Quote Originally Posted by leegtr View Post
My name is Lee and I am from Albemarle NC. I recently bought a Thiers-Issard razor off eBay that is in excellent condition and I got a really good deal on it. My first shave was not very good although I felt comfortable using it. I was wondering if I should feel any resistance from the blade on my face even while using little to no pressure. I am not sure how to check if the blade is sharp enough to be using. Any feedback would be great and I am excited to purse this style of shaving.
One thing to keep in mind with using a SR is that even when its shave ready and very sharp, there will be a different feel (call it resistance if you like) that you won't be used to. If you think about it, your disposable or DE razor has the blade attached to a handle that has a significantly different feel to it because there is a leverage aspect in play. A poor angle will also make it feel as if there is more resistance. As others have suggested, be sure its honed and sharp enough to do the job so that you can be assured that the resistance you're feeling is either an issue with your angle or the lack of leverage that you're not yet used to. And don't be surprised if your first dozen shaves or so are less than stellar. It takes time to figure it all out. Accept sub par shaves in the beginning. You'll sort it out with time.