Thread: Shave #2

So, my second shave went well. No pink foam! I am still working on how to hold my razor for some of the strokes and some are blind faith. I tried a small bit of lotion before the lather and it felt like it helped untill the second pass. I should have lubed again. This is a learning process and it is going well so far. The hot towel is nice but i still cant get my chin or lip. My razor just glides right over the top of my chin and pulls on my lip. I might need a harder, sharper steel for shaving. I like the feel of my straight but I may need to try a diffrent one when the funds become available. Thanks for all the insight and experience that is shared on here. With out you guys I might be a bloody stubrun mess with a straight razor!

Which razor are you using? who honed it? how did you strop it? what was your beard prep?

those are all things to consider when the blade does not seem to be working well. personally, i do not like the shave oils they sometimes make stretching difficult.

enjoy,
jim

The chin and the upper lip are some of the most difficult areas to get right. They usually only succumb to improved technique, and that takes time.

I am using elcheapo razor that is self honed. It will pass hht when stroped. Prep was hot towel for about 5min, then lotion sits whil i work up lather. Apply lather and strop, about 2 min. Wet lather again and begin. From sideburns down to bottom of neck, no problem. Start getting into chin, problem. Each pass seems to glide up and over the whiskers. I am not upset and think Ace is correct about technique however I would like to try a better razor and see if it helps in this endevor. I will try some better beard softening agents and methods next time or when i can. My face will not let me shave every day yet. I went 5 years with out being a regular shaver when I left the Corps. Now I'm trying to improve my image to get a better job and this is part of it.

Cheap razor are fine as long as they can be properly honed. Getting the problem areas is as much sharp blade as technique.


jim

I have quite a collection of stones and one good razor hone so that part came natural. I would order a sightunseen but my wife will have a fit if i buy more stuff right now! Got to take it slow for now. Im going to watch the yardsales and a few more places for a vintage to work with. Im going to continue with what i have for now. Ill keep reading for more remedies on the tough whiskers. Thanks for the encouragement guys!

Gliding over whiskers? Sounds like you're having the problem I was having... I got a shave-ready vintage Henckels "sight-unseen" razor, but when I used it for the first time, it was not working as expected. It was just taking off the lather, not the whiskers. At least not much whiskers. I wrote about this in my shave journey thread, and everybody said it was my technique. Figured the pros here were right, so I kept at it. Second shave, not much better. Then my brother gave me his Dovo "Black Star" (which he said has not been honed since he first got it), and I gave it a light honing on a 12K barbers hone I purchased along with my "sight-unseen." Did my third shave with the the Dovo- magic. It plowed through the whiskers, leaving nothing but smoothness behind. With only one WTG pass, at that. So it was definitely my Henckels razor, IMO. I have since given that Henckels razor about 10 x-strokes on my hone, and will try to shave using it again in the next couple of days. Sounds like you're blade just isn't sharp enough.

Look at the razor brands to avoid list. If your razor is on that list then the pros don't recommend it. If its an "elcheapo", and new then there is a good chance.

The chin is a tough spot. You have to keep the same angle around the curve or stretch the skin to a flat part so you can get to it. I do a combo of both and it's a pretty deft series of maneuvers that took months to learn. Keep at it and don't expect instant results.

Honing is another area entirely. That takes a while to get. Even for experienced knife sharpeners, there will be a learning curve. Don't be surprised if your blade isn't as sharp as it needs to be. A truly sharp razor won't ever glide over a hair if the shaving technique is good.

Michael

Originally Posted by Chreees

Gliding over whiskers? Sounds like you're having the problem I was having... I got a shave-ready vintage Henckels "sight-unseen" razor, but when I used it for the first time, it was not working as expected. It was just taking off the lather, not the whiskers. At least not much whiskers. I wrote about this in my shave journey thread, and everybody said it was my technique. Figured the pros here were right, so I kept at it. Second shave, not much better. Then my brother gave me his Dovo "Black Star" (which he said has not been honed since he first got it), and I gave it a light honing on a 12K barbers hone I purchased along with my "sight-unseen." Did my third shave with the the Dovo- magic. It plowed through the whiskers, leaving nothing but smoothness behind. With only one WTG pass, at that. So it was definitely my Henckels razor, IMO. I have since given that Henckels razor about 10 x-strokes on my hone, and will try to shave using it again in the next couple of days. Sounds like you're blade just isn't sharp enough.

I totally agree with this .... I'm thinking a proper hone might be the answer..

I have an Anchor Brand #25 but no scales. It is tiny compared to the other one. I think its a 4/8. The blade is only 1/2 inch tall and about 2 1/2 inch long. It doesn't have enough weight, dont feel right. I will have a few more straights in time but I will learn with what i have for now. As for the hone, I'm looking for locals to work with. May have to ship it off. I have hope thanks to chreees post. I may just need the right blade. Time will tell the tale.