Hello everyone! Need help!

Hello!

Since childhood I've ALWAYS wanted to lather and shave with a straight razor. Just looked so smooth and clean in the movies and on TV.

I've now shaved with a straight razor twice, a Dovo 6/8" Best Quality razor purchased from StraightRazorDesign.com. I did not purchase a strop nor use one, as the website indicated the razor would come professionally sharpened.

Here is my problem: the razor doesn't seem to "freely glide" against my skin. Sometimes it does, most the time it doesn't. Instead, I get a bit of pulling and tugging, and I think it has to do with my angle of attack or pre-shave prep.

Pre-Shave Prep:
-Shower
-Exfoliate face
-Hand scrub cream
-Lather Jack Black Cream + shave soap together and apply

Let me know what you guys think. It almost feels as if proper lubrication is missing from my face when I shave.

All the best, and good to meet you!
Daniel

Even though the razor came shave ready, you still need to strop it after every use.

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Originally Posted by johnmrson

Even though the razor came shave ready, you still need to strop it after every use.

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Part of the reason I avoided purchasing one was price. Is there a $35 strop worthy of purchase?

I dont have one but this sight has a few that come highly recommended by those who use them. 3" "Bid Daddy" Leather Strop

Unfortunately you need a strop. It is an essential part of your straight shaving gear. I haven't used the one that backtobasics has linked but I am a fan of the wider 3 inch strops.

Looks easy in the movies, but in reality, it is something you need to learn over a period of time. A strop is essential, as is a good lather. There are cheap strops out there, poor man's strop it think? Probably a good way to start, most new guys cut their strop, so no point paying a fortune on one till you get the knack. Hang in there, be patient. You are at the best site to learn, and it is worth the effort.

Whipped Dog Straight Razor Shaving Equipment Good call Grazor I forgot about Whipped Dog (they make the poor mans strop) I personally like a 3" strop but it is a great way to go on the cheap.

Hi and welcome to the forum

You are only 2 shaves in so I would suspect that your shaving technique and quality of lather you can make is more of an issue than razor sharpness at this point. For angle try using a gap of about 2 blade widths between your face and the spine of the razor for starters and adjust from there if needed. You need to make a nice thick lather with a constancy like whipped cream and not too dry. If the lather is too dry the razor will stick and skip. It is also a good idea to be stretching your skin while shaving.

To help maintain you razor you do need a strop to use before each shave. When you are starting out stropping can be a double edged sword in that generally your technique is not so good and you can possibly dull a razor with poor stropping. Unfortunately the only way to learn stropping is to do it and over time get it down correctly. The only thing I can say about which strop to get is to try and find a 3 inch one that is in your budget range. That way you don't have to deal with learning the X stroke while stropping which makes things a bit easier. Be prepared to learn strop repair as while learning we all have made a few mistakes which does nothing to help the blade sharpness either.

Bob

G'Day Dan and welcome.

I have two 'Big Mama' strops - one Latigo and one English bridle - both lovely but different.

I use the wool felt x 40 laps and 60 x leather prior to shaving and 20 x felt after.

Stropping is a vital aspect of this sport.

Hope things get better for you.

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Originally Posted by Danforz

Part of the reason I avoided purchasing one was price. Is there a $35 strop worthy of purchase?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by backtobasics

I dont have one but this sight has a few that come highly recommended by those who use them. 3" "Bid Daddy" Leather Strop

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I have one and it is an excellent starter strop. This vendor sells replacement leather if you cut it learning how. It's good to get 3" because then you don't have to learn the X pattern while stropping. Here's a stropping video: Straight Razor Stropping-Hanging Strop - YouTube.

You are like me in that you became fascinated with the use of straight razors in movies. These are some of the member favorites: http://straightrazorpalace.com/gener...rs-movies.html.

If the lather doesn't have a slick quality to it, add more water to your mixture.

I have a Dovo Best Quality razor and really like it. Good choice there.

There are many good sub 50$ strop options out there. I find many beginners overlook the importance of building a good thick creamy lather on the face. If your lather is too thin and not moist enough it will not provide sufficient lubrication and will evaporate quickly. Spend the time to really work a nice lather on your face, your shaving technique will gradually improve and yes, good stropping is vital to keeping your edge at an optimal sharpness. Keep at it and you will see, your shaves will improve.

You can fold newsprint into a 3" width and secure it with a bulldog clip at one end, and strop on that. There was a post about it in the last couple of weeks. The beauty of newsprint is that it strops well, you won't cry when you cut it, and there's always more where it came from.

