Newb questions

Just starting out with SR shaving with a professionally honed razor, Tony Miller practice strop, and about a year of DE experience behind me. After three shaves I'm pleased that I haven't lacerated my face, but find that I'm not getting a close shave. Also notice my face is more irritated than usual. I understand that it takes many months of experience to achieve this, but I'm wondering if perhaps my edge is not as sharp as could be since my stropping technique is pretty rudimentary. Any thoughts about how I can tell as a newbie whether the lack of closeness is caused by ineffective stropping or by lack of shaving experience?

Also, how does one stretch the skin adequately when your face is all slippery with soap??

If your face is more irritated than with the use of your DE, I'd suggest lessening the pressure with which you apply the blade to your face. If the blade is sharp, then pressure is unnecessary.

For stretching the face, use a combination of facial contortions and a hand towel to do the stretching. Some use Alum Block as well.

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Originally Posted by bsarvet

Any thoughts about how I can tell as a newbie whether the lack of closeness is caused by ineffective stropping or by lack of shaving experience?

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The odds favor it being your shaving technique, but to tell for sure, send your razor out to be honed again, preferably from the list here:

Member Services - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

When it comes back, shave with it right out of the box, without stropping; just wipe off the oil. If you have the same issues, it's technique; if not, you need to improve your stropping. Try putting your hanging strop on a hard surface to start.

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Also, how does one stretch the skin adequately when your face is all slippery with soap??

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I rub an alum block with dampened fingertips - works like a charm.

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Originally Posted by bsarvet

Also, how does one stretch the skin adequately when your face is all slippery with soap??

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I basically dont stretch my skin at all (with my hand), im working alot with different grimaces which tightens my skin nicely. Im looking like quite the fool while shaving :)
Don't know if this is something to try out for you, but this technique works like a charm for me WTG as well as XTG and ATG.
Good luck and welcome here!

I got a lot of skin irritation when I first started out and found that I need to reduce the angle that the razor was contacting my skin at. Best of luck!

Thanks everybody so much for the advice. Great community here.

When I was just starting I quickly learned to use a much shallower angle for the first pass, say 5-10 degrees. My second pass is at the customary 30 degrees, and I've found those 2 passes give a much closer shave then the same passes from a DE. It seems to be a regular thing for newbies to think their razor isn't sharp enough but it's their technique that's not up to par. Also for some reason when I was learning I found out my hand tended to get heavier the farther down the neck I went, which of course led to irritation. Now I constantly remind myself to go lightly as I'm working my way down the pass.