Thread: First week with a straight razor...

Hello everyone!
I wanted to know your opinion on this matter.

I've been using a shavette for a while, I bought a used Dovo Micarta from a user on the forums and it was shave ready, last week I bought an inexpensive TI blade from Art of Shaving (I say inexpensive because I had a gift card) which I'm using to learn how to strop. This one was honed and stropped by Max, so it's also shave ready.

For the past week I've been using these two blades alternating between them and stropping them before I shave or the night before.
My stropping technique, although I don't think it's perfect, I do feel I'm getting the hang of it. I try to keep the same tension on the strop and pressure on the blade and I really go by ear, listening to the blades as they run the length of the strop. I have a 3" strop so I'm not worried about an X pattern which makes it easier.

For some reason I feel that I get closer shaves with the shavette than the actual SRs. Could this be because of sharpness or technique? or both? There are some patches that I'm having trouble going either ATG or XTG.

I'm absolutely loving the whole process, the whole ritual of stropping, prep, creating a nice lather and the actual shave. Something I used to hate when using the Mach 3.

Any tips and feedback will be most appreciated!

Cheers.

E.

I should preface this by letting you know I'm also a noob. Like yourself I shaved win a shavette for a long time and switched to a "real" straight a couple months ago. Also like yourself I have two straights that I alternate. A Dubl Duck and a Revisor Gold. IMO it's technique. I get a closer shave with the shavette, but it's not nearly as comfortable. Every shave with the straight gets a little better, but it's always comfortable. Good luck on your journey to a BBS shave.
-Matt

I'm also relatively new to everything but if I may say so: Welcome to SRs and SRP

About sharpness, wait on it a bit. I am also in the stage of feeling that but I'm told by everyone that straight razors are never as sharp as shavettes or DEs. BUT to gauge what kind of sharpness you're experiencing, you will have to examine angle, stropping and honing. Yup. I changed the angle per suffers tigons here and immediately shaved better.

A lot of people say the angle used is the same,
I do not find that statement to be true when I made the transition.
I had to slightly increase the angle away from my face especially on the WTG and XTG passes.
Not so much on the ATG pass,
now two passes using a mix of scything and guillotine strokes and I get as close of and an even more comfortable shave.

Ok, so today I used my Dovo Micarta, which is a Stainless steel blade... I've been alternating between this and the TI which is a Carbon Steel blade, and last time I used the Dovo, I noticed something odd.

After applying some After Shave (Captain's Choice Bay Rum) I get a nice burning feeling which is normal for that AS but after a few seconds my cheeks start to burn like fire... and only my cheeks, not the neck or any thing else.

Any ideas/tips as why this could be happening?
Again, I've been stropping it a few pases before every shave, not applying pressure and just getting a nice flat and rhythmic movement.

Thanks

E.

Just a thought,
One young gentleman I recently helped start straight shaving was having similar issues.

Two things came into play.
1. he was making extra little clean up strokes on the cheek during his passes,
and not using a buffing technique.

2. He was using primarily his wrist for the movement down his cheeks and was inadvertently changing his angle of attack,
It does not take much of a change in angle to affect shave quality.
A bit of getting to comfortable with that area and almost not thinking his way through it if you will.

And just a thought... I know my technique is not the best yet, but, Could it be that the Stainless Steel blade have a sharper edge, or a more aggressive bite than the carbon blade?
Can the Carbon blade be more forgiving?

Cheers.

E.

Originally Posted by Eco82

And just a thought... I know my technique is not the best yet, but, Could it be that the Stainless Steel blade have a sharper edge, or a more aggressive bite than the carbon blade?
Can the Carbon blade be more forgiving?

Cheers.

E.

Different steels , for lack of a better way to put it take a different edge, and it will depend on how/what they were honed with, not to mention the technique of the honer (if that is a word).

A small variation in the pressure used on my Naniwa 12K when I finish can change the way the blade feels on the face.

In theory a harder steel can take a finer edge and hold up but will be more prone to micro chipping at higher grits.

It could be a bit duller and you are subconsciously using more pressure to cut the whiskers.

You may have rolled that edge stropping?

Potentially a lot of variables, you may want to stick with the carbon blade for a bit and get your technique down and then revisit the SS blade.

If you are close to someone you could try and meet up and have them take a look at it.

Great, Thanks!!

I strop at least 100 passes after each shave, never fewer. After touching a blade up I might stop at 50 passes, but that is the only time I drop below 100. Stropping has a mild effect on a blade, so lots of passes are required.