Thread: Is It The Blade, or Pilot Error?

Hey everybody!

To cut a long story short, I was given a blade by my Grandfather a couple months ago and finally decided to try it out. I google'd how to sharpen it, but quickly figured it would be best to get it "honed" - sent it out, and got it back yesterday. So this morning, I bit the bullet and tried 'er out. End result was a whack load of red irritation (burning), but a remarkably close shave in the un-irritated areas; had about a week worth of growth.

Steps I took this morning:

-Watched an hours worth of videos of youtube denoting, "how to shave with a straight razor"
-Shower
-Wet face with warm water
-Take a peanut sized amount of shave cream (Taylor of Bond Sandalwood)
--Lather with a bit of water in hands, then applied.
-Shaved, but took it extremely slow (grand total was something like 40 mins? I was nervous)

End result was quite a bit of razor burn around my lips, and a tiny bit on my neck. I tried to keep the blade as flat as possible, but I think I might have stuffed that - it felt like it was "tugging" or "catching" around the burned areas when shaving. Would applying shave cream without a brush hinder me? Is there something I should know about lathering up a cream versus a soap? Should I switch hands, depending on what side of my face I'm shaving? The other thing I was thinking was, could my blade be really aggressive? A close friend of mine shaves with a safety razor, and says some are more aggressive then others - this apply to straights too? I don't know much about razors, so I've attached a picture of mine...



Thanks for helping a total newb out!


Oh, forgot that I only shaved with the grain today - about 2 passes.

That's a great blade you have there!! My first "tip" would be take it SLOW and it seems you did! Read the Wiki (or library as it is now called) angle and NO pressure are key when using a straight!

Second would be there is no need to do 2 passes in the same direction!! Once the hair is cut in one direction it won't cut in that same direction and you are just passing a sharp edge over exposed skin!

EDIT: Also don't feel like you MUST shave your whole face the first few times! this is an art that takes a LOT of time to master.....i've got a great hand on it and get great shaves but still am far from mastering it! there are spots that are still hard to get easily (for me it the east and west side of my adam's apple) even if you get just your cheeks with the straight for a pass or two and then finish with whatever you have been using you are on a GREAT path! also ask ask ASK questions you have come to a great wealth of information with a GREAT group of guys that are here to help and support you!

Thanks for the reply!

I just found this guy, and have taken a good read through; I'll look at the wiki next!

Good to know about the 2 pass rule, I'm used to doing that with my cartridge razors (never again!). I really appreciate the help, and I'll be asking away when i have more questions!

I have met this guy and he does seem to know his stuff. LOL There are probably a few variables that can be improved on as time goes by, for one it will take some time to get the hang of this and the other is it will take a few shaves for your face to adjust to the new way of shaving. Dont push it, there is no hurry, the key thing here is that you have fun learning. Good luck and welcome to SRP.

You'll get a far better lather if you use a brush, rather than just rubbing the shaving cream around with your hands.

Apart from that, learning to shave with a straight razor takes time. It'll get better the more you practice.

Also, do you have a strop? You'll need to strop before every shave to maintain the edge.

Good luck, and great razor by the way!

As an aircraft dispatcher I automatically thought pilot error. After reading the post I feel you might be on the right track just keep at it until you get there. Experiment until you find what works best for you.

Yep, some prep will go a long way! Go down to preshave and see.

It takes a little bit of hands on to learn it. Beard prep, lather making, stropping, stretching, blade angle, Direction of shave (WTG..etc), Lack of pressure. Keep it up and you will be getting a DFS before you know it. BTW nice razor

Very nice looking goldedge your grandfather gave you. Thats like getting a Ferrari for your first car.

Pay special attention to the tip as your learning, especially around the ears and neck.

Originally Posted by poppy926

As an aircraft dispatcher I automatically thought pilot error. After reading the post I feel you might be on the right track just keep at it until you get there. Experiment until you find what works best for you.

You know what a pilot and a dispatcher have in common?

When a pilot screws up, the pilot dies.. When a dispatcher screws up... the pilot dies.

Cheers!