Thread: Newfound respect

I am guilty of taking on too much in the beginning. The multitude of variables can become frustrating and confusing but in my case rather than feeling lost or discouraged the variables only serve to intrigue and bedazzle me.

I have strange ideas about fun.

There is good reasoning for those of greater experience to coach us new users to slow down to master one thing at a time but if you don't mind spilling some of your own blood and challenges are for you juicy opportunities then buy lots of razors, get some hones, and several strops, and pile up the soaps, brushes, and other concoctions and jump right in.

I love this stuff.

Welcome and as one with glasses also, I keep mine on when I shave.

Originally Posted by MJC

My biggest mistake when starting was too many razors....(gasp)
I only learned this when I was trying to master the Feather/CJB and used it exclusively for 20+ days in a row instead of once a week (or less....)
Early on I could have helped myself with a "less is more" approach.
There are so many variables to the process that the less complicated you make it the better (IMHO)

I'm not sure I follow you correctly. Do you mean it's better to stick with one for a long time, to change out frequently, or to only add in a straight gradually such as once per week, then twice per week, etc?

I'd also be very interested in hearing what others found to be the biggest challenge. I am discovering that I really suck at stropping, and I worry I may be doing more dulling than sharpening. I know I'll 'get it' over time, but I'd prefer to not look like a lab experiment gone wrong in the meanwhile...

Stropping Stropping Stropping. It is the last thing you do before the steel hits skin. It has the most to do with a comfortable shave. It requires a bit more skill than it seems at first appearance. Practice a lot and figure at least 60 passes on leather before the razor hits your face. TheBigSpender did an experiment some time ago to discover much over 60 passes didn't produce good returns.

Mostly realize it will take likely 50 shaves before you begin to know just what angle works best for which places. It will take time to learn the best ways to stretch your skin. It will take time to get the lather working to your liking. You patience will be rewarded but these are truly skills which must be learned. Muscle memory takes practice to achieve.

I believe MJC was referring to limiting variables. At first there is much to learn and be aware. As time passes and by limiting the variables your muscle memory takes on the tedious tasks which at first occupy so much of your attention. Using the same razor, same lather, and same stropping you can concentrate on learning the angles and stretching. Soon the angles just happen and the stretching is routine and this is the point where you can begin to experiment with different blades or soaps or any of the other endless choices.

your progress this far is quite normal push on padiwan

Originally Posted by jfritsch

I'm not sure I follow you correctly. Do you mean it's better to stick with one for a long time, to change out frequently, or to only add in a straight gradually such as once per week, then twice per week, etc?

I'd also be very interested in hearing what others found to be the biggest challenge. I am discovering that I really suck at stropping, and I worry I may be doing more dulling than sharpening. I know I'll 'get it' over time, but I'd prefer to not look like a lab experiment gone wrong in the meanwhile...

Oh we can open up a can of worms/threads out of your very good question - let me try to clarify.

As others have said, there are lots of variables and things to learn/master when you take of "the way of the Straight"
For me this Forum made all of the difference in the world (IMHO). The reference material, great short videos on skin stretching (which are also primers on angle of attack and hand positions if you watch them carefully). Also access to a great selection of "starter razors".

What I was getting to was the dirty not so secret problem of RAD, Razor Acquisition Disorder. Things went so well that instead of being discouraged I wanted to try everything...today.
Getting lots of razors was very nice, but I think it might get in the way of mastering the craft.

Most of us have at best passing exposure to shaving with a Straight Razor from a family mentor if we have that. For me it was 40+ years ago from an Uncle who was a traditional Sicilian Barber. And that was only "cleaning up your neck"...but the memory is vivid.

