Thread: Is it the blade, my skill, or the upkeep?

My first month with a straight was about as yours and with the very same type of Boker Extra Hollow. I couldn't get it to shave well, so I honed it on my new Nortons. Still couldn't get a good shave. It would grab, dig and cut if I kept going. Finally decided the "blade was just too thin" for my beard. I went to heavier blades and progressed slowly on. I put the Boker up, and basically forgot about it for a year. Recently I was checking, cleaning and Renwaxing razors and came across that Boker. I pulled it out and looked at the edge with a lighted loop. Nothing more had to be said. I realized that the thinness of the grind had little to do with my prior troubles. The edge was terrible, I had really botched the honing, and prior had ruined the edge from SRD with poor technique.

I honed this razor a week or two ago and the shave was nothing short of excellent. None of my beginning problems were anything to do with the razor or grind. All me!!! That Boker has become my preferred razor since then.

Maybe get yours honed, work on technique (keeping the plane of the razor flatter to the face) and good prep. I promise, when it all comes together, I'll bet you're going to really like that razor!!

Regards,
Howard

Originally Posted by Hirlau

Just thought I'd let you know, that I liked it a second time too. Attachment 108103

This seems to be the norm around here today!

Here is my 2 cents.

A fine straight razor shave is not a result of just one thing - such as a properly honed razors. It is instead an orchestration of several things that come together in as perfect a harmony as possible.

So, first, as you have been directed already, get that razor honed by a professional and if you PM me I will hone it for you for the cost of shipping.
Second - strop strop strop. If you cannot strop yet, you must learn. Nobody I know takes a razor off of the stones and goes straight to a shave. Pressure is much more important than speed here.
Third - Prep that beard. You must have your whiskers softened before your shave. You are aksing for a pretty rough ride without it. Especially your upper lip.
Fourth - Mix good lather. This means have good quality soap or cream mixed to the right consistancy with the right amount of water.
Fifth - Know your whisker growth directions. A North to South pass is not necessarily WTG, and a South to North pass is not necessarily ATG. Get comfortable stretching the skin in the right direction as well.
Sixth - Practice shaving and be willing to have MANY dissapointing shaves to start with. We all had them and occasionaly still do. Light pressure and adjusting blade angles are key here.

When all of the above are correct, you have the highest probablility of a great shave. Notice I did not say you will have a great shave. There are many day to day factors, such as skin condition or how distracted you are that can affect the outcome. I get better shaves when my water softener just regened than I do when it needs to. I can't control that.

In addition, I did not say you need a $500 razor, with a $250 strop and $75 soap with a $275 brush. This just isn't the case. What you need is the skill to on each of those six items and the willingness to practice till you get it.

I hope this helps.

I think alot of guys see the shaving with a straight as bad ass, and I could do that and say oh yeah I shave with a straight razor; then they actually breakdown buy the razor a strop, and whatever else they might want, and go for it. Then they realize crap that sucked...this razor sucks, the shave sucked, it's the razor or strop or hones or whatever! They google and google and then come here and everyone says time and patience and practice. That's where decision time comes, either: 1. I want to learn to do this the right way and do it the best I can, or 2. stick with what you got, or DE's. But for the love of all that is holy, if you don't want to learn and take the time....PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE sell your razor to someone who wants it or wants to learn! Don't throw them in the closet or wherever to collect dust and rust! It just kills me to hear that!

Just thought I would share my experience. I'm really new to SR shaving too. I understand that you are on sabbatical and can't afford much equipment. I totally get that! I have been unemployed myself. In fact two years ago I wanted to get into the hobby but was overwhelmed by all the different tools and prices for the tools that were out there. This spring inherited some vintage blades, and a strop. I had bought a Wal-Mart brush.

The first thing that I did was give the blades to a woodcarver who said he would hone them for me. This turned out to be a mistake because while wood carvers know a think or to about keeping their tools sharp, those tools go on wood and not on your face. I learned the hard way that there is really no way around getting around a truly professionally honed razor.

Now a strop is non negotiable. Although I have heard about guys stroping on newspaper, I have never tried it. I have seen some strops out there for $15-$20.

The Wal-Mart brush was a boar's hair brush and is a little scratchy, but I had fun experimenting with my wife's bar soaps until I bought some Bigelow on sale from Bath and Body works, and got a badger brush for my Birthday. (you can get stuff for free on Birthdays and Christmases if people know what to get you), My advice is to send it to the gentleman who offered to hone it for you for the price of shipping, if you can get a strop for cheap. You won't want to spend much money on one until you know you can use it anyway. I think you can be up and running for under $30 bucks, but I know sometimes even $30 is hard to come by. Just collect your equipment over time and in the mean time study as much as you can. BTW all of the advice on this thread is great!