Originally Posted by
toabetterworld
Hi All,
This is my first post to the forum. I just finished my first straight razor shave and I am discouraged and looking for some help and encouragement.
I bought a vintage H. Boker Razor on eBay in fine condition. I honed it myself. I am a violinmaker, so I think of myself as someone who knows from sharp, but I could be off the mark there. I took a few strokes on a 1200 waterstone to get down to some fresh metal, then cleaned up the 1200g scratches with a 4000g and finished with a lot of polishing on my 8000g until the bevel was mirror smooth. Then I stropped the edge, 25-30 strokes, on a strop that has been used with red rouge, though there wasn't very much compound left on the leather. It felt very sharp, the hairs on my arm leaped off from the mere whisper of it.
I took a hot shower to prep my face, then used some pre-shave oil. Then I used a fairly cheap badger hair brush and some shaving cream to make a thick lather. I worked it into my face with the brush, then put a thicker coat of lather on.
I tried to maintain a good angle, around 30 degrees, but that was really difficult to manage with holding the razor and dealing with my reverse image in the mirror.
I gave up about 70% percent of the way through because my face was throbbing and raw. I cut myself a couple of times but that wasn't the bad part, I feel like my face was belt sanded off, particularly my neck. I finished up with my regular safety razor.
I was really excited about shaving this way. I like old fashioned things, I have some sharpening know-how, I like being self sufficient, and I like the ritual of the cup and brush and cut-throat.
I have not given up yet, but this was the worst shave I have ever had. I have to believe it gets better than this.
Where did I go wrong? And what should I do now?
Thanks very much for your help.
Michael Doran