what next?

I've gotten to the point I can make a razor consistantly cut a hair with the HHT and get a good shave over most of my face. This seems to be about as sharp as I can get it wiht my skills and using the 4k/8k Norton. Trouble is the razor is not sharp enough to shave well in a few areas. When i try to go against the grain under the chin i run into real resistance and the razor either skips over the hairs or digs into my skin and raises blood spots, there are a few other places around my lips that are the same way. I am sure this is due to lack of sharpness. I am looking for advice on what to do/get next
should I?:
1) get a finishing hone of either:
a) coticle (expensive) to expensive at this point
b) 15k sharpton
c) 12k chinese waterstone (nice and cheap!:D)
2) get a pasted strop
3) get my butt back to the 8k norton and keep trying
4) live with the irritation
5) settle for stubble left after with the grain passes
6) buy a feather razor
7) throw in the towel and start throwing money at gillete again for mach III cartridges

Honestly,with the exception of 6 everything after 3 is not an option

If your razor is passing the HHT and most of your face is being well shaved I can guarantee with the utmost authority that you problem is either your technique or skill level. Rome wasn't built in a day and straight shaving takes time also.

I would suggest ensuring you stretch your skin to the max in the problem areas and try a different attack with the blade. Maybe a slightly different angle or approach the area from a different direction. The fact you say the razor digs into your skin under the chin would indicate not properly stretching that area because thats what will happen anywhere on your face if the skin is loose.

Personally I shave my neck south to north first then north to south and initially do my chin by going from my lower lip straight down and around the chin in one stroke but don't try that until your confident of your experience because it takes some quick angle changes as you go down your chin or you might do some major damage there. I don't think I've ever been able to get a good shave on my chin by going against the growth but that may be just me.

Don't lose hope, with experience you'll look back and laugh at these setbacks.

As far as the hones go most will tell you the Norton 4K/8K is all you really need. Finer hones can improve things further to a degree but it isn't a requirement.

1) Perhaps.
a) Wait maybe.
b) Isn't that expensive too?
c) Lotsa guys like that idea.
2) Sure. There's plenty of choice as to how to set it up too, sounds like fun. I love my paddles and I plan to get good use out of them when I go on the road next week. :cool:
3) I doubt it, if you're passing the HHT then you're in a good position from the 8k.
4) NO!
5) Only for a time.
6) Sounds drastic.
7) Don't be ridiculous. :nono:

8) Make sure your prep is solid for the finish. Too dry and it'll skip and catch and not shave close just like you describe. Consider changing creams or soap.
9) Work on your stretching. Stretching from behind the growth will help you get a closer result. Not everyone is comfortable doing this while going against the grain though.
10) Work on your shaving angle and your cutting angle. Both will help you prevent skipping and give you a closer result when you get them just right.

X

Start focusing on the stropping, its more important anyway. Are you getting a solid draw off your strop? Are you stropping before the chin area again just to help? Are you accomplishing any stropping or are you just waving the blade over the strop lightly and pretending?

A pasted paddle strop might be in order along with a barber hone or the 12K Chinese hone.

Yes, more practice too.

I see you are registered March 2006. If you are using straight razor from the day you registered, you are lacking experience. Straight razor is very difrerent from every other shaving system, in terms it takes time, effort and practice to master, both sharpening and shaving. That is why it is a dying breed. People are having less and less time, and are not willing to spend it learning the ropes of straight razor. That is why Gillette's DE slap-the-fresh-one system had such success and power to replace the most powerfull shaving tool.

You will need some time, both shaving and honing, to trully experience straight razor. I'd say under at least a year spent with it, you are not knowing it's true potentials...

patience...

Nenad

Oh, and get that Coticule... :)

Nenade, don't remind me! Mine will take forever to get here. I feel like a junky waiting for a fix!

Actually, I am figuring out how to get mine... It turned out my friend is traveling to Belgium, I'll try to make him get me one :D

I vote for 2. I got a four sided pasted strop from Tony Miller and I love using it.:)

And it's probably gonna cost him like 3.5EUR lol. Actually 70% of my coticle's price will be freight/customs charges.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by superfly

I see you are registered March 2006. If you are using straight razor from the day you registered, you are lacking experience. Straight razor is very difrerent from every other shaving system, in terms it takes time, effort and practice to master, both sharpening and shaving. That is why it is a dying breed. People are having less and less time, and are not willing to spend it learning the ropes of straight razor. That is why Gillette's DE slap-the-fresh-one system had such success and power to replace the most powerfull shaving tool.

You will need some time, both shaving and honing, to trully experience straight razor. I'd say under at least a year spent with it, you are not knowing it's true potentials...

patience...

Nenad

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Kinda makes you wonder if the razor wasn't the starting gun for the hectic, gotta-do-it-now, hurryhurryhurry, no-time-to-waste, can't stop and smell the roses (or the coral Skin Food, at least) rat race we find ourselves in, and to which we've all become accustomed.

1. a & b in that order of use. Prep well, strop well, and stretch as others have described. A narrow coticule works very well especially on razors that are not true from end to end. Maybe wait on the Shapton Pro series if $ are tight.
Monte

I'm also using the 4k/8k and no other honing tools, and your progress (with both honing and shaving) pretty well describes my own. I've been at it for about 5 weeks.

I will say, though, that my results are steadily improving: I am suddenly getting that soft area under the chin pretty darn well, and am managing obliquely-against-the-grain on the mustache area. Somehow, too, my neck is no longer raw. On the one hand, I'm sure a better-honed edge would make it all easier; on the other hand, it is clear that my gradual improvement in shaving skills is beginning to make up some of that difference.

My biggest strides just lately seem to come from more prep, from more accurate stretching, and from better acquaintance with all of my face's "zones." Also, I"m stropping 20x on the linen and 60x on the leather, plus ten more laps before by second and third shaving passes.

Best,
Deepweeds

All very good advice given, the only thing I would add is it might be the razor. Do you have more than one? I would suggest getting a shave ready razor from a member to compare. If that razor is not shaving your tough spots then it not the razors fault. Everything has a learning curve and a keen razor from a member needs to be stroped properly. Keep at it and keep practicing until you get it right. It really is worth it.

Glen

Your razor must pass the HHT BEFORE! you use the strop.

It sounds like your chin is like mine, really tough. So, pay a lot of attention to getting your beard saturated with water.

If your razor is shaving most of your face OK then that points to prep and technique.

From here on only use 1/5, 1/5, 1/5 on the razors if you think they need it. But you should really be focused on prep and technique. If it does not improve in 3 weeks then lets us know.