Advice re keeping the edge

Hi, All,

I'm not really a beginner--been shaving with a SR for a couple of years now, but, frankly, I very seldom get what I think of as a good shave; by that I mean that I can't seem to get a closeness that even matches the cheap throw-away razors I get at the drug store. I must be doing something wrong. Here are the particulars.

I have two Dovos, which I rotate every other day. I use the Williams Mug soap, which I like as well as anything else I've ever tried. I strop the razor 20 times on the linen and 50 on the leather before each shave. I use a pre-shave oil, and I shave just after getting out of the shower.

My beard is heavy and coarse; Luckily, it's light colored, but I still have to shave every day. It takes me four passes to get a decent shave, and most days I still have to finish the hard areas (jaw line, etc) with the safety razor.

I do get marginally better shaves with the razor after it has been professionally sharpened, for a day or two. This leads me to think that there may be something wrong with my stropping technique that actually takes the edge off. I use a moderate pressure, and I strop briskly.

I do enjoy the Zen of shaving with a SR. It gives me a few minutes of focused repose in the morning before work. However, it has not yet been in my experience comparable to the shave I get from the cheapest disposable. This is after two years of working at it.

What am I doing wrong?

Cheers

Steve

I dunno but it might be telling that you only get a day or two of marginally better shaves out of a freshly pro honed razor. That could point towards you stropping incorrectly. I would say slow down and use no pressure and see how that goes. Also too, in addition it might indicate that your shaving technique is not quite there too. It might be that you have to adjust the angle you are using on the blade. I would try keeping about 2 spine widths gap between the blade's spine and your face. If Williams is performing as well as anything else you have tried then possibly your lather may need improving. In all honesty Williams is the poorest performing of the soaps I use but it is usable, definitely not my first choice though. You need to work up a fairly thick moist lather. I could be a combination of those things giving you a sub par shave. May be just make one change at a time and see how it goes.

Bob

I would deffinently make one change at a time. BobH hit that one on the head. +1 you may want to get a finishing hone to refresh your blades until you get the stropping figured out. You really should not be getting bad shaves 2 days after a honing. It also may be you are just that coarse and thick. The YMMV applies here. If you have some tugging or the razor is not performing like it should. You could make a couple passes on say a barbers hone and it should bring that edge back if you are stropping properly. But to reiterate- stropping properly is a must.

Not mentioned is stretching the skin while shaving. It sounds more like a strop thing though.

Spend more time prepping the beard...

There are two steps to proper stropping,,
1. Do No Harm
2. Improve the edge

You have to without a doubt accomplish step 1 as fast as possible, accomplishing step 2 takes a bit more doing...

Thanks. Bob. I've tried some other more expensive soaps, but I can't see that they perform any better. I'm guessing it's a strop thing. I read somewhere that if you put too much pressure the edge can actually turn back on itself. I'm going to try a lighter stropping technique and see how that goes. Your advice is much appreciated.
Steve

Thanks, Stone! I'm going to try lightening up on the strop first and see how that goes. I've got a Primble hone that belonged to my grandfather, so I'll make a pass or two over that as well.
Steve

Thanks, 10P. I do stretch the skin, but it doesn't seem to make much difference. I'm still guessing that my strop technique needs improvement. Gonna start there.
SA

Thanks, Glen. I put the shave oil on while my face is still wet from the shower, and I work the lather up as thick and moist as I can. I tried a five-minute hot towel, but it didn't seem to make any difference. As you all advise, I'll start changing my strop technique, and we'll see where that goes.

Where do you live?

Maybe you can hook up with one of the guys and with someone watching what you are doing, maybe they can spot what might be the problem and help you improve.

Have fun.

It could be your strop, what are you using? On the sharpen side with little to no pressure on a full hollow razor, i can hear the blade ring almost like steel on steel. With that i have been able to maintain an edge for over 20 shaves, and i have a heavy beard.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SteveAcree

Thanks. Bob. I've tried some other more expensive soaps, but I can't see that they perform any better.
Steve

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Steve

I did not mean to suggest buying more expensive soaps. It is just that Williams is not known to be an easy soap to produce a good lather with and there are other soaps that are easier to do so with. So, if the results you are getting with the others is only as good as with Williams then maybe your lather is lacking. I am not saying it is, I can't see your lather, just taking a stab at it. It is amazing how a good lather makes SR shaving easier. Anyway, just a thought. Good luck finding a cure for those shaves and when you do let us know what the solution was.

Bob

Make yourself a strop from newsprint--I just did this to verify it'd work--just one sheet thick. A quarter width of a single page is a good size. Anchor the wall end in one of those black spring-steel paperclips and strop away. If the paper pulls out of the clip, you've got too much tension. If the paper gets nicked or frayed where your blade flips, you need to work on your flip. I didn't try any purposefully bad stropping, but I imagine that if you're lifting the spine, the edge may scuff the type or raise a little nap from the paper.

The point of this is to demonstrate how little tension or pressure is required for effective stropping. I hope it helps.

I'm thinking one or two things may help. One being getting a paddle strop (Lynn makes a good one) but that requires a small investment (worth it though!) The other won't cost a dime. That is trying scything strokes when you are shaving. I had a similar shaving experience a few years ago and when I learned scything I could get in 1 pass what earlier took 3-4 passes. There are a few good Youtubes on it.

Steve,

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SteveAcree

I'm guessing it's a strop thing. I read somewhere that if you put too much pressure the edge can actually turn back on itself. I'm going to try a lighter stropping technique and see how that goes.

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pressure is one thing. The edge is very sensitive and pressure is doing no good on it. Another thing is the technique itself. The spine should always touch the leather and, turn over the spine and lift it off the strop edge first, then spine in order to prevent accidental rolling over the edge. The strop should be held taught (not tight though), so that it can't lay "around" the edge.

go slow, watch and (!) listen what is actually happening.

hth

I thought this was already linked in here

http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...st-2012-a.html


There is a plethora of stropping information all in one spot