Hey, total newbie here

Hello,

My name's Mike, decided to get into straight razor shaving so asked for one for my bday. Folks ened up getting me an enzo blade with a little leather strop with some paste. So I took a hot shower, balmed up all excited to test it out, hurt like buggery! Which brings me here. I've tried shaving with it a few times, not sure if its the blade or my technique (have youtubed alot of vids on stropping/shaving etc) but it just doesnt seem to do the job. Feels like its pulling at the hairs, never gets a spot shaven in one go if i do manage to get a spot shaven - and did I mention hurts like hell? xD So I've tried a HHT and the hair just glides with the blade, when i run it over my nail it feels like theres a bite there so doesnt just go smoothly over, there's also that pressing it on my thumb test which just feels like im pressing something on my thumb? It cuts arm hairs off fine :) So I guess if I wanted bald arms I'd be ok. Any advice for a noob?

thanks
Mike

P.S I've found a uk site that does razor honing for like £18, but I fail to see why a new blade should be honed? Unless its that bad quality

noob here too. go to the library page. read there. lots of good stuff. i faced some similar problems. get it honed. and buy another one so you have two on hand in case you chip one.

i hope you find what your looking for

jeb

Two reasons for a new blade to get honed, one they aren't sharp enough to shave with and two a beginner might do a Hanging Hair test, or a Thumbnail test, or a Thumbpad test and dull it completely.

It's been my experience that new blades, even those marked as shave ready, are rarely, if ever, actually shave ready. I suffered through exactly what you are going through for months till I broke down and got a professionally honed razor, Made a world of difference. New razors tend to be machine honed. There is no way that a machine can hone a razor like a real person. I've had Bob Keyes hone razors for me and I can tell you that he will do a great job, you won't be disappointed.

A shave ready razor will be comfortable and it will not feel as if it is pulling hair, it will be smooth. I would have to say that if you are not getting a comfortable stroke down the cheek then the razor is not truly shave ready (JMHO). I've also found that all cutting arm hair proves is that it's ready to move from the 1k stone to the 4k, it is not in any way an indication that it's ready to shave with.

Just don't rush, do the cheeks with the straight and finish the rest with your other razor. Once you are comfortable with that then use the straight more and more and your other razor less and less. One day you will no longer be reaching for the other razor.

Generally speaking, there are brand new razors marketed that are indeed shave ready and some that are not. There are suppliers who actually hone they razors they sell so the customer will indeed get a properly honed shave ready razor.
With a real shave ready razor a new shaver will have the best chance at more satisfactory initial shaves and will have a
good idea of what a properly honed razor should feel like as you shave. Classic shaving as an example offers you honing
on new razors for an additional fee while a seller like Straight Razor Designs will always send you a new razor that
has been honed by one of the best.

I don't think that it can be stressed enough to get a razor that has been hand honed by someone reputable if you are new to straight razor shaving and honing. New and good quality does not necessarily equal shave ready, sometimes but not all the time. I butchered my face for two months before that little fact sunk in, lesson learned for me.