But yes, what everyone else said, a strop is a critical piece of gear. Without one, your razor will soon become useless.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by johnmrson

Unfortunately you need a strop. It is an essential part of your straight shaving gear. I haven't used the one that backtobasics has linked but I am a fan of the wider 3 inch strops.

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Ok, buying one tonight.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobH

Hi and welcome to the forum

You are only 2 shaves in so I would suspect that your shaving technique and quality of lather you can make is more of an issue than razor sharpness at this point. For angle try using a gap of about 2 blade widths between your face and the spine of the razor for starters and adjust from there if needed. You need to make a nice thick lather with a constancy like whipped cream and not too dry. If the lather is too dry the razor will stick and skip. It is also a good idea to be stretching your skin while shaving.

To help maintain you razor you do need a strop to use before each shave. When you are starting out stropping can be a double edged sword in that generally your technique is not so good and you can possibly dull a razor with poor stropping. Unfortunately the only way to learn stropping is to do it and over time get it down correctly. The only thing I can say about which strop to get is to try and find a 3 inch one that is in your budget range. That way you don't have to deal with learning the X stroke while stropping which makes things a bit easier. Be prepared to learn strop repair as while learning we all have made a few mistakes which does nothing to help the blade sharpness either.

Bob

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Thank you for your input!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CaliforniaCajun

I have one and it is an excellent starter strop. This vendor sells replacement leather if you cut it learning how. It's good to get 3" because then you don't have to learn the X pattern while stropping. Here's a stropping video: Straight Razor Stropping-Hanging Strop - YouTube.

You are like me in that you became fascinated with the use of straight razors in movies. These are some of the member favorites: http://straightrazorpalace.com/gener...rs-movies.html.

If the lather doesn't have a slick quality to it, add more water to your mixture.

I have a Dovo Best Quality razor and really like it. Good choice there.

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Yes, I think part of the problem was the lather wasn't "slick," it was just foamy. Added water 2nd time around... still having difficulty but I'll figure it out!

Thank you for the info, I'm going to buy that Strop.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Badgister

There are many good sub 50$ strop options out there. I find many beginners overlook the importance of building a good thick creamy lather on the face. If your lather is too thin and not moist enough it will not provide sufficient lubrication and will evaporate quickly. Spend the time to really work a nice lather on your face, your shaving technique will gradually improve and yes, good stropping is vital to keeping your edge at an optimal sharpness. Keep at it and you will see, your shaves will improve.

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Can you provide a video that shows how to properly lather?

The best advice I read when I started out was to build a lather with brush that you soaked then flicked dry and slowly add water a couple drops at a time, lathering in between. You'll get to the point when all the sudden if feels effortless to whip the lather in a bowl or your hand. I'd take it there then keep adding water drops at a time until there's obviously too much water so you'll know what a too dry and too wet lather looks and feels like. If you have problems lathering in a bowl with you're soap or cream, take it to your hand with light pressure until the lather starts coming together then take it back to the bowl, if that's what you're using. If you search "wet shaving" or "lathering," "shaving soaps"...etc. on YouTube, you'll find more than enough. At the end of the day, you need to just mess around with it yourself over and over. Slick is what you want. I splash water on my face before I lather up my face as well. Someone told me, "It's called wet shaving for a reason." Hope this helps.

A website called Shaving 101 has a good explanation, with pictures, on face lathering, it may help.

Mitchell's Wool Fat Shaving Soap

The only other thing I would add is I usually do not exfoliate my face before I shave. Shaving is a form of exfoliation. I usually exfoliate my face on the days I don't shave.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by backtobasics

Whipped Dog Straight Razor Shaving Equipment Good call Grazor I forgot about Whipped Dog (they make the poor mans strop) I personally like a 3" strop but it is a great way to go on the cheap.

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+1 ...good guy with great value products

Guys,

This is strange. Why is my razor building up rust?

Daniel

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Danforz

Can you provide a video that shows how to properly lather?

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Here is a link to one of Mantic59's videos on lathering:

The Art of Lathering


Personally, I swirl my brush on glycerin soap (cheap stuff) for just 4 or 5 seconds before lathering with Proraso cream and that works really well. For a good lather you basically want to get the water right - not so wet that it falls off your face and not so dry that it cakes on your face.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Danforz

Guys,

This is strange. Why is my razor building up rust?

Daniel

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You can get water spots very quickly if that's what you're talking about.

Here is a relevant thread with lots of info:

Rinse, wipe or dunk? How to clean lather from the blade while shaving

Great Video, Thanks for posting CCajun

thank you all for all input:hmmm: