Thread: 2 Shaves in..... face is very sore!!

Hi all,

First post here so hello from the UK. I've been banging on about straight razors to my gf for a while now, so lo and behold I got one for Christmas Got a proper brush and some decent shave cream. I've got a Dovo 6/8 straight razor but don't have a strop or hone yet (under the impression they came pretty sharp so could be used out of the box) but planning on getting them pretty soon.

So basically I'm two shaves in and my face is very sore, I've gone through the proper prep and kept my face well lathered, only done one pass so far (with the grain) as I haven't been able to get much further. I haven't experienced a very close shave yet and feel around my chin and upper lip a lot of tugging, however my hair around there is very course.

I've had quite a few cuts to my face, I was fully expecting this being a newbie but I thought I'd experience a much closer shave without any tug or pull. Is it the blade I need to sharpen? Or my method?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Cheers.

Welcome to SRP Joey,

The problem could be a combination of the blade not being sharp (Dovo's are not shave ready from the factory) and it could also be that your angle is not quite there yet.

I would suggest getting your blade properly honned and read,read and read some more.

Welcome and don't worry. Things will get better the more you practice Just take your time and don't rush it.

If your Dovo has only a factory edge then it may not be truly shave ready. The edges supplied from the factory have been known to be "almost" sharp enough. Tugging and pulling of a blade can be from it being too dull. A blade that is not quite sharp enough can cause irritation and also using too steep an angle with heavy pressure on the blade while shaving can do it too. About 1 spine width gap between face and spine should work well. I do not think you will get all the stubble in 1 pass, that is why people use multiple passes. My guess is that it is a combination of a dullish blade and poor shaving technique.

Bob

Yea depending on where you buy from Dovos dont come shave ready or professionally honed. They are sharp mind you but not enough to give a comforatable shave. You need to get a strop asap too. Anyhow most beginners experience some discomfort when they start out.

Thanks for the replies, I'll get myself a hone and strop to try and sharpen it up and try again. Any kind of minimum I should be spending on each? Don't want to spend loads to start with but also don't want to waste my money on some cheap crap.

Nice to see another UK member chopping his face to bits. My highest recommendation as a newbie myself is don't be afraid to put the straight down & grab your old razor. I've still got marks from a couple of the bad cuts because I had to persevere with the straight on principle or pride, or something to do with being manly. It could just be me, or maybe the caffeine, but I've learned that if I'm getting in over my head I get shaky, that's the point to take a breather &/or change to my old mach 3. I'm still getting better every shave, & now I look less like I've been fighting a litter of angry kittens with my face, but I still have to finish with the old gillette.

Also, you need a strop, gives you something else to cut with the straight razor instead of your face. I have heard of people using a leather belt as a temporary strop but don't take my word for it, I'm new to this, oh & don't use a good belt, you will very likely damage your first strop/belt so don't buy an expensive strop to start. Check out The Invisible Edge website. The cheapest ones aren't as wide as a straight blade so you'll need to learn the x pattern to strop.

Strops, brushes & soaps

Where did you get your straight from, that might tell us if it's likely to be shave ready?

you will need a strop. the razor need a good stropping between shave, best if it is just before you shave. and like others have said the factory edge is rarely shave ready. it it hurts or pulls a lot stop shaving. switch razors and finish. a good shave is the goal not a torture session.

the invisibleegde is a good resource to get your blade honed and buy a strop there in the UK.

enjoy,
jim

Joeyh51

The general advice to a beginner is to have your razor honed by a reputable pro. The UK members can tell you which they are. That advice is given to beginners as it is very difficult to learn how to shave with a straight never mind learning how to hone on top of that.

When you get a strop I would go for one 3 inches wide so you don't have to learn the X stroke too. Be prepared to nick/slice your strop up in the learning process and also be prepared that you will dull a sharp razor quicker than normal because of poor initial stropping technique when learning how to strop. If you do nick up your strop, as I did at the start, there are plenty of threads on here on how to repair a strop. I still have my original strop that I have repaired and use it daily.

The tool, a straight razor, is a very simple one but learning to use it and maintain it properly is not so simple and boils down to practice and good technique. Getting a good technique in all aspects is the hard part. Good luck to you.

Bob

I got the blade from an ebayer straight from poland. Came in the original dovo packaging and still sealed so assuming straight from the factory.

I've bought myself a hone from the invisible edge, and also got in touch with Steve to see if he can get it honed professionally for me to start. Is it easy to ruin a blade when trying it yourself for the first time? I want to learn but at the same time don't really want to have to buy a new one.

well it is hard to actually ruin a blade. but it is so easy to make them unshavable.
honing is a skill that develops over time and repition and correcting your mistakes... it is better IMHO to learn on cheap vintage razors than expensive new ones. touching up a sharp blade is way easier than making a dull one sharp.