Thread: New Straight Razor Shaver - Need some advice

Hey guys,

So I got me a Dovo 6/8 best quality razor a week ago. (i got a kit with it from vintage blades. - I liked that they actually had razors in stock *cough* SRD *cough* at a decent price as well as honing it before shipping) So far now I have shaved with it 4 times. The razor seems to pull a little to much than I thought (possibly not as sharp as it should be??). I honestly don't have thick whiskers and perhaps I am just timid being a beginner at all. I am not sure what I could be doing wrong. Maybe I need to use a pre-shave, need to strop more or need to get the razor honed again....not sure....but for my stropping I strop 20 times on the prep strop and 40 times on the leather. (while applying as little pressure as possible) As a new straight razor shaver I would greatly appreciate guidance. Thank you in advance.

You really need to dive in and read the Wiki section on this site. It is a wealth of knowledge that will more than get you going. As for you razor feeling like it is "pulling" it sounds like it is not sharp. Something you will find is that many vendors state that razors will be sent "shave ready" which often leaves a lot to be desired. One vendor that I have found that sells truly shave ready razors is SRD, which it doesn't surprise me they have low stock! When you get a razor from them you can bet your bottom dollar its gonna be sharp, very sharp! It could have been sent very sharp, however while learning its not uncommon to dull a razor quickly just due to the inexperience and the learning curve involved.
Hang out in the wiki section, read as much as you can and start practicing, you will get it and when you do it will feel good!

Many new users have rolled the edge of their razor (myself included) while stropping. That usually requires a touch up on the hone. There is a ton of videos in the wiki and on you tube about stropping and flashing the edge of you razor to see if you've rolled the edge. That is possibility number one. There are a few more. The may have an angle that is not agreeable with your beard. We all have different whiskers and different faces, so when you watch someone else shave in a video it is a suggestion or an example. You need to experiment a little and find out what works for you. I learned to shave on my own. Both of the boys at my house learned from me and each other and caught on way quicker. Watch several different videos on shaving. Look through the wiki. There is so much information there its crazy. Most importantly enjoy yourself and don't rush

Hi, and welcome to SRP!

First of all, don't worry - we've all been there.

Which Vintage Blades did you order from? There are at least a couple companies that use that name and while one (vintagebladesllc) uses Lynn's honing service and is therefore top-notch, others don't.

In terms of pulling, there are a bunch of possible explanations, but I'll suggest a few of the more common ones.
1) face prep. What are you doing in terms of preparing your beard for shaving? I.e. brush& soap/cream or canned foam? Shaving right after a shower helps a lot of guys too as the hot shower tends to soften the beard.

2) stretching. Make sure you're stretching your skin as you shave. This can make a huge difference, not only in terms of preventing pulling & tugging, but also in reducing cuts and nicks. It's also really, really easy to forget, especially when starting out

3) stropping. It is really easy to 'roll' an edge when you're learning to strop. If this has happened, then you'll need to get your blade touched up. Where are you located? There may be someone local who can help you out, make sure your blade is shave-ready, and give some pointers

A few links to check out:

Beginner's guide to straight razor shaving - Straight Razor Place Wiki

First straight razor shave - Straight Razor Place Wiki

and for stropping:

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

Hang in there - it gets better, easier, and more enjoyable with practice! And please feel free to ask any questions - we're here to help.

Good luck!

Well your razor should whack whiskers without any problems. If by timid you mean you are using a light touch then that is what you should be doing. Did it shave better when you used it the first time and get progressively worse ? New razors are sold as shave ready but I think most in here will agree that is not always the case. If straight from the factory then it could use a professional hone for sure. And if it had a pro hone you may have stropped it dull. There are lots of vids showing the right way but it still takes practice. If you can't bring it back /make it better with a strop then you may need to get it honed right. Could be your lack of skill using it but by your story it sounds like it was never sharp or dulled right away. :<0) Ask the vendor who honed it would be a start. Make sure you keep the spine down at all times and do 100 laps. If it's a hanging strop, lay it on something flat to use it. This will take out some of the variables of stropping.


I knew better advice would beat my post :<0)

Thank you guys. All of you have been extremely helpful. To answer cangooner - - i got it from vintagebladesllc....and I use glycerin soap (mastering the right soap consistency was pretty easy) And you are probably right about rolling the edge. The first time I stropped I know now that I was putting to much pressure onto the blade..but I know a guy that can hone a straight razor....once again guys thank you so much....and I'm about to dive head first into that wiki.

You will read it time and time again about only putting enough pressure on the blade to keep it in contact with the strop. Yes, it can be tricky! For a wedge or 1/4 hollow blade, all I have to do is set it on the strop and its perfect, but for a extra hollow it can be trickier as its a light blade and can lead to more variables. Good luck and stick to it!

Before you hone that razor, read the following links and then strop the razor up 40-60 light strokes before each shaving attempt and give it a couple more tries. The problem is usually not the razor in your situation.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ead-first.html

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...icipation.html

Have fun

Originally Posted by whiskertango

Thank you guys. All of you have been extremely helpful. To answer cangooner - - i got it from vintagebladesllc....and I use glycerin soap (mastering the right soap consistency was pretty easy) And you are probably right about rolling the edge. The first time I stropped I know now that I was putting to much pressure onto the blade..but I know a guy that can hone a straight razor....once again guys thank you so much....and I'm about to dive head first into that wiki.

When I started. About the third shave in I felt some pulling like you said and am in the same situation as you with beard growth (2-3 times a week shaving). I read up and decided my best course of action was to re-watch some stropping vids and then just stropped the dickens out of my blade slowly and focusing on form. Probably around 100 laps on leather after about 40 on webbing. After that it shaved much smoother and had a lot less pulling and tugging. Now it's time for a rehone but that was after about 2 months of good usage by a newbie

Try more laps on the strops. I had a similar problem with my Dovo that pulled like mad even after it was honed by a pro. I tried upping the laps on the linnen from 30 laps to 50, and on leather from 50 laps to 80. YMMV but I'll tell you brother, for me, that made a WORLD of difference. This, of course, assumes stropping technique is good.

As they say, keep at it and all will be well.