I can't get a proper shave with a straight

I have a brand new Wacker which was professionally honed and stropped and it's been two weeks since I started shaving with it and I still have to touch up with my DE...

The most problematic areas are the neck and chin. My beard growth is all over the place on my neck. Cheeks and moustache areas are ok. I wish I had a normal growth like most people. I'm also cursed with a very course beard and sensitive skin. I get the smoothest shaves with my safety DE razor but starting to feel like the straight is just not for me...

What to do? I feel like it's getting pointless to try getting a smooth shave with a straight. Maybe I should just sell it and stick to my DE...I don't know...maybe it's my technique? :shrug:

P.S. It's not the prep...I know how to prep myself and I consider myself an expert DE shaver. I shave my head with a DE in like 15 minutes with no mirror. No cuts or anything. Feather blades always.

It took me several months to get consistently good shaves on my neck and chin. Keep working on your technique and it will come. Meanwhile, there is nothing wrong with using your DE for touchups.

Everything you say in this post is very similar to the experience that 95% of us went through. Keep working at it and it will come. I have been doing it for years and on rare occasions I will still have a bad shave.

Patience, my friend

I'll keep trying I guess. I really don't want to quit. Just wish my technique would improve with time (hopefully). Thanks!

Don't worry that you haven't achieved great shaves in a couple of weeks. I certainly took many months to get to a stage where I was shaving most of my face in a reasonable manner. I was at it for over a year before I was able to do without the DE for the chin area. Most guys pick it up faster than I did but I was 56 before I started - although, like you, I had the advantage of being a competent DE shaver to begin with.

Let us know how you go as we may have suggestions for specific difficulties - my first one is don't worry about having to finish up with a DE on the chin and neck.

Good luck.

Took me a couple months to get anything that resembled a close comfortable shave. My problem has been the se I can't seem to get a comfortable shave on my neck to save my life.

Just starting out as well. Only a month. Neck and chin are challenging for me too. I just watched a shaving video from the shaving library, and found some very helpful info about shaving the chin and neck area.

Just don't push yourself into the uncomfortable zone. Shave with your straight, but switch to the DE well before things get ugly. You'll find yourself shaving more and more with the straight.

I've been at it 45 years and once in a while I still get a bad shave. If it's any consolation my worst shave in the past year came from a barber. He switched from a Thiers Issard three pass shave to a shavette one pass. When he was done I tested my face and it felt like petting a wire brush. No tip for him that day.

Just keep at it and things will fall into place.

Hang in there, it takes time. Been SR shaving for less then a year and it took me quite a while to get a clean chin ( still don't occasionally ) and just started successfully doing ATG.
For irritation, work on good preshave prep and watch your touch on the razor! VERY light pressure is all that's needed. Find a good post shave balm, I recently got L'Occitane and it is awesome and soothing.

Best of luck on your learning process, it's worth it!

I've just started also, I have discovered I have to change the angle of the blade when doing the chin area, I almost go to about 45 degrees when doing the front part of my chin and under it. The neck area is about a 30 degree angle.

I had shaved for a lot of years, well 40 years, before I tried to learn how to shave with a straight razor. I considered myself pretty proficient with a DE already but it did not help me too much with a SR. Learning to get a decent shave with a SR as in not using a DE to finish can take months to get to that point. People just do not believe that the learning curve is long and steep compared to shaving with a DE. As others have said, just be patient and don't push things. You will get there in your own good time.

Once you get the hang of shaving with a SR I think you will find that your shaves with a DE will improve too, at least mine did. By that I mean before learning to shave with a SR using an aggressive DE like the Muhle R41 or Fatip was not pleasant but now it is.

Bob

It takes a lot of time to get it right just go slow and eventually it will get there!

Two weeks? Then be happy your still trying, some give up quicker than that, if quitting is the kind of thing you do, nothing comes quickly that is worthwhile, I got forty years I. A career to get to retirement, see where I,m going? First time popping a wheelie On your Huffy wasn't your best one either, your now about 80 shaves from getting good, all the prep ain't going to help inexperience, and that takes time, I like Bob shaved with a DE for over 40 years and it still took me a few months to get good at it, first month though was my stupid self not having a shave ready edge,man after that it starting going good , so hang in there and a few months from now you.ll be saying the same thing to the new guys. Tc

I would say that you need more practice, generally somewhere around the 100 shave mark and it will have come together, by my calculations you would have had around 14 tops unless you shave more than once a day.

