Thread: Newbie in doubt

Hi guys,

As some of the regulars here know, I've been shaving straight for about two months now(DE for over a year). I own a lovely Globusmen that was treated to an excellent light restore(I didn't want to loose the etch of the goldwash) by Decraew and he also honed it for me. Thanks for that again, without your help I'd still be stuck in DE yearning for 'les véritables rasoirs'. So far I've been enjoying the shaves very much, the times I managed to take the time for them. However, the last couple of shaves have been quite tricky (watery eyes and generally the old M3 feeling) and I haven't been able to pinpoint the problem. I do strongly suspect my stropping isn't up to scratch yet and I think I might have ruined my edge somehow. Though I can't think of any moment where I did that. I've had the problem with 5 days stubble and also with a single day(but much less). I also tried giving it a half an hour treatment on the balsa strop and then the leather, but my razor keeps preforming substandard. Should I have it touched up on the hones? Could it perhaps be that my beard requires another type of razor(the GM is a full hollow ground)? Is the Poor Man's Strop kit enough, or should I look into a linnen/denim strop?(My mother is a pretty good seamstress, she could probably help me with that.)

PS: If there are any members in the neighborhood of Ghent: would one of you show me the ropes of stropping? I don't see any flaws in my current technique, a more experienced eye might help correcting the rookie mistakes.

Originally Posted by Rogier

the last couple of shaves have been quite tricky. . . . I do strongly suspect my stropping isn't up to scratch yet and I think I might have ruined my edge somehow.

Hi Rogier,
My first straight razor was a shave ready razor I bought from a member in the Classifieds section. Looking back, I can tell you I dulled it in short order by not using proper stropping technique. I read some more about stropping in the wiki and watched some stropping videos, and I managed to bring the edge back on my razor. It did not need to be touched up on a hone until later.

Hold your strop firmly so it does not sag, but not so hard that you are "stretching" it. As you strop, do not use any pressure, just let the razor glide gently over the strop. Keep the razor flat on the strop. Do not lift the spine or the edge as you strop. When you reach the end of the stroke, stop, flip the razor over without lifting the spine from the strop, and continue with the next stroke. Strop slowly, focusing on good technique. Speed will come with experience.

If your razor's edge does not "come back" with in a few shaves, then it might be a good idea to ask the person who honed it for you to touch it up.

Could it perhaps be that my beard requires another type of razor(the GM is a full hollow ground)?

No, that isn't why you're having difficulty. any grind razor will give you a close comfortable shave if it's shave ready sharp and you know what you're doing. Work on your stropping technique. Be sure you're holding the razor at the proper angle to your skin as you shave and use almost no pressure at all. You will get the best shave when you use the least pressure.

It took me a long time to learn how to shave myself properly with a straight. Be patient with yourself as your skills develop. Keep telling yourself that "this is something I can do."
Namaste,
Morty -_-

Cutting 5 days' of stubble with two months' of SR experience comfortably is probably a big ask, but the razor should still cut cleanly without causing watering eyes. If your razor is now dull enough to cause pain (and it sounds like it is) I actually don't feel it'll come back easily with just stropping. Why not buy a Norton 4/8 and learn to hone? If you watch a lot of videos and do a lot of reading, and take it slow you should be able to refresh the edge using just the 8k for a start...
Of course you do need to determine the cause of the dull razor...

.. . I also tried giving it a half an hour treatment on the balsa strop and then the leather, but my razor keeps preforming substandard. . . .

FWIW (because I haven't done that to a razor):

Usually, you use a pasted strop when the edge is _almost_ sharp, and you use it for 5 - 10 laps with very light pressure. Then follow with canvas + leather, or just leather if that's what you normally do. I think that's what Larry recommends (I assume it's a "Poor Man's" pasted strop).

Half an hour on a pasted strop is a long, long time. You may have rounded the edge, especially if you had any pressure on the edge when stropping on the pasted strop.

charles

Like cpcohen said after a half an hour on the balsa strop the edge is rounded without a doubt. Ask Wim to hone it again? If your ever need to be in the neighborhood of Roeselare you're welcome to come by, bring along your strop and I'll have a look at your stropping to see if you're doing ok. Greets ron

Originally Posted by Snuff

Like cpcohen said after a half an hour on the balsa strop the edge is rounded without a doubt.

Would you think so? If the balsa is absolutely flat and you don't apply much pressure I cannot see why that would round the edge.

Originally Posted by Kees

Would you think so? If the balsa is absolutely flat and you don't apply much pressure I cannot see why that would round the edge.

I think so because Rogier wrote: "I've been shaving straight for about two months now AND I've been enjoying the shaves very much, the times I managed to take the time for them."

What means that he has not a lot of practice, that coupled with half a hour of stropping ..... I remember well that when I started out I had problems with stropping and my edges where gone in no time.

@ Snuff:

If you are saying that with a proper technique the edges would not have been rounded I agree with you.

Originally Posted by Kees

If you are saying that with a proper technique the edges would not have been rounded I agree with you.

That's what I meant, once you got the technique down then it doesn't matter how long you strop although half a hour would be several thousands of stropping motions, a hell of a workout ;-)

Well Rogier, you've got my adress
Otherwise, send me a pm to see what needs to be done.
It seems that at least you need a little touch-up on the stone (I used a coticule to put it in the shape it was when you received it).

Lovely razor that globusman