Thread: Eight months and still nothing . . .

After eight months and lots of $$ spent on trying to shave with a traditional straight, I'm about to throw in the towel. I've been shaving successfully with a feather straight since Februrary and to be honest, it has totally ruined DE's and most GEMs. Nothing comes close to shaving my face like the feather. When I try a traditional straight, it hurts. No cuts to my skin, but hair being yanked out of my face rather than cut. The last straw is a beautiful Dovo which was sent shave ready. OUCH!

I can't afford any more time or money into this. I'd love to be able to enjoy a traditional straight, but I'm at the end of the line.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

- Jeremy

Who sent it to you shave ready? They say that the new ones out of the factory are shave-ready but chances are 9/10 that they won't be. Send your DOVO to one of our honemeisters. The service will cost you about IIRC $20 and then you'll know the difference b/w DOVO's marketing and real honing. It just looks like you never received a blade that's sharp enough to shave with.

In order to save a jumper, I'll hone it for you no charge. PM me for my address.

No... the rest of you can't suddenly say you are a jumper.

Originally Posted by urleebird

In order to save a jumper, I'll hone it for you no charge. PM me for my address.

No... the rest of you can't suddenly say you are a jumper.

SRP SWAT enroute?

I'm just a newb, but I would have to agree, if it was yanking hairs like that its not shave ready. I haven't even gotten one of my razors to pass the HHT yet and I have still gotten it to shave half decently for at least one shave. Im still waiting to see what an actual shave ready razor feels like. Right now I use a Ebay special I've been trying slowly trying to hone up and a dovo shavette which typically does most all the work.

Theres still hope! Let Bill get that blade up to snuff for ya!

A big thanks to BIll. The reason I have not sent a razor out to be honed yet is that I purchased my two straights from SRP members who know how to hone. And from what I have read of other member's comments they do a darn good job at it too. So I assumed that the razors I have are well and good and that the problem lies else where . . . me. So after eight months, my patience (skin) is wearing thin.

They will be in the mail to both Bill and Lynn, so being honed by theses two HoneMeisters will hopefully solve the problem.



Thanks for the advice.

- Jeremy

I'm a jumper as well, Bill, look at me jump
Jeremy, if you bought your razors from people who know how to hone, here's a couple of tips to make sure your blades will shave:
1) Gentle on the strop and let the whole blade lie flat. Slowly and no pressure.
2) Keep the blade angle at about 30 degrees.
Try these again and if it doesn't work then take Bill up on his offer. It's a very generous one.

FiReSTaRT: you forgot to say "how high?!"

Originally Posted by urleebird

In order to save a jumper, I'll hone it for you no charge. PM me for my address.

No... the rest of you can't suddenly say you are a jumper.

very cool to read

I am pretty new (newer than you) also, I get frustrated at times. It helped when I got a paddle strop, with paste. 1, I can freshen up the blade on the pasted sides. 2, I can strop (on the plain side) on a flat hard surface. I think this helped my stropping because its hard to screw it up when its flat. I am having better luck now. I am sure you do not want to buy more gear, but you could try lying your strop flat on a table or something. This could help you perfect that skill and help preventdamaging the edge.

Its getting better and once I get a hone I think it will get even better. I feel your pain though. I got closer shaves from my Shick Quattro, so sometimes I wonder why I am spending all this time and money trying to "make" this work. But I had a really smooth shave a few days ago with a straight and it was very satisfying because I am learning something and getting better.

Hang in there

I think like with many skills when people learn bad habits its very difficult to relearn to do it the correct way. If your blades came from honemeisters here they are probably shave ready and you probably need to look at what your doing maybe a pressure problem or an angle problem. Or maybe your ruining them on the strop. There are many possibilities. Once you get you razors back then you'll know for sure what's going on. I would suggest when you get them back when you initially shave with them do not strop them. See what happens then strop them and compare. Thats the first step. Let us know what happens.

We'll get you through this even if it kills you. Just kidding!