There are a great many individual components to a good SR shave.
It might be helpful to consider each rather than just wanting
an overall better shave.
Razor prep, face prep, lathering, skin stretching, blade angle, blade pressure, pass directions, pass order, post-shave rinsing, alum/astringents, and post-shave skin products.

Sometimes..... one's expectations of a straight razor shave is that it should be as good or better than a DE shave, and in reality, it may not be the case.

I am one of those gents who cannot get as close a shave with a straight as I can with a DE. I also cannot get ingrown hairs like I can with a DE.

Some of us HAVE TO accept that our skills will not equal the ability of the DE razor in day to day shaving. I for one have dropped the 3 pass shave in preference for the 2 pass straight razor shave, not because it's just as close *everywhere* but because it is more than good enough, and I don't enjoy ingrown hairs. The main reason I cannot shave as close with a straight is that my left hand, does not work as well as my right hand, in shaving... I have tried to do the necessary strokes with my right hand on the left side of my face, but the direction my beard grows (spiral nebula style) on my left cheek prevents me from fully shaving bbs it two spots, but the rest of my face is.

Straight shaving is about you developing the skills to do the job. DE safety razors take much of the skill out of the equation, and while not as dumbed down as the current multiblade monstrosities, it too required some skill to be sucessful. The straight razor is as capable as any other razor in shaving close, it's the person who wields the razor who is responsible for how well it shaves. It takes time to learn how to do it right, sometimes you may well need to learn to use your off hand, and sometimes the learning curve is just too much, or you just don't care, in which case the DE, or even the Mach 4, or whatever they are called, may well be for you. King Camp Gillette made a fortune on DE blades and razors as many a gent back in the day, just did not want to "practice the art" of straight razor shaving, or spend the money on hones and learning how to hone their razors.

I worked in a public facing field where clean shaven was a requirment. A straight shave was more than adequate, nobody would reach out to see if they could feel a slight amount of stubble in some portion of my face. The lady I courted and later married was not impressed with razor burn, anymore that I was, and she much preferred a tiny amount of stubble in one or two sections.

It takes time to develop the skills, something that has been lost in this modern day. When I entered Machine and Mechanics school in the 70s in Norway, I was presented with a canvas tool bag with 6 files, two chisels, one hammer and a hacksaw. I was told if I needed anything else, I would have to make it with the tools I was issued. I spent 20 hrs per week for 6 months filing by hand, before I was allowed to touch any machine or power tool. It was a lesson worth learning, because it eliminated the excuse that just because I don't have a part, or a machine shop at my disposal, I cannot repair something.

Straight shaving has been done for a looong time, but you have to want to do it. If you do, keep at it and I guarantee, you WILL learn to do it well.

Regards

Christian

If your razor is shave ready then my friend it is your technique. Not to worry this can be fixed. The reason everyone tells you it should work itself out by the 100th shave is it takes that much trial and error before you find your groove. If the way you shave with a straight doesn't work then try another way. There is no universal way to shave with a straight but with a strong desire and will, you can learn your way. On the way have fun and enjoy all the successes. :gl:

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Originally Posted by kaptain_zero

It takes time to develop the skills, something that has been lost in this modern day. When I entered Machine and Mechanics school in the 70s in Norway, I was presented with a canvas tool bag with 6 files, two chisels, one hammer and a hacksaw. I was told if I needed anything else, I would have to make it with the tools I was issued. I spent 20 hrs per week for 6 months filing by hand, before I was allowed to touch any machine or power tool. It was a lesson worth learning, because it eliminated the excuse that just because I don't have a part, or a machine shop at my disposal, I cannot repair something.

Christian

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I don't think you could find better tradesman than those who apprenticed that way.

Bob

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Originally Posted by Rachmaninov

I'll keep trying I guess. I really don't want to quit. Just wish my technique would improve with time (hopefully). Thanks!

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I'm in the same boat as you. I've been using a SR for about a month at most and I still finish with my DE after the first pass. You technique will improve, I know mine has. Keep at it and don't get discouraged.

Your words are so true, I'm a rook and I appreciate that advice don't be afraid to fall, but even more don't be afraid to get back up, with patience and persistence it will happen, all my shaves are sweet even when I get the rare nick it teaches technique, technique.

Get advice my man love to hear from the Vet's

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Originally Posted by Rachmaninov

I have a brand new Wacker which was professionally honed and stropped and it's been two weeks since I started shaving with it and I still have to touch up with my DE...

The most problematic areas are the neck and chin. My beard growth is all over the place on my neck. Cheeks and moustache areas are ok. I wish I had a normal growth like most people. I'm also cursed with a very course beard and sensitive skin. I get the smoothest shaves with my safety DE razor but starting to feel