Thread: How Much Resistance Is Correct

I am new to SR saving but not new to wet shaving with a DE. My beard is steel wire and I have done 3 sr shaves. I am still learning technique and was wondering - how much resistance is correct? I am judging my razor pressure and shaving stroke against my DE shaves. I find that with the SR as I try to let the blade weight and sharpness do the work, I get a lot of resistance as compared to my DE. The rasping noise is the same but the ease of stroke is not. With the DE shave I guide the weight of the razor. With the SR I must add pressure and each stroke is short. I have the same resistance with two different razors. The heavier razor is easier to make the stroke. One of the razors was prepared by Lynn - so I know it is sharp. Both razors easily remove hair and shave a spot on my forearm with very little effort. I looking for guidence for the SR stroke. Thanks

Pay more attention to the spine angle.focus on it,not the cutting edge.Experiment with the angles.

You are probably experiencing slightly more resistance and that is pretty normal. You must have a properly stropped blade, have truly soaked the cream into the whisker itself (not just in between the whiskers), use as little angle as you can manage (and still cut), use no pressure against the skin, use less edge surface area than you use with a DE, and stretch the skin adequately, all at the same time.

then, and only then, will the blade slide effortlessly.

+1 AFDavis11

I would add, as a beginner, it was a revelation of enormous consequence when I discovered a better stroke which was different from using the DE. If the razor is already in motion and just above skin contact when you begin the stroke maintaining a light touch but getting through the whiskers seems easier. The DE stroke tends to park the razor on the skin and then drag it through the stroke.

To add to AFDavis's statement of saturating the hair follicle and skin thoroughly. I stress proper beard prep to all beginners. Get those faces really clean, and those early shaves improve drastically.

Many think using a DE prepares them for straight shaving and it does as far as prep goes but for the shaving part it's apples and oranges.

The key is having to add more pressure with a straight. The weight of the blade is all that is required. Added pressure means razor burn and cuts. You need to play with your technique and ensure the razor is sharp enough. Even if your whiskers were real steel wool it would be nothing to a proper sharp razor.

Resistance can depend a lot on the density of your beard. A light beard will not provide much resistance, and the razor will plow through it effortlessly. A heavy beard will definitely put up some resistance no matter how sharp a blade is. That being said, if you find the razor is literally being stalled mid-stroke it is usually due to a dull blade or faulty technique.

If the user is:
a) experienced, the cause is likely the former
b) inexperienced, the cause could be both. Proper stropping also comes into play, so that's something else to consider.

So many variables at play when it come to getting a smooth shave....

Thanks all

The straight razor was honed by Lynn. You can forget sharpness as the issue.

There are two phases to consider: (1) when reducing the whiskers to skin level, and (2) the rest of the shave. Phase #2 should be smooth, no drag and pulling, smooth, light pressure! However, #1 will be accompanied with some resistance and pulling.

You shave with a scalpel sharp Gillette "something", and the first time you drag the razor over your beard, there is pulling and resistance. The razor doesn't even contact the skin, but rides on top of the whiskers maybe. Each pull is met with resistance, but the whiskers are being cut. And, when you get the whiskers down to skin level, then the razor glides smooth.

The above is how shaving with a commercially sharpened blade occurs. And, if you have some pulling during this initial phase with a commercially sharp blade, you can expect the same experience with a straight razor.

(If your whiskers are light, or if you are adept at shaving knowing slices and such, then the above pulling might be minimal. But, that is in the future. And, even then, there will be some resistance... cutting thru a few hundred whiskers all at the same time, well the physics tells you there will be some resistance no matter how efficiently you slice and scythe.)