Thread: gisen and forsthoff razor

hi everyone, im a newbie, but i ordered a shave ready gisen and forsthoff razor from classicedge.ca a very reputable site. the owner assured me it would be sharp i shaved with it, and it was really tugging, i had terrible razor burn and it was a bad experience. anyways i sent it back for a honing saying that it wasnt shaving well, it got sent back, and another terrible shave experience. could it be the razor? is this considered a bad razor? like i said im new, i love the asthetics of this razor be i really hope its not the razor thats at fault. here is a picture of it


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Just curious . . . did you strop your razor before shaving with it?

Regards - Walt

Originally Posted by Walt

Just curious . . . did you strop your razor before shaving with it?

Regards - Walt

no i didnt strop, BUT i asked the owner if i should strop before and he said the razor was honed and stropped by him personally, and will be its sharpest out of the box. i have REALLY think facial hair though, is it possible to have facial that is too think for a straight? i have really great shaves from my DE razor. i really want to start using a straight, and was hoping this razor would be a great start.

Originally Posted by deejaykamoe

hi everyone, im a newbie, but i ordered a shave ready gisen and forsthoff razor from classicedge.ca a very reputable site. the owner assured me it would be sharp i shaved with it, and it was really tugging, i had terrible razor burn and it was a bad experience. anyways i sent it back for a honing saying that it wasnt shaving well, it got sent back, and another terrible shave experience. could it be the razor? is this considered a bad razor? like i said im new, i love the asthetics of this razor be i really hope its not the razor thats at fault. here is a picture of it


picture share

I've gotten most of my blades from Classic Edge and Phil does a superb job honing the razors.

When you first get your razor from Classic Edge, it is advised just to wipe the oil off and shave. You'll get two shaves before you need to strop.

Being that you're new to this, I would suggest it's your blade technique and possibly your prep before you shave.

There are a number of videos and wiki's on the site that should be viewed and read thoroughly in order to provide some good knowledge on technique. Lynn's your first shave is a must!

Remember, this takes time, practice and patience, we all started this way, and it will come to you.

I remember my first shave, scraped the blade all over my face and ended up 30 minutes later with a partially shaved face and some razor burn.

Now, splash of cold water, lather up, shave and done in under 10 minutes...on the weekends, I can take my time and do the whole shave parade of hot shower, hot towels, pre-shave etc...

Do the watching and the reading, especially the first shave stuff, and take your time, a razor from Classic Edge is without a doubt, shave ready.

Originally Posted by Phrank

I've gotten most of my blades from Classic Edge and Phil does a superb job honing the razors.

When you first get your razor from Classic Edge, it is advised just to wipe the oil off and shave. You'll get two shaves before you need to strop.

Being that you're new to this, I would suggest it's your blade technique and possibly your prep before you shave.

There are a number of videos and wiki's on the site that should be viewed and read thoroughly in order to provide some good knowledge on technique. Lynn's your first shave is a must!

Remember, this takes time, practice and patience, we all started this way, and it will come to you.

I remember my first shave, scraped the blade all over my face and ended up 30 minutes later with a partially shaved face and some razor burn.

Now, splash of cold water, lather up, shave and done in under 10 minutes...on the weekends, I can take my time and do the whole shave parade of hot shower, hot towels, pre-shave etc...

Do the watching and the reading, especially the first shave stuff, and take your time, a razor from Classic Edge is without a doubt, shave ready.

im pretty sure its not my technique. i dont want to sound ignorant or anything i realize im a noobie but i have watched a ton of videos, and know the angle and pressure to put, and it really was skipping from the moment i put it on my face, it was never smooth. could it be the metal on this razor is thick behind the edge? and not thin enough for my thick facial hair? i dont know. i feel like it could be this razor? i havnt heard great things about timor.

Originally Posted by deejaykamoe

im pretty sure its not my technique. i dont want to sound ignorant or anything i realize im a noobie but i have watched a ton of videos, and know the angle and pressure to put, and it really was skipping from the moment i put it on my face, it was never smooth. could it be the metal on this razor is thick behind the edge? and not thin enough for my thick facial hair? i dont know. i feel like it could be this razor? i havnt heard great things about timor.

Question - how many shaves have you done with a straight?

i had a gold dollar before this, i have had a few shaves, and the gold dollar shaved better than this razor. i have shaved with a straight maybe 10 times or so? i dont nick myself i have the technique pretty well

A Gold Dollar?

MMMkay....off to work now...gotta go!

Originally Posted by Phrank

A Gold Dollar?

MMMkay....off to work now...gotta go!

a gold dollar is a cheap razor i got off ebay that i sharpened and honed myself. i got it to pass the hanging hair test, and was shavign alright, so i wanted to upgrade once i got the hang of it, and this razor i got hasnt been treating me very well

Originally Posted by deejaykamoe

. i dont want to sound ignorant or anything i realize im a noobie but i have watched a ton of videos, and know the angle and pressure to put,

You don't get to know angle and pressure from watching videos - you get it from shaving regularly. If you think the razor is not sharp enough get it evaluated by one of the seasoned honemeisters on this forum. If they spot a fault you then have some genuine evidence to go back to the supplier. Either that or ask the supplier to test shave it himself and see what he says.

My money is on poor technique.