So the internet and this forum are now our tutors.
If you were learning "in the old days" you would be given one or two razors and a barbers hone and a strop. (I do know someone who came from a very traditional family that had this happen to him. He was allowed to get a Safety Razor when he cut the tip of his finger off doing a HHT)

Don't get me wrong, I love my collection but sometimes I wish that I had kept it to 2-4 until I had 100 shaves.
As I mentioned this came to me recently when I was trying to master the Feather Non Folding clone. One of the points from the forum was to stay with it for at least a week to get the hang of it. (very glad I did) And then I take it on the road for a long trip.
By the time 20+ days had passed I was amazed at how much better my shaving skills had gotten. And this is not just for the aforementioned Feather system, but all Straight Razor shaving.
So by now my very important stropping skills have atrophied...but I will get them back.

One of the things that I did to master stropping was to use a spring clamp to attach it to my counter and use it as a bench strop.
This took the "hold enough tension" thing out of the equation. I still hold the end of the strop and keep it taught, but it allows me to focus on the all those things they tell you to pay attention to. On Glen's suggestion I went to 20 Web and 60 on leather (I had been doing 20/40) and I did notice and improvement. Slow down would be another suggestion.

I'm not sure what to say about the Feather System (and its variants - KAI, CJB etc.)
On one hand they remove the stropping and edge maintenance from the equation - Shave ready is only seconds away and can be had for as little at $0.60. No strops or hones.
IMO they are not as "forgiving" as a conventional straight. This means that errors in skin tension or "landing/starting" that are not a problem with a SR can often mean a nick/cut/weeper/scrape with a Feather. They are also very efficient with a little practice - producing excellent results albeit with Zero nostalgia.. Read anything and the words "very sharp" will come up many times.

Summary - How you rotate your set is personal - the suggestion would be to keep the herd/collection or as I like to call it "Remuda" as small as you can. If the razor has a well prepared edge I'm convince you can learn to shave well on just about anything given enough practice. Too many razors means lots of variables - when it goes bad you may not be able to figure out what the problem is.

So one day the razor is something made 130 years ago and the next day its one that was made in March...I find that interesting.


The Thread I was thinking about starting (and it may be out there already - have not looked) is "pick 2 or 3 razors - what would they be?"

Hope that helps and did not bore you to tears...

Thanks again to all for the great advice. It is very much appreciated!

I have another question for you all... if my stropping is ineffective (ie: the razor is clearly not as sharp as it was just one week ago - there is tugging/dragging) should I switch to another recently-honed/prepared razor, or stick with one razor and fight my way through stropping, even if the blade is not as sharp as it should be? I imagine if I switch razors then in another week I'll be in the same boat. However, if I have a dulled razor am I shooting myself in the foot when it comes to learning proper shave technique?

Check you tube for stropping videos, as a matter of fact there should be some around here somewhere, SRP members hi_bud_gl and AFDavis11 have the best. As for the dulled razor, it may be you, it may be the razor, the strop or your technique. Without seeing for myself it is hard to say.

Thanks. I watched the stropping section of Lynn's video, along with some youtube examples and I had much better results this morning. Unfortunately, that led to overconfidence and I sliced my cheek like I was a religious nut sacrificing blood to the gods.

Stuff like this just makes me more determined than ever to master this damn thing.

What I've found is that face (cheek) slicing is most of the time and issue of skin tension.
And many times that tugging is not a dull edge, but a lack of tension.
If it's not a tension issue then a face slice is often from changing direction at a pause in the stroke.

Glad that you are getting a handle on the stropping - it is yet another muscle memory/habit that comes with a little practice.

And you have your mind right...as they say...but remember it is supposed to be relaxing and Zen like...don't start beating yourself up "Like a Rented Mule" as one of co-workers used to say...

Good luck and good shaving...

What I've found is that face (cheek) slicing is most of the time and issue of skin tension.
And many times that tugging is not a dull edge, but a lack of tension.
If it's not a tension issue then a face slice is often from changing direction at a pause in the stroke.

Glad that you are getting a handle on the stropping - it is yet another muscle memory/habit that comes with a little practice.

And you have your mind right...as they say...but remember it is supposed to be relaxing and Zen like...don't start beating yourself up "Like a Rented Mule" as one of co-workers used to say...

Good luck and good shaving...