Shaving problems

I have been straight shaving for about a month and a half. My shaves are getting better and better, but they are still pretty bad.

Problems
1. I have to do like four passes with two or three of them ATG. Some parts of my face are BBS, but on shaving day it feels like I am getting a big diaper rash! One time I did five passes, that's my max...

2. The toe of my razor fails to cut my beard regardless of the cutting angle. So I have whiskers that I can never seem to cut near my ears and sideburns.

Solutions/ Corrective Actions?
It occurred to me that I might have messed up my razor, either through closing it on the scales or through bad stropping. My lather is really good, as well as my beard prep. So I think we can eliminate those two variables.

One of the things that I have done to correct my problems is to get a microscope from Radio Shack and examine the blade at X100 magnification. I noticed that the edge is had some small diagonal markings going from the edge, but was very smooth compared to some other non-shave ready razors that I have. So I took my razor to the barber hone for 5 laps and re-checked. the small markings had lessened. So I repeated the process. In all I did 15 laps on the barber hone. After a shave test, I have gotten my smoothest shave yet, however, I still had to do 4 passes.

Upon further inspection of the blade under the microscope, I noticed, very very tiny inconsistencies along the edge of the blade. Could this be micro-chipping? Also I notice that the light reflects off the edge of the razor. At first I thought that might be a rolled edge, but I notice the same thing on the other side of the razor. It makes me think that the edges of the razor are not coming together seamlessly. Could this be a wire edge? or a double bevel? I don't think it is a double bevel because it is so tiny. So I did some more work on it with the barber hone, and am going to shave test it tomorrow.

Any advice you could give me would be great! Also if anyone could shed light on the observations about my razor I would appreciate it!

Ok this is a YMMV thing but force yourself to only do three passes MAX!! If you keep doing 5, you are going to A. hate shaving with a straight due to burn and B. never learn properly because, well, I'll get it on the next pass.

Stretch like a mo-fo and focus hard on those three passes. Map your face! http://www.pbjsite.com/shave/whiskarmap/preLoader.swf That will help a ton.

Finally, stop obsessing about how sharp your blade is. Even a relatively sharp blade will give you an ok shave. Focus on the shave itself, and doing it correctly. Map your face, stretch even if you are 18, and focus on those two or three passes like that's all you'll get.

Just so you know - for me - one month isn't long, and it sounds like you are coming along nicely!! In two more months you'll read this thread and most-likely laugh at yourself. Congrats on you success so far brother!!

+1 on Earcutter's suggestions. Listen to him -- he lived with real pirates in the Caribbean!

Hey as for your blade issues - cut and paste your issue and post it in the honing section. The guys who lurk there know a ton about edges!!

+1 to cutter, it's like working on any problem...KISS (keep it simple stupid) principle. I thought my dovo carpe diem had a bevel issue at first (had only shaved with a straight twice then), turns out it was my stropping technique :gaah: I didn't roll the edge, the spine wasn't staying completely flat. Second, do you know what kind of grit your barber's hone is? If your hone is around 6k or 8k you would probably still see some of those "marks," which are actually scrath marks you are talking about (where steel has been removed at that particular grit) to the blade, and you could hone til your arm fell off, but they would still be there cause a single grit will only grind off steel to a point, and any more refining or making the edge look smoother under 100x mag (that's a good bit) is gonna require a higher grit stone or paste or whatever you use to finish with.

+1 to earcutter... 2 passes and a low pressure DE pass to finish. Mapping, stretching and take a break once and a while - let your face heal and lull those whiskers into submission.
And get a copy of Karate Kid (the movie)....it's a "wax on...wax off" thing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tiddle

+1 to cutter, it's like working on any problem...KISS (keep it simple stupid) principle. I thought my dovo carpe diem had a bevel issue at first (had only shaved with a straight twice then), turns out it was my stropping technique :gaah: I didn't roll the edge, the spine wasn't staying completely flat. Second, do you know what kind of grit your barber's hone is? If your hone is around 6k or 8k you would probably still see some of those "marks," which are actually scrath marks you are talking about (where steel has been removed at that particular grit) to the blade, and you could hone til your arm fell off, but they would still be there cause a single grit will only grind off steel to a point, and any more refining or making the edge look smoother under 100x mag (that's a good bit) is gonna require a higher grit stone or paste or whatever you use to finish with.

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Attachment 107911
Here is my barber hone. I had put a picture of it on another thread. The discussion there was that it was an 8k stone.

Attachment 107912
Ok, so here is a map of my face...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mloyd

Attachment 107912
Ok, so here is a map of my face...

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That's a 2 pass+ touch up beard pattern IMHO. you will be able to get cross grain (XTG) passes in with practice, and I find them to be very effective, esp. at the neck.

A good check on the map is to get a two day stubble and re-check.

Ideally stretching is not only skin tension but pulling away from the direction of growth.
Pulling "with the grain" can just lay the beard down for many.

Wax on....Wax off...

Much better shave today! ONLY 3 PASSES! Only a few touch ups. I had two days growth, and I may need to revise my face map.

I think the razor was smoother due to my touch ups, but I certainly feel much better about my technique.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mloyd

Much better shave today! ONLY 3 PASSES! Only a few touch ups. I had two days growth, and I may need to revise my face map.

I think the razor was smoother due to my touch ups, but I certainly feel much better about my technique.

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Nice!! A couple more of those, and then you'll legitimately be allowed to focus on blade sharpness lol!

Congrats mloyd.

As for revising your map - it's weird isn't it? The hair direction doesn't change and yet... Well I messed a bit with the one I did before I got to my "master copy" too lol :).

Good deal man! Just keep persistant and it will all come together; a light will just go off and you'll think, "man, so that's what I should have done all along," and it will be smooth sailing (or shaving in this case..yeah a bad pun, sue me) from there.