Time, technique, and stubborn hairs

In an effort to become proficient I've committed to shaving only with my straight razor for at least 100 shaves. In the past I've started and stopped, picked it up again, etc. so now I'm really trying to see it through. I'm to about 55 now, and here's my status. It still takes around 40-45 minutes to get what I consider a relatively perfect BBS shave that I can compare to what I get with the DE. If I'm not as picky I can do it in around 30. How long does it take you experts to shave on average?
My trouble spot is still my chin. It seems that in order to get all the hairs off I basically have to sit there and buff my entire chin in tiny little repeated strokes. I always have these fine tiny little hairs that seem stick straight out yet manage to escape under the blade without catching unless I literally sit there and buff only a few mm at a time while really pulling and stretching the skin. Once I'm done shaving there are almost always at least one or two weepers as a result. When I watch these videos on how to shave with a straight razor they just make it look so easy, a few strokes down the chin and its a clean smooth sweep. I haven't been able to come close to that. I don't know if its just my technique or if I have superhuman course chin hair or something. I humbly ask for your guidance and suggestions on this front. It also seems like the more time I spend on these areas the faster my razor dulls.
I shall keep at it, and I am enjoying it, but wanted to check in here at my midway point for tips and guidance.
Thanks!
Matt

Based on my start with razors I think your blade is not sharp.

My recommendation is to send it to one of the pros in the Classifieds and get it honed.

Further, get with a mentor and see if some hands-on might yield a better shave

Here is a link to finding mentors in your area. There might be a couple in Texas.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/memberlist.php?do=search

Matt,

You sound like you were in the exact same situation I was a month or two ago - I had about the same number of shaves, and the chin was my weak point - there always seemed to be a stubborn set of hairs that were difficult to get and I'd spend a bunch of time trying and trying to get them with varying degrees of success, but usually at the cost of unhappy skin.

The good news is I got past it recently. The bad news is I'm not sure exactly how. I think rolodave is on the right track; by that point my razors weren't quite as sharp as they once were due to time and my inexperience in maintaining them. I spent some extra time in getting them sharp and that did seem to help. However, I did do some other things that were beneficial too. The one that I think is real important, but kind of hard to explain is that I lengthened some of the strokes that ended on my chin - for example, I do a long strong down the jawline, starting near the ear and ending at the chin - I found if I really stretched the skin and tried to continue that stroke around the corner of the chin, it really helped. Also, extending an upward pass on the neck can get a lot of chin hair if you extend it just a bit. Finally, I found that a stroke starting near the corner of my mouth and going diagonal towards the center of the chin works well for me.

My guess is that at some point, and not too much longer for you, it will happen; just give it some more time.

Chris

technique , yes, blade not sharp as it should be Yes! hairs that don't cut is usually a poor edge. but I still wont say its not technique, it just takes time to find what works for you, but any time my blade didnt knock hairs down , it was the blade not quite right. all of us have the stiffest hair on our chin, it just is , good luck your over half way there tc

I too have some areas that are somewhat or rather were somewhat problematic. My whisker in some areas grow out in such a way that they lay rather flat against my skin. In order to get them with a with the grain pass it requires a little pressure, that irritates my skin, which is often what happens with pressure. I have opted to eliminate the WTG pass in my shave. I start against the grain for part of my face and Across on the rest, then with it up and on ht e next pass, except my mustache, where I go with the gran and the across. A good beard map and study of your face combined with a fresh blade should put you on track. If your technique isn;t working you need to seek a solution, so small changes and low blade angle should fix you up. Shave the lather, and keep the blade angle low so you are not scraping your whiskers off.

Whisker map here:
http://www.pbjsite.com/shave/whiskarmap/
Interactive site. I made it as i would see it on a mirror.
~Richard

For a smooth chin:
1. Sharp razor, well stropped
2. Light pressure, almost not touching the skin
3. High enough angle to cut whiskers cleanly without leaving partly-cut stubble

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Geezer

Whisker map here:
http://www.pbjsite.com/shave/whiskarmap/
Interactive site. I made it as i would see it on a mirror.
~Richard

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Thanks Geezer, that's a pretty fancy project you did there. I played with it a while and it was very interesting.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I had my razors honed at SRD a few weeks ago to make sure I gave myself a fair start. I have a few but lately I've been trying to stick with my Hart Steel "Not a Replica" so I can get to know it and perfect my technique without other variables. Having said that, I think some of my technique and maybe spending so much time on each shave may have dulled it quickly. However, I did go back and refresh it on balso with green then red paste and it sure made one heck of a difference. If I can keep the razor that sharp I'll do a lot better. My shave went much better after that for sure. I was resistant to going back to the paste already because the general time frame I've heard for having to refresh seems to be usually at least around a month or "a few weeks". It seems like I had to do it after only 5-7 shaves. Maybe as my stropping and technique continue to improve the edge will last longer. Is there any danger to blade of going back to the paste too often? It sure makes a world of difference. If I can keep it that sharp I think tackling that pesky chin will definitely be much easier.

Logan,

Staying with one razor to get really familiar with it is a smart idea.

I don't believe that using paste continually will harm the razor; others who use paste more often might have better advice in that regard.

With shaving and stropping practice your edges will improve, and will last a lot longer.

Good luck!

Jeff

Hi Logan

If your blade is dulling that quickly there may be a stropping issue.

The best thing to remember is no pressure. Let the weight of the blade be all that is put on the strop. If you are rolling the edge then your shaves will not be comfortable.

Again, get with a local for some hands-on.

OK - what they said, exactly. But as one never afraid to blurt out the obvious, for I am a Master of the Obvious...

During your 45-minute shaves, are you attuned to refreshing your lather to maintain slickness? I know it's easy to get absorbed in where the razor is and where your ears are and all the while wondering in frustration why the whiskers are not falling like so much rotting timber - but is your lather maybe drying out a bit to compound the problem? If not, please forget I suggested this.

Respectfully yours,
Captain Obvious

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MisterMoo

OK - what they said, exactly. But as one never afraid to blurt out the obvious, for I am a Master of the Obvious...

During your 45-minute shaves, are you attuned to refreshing your lather to maintain slickness? I know it's easy to get absorbed in where the razor is and where your ears are and all the while wondering in frustration why the whiskers are not falling like so much rotting timber - but is your lather maybe drying out a bit to compound the problem? If not, please forget I suggested this.

Respectfully yours,
Captain Obvious

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Thanks for the reminder, and the obvious is often overlooked. It definitely is drying out during those sessions but I have been good about reapplying it before tackling as specific area. I think the sharpness issue has proven to be the root cause (another obvious cause), as my shave went much faster last night on the refreshed razor. I think I do need to continue concentrating on the light touch while stropping, and keeping the blade sharp. I appreciate the feedback!

Most things have been covered but I would put emphasis on the angle of the blade, as JeffR pointed out in his post. It's especially tricky around the chin as it is a round surface. You almost have to twist the blade as you come up around the bottom.

Good luck, and I'm sure you'll get there.