Thread: I'm doing EVERYTHING wrong. Please help.

Originally Posted by Poni3s

So I've been shaving with my Dovo straight razor 5/8ths off and on, but a few days ago I decided to shave every day. The first day went okay, a few noobie nicks, but other than that it was fine. The next day I had to finish with an electric razor because I still had some stubble left over after I made a pass with the razor. And today I had a lot of stubble left over and I nicked myself a good few times. So it's not cutting the hair and I'm cutting myself. So this tells me that my angle sucks ass and my stropping is horrendous. My razor did come professionally honed, and I have a 4000/8000 grit wet stone to sharpen it, which I used the 8000 grit the other day before I began to pick up straight razor shaving again. Yes, I stretch my skin and put a warm towel on my face before I shave. And my strop has 2 linen sides, one is coated with a honing compound and the other one is plain. I usually only use the compound about once a week and do 10 laps on the compound, and 25 on the lines suffer of the strop then 50 laps on the leather side. When I don't use the compound, I do 25 on linen and 50 on leather. So, tonight I threw in the towel. I feel like I'm doing all the right things, but clearly I'm not. If there's any advice for me, I'll gladly accept it.

I could have written this myself, albeit less eloquently, in describing my fledgling efforts at straight razor shaving. I can tell you with 5 years experience that you're doing all the right things. It takes practice and experience. Advice is valuable. But some things aren't necessarily taught, but learned.

I can just about promise you, based on my experience, that you will master straight razor shaving if you keep on shaving. It happened to me and it can happen to you.

I would bet that you may have rounded the edge when you were stropping. I know this because I did it when I started with a straight. Called SRD and bought a modular strop. Almost impossible to round an edge on that when stropping. All you should need if your razor is professionally honed is a touch up on a stone after a couple of months. I use either a Shapton 16k or a Suehiro Gokumyo to refresh. 8k is to course for a touch up unless you have a lot of experience. Only about 5-7 laps on a finishing stone should do it with almost no pressure. It will work out.

Hi, I think Carl has hit a lot of stuff on the head. Bear in mind that it takes around 100 shaves to have an idea of where you can make the more subtle gains in shave quality etc. Before that it is mostly a learning experience.
I would leave the paste and hones well alone, get your razor honed professionally use it for 4 or 5 weeks then send it back to whoever honed it for an appraisal of your edge maintenance (stropping) this will give you a good idea of where you are at. You may need to let them know that you plan to do it.
Possibly get a second razor as a back up, either that or just manage with what you have for a week or so while your straight is out.

Another option, although maybe not as popular, would be to get a shavette or DE to start with and then after that has been mastered come back to straights. That way you eliminate stropping, honing, and many other variables and can focus on creating lather and techniques with guaranteed sharp blades. Then add some variables in later? This is how I started years ago and then a couple years back transitioned to a pro honed straight and then worked out the honing aspect. A lot of people have reported difficulties adjusting technique to a true straight but I didn't have any problems personally. There is a great shavette section on the forum here.

Just another option.

Don't give up...your not doing everything wrong. Your just not doing a few things as well as you should be for just starting out. They add up is all. Just keep at it and start small. Shave small sections at a time.
I would say don't worry about honing for now. Concentrate on shaving for now. You cant rush time and experience. Also by the way just send out your razors to be honed, its well worth the service. Also buy a used vintage already shave ready off this site so you have 2 razors. One to shave with the other out to be honed. Small steps best of luck

Everyone so far has said good stuff to do, try, or think about. To master SR shaving, stropping, and honing, it takes time, which should be enjoyable, while you learn, you are learning the art of shaving that has been all but forgotten. In this hurry up, rat race world we all live in, of throw away, and replace ways of living, with everything, SR shaving in my life, has brought, a calm enjoyment back again into my world of shaving, one that is very fulfilling and meditative. Here is one thought I always use, if I am ever late, or hurried to make an appointment somewhere, I'll just shave with a safety razor, when in a hurry cuts will always happen. I enjoy very much a three pass shave, which takes a little time to achieve, but feel very satisfied, and rewarded, after doing so.
Take your time, check out Lynn Abrams videos on YouTube, they are quit easy to follow, and are an excellent information resource.
Not to worry guy, you'll achieve your goal, a great, smooth, cut free shave with practice, we all started where you are now.

In the words of the great Joe Dirt, Keep on keepin on. I am new to this as well and best advice I can pass on is keep it simple. keep it consistent as possible too. I just found out that not doing the same pre shave ritual came back to bite me, my face was just on fire and tender all because I skipped one little thing. So send your razor out get it back look yourself in the mirror say, Im good enough, Im smart enough, and dog gonnit, people like me and shave on. I sharpen all my own knives but the SR I am staying away from for now just because I do not trust myself with this task as of yet. I can get a hell of an edge on a pocket knife but I don't trust myself getting a shave ready edge on a razor then putting it to my face. Just stay positive and good things will happen.

Like you I am new to straight shaving, and shave everyday, I can understand the eagerness to embrace this new hobby. The thing is, I accept the fact that I am going to nick myself fairly regularly, because the more you do something the more you expose yourself to mistakes. But learning from those mistakes makes a huge difference to the learning curve.
The most important thing from my point of view is, to go slow, very slow and take it even slower around those tricky areas, and I'm sure that in time you will gradually speed up unconsciously as you become more confident.
Nothing that was ever really worth having comes easy!
Good luck and keep on keeping on

As others have stated, slow it down, one step at a time. The best advice here that I could give, is to agree with Carl at post #7, point 5: Ditch the electric razor for a DE.

I'm lucky that I don't need to shave every day. If I try to, I get irritation, no matter how good my shaves are and how careful I am. You may need to shave everyday. Up to you. I used to work with a bloke who could have shaved twice a day. He shaved in a morning, and by mid afternoon, he had more stubble that I have in 2 days. Incredible. He was dark haired too which made it more noticeable.