Hi all. I've been checking out this fourm for a while and finially registered. I'm new to using a straight razor. I've been interested in it for a while and never got into it until I past a shop in Charleston that sold straight razors and accessories. I started with just using a brush and soap to see if I'd like that. After about a month I went ahead and got a Dovo razor, strop and stone. I tried to shave with it and it hurt extreamly bad. It obviously wasn't near sharp enough. I had a Col Conk Stone and tried that. The stone was too thin and I was having a hard time keeping the razor flat on the surface of the stone. I decided to send the razor to classic shaving to get a good edge on the razor. I also invested in a 4000/8000 Norton stone from them as well as some more pastes and some pumic stones. When I got it back it was missing the case I had sent with it. Oh well, that's still being sorted out.
The first time I shaved with it I was extreamly impressed. I didn't feel any pulling and the hair was comming off without any trouble what-so-ever. I waited a couple days to give it another go (I only shave every 3 days when I go to work). This time it wasn't so good. I stropped it about 10 times on the linen side as well as the leather. I made sure that I was pulling the strop good and tight. There was a significant amount of pull this time.
Is it possible that the razor was over honed and the fin broke off when I was stropping it? I guess it's always possible but would that be usual for the classic shaving sharpening service?
Last night I put the razor on the 8000 side of my stone and ran it about 20 times. I shaved after stropping it on the Leather side and it's a bit better but not near what it was the first time I tried it after getting it back. I did get a pretty good shave from it but there was a little discomfort. The only part I couldn't get to was my upper lip... Besides that everything went pretty good. Should I just run it some more on the 8000 side?
I did get some older razors to practice with but it seems the blades are somewhat warped. I can see where the blade is having more contact with the stone that the end of the blade...
I guess the question is: What do you think I need to do about the razor? Will there always be a little discomfort when using a straight razor?
Thanks
Magoo