Newbie from Longueuil, QC, Canada

I've been lurking a big deal here and been posting a bit before I considered introducing myself. So...

I live on the South Shore of Montréal, and I caught RAD before I ever put a shave ready blade on my face. Saaaaad story... i became a steel junkie... I did my first straight shave about three months ago, and, since then I have learned a lot about correcting the techniques (shaving, stropping, lathering and face prep.) reading here, so I'm making progress. For those who might be interested, french is my mother language. There still are spots I can't really shave well on my face (the darn chin, mostly), even after countless video watching and practicing blade positions and angles with a depilating wax spatula in front of a mirror.

In all honesty, I can say I wanted to throw the towel, get rid of everything straight shaving related, and come back to statu quo ante, after some bad shaves and really bad cuts, in bouts of pure frustration. But I researched here and there and learned how to solve my problems in the process. And my girl friend, after many times asking me softly to quit, gave me a new Dovo for my birthday, when she understood I would not quit. I have got one more reason to hang on, now !

I have yet to experience that totally blissful perfect shave.

I'm working on it...

Belated welcome to SRP!

Sorry to hear that you are not quite achieving a blissful shave. What is your normal beard preparation and when were your razors last honed? Pictures of your shaving gear are also nice.
A sharp blade, good stropping and abundant lather coupled with the courage to use them should see you through.

enjoy,
jim

Bonjour Sapolin,

It can be very frustrating at first, especially without a true point of reference. I know my first shaves with a straight were very difficult and with poor results. In time you learn to know what a truly sharp razor should shave like and how to keep your edge that way.

Did you get the razors you acquired professionally honed? This is truly the most important factor. Secondly, you need to make sure your stropping technique is good. A passably sharp razor might still shave your cheeks, but the true test for the sharpness of your razor will be on the tougher stubble on your chin. Lastly, excellent beard prep is vital, in my case a hot shower, proraso green, and a good thick lather: une barbe bien savonnée est déjà à moitiée rasée.

I live in Montreal and would be more than happy to offer you a hands on tutorial. I could inspect your razors and hone them for you if necessary, look over your technique etc. and we can figure out what needs work. You can contact me via pm.

No need to throw in the towel just yet.

Don't be sorry, it's just the normal learning curve, if I understand well. I'm just an impatient and perfectionnist person, and I set my standards of satisfaction very high.

Beard prep: I've been through many methods, now I mostly stick to the cold water procedure that has much been debated here: after the shower, keeping the face humid, lathering up with a tested lather (one-inch test), keeping the lather 2-3 minutes, rinsing well, lather anew, shave. If there is no shower, I add one lather/keep step to be sure.

Shaving technique (WTG, XTG, ATG, angle, velocity, stretching, using both hands) is somewhat (85%) mastered. As the "use a light touch" recommendation, I'm getting it, but this is still counter-intuitive to me. Some mornings, I complete the shave with a straight only and I feel -sometimes very, very- good about it. Some mornings, I'm obliged to reevaluate and let the straight down on the table.

On most of my very good shaves, I used Arko soap; on some other very good shaves have been accomplished with Arabian Hookah soap. I also use Proraso with good effect, and I keep the Williams for DE or M III shaving (I did not lift a MIII in the last two months !!!). I have yet to like the effect Williams gives for straight shaving: it lathers well, but dries my face too much.

As for stropping, I am getting the touch (I was about to write that I am getting the hang out of it, but this would have made for a bad pun...), I'm more sure of the effect I'm having on my razor when I strop, but I rolled some edges in the meantime. I'm still on the Whipped Dog poor man's strop kit, and I think about upgrading soon...

Sharp blade is definitely the critical factor, and I'm learning also on the honing front.

And everything seems to get together slowly but surely...

Pics later.

Thanks for the attention.

Welcome! I think at some point, just about everyone here wonders why did I do this? However, once it clicks for you, it's all bliss from there. If you get frustrated, by all means put the blade down lol! Keep at it and be patient; remember, if it was as simple as blade to skin, more people would do it. You are learning a specific skill set, and time is your biggest ally here. Good luck.

I said pics later. There are the pics:

The good blades:

Attachment 123372

Left to right:

Maker unknown, Solingen, Germany. 5/8 full hollow. Shaves nicely.

Chipchase Cutlery, Unknown origin. 5/8 full hollow. It slit one of my earlobes (my error, and mine only), but when I'm cautious enough, it does a fine job.

Keen Cutter, Geo Korn, Little Valley, US. 5/8 full hollow. Shaves agreeably.

Wade and Butcher, Sheffield, UK. 5/8 full hollow. Does a fine job, but I'm not experienced enough to say if it does a better job than another one.

Razor and scissors, Sheffield, UK. 5/8, verges on the wedge side, but slightly hollow (1/4 hollow ?). I have yet to taste it...

Shumate, St-Louis, US. 9/16 full hollow. I have yet to get a decent shave out of that one. A looker, indeed, but not much more, to my taste.

Dovo Best Quality. Solingen, Germany. 5/8 full hollow. I. Love. It. (This one I received from my girlfriend for my 50th birthday)

Genco, Geneva, NY, US. 4/8 full hollow. I have yet to experience a bad shave with this one.

Mappin & Webb, Sheffield, UK. 6/8 full hollow. Its spine is thick. I have yet to taste it...

Demon, Jones Brothers, Montreal (?), 5/8 full hollow. OK.

Special Magnetic Diamond Steel, origin unknown, 5/8 full hollow. Mixed feelings about this one. I love it, the way it feels, the way it holds, the way it looks. It shaveswell on a whim, and can do a very less than stellar job on some occasions. (I know it's not the razor, but the guy who holds it who does the job. That'a a way to convey an impression on this one...)

Black Raven, Solingen, Germany. 5/8 full hollow. Nice blade, most good shaves came from this one, but its point left some marks on my face.

Whilelm Weber, Hamburg, Germany. 5/8 full hollow. I love its shape, I love how it feels in my hands. It. Cuts. And I am very careful now with it's rounded point, since this one tends to go with a slice without me even feeling it. It came in with my Whipped Dog kit.

Then the resto pile:

Attachment 123378

Good blades attached to bad scales, complete razors I might dismantle to combine good scales with a good blade, blade alone in dire need of scales.

So that's it...

Some nice razors you've got there! The RAD only gets worse as you progress in the hobby. In my case, once I figured out how to get vintage razors Shave ready. Enjoy!