First Shave With A Straight

Hello everyone. I had my first straight shave today. It was pretty kool except that it was pulling and tugging something horrible. I prepped my face good, had a long hot shower before, and made sure that my angle was correct. I did the HHT and it just pushed them over, didn't really cut them. I also checked with my thumb it didn't feel "sticky" at all. I made sure my hairs were nice and soft and lathered but it still hurt. I only shaved one side, and finished the rest with my old cartridge razor. I think it might need to be honed :( I don't have any stones or cro ox paste yet

1. That sounds about like my first shave and I thought everything was right too. It will get better.

2. Was you razor professionally honed? Not factory shave ready but actually honed. If not, get it honed before you try again. It will make the world of difference.

I'm assuming it was, I bought it from a vendor here so I would think so. Lol It was just that a lot of the tests to see if it was sharp didn't pass. I can not say about the best test (shaving with it) because I haven't been shaving long enough to really know. But trying the angles at 30 degrees and less didn't cut very well and it felt like it was trying to pull the hairs out of my face. Lol

Pagan2003,

I have a few questions before offering any advice...

Where did you purchase your razor? Do you think that your attempts to check its sharpness may have dulled the edge somehow? Did you strop the razor at all before or during your shave?

I purchased it from a vendor here, the first test I did was the HHT then shaving with it. Yes I stropped it before, about 40 passes. Thats the crux, I bought it here, and I will not say anything negative about anyone here member or vendor or guest. Especially if I find out I was doing something incorrect.

Just because you got it from here does not mean it was shave ready; was it advertised as such? If it WAS, then it IS possible that you damaged the edge with poor stropping. Regardless, it would appear to me it'll need to be honed, at least on a high grit hone. I'd send it out for honing if I were you.

In the meantime, watch some videos on stropping (there's a 'stroptober' thread here and also watch some videos on honing (the JANorton thread is a good one here).

Then, by the time you have it back you will be sure you know how to strop and may even feel you want to buy a hone or two.

BTW, when you get it back from honing, DON'T strop it, use it as it comes to you, then you'll know what a truly shave ready razor feels like without the possible 'damage' from poor stropping. You can then use that first shave to evaluate if your stropping is causing the issue.

I hope this helps.

Carl