Quote Originally Posted by Pithor View Post
Beginners advice threads. They could do so much good. But often they vex me, and this one is a prime example of such.



But it was shave ready. He shaved with it, comfortably. It probably does not need to be sent to a professional to be honed for an additional $20 + shipping. What he needs is practice.




No. No, It is really not the best for the OP to go out and buy lots of extra razors. He has one that shaves. He got a great shave with minor pulling, the first time around. What he needs to do is get to know his razor and aim at getting a good to great shave every time. Adding more razors will only make things unnecessarily difficult.




No offence, but sometimes I wonder whether people actually read entire posts, or just answer based on the apparent dogmas that "new bought razors are never shave ready, because naniwa" and "heavy grinds are better for heavy stubble, because squeegee". The Böker came shave ready, sharp enough to shave him comfortably. And again, he has all the razors he needs for shaving.




Compared to a cartridge razors ALL straights pull, especially the first few times around when technique is probably still an issue. It was definitely like this for me when I started. And even after almost five years of straight shaving I notice it when a blade catches my stubble. I know it will cut cleanly, but I still feel it grab. Maybe there is something wrong with my edges, my razors, my face or my stubble, but I have NEVER felt the sensation of wiping off whiskers with a squeegee. Maybe that is because I mainly use full hollows, which always sound like I am buttering toast.




Honestly, why on earth should he send back a razor that shaves him, in to his own words, gloriously? In the end, that is what matters. And I cannot remember the last time anyone mentioned their extremely light stubble; adult male stubble is usually coarse. And a full hollow shaves coarse stubble at least as well as a half or quarter hollow grind. The less hollow grinds might be slightly more forgiving with regards to technique, but in my opinion those are nuances, not big differences. I regularly shave only once every few days or less, and have more than once ploughed through up to a month of stubble with a 5/8 extra hollow. No issue. None.

Riddle me this: if "shave ready" is really so relative and personal, how is it possible to judge someone's edge based on two lines?:



To me, that sounds shave ready enough. Because my definition of a shave ready razor is just that: you can shave with it relatively comfortably. Which seems to be the case here for the OP. I am sorry, but I feel the advice being given here more confusing to the OP than helpful and creating problems where there were none.

My advice would be: do not send your razor back, do not get it re-honed just yet and do not buy another one.

Instead, practice and hone your shaving technique with this razor that apparently shaves you well. The fact that cuddergambino only feels a pull on the denser areas, such as the chin, to me sounds like more of an issue with technique (high pressure to get through denser areas) rather than a faulty edge. A razor that pulls because it is not sharp enough pulls because it is not sharp enough to cleanly cut stubble, so it will be troublesome all over, not just in denser areas. That does not seem to be the issue here. I am not saying his edge is perfect or as sharp as it gets; most edges can always get sharper.

Cuddergambino, I did not mean to hijack your thread and I hope you take away something from it. I also hope that what I said was not just a rant for the sole benefit of my own piece of mind but added some perspective.

To me it sounds like you are doing just fine. You have made a change for the better. If you have a chance to sit down with someone locally who is willing to help you out (and there should be plenty of Californians here willing to help a fellow out), I would most heartily recommend that you do so. If there is a fundamental issue with your edge (which I doubt), it will show and someone will be able to give you some hands-on assistance in getting it fixed. Keep up and enjoy.
Wish I had read this before replying, I could have just liked