Thread: Horrible shave.

Originally Posted by JeffR

No. One bad stroke MAY destroy an edge. If that stroke is excessively forceful or the spine lifted greatly from the strop's surface. If moderate stropping harms an edge then that edge was too fragile to start with. It would have crumbled even by shaving with it.

Agreed. That was the wrong choice of words on my part.

First, try pre-shave. Second, find a good creme or soap. Don't short change the stropping. Do the strop on linen or rough leather then 60 on the finish leather. You can't be to flat. If your not cutting hair, a slight increase in angle and try again. Lynn's video is invaluable. Go down your cheeks until you feel the razor smoothly passing over your face and cutting hair. Keep doing it until the razor becomes second nature. Be patient and watch videos. See the right techniques.

Originally Posted by jkatzman

First, try pre-shave. Second, find a good creme or soap. Don't short change the stropping. Do the strop on linen or rough leather then 60 on the finish leather. You can't be to flat. If your not cutting hair, a slight increase in angle and try again. Lynn's video is invaluable. Go down your cheeks until you feel the razor smoothly passing over your face and cutting hair. Keep doing it until the razor becomes second nature. Be patient and watch videos. See the right techniques.

you can put your figure between the spine and your cheek to help ypu get the right angle

I'm also new to shaving and still going through some growing pains. Since I started in December, I've ruined the edge on both of my razors once, ruined one strop, and had countless shaves that felt like pure torture.

Aside from the excellent advice already offered, one that has really helped me is learning how to tighten the section of skin I'm shaving. That, plus a sharp razor at the perfect angle, will net a great close shave. Hang in there and keep practicing!

Originally Posted by whoever

you can put your figure between the spine and your cheek to help ypu get the right angle

If by figure you mean finger, then that is too wide. Try a lower angle with the spine closer to your cheek.

Originally Posted by Utopian

If by figure you mean finger, then that is too wide. Try a lower angle with the spine closer to your cheek.

yes, that is why I said help it will get your muscle memory started and doent seem to be to difficult yo make the small adjustments to the smaller angle

Originally Posted by whoever

you can put your figure between the spine and your cheek to help ypu get the right angle

Where exactly is the blade's edge resting when you perform this operation?

Slightly off side burn. And you are not making any slicing motion. So your fine
Might help to say, roughly half the width if my index figure is off the spine near my cheek as a guage

Originally Posted by MisterMoo

Where exactly is the blade's edge resting when you perform this operation?

These last few replies got me like [emoji47] [emoji53] [emoji54] [emoji33]

so you are suggesting something like this then?