That was one rough shave.

Evening Ladies and Gents,

Just bought a 6/8 " F.A. Clauberg from SRP and took it for a spin. This was my first ever straight razor shave. My strop has not yet arrived but the vendor said the straight was SR. Boy was that a rough shave. Bloody and burning sensation. Anyone have any insight on this awful discomfort? Was it:

A. I am a greenhorn.
B. Razor was not truly Shave Ready.
C. My wal-mart soap is garbage (I've picked up on this).
D. Did not prep lather correctly
E. Did not strop
F. All the above

Not that a picture will help the situation a whole lot but I know people like pictures so here is the razor I bought. (in fact some of you may have already seen it on the ad section)

Attachment 138320

My guess would be too much pressure as the primary thing. The prep and other things probably contributed as well. When I started a year ago with str8s it was hard not to use the same pressure and the cartridge razors that I was used to.

A side note, if it was truly shave ready, it should not have needed to be stropped for the first shave.

I'm going to say it's F) all of the above. I'm not sure who honed your razor (my apologies to the honer), so I can't say with 100% certainty that is was actually shave ready - but then again, who can?

The most important variable is probably A), and I'll throw technique under that category too. You're in good company, and a myriad newbs have signed up and said their razors did a horrible job, only to find that a week or so later that it shaves fine.

Right now I'd say you should wait for your strop to arrive, and in the meantime check out some articles in the Library (formerly the wiki) and watch some shaving vids. And of course if you have any other questions, ask away :)

The first month or so there's a lot that can go wrong. You need to work through it as the early days are not easy at all. It took me a month to strop decent, and 3 months of daily shaving to get my first bbs with a straight. Its won't happen this week, or this month, but if you keep working through it,you will in 4*5 months be on your way to a first class shave. But anything worth having is worth striving for. I'm glad I did it and almost packed it in many times early on. So just hang in there,read up, watchvideos'of shaving and stropping etc. 100 years ago there was no other way.

I still have bad shave days with my straight and I've been at it almost 6 months. Yesterday was a great shave, today was horrible. It depends on so many factors and it takes time to slowly work at all of them. For me, I need a good prep because of the coarseness of my beard. If I don't use a pre shave product, I get horrible burn all day. It get's better.

Thanks guys!

Well the razor failed the hanging hair test, does that mean much? Also, my brother is also new to the straight razor but he has a brand new Dovo but used same latehr. He had no problems with his first shave. I am better than him at everything! How could this be? haha

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Originally Posted by Natureman

Thanks guys!

Well the razor failed the hanging hair test, does that mean much? Also, my brother is also new to the straight razor but he has a brand new Dovo but used same latehr. He had no problems with his first shave. I am better than him at everything! How could this be? haha

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Please, please, throw the hanging hair test (along with every other test other than the shave test) out the window!
It means something and nothing at the same time, which still equates to nothing because it's not the shave test. I have a razor that doesn't pass the HHT but will shave well.

Just work on your prep such as your lather and softening your beard (hot towel, proraso, oil, whatever you wanna try), learning to strop nice and smoothly, and working on shaving technique. Angle and pressure will burn you if it's not right, especially when coupled with lather that isn't protecting you.

Keep at it and have fun! :tu

The irony of a shave ready razor used by a new straight razor shaver....you have to start there but you have to see the irony. I had a master of the hone make a superb razor shave ready....but me? I was just a happy guy whipping a razor around his face thinking the blood and skinning was part of the process of learning (I exaggerate a little). Read, read, read....

The answer is all of the above, and add inadequate prep. If your beard is coarse, you need to soften it, get the beard to absorb moisture. Find a soap that strips the oil off the beard so that it won't repel the water. You might use a hot towel after that. Some shavers find certain pre-shave products useful and of course you must use a quality soap and learn how to make a lather. Yes, you need to maintain the edge on the razor, but that alone is not enough if you have a tough beard. Good luck and have fun experimenting.

I would just say to enjoy the process and don't set the bar too high at first. I've been at it for 4 months and my latest shaves have been the best. Stropping actually seems to sharpen and smooth the blade, not so the first couple of months.
And I was convinced the first couple of str8's I purchased weren't really sharp...how wrong I was.
I find angle of the blade and pressure (or lack of) is the most important technique to get down, at four months in I'm just starting to understand it.
It just gets better, stay with it.

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Originally Posted by Natureman

Well the razor failed the hanging hair test, does that mean much?

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It does if your other razors can cut the same hair that this one can't. ;)

Only have one razor!

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Originally Posted by Natureman

Only have one razor!

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You can set up a control test by using a DE blade. If the DE cuts & the straight doesn't they are not equally sharp. Doesn't necessarily mean the straight won't shave tho.