Questions, Comments, Concerns...overall Woes and Thoughts after 2 weeks

Where do I begin…
Been a member since mid January and learned so much. I absolutely love wet shaving and using a brush with the varied soaps and creams, aftershaves, etc. It has truly made my shaving experience better and much more enjoyable. I look forward to shaving. From the time I started here, I was using the wet shaving techniques with my cartridge razor and was getting the best shaves of my life…absolutely wonderful.

However…

I started about 2 or 3 weeks ago actually using a straight razor. I bought it from Josh Earl who was really excellent to work with and put a nice edge on it for me. I went with the Tony Miller strop (although still using a practice strop - thank God) and even have the C&E Best Badger to have a better experience than my first Burma/Surrey. Anyway, I obviously have a bit of a learning curve to get over when using the straight and was very excited to start. The first few shaves were a bit rough…a few nicks and cuts here and there (nothing like Kentriv/Matt's Catscratch though - sorry) but nothing horrible. Nothing to shy me away.

But I have noticed now, on my 8th or so shave with a straight that I am not getting the results I want. I don't know if it is the blade is no longer sharp or if my stropping technique is poor…I just don't know but I am not really enjoying the shave. What is happening is that I am not removing as much hair as I did on the first or second pass - not even close. The blade is dragging on the skin and sometimes feels as if going over speed bumps. What is worse, is that I have noticed this and would have thought I would have cut myself or so but no nick!

What is really bad, is that I want to just go back to the cartridge and use the wet shaving techniques I learned and continue getting the nice shaves I was…but I really don't want that.

I was getting frustrated even before my last two shaves when all this started to happen because I am not getting a good shave on the upper lip. THIS AREA IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SHAVE. I really have not found any good technique to get this area or even come close. I am scared to go against the grain there but going with does not seem to leave a nice shave.

Overall, I am guess I probably ruined the edge or something while stropping. At one point my cheeks and neck were feeling great - as close as I ever got with my cartridge razor. I was loving it. Disappointed with the upper lip area and chin (notorious tough spots) but enjoying the straight. :rant:

Does it seem right that after about 8 or so shaves the razor is no longer "shave ready?" :confused:

I really do like the idea of straight razor shaving and want to continue but am just discouraged and disappointed now.

Thoughts, feelings, rants and raves, verbal abuse…all are welcome

ps-sorry for the long post

Mike, it looks like your blade requires a quick touchup on the paddle. That should get it back up.

Is that normal? About 8 or so shaves before having to go to a pasted paddle?

Hi Mike
Assuming that your prep and lather haven't changed for the worse over the course of those 8 shaves, it does sound like your razor has lost it's edge. It's easy for that to happen when you're learning to strop and you sure wouldn't be the first guy it happened to.

As far as the upper lip & chin are concerned, those areas do take some time to get the technique down but also demand a *very* good edge on the blade in order to get the right results. Most razors will benefit from re-stropping a little before making the last pass here too.

I like to go ATG on most of the upper lip after a WTG and XTG/snowplow pass although it's not generally recommended for safety reasons. Pulling the skin tight and going ATG with the blade very flat clockwise from 9-11 o'clock and counter clockwise from 3-1 o'clock works perfectly and keeps the blade far enough from my nose that it doesn't feel too risky for me.
How well and easily I can get the upper lip clean is probably the single best test of razor quality and sharpness for me. Trying to shave the chin/lip with a less than keen blade would frustrate anybody - it's no wonder you're feeling some aggravation right now.

It might be worth considering a DE razor for use as needed when your straight is out for sharpening until you build up a rotation or learn to hone them yourself. You can get quality blades for them much cheaper than cartridge razors but you won't find them at the local drugstore.

That's my 2 cents worth of thoughts.
Dave

Mike,

I definitely feel your pain. This has been an uphill journey for me, too. Sounds like you were doing well for this stage in the game, too.

Here's how I do my upper lip: I do a regular downward WTG pass first. Then I'll finish my WTG pass elsewhere. Then I'll relather just the upper lip, leaving the rest of my face relatively dry. With my right hand, I'll reach up and pull the skin at the corner of my mouth backward toward my ear. Then I reach across with the left hand and shave inward, across the grain. It's a little tricky to get the hang of, but I get that area nice and smooth. Also, splashing some cold water on my face and doing a water-only pass works well.

Eight shaves before needing a touchup isn't bad while you're working on your chops. Sounds like a little time on the pasted paddle would be in order. You can get one from Tony for a nice price. :)

If that doesn't do the trick, PM me and I'll take 'er for a ride on the Norton for you--gratis.

Keep at it,
Josh

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bear

[SIZE=2] ... What is happening is that I am not removing as much hair as I did on the first or second pass - not even close. The blade is dragging on the skin and sometimes feels as if going over speed bumps. What is worse, is that I have noticed this and would have thought I would have cut myself or so but no nick!

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This sounds like your technique is good (no nicks) but the blade is dulling. 8 shaves does seem a bit low for dulling so I'd say you either have a very tough beard or you knocked the edge down on the strop. That's about right for many n00bs too, you gat a half dozen stropping sessions in and then something slips. A pasted paddle should touch it up well enough.

As for the upper lip, read this, but think twice (or even thrice) before employing it! I haven't added any pics yet, but will. If that's still too much for you, Chris Moss has some great pics of his own in his Art of the Straight Razor Shave.

Don't get discouraged, yet. Once you've corrected this little problem and getting those amazing shaves back you'll be kicking yourself for being disheartened.

X

I'm sure some of the other members will chime in here but...

The number of shaves in between touch-ups really varies person to person and razor to razor. Some growth is thicker and tougher then others. Different steels hold different edges for different amount of times. I believe there was a survey a some time ago polling the times between touch ups, see if you can find that and you will have an idea what the "average" time is.

On a side note, for a newbie I would expect that you will have to touch up the razor more often. This was the case with me, poor stropping is the core culprit, the better my stropping got the longer the time between touch ups. I used to have to touch up every week for the first couple of weeks. The more I got better at stropping the longer between touch ups, I can go about 15-20 shaves about every month and a half to 2 months. Once I feel the whiskers on my upper lip pull I go back to my Norton and give it 10 laps.

Don't get disheartened, you will get to were you want to be. When I was learning to strop I would use a test razor and try to get a consistent sound from the razor. When it sounded good I started to get a feel for it. After I got the feel, I didn't have to listen, my hand would feel and react with out thinking.

Hope this helps,

John

Hey Mike

I also joined the forum mid-January and started shaving with a straight round about then. In terms of getting as good as my Muck 3, I have only just achieved that with the last three shaves. Up to then, I might have a good-ish shave followed by a few horrors (nicks, razor burn, missed patches, certainly not BBS). And using a strop is harder than it sounds... I'm sure I dulled my blade through bad stropping and only really achieved sharpness again through the use of hones and my trusty coticule. (Others prefer a pasted paddle.)

What I'm saying is that despite the obvious enjoyment I got out of the soaps, lathering, prep stuff, post shave stuff, etc. like you I always harboured a suspicion that I would not get as close as a Muck 3.

I was wrong. Don't lose heart. You CAN get BBS off a straight, and with less burn and about a thousand times more enjoyment. But you've got to play the patient game.

One more thing. There's only so much you can learn through reading about it. The guys on here, especially the more experienced, have given me such incredible tips, help, and information. But there's nothing like rolling up your sleeves, taking it steady, and really learning from doing.* Sure you'll make some mistakes, we all do, but that's part of learning. Your face is a unique shape and form, so at some point you need to apply the lessons you learn from reading and start practising like you would any other skill. As you get more confident, you'll try things that feel right and with each step you get closer to the goal.

It's like learning how to ride a pushbike. No matter how much you read about how to do it, and no matter how many Youtube vids you watch of others doing it, you won't really master it until you get on the damn thing and take the falls and tumbles until one day... Eureka!:tu

*Example: despite the dire warnings and holy scriptures of "Thou shalt not shave ATG on your top lip",** I found that the only way I could get a satisfactory shave there was to do exactly that, go ATG. At first I was nervous, and didn't do a good job, and suffered a couple of minor nicks. But I've learned loads about the shape of my top lip and can now shave ATG there, and very smooth it is too!

**Xman is the exception regarding the Scripture of the Top Lip. :)

Wow, what a great thread! Find a way to update the razor and strop lightly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bear

Is that normal? About 8 or so shaves before having to go to a pasted paddle?

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It's normal for some of my razors. I have coarse beard, and my razors find it hard to keep up, so I often refresh the razor after 10 or so shaves...

Nenad

Well grasshopper you've unearthed the ultimate truth in straight shaving and thats why Mr gillette was able to turn millions to the dark side. Convenience and consistancy.

Straight shaving is a skill that takes quite some time to master. In your case as the others have told you your blade needs refreshing. Usually blades should last longer but that's assuming they were honed to the max if they weren't they will fail early and also it depends on your beard type and shaving technique. For me about 10-15 shaves and its back to the hone for a few trips.

On top of everybodies advice, I wanted to add that 'WTG' can be deceiving.
Right under my nose, WTG means means straight down, but near the corners of my mouth, WTG means almost sideways.

The best way to get to know your face is to let the hair grow for 2 or 3 days, and then examine the whole of your face with your fingers to find out which way the hair is growing.

And I usually don't go ATG under my nose because after WTG and XTG, there is nothing left to shave most of the time.
The razor has to be REALLY sharp too because otherwise it can skip and you'll end up cutting into your nose from below.
ATG under the nose is not something you should attempt unless your technique is good, and you are very familiar with your face and your razor.

The value of a sharp edge can't be overstated. How you get there can be a varied path. There are a lot of approaches and equipment floating around SRP, find what works for you...but get it sharp and keep it sharp. IMO your sharpening skills are as critical as your shaving skills.

My stropping/honing/shaving techniques have been converging lately to finally get me to the point I am as confident I can get as good a shave from my str8 as from my DE. (Though I don't get it "perfect" every day, I at least know I can) For a while, I was with you, in a land between two blades...loving how great my face felt after a good DE ...but still longing to figure this darn str8 business out enough to get the results I wanted! And I was way past 2 weeks. Hang in there. Give it time. On any give day don't be afraid to switch back to whatever (I recommend a DE like someone else said as your alternate) when the str8's just not working for you and come back the next day...or whenever you have the time to put into making sure it's sharp.

I'm just getting there and it's worth the patient effort!

- Dale