Thread: New guy in SC having trouble.

Hello All!

I've got all the gear and viewed some videos and I'm still having trouble getting a good shave, much less a great shave. I don't think it is my technique as I carefully follow what I've learned in the videos, particularly the ones Lynn Abrams has posted. Must be my razors? I have a new Dovo Solingen and a variety of oils, creams, and butters and I still can't get a close shave! Can someone out there help me? I also have a couple of vintage shave - ready razors that seem very sharp, but still won't cut it. HELP!

Tell us more and show us some pictures. What razors do you have, where did you get them, who made them "shave ready" and what exactly is your prep routine and materials...strop, soap, brush, and process?

Welcome to the forum mate,
Could be a combination of things mate
Are the blades truely shave ready from a reputable source
Did you strop the blades before you use them as this could have killed the egdes before hitting your face.
Angles, pressure, your lather build and learning curve can all effect your outcomes.

Maybe someone near by you could check your blades for you

Thanks for the welcome.
As far as the blades being "shave ready", I don't really know. That's how they were advertised. I've learned since that this is not necessarily true. The razors I've bought through ebay seem sharper than the new Dovo I got. Anyway, I've been thinking about getting them professionally sharpened, if not just to eliminate that possibility.

I do strop the blades before use per recommendation of the Lynn Abrams video. He recommends about 40 strokes. I usually do 20-30. I also use the the recommended angle of about 30 deg. Lynn says to use the width of the spine to use as a gauge. My prep routine is to shave right after a shower. I use "Shave Secret" shave oil and then brush lather.

What do you think?

I've bought a couple of razors through the classifieds of this web site. Please view my reply to Substance for a brief description of my routine and let me know what you think. I'm open to all suggestions. Thanks.

Sometimes the only thing that is needed is time. The best teacher is experience. Good luck!

Welcome to the forum.

Indeed practice and patience...it makes a difference!
How many passes are you doing WTG/ATG?
I'm still a noob to SR and I'm not afraid to pull old trusty DE and finish around the chin or upper lip area.
Remember that the learning curve is long and steep, ask questions, reach out to a member in your area.
Enjoy the journey.

Welcome to SRP from Upstate SC! I hope y'all are drying out down there.

I'd be willing to bet the blades need to be professionally honed. New "shave ready" Dovos are not face ready, they need to be honed. The classifieds on this site have listings for people that can hone them for you.
If you bought them from the classifieds, then I would expect they are were sharp before you stropped them. It only takes one bad move to blow the edge when stropping or to whack a good slash in the strop.
I generally strop 25 on linen, then 50 on leather before the shave. After the shave I do 25 on linen and 25 on leather. Stropping is pretty important. Practice with a popsicle stick or dull bread knife if you need to.

One common mistake is holding the razor a the wrong angle. The spine should be very close to your skin. The gap between your cheek (and for now you should only be practicing your cheeks) and the spine of your razor should only be one thickness of the spine. In other words it needs to be a very low angle.

Welcome.

Did you ever get a good shave from any of the razors, before you stropped it?

It is not uncommon, for a new shaver to take a perfectly shave ready razor and render the edge unshaveable after a single stropping session, no matter who honed it.

While stropping is not that difficult, a razor edge is very fragile and can easily be ruined in one swipe.

Now, it is impossible to say, without inspecting the razor and edge. Send them out for honing and when they return, shave with the razor without stropping, or find a local mentor for some hands on maintenance training.

Your problem is not unique, it is very common. Hands on training will shorten your learning curve dramatically.