Gift of a Razor?

I had to start shaving at a young age. I have always hated it. At first it was just because of how much time it took but now that I am older and my facial hair is much thicker it just irritates my skin. I have used cartridges but it almost feels like after three shaves they turn dull. Well I just applied with a police department and passed everything and am in background. If I get the job I will have to start shaving everyday. UGGGGG.

Well just in passing I told my wife I was thinking about trying a straight edge razor. I don't want to keep spending money on the cartridges that keep dulling after three shaves. Well then as a birthday gift I got a straight edge razor from The Art of Shaving. Do you think she got it for me because we just got life insurance?:tameshigiri:

Anyway, I have have tried to use it a couple times. The first time I needed a blood transfusion. The second time it looked like I tried unclogging the garbage disposal with my face. The third time it looked like I got in a fight with a rabid raccoon. So I am getting better (I'm a glass half full type of guy). I have a strop I got from Straight Razor designs but I am not sure if I am putting too much pressure or not enough. I have shaving cream that I got from the art of shaving but I have not once got the same consistency twice. I am guessing this is why Jesus Christ had a beard... It would just sound stupid if you kept saying your own name.

I live in the Dallas, TX area and took the razor to get honed because I thought I messed it up. The place I took it to flipped the razor over by the sharp edge instead of the back of the razor... I have learned you are NOT supposed to do that. Is there any places I can go that can actually teach me if I am doing things the right way? The only place I have been able to find to hone the razor is the place that flipped it on its blade (Oh and on top of that when he took it in the back I heard him talking to the other guy in the back and he asked I wonder when this straight edge shaving fad will go away). I don't want to go there anymore. Please help. I am starting to think gasoline and matches might be a better option right now.

Thanks,

Hi, Kennedy, and welcome to SRP! If you look at the tool bar at near the top of the screen, you'll see a button labeled "Community" -- press it, then press "Groups". There is a group here called "Texas Shavers" and press their icon. I'm sure one of them will be able to assist you with your honing needs re:local honemeisters. You may get very lucky and live nearby one of them and they may be willing to give you honing lessons. Besides, sooner or later, one of them will pipe up on your thread here to welcome you.
See you in the trenches, buddy!

Hey! I'm not too terribly far away in Elysian Fields, but I can't offer a single tip or piece of advice. Sounds like you definitely need to find someone who can put a finer edge on your razor than the average pocket knife. What sort of razor did you get?

Try getting a hold of jockeys. He is located in DFW area according to his post. He knows a few things, as can be seen on some of his videos. Shaving videos - Straight Razor Place Wiki and YouTube
YouTube - Broadcast Yourself..

He has some videos with him and KenRup, who is from San Antonio, do a honing demo. You can P.M. jockeys and see if he can help you out.

My wife got me a razor from The Art of Shaving. Apparently a company by the name of Thiers-Issard makes their razors. I don't know anything about razors so Thiers-Issard could be french for this is going to slice your face in half. It is carbon steel and is hollow ground. Again no clue if that is good or bad. It feels like a good quality one (well compared to the only other one I have seen).

Welcome to SRP. Thiers Issard (TI) is one of my favorite brands and they make a good ..... a real good razor. Check out the SRP library in the toolbar above and go to the beginner's guide for starters. You'll find a lot of good info to get you started right. :gl:

Well thats good to know. I was worried because it from a retail chain in the mall and it had their name on it. I didn't want to get a generic razor that was not as good as something else.

Hello K4P, and welcome to SRP!

Even with a truly shave-ready blade, first shaves aren't always the stuff dreams are made of. Your wife (nice lady!) set you up with a good blade, you're off to a good start there, and there's a chance you turned the edge while stropping. Our wiki has lots of info on stropping, including some videos that may help you.

Thiers-Issard (TI) factory edges are supposed to be some of the best, but they might still not be what we consider shave-ready. My own definition of shave-ready is that it removes whiskers with the same force it takes to scrape off the lather. I think most new users use too much pressure--I know I did--and learn how much less is necessary as they get better.

Other important variables are good skin stretching, good beard prep, good lather... Also, for lower skin irritation, try using cold water for every step of your shave.

We have a lot of members in Texas; I hope you can meet up with someone soon. Stay away from the matches and gasoline; they won't help your job candidacy.

Best wishes to you.

I hope she didn't get you a razor for the simple fact that you had recently got life insurance! haha. I got a kick out of that.

Is it a nick-factor, or a tugging that results in your irritation?
If it it's nicking yourself it could just take a little time to get your manual dexterity up to par. Something that my dad and I were talking about in regard to straight razor shaving, was how steady we can hold our hands. Dad was never a straight razor user, now that I have gotten into it he mentioned that he thinks he might lack the coordination and a steady hand, in fear of slicing himself up. I have always been steady with my hands so my first few shaves weren't too bad in regards to the nicks. Of course, some days I'll make a mistake and know it instantly before I have time to see blood. But i see the occasional nick as just part of living on the edge.

If it is a tugging your whiskers feeling that is causing your irritation, I would guess that it is either your razor lacks a proper hone or an angle issue. Sometimes I'll get my angle too wide on and around my chin and notice more of a tugging than on my cheeks. I had also purchased a poor quality razor as my first (I didn't know it was poor quality at the time), with what seemed to be a decent edge (would take hair off my arms no problem, no pain). However, when I went to shave my face, I had to use more pressure (which I didn't know I shouldn't have to do as this was a whole new experience) and it was extremely painful due to tugging. Anyway, After I did a little research I found SRP and SRD, talked to Lynn about my situation. We figured it was the poor blade quality that was the root of the problem so decided to invest 80 doll hairs on a new blade of better quality than my $30 dollar job from whoknowswhere. Needless to say, ever since I had a properly honed blade of decent quality it made a world of difference for me.
It seems like the Art of Shaving has expensive stuff, so I would assume it is all nice, but I don't know as I haven't purchased any of their products. After deciding to go with the option I did (what I would call an entry level blade from SRD and a wicked hone job from a shaving icon), I have been extremely pleased!

Like I said, I am still relatively new to the straight razor game and still have much to learn, so take this all with a grain of salt. But I thought I could share my thoughts and experience since, I too, had a poor first two attempts.

Welcome to SRP. If you hated shaving because of how much time it took with a cartridge then I got some sad news for you...you'll probably love how much time it takes to shave with a straight razor. It's total "me-time" not to be rushed, but to be enjoyed. It does take some time and patience on your part to learn the proper techinques involved (pressure, angle, skin-stretching, stropping, lather making, etc). Some pick up the skills quickly, some do not and either persevere or give up. Stick with it and you'll wish you started sooner. A great tool to have as back-up is either a double edge or singe edge razors for the days you must shave but hit the snooze button one to many times. They give great shaves and the blades are much cheaper than cartridges. Good luck and keep us posted.

If you can't find someone there in the Dallas area, come see me...I'm a little less than two hours away. A TI razor is a very good razor, so it should be honed by someone who uses razors...not some silly knife sharpener. We can hone it up & maybe I can show you a lil' bit...
Scott