Thread: Frustration

Hello to All,

I have been a DE razor user for the past 5 years and have had excellent results from my razor, badger brush and shaving soaps. A few months ago I purchased a Dovo Black Star SR from Straight Razor Designs and started slowly. The problem is the razor pulls the hair and doesn't cut easily.

I prep the beard with lots of hot water and proceed to whip up a thick, moist lather. I start at the sideburn by streatching the skin and hold the blade at a 30 degree angle. As I go WTG the razor pulls a lot, so I tried to increase the angle and I also tried to decrease the angle but to no avail. I also tried to shave XTG, still with poor results.

I strop the blade about 50 times before each use (I am gentle on the strokes). I have tried shaving dozens of times, but the shave is very harsh and stubble remains. When I go back to my DE, the shave is smooth as silk.

I sent the Dovo back for the free resharpening at Straight Razor Designs and tried again. My shaves are still pulling and tugging the beard and the results are still more stubs.

For some reason I feel the blade must not be sharp. I feel my DE razor is much sharper and I have abandoned the SR for my DE.

Any input would surely be appreciated. Thank you.

Did you strop it before your first shave? You might very well have rolled the edge.It is a common issue when starting out, and the reason that honemeisters tell customers to not strop before the first shave. While nobody is perfect, I doubt Lynn failed twice.

I did not strop it on the first try, but did on subsequent tries. It is possible I ruined the edge when first using the strop.

Since this is a possibility, I just ordered the Shavette to see if is my technique shaving or ny technique stropping that is the cause of my problems. If I still get a poor shave from the Shavette, I then know it is my shaving technique that is at fault. If I get a good shave, then there is a problem with my stropping.

Thank you for your input, it is greatly appreciated.

There is possibility you could damage the edge by stropping.
i do think Problem is not the edge .
Most likely your angle.
As you mention you are keeping on 30 degree.
There is not such a perfect angle out there for straight razor.
you should use small strokes and find out the best cutting angle.
Angle will change from 15-30 degree.
Try this on your next shave and see are there any changes.
So far i know Lynn doesn't tape the back of the blade while he hones.
your angle will be approximately around 22 degree .
try change angles and find the best cutting angle if razor still pull in any angle then we will need to pay attention to your stropping.
hope this helps.

Hello, Vikingfan:

If Lynn honed your razor — twice — it is sharp, believe me. Lynn hones all of my razors — and they are sharp.

I can only assume, therefore, that your stropping method is incorrect and that your technique needs to be re-examined.

Several excellent stropping videos are available Straight Razor Place. Please study them. You said in your post: "I am gentle on the stroke." So you should be, of course, but you must also strop correctly. These videos will help in that respect.

At the beginning, when compared to the double edge, your straight may feel dull on your face. Both blades are sharp, but in different ways. Take the double edge out of the equation and comply with the straight razor's totally different characteristics.

Coming down on your cheeks, use about a 30-degree angle with a feather-light touch and short strokes. The angle will change in other parts of your face: upper lip, chin and neck. In some of these spots you obviously will reduce the angle. Your technique, beard characteristic, which includes growth direction, will determine the angle. No matter what part of your face, the pressure is light.

Also, the whole idea with the straight razor, as with the double edge, is beard reduction in each pass. Consider tomorrow your first day of shaving with the straight razor. Shave the cheeks only, and finish the rest with the double edge. Experiment with technique and see how it works.

What's more, I don't know how good your preparation is. Having been a wet shaver with the double edge for some years, obviously you are aware how much a good preparation helps in the shave. In this case, however, I would advise to re-evaluate your preparation as well.

The straight razor takes time and patience. It takes a certain tenacity. Stay with it. Throw the clock away and take your time honing your skill. Technique will develop automatically from your skill with the straight razor. It's only a matter of time before you will master the straight razor. Patience and focus are important.

Regards,
Obie

You may be using a blade angle that is not within an acceptable range. Try holding the razor so that the spine is a couple of spine widths off of your face. From there experiment with a slightly increased or decreased angle. Also, you may be moving the razor too fast.

As an earlier poster pointed out, anything is possible, but I would be very surprised if you got two substandard honings from SRD (even one would be unlikely). If you were careful to keep the spine of your razor in contact with the strop the whole time you probably didn't roll the edge.

One problem making the switch from a safety razor to a straight is the fact that the safety razors safety bar and the top of the head of the razor define the range of angles that the blade can touch your face. With a straight it's all up to the operator.

Stick with it, all it takes is a little practice.

Lynn is human. There is a slight possibility that he didn't get your razor up to snuff the first time. HOWEVER, the odds of him failing on it twice are beyond astronomical. The razor is not at fault. No way. No how.

You are not alone. A lot of people new to straight shaving struggle with it. Ruling out the razor being dull, and you have, the issue is your technique. Try to alter it. Alter the angle. Alter the stroke. Try a scything stroke rather than a straight down stroke. (That is, when you slice a tomato, you don't push straight down. The slice needs to move along the length of the blade at the same time as the down stroke.)

Try watching some of the shaving videos and see if anything in them offers any insights. Keep trying!

Thank you. It's possible I ruined the edge when I first started stropping. I ordered a Shavette to see if is my technique shaving or stropping.