All were advertised as shave ready. All shave my face incredibly well.

Will your razor pop/shave ARM hair? If so all I can offer is to try the pyramid method and numbers in the wiki. A lot of fellows say they work.

If your razor won't cut ARM hair easily then you probably need to set the bevel. Again, see the wiki. Hope it is some help. If you can post pics the experts can probably offer more input.

Hi OmniRiot,
Shaving (properly) with a straight razor is typically pain free. You shouldn't think you need to 'tough it out', it should be a painless pleasure!

First, was the razor sold as 'shave ready'. Was it ACTUALLY shave ready? If you don't know, send it away to be sharpened properly and meanwhile buy one that you know really is shave ready. I've been very happy with the razors I've bought here. When you start honing you need a 'benchmark'. I think if you've just started honing without really knowing if the razor you had was dull or not, you'll just end up guessing. Having a well sharpened blade to compare your honing attempts to is really important. Even if you start with a sharp razor, if you only had that one, I think after a while you'll forget what sharp REALLY is and end up putting up with a poor-ish edge, assuming you're not an expert at honing immediately on turning your hand to it.

Secondly, you make no mention of cream, soap, hot water, pre-shave oils, etc. Preparation is really important. Yours may be perfect, but it's worth mentioning just in case your using gel from a can on a dry face or something!

Thirdly, technique. That is, 30 degree angle of blade to skin (or less), no pressure, no sideways movement of razor (i.e. slicing).

Fourthly, stropping, and stropping is all about technique, too. I find the main points are lightness of touch (almost no pressure), no rolling of edge on surface, even stroke, concentration.

My first thoughts are though that the blade is simply dull. You could learn up on honing and give it a whirl, but in my experience if you just sent the razor away for a honing by an expert it'd be done and back before you learnt how to hone properly :-)


Carl

you might need to set the bevel on your razor using a 1k stone, and you didn't say if you lapped your norton stone and are truely honing on a flat surface. while it might look flat, it might have slight variations on the surfaces. Don't be discouraged learning to hone, it takes time much like shaving. If your razor is properly sharpened, it should be pain free and not tug or pull at your whiskers on your face.

Thanks for all the good advice...still struggling.

I got the razor new from Dovo and it was listed as "shave ready". After about a month, I had the razor professionally sharpened. After another month, I bought the Norton 4000/8000 (new) and sharpened myself (including stropping on canvase and leather). From the initial condition, professional sharpen, and self sharpen, the result has been the same - it hurts alot and makes my skin red and puffy, and it burns after. I am using colonel conk shaving soap and a badger brush, I seem to have a good lather going.

I followed the pyramid honing method today, and same result. Starting to get discouraged...maybe my beard is too course and incompatible with a straight razor? Maybe I just have sensitive skin?

I am using this video to guide my shaving technique
DOVO STRAIGHT RAZOR SHAVE FULL HOLLOW GROUND BLADE Wet Shaving First Pass with Grain Cut Throat - YouTube