Hello, im new...

Hello guys, i'm new to the forum and to straight razors. A few guys I work with are into them so I got hooked pretty fast. I have a slew of vintage razors and am in the process of restoring them but haven't learned to use them just yet. Ive been using some different DEs but am really into the straights. The problems Ive run into is my beard is coarse and the razors pull alot. Ive toughed my way through a few times but am trying to learn how to make the razor sharper. Its great to have found this forum and I will be trying to help as much as possible because I will be asking tons of questions lol. -Joe.

Hi Joe, welcome aboard. Sharpness is critical with a straight, but so is angle of attack and beard prep. Has your blade been professionally honed? It is nice to be able to take at least that variable out of the picture when first starting.There are many options available to get it honed to it's full potential.

Woodchuck,

Good to meet ya. Yes I have had a couple of my razors honed by a pro and im sure it comes down to me doing it right. All of my razors are quite old but still in very good shape (went nuts on ebay) and are quite capable of a great shave.... in the right hands lol. Ill keep at it till I find what works for me and in the meen-time Ill keep restoring the others, I think thats what I like the most of old straights so far lol. Thanks for the welcome and great to meet you. -Joe.

Sounds like you're on the right track believe it or not. Poor technique will mimick a dull blade every time. Keep at it and watch those angles and after a couple weeks it should start to click. It'll take about six months to get proficient at it. Post a pick of your blades and some of the resto guys can give you an idea if it's restorable and the ability to shave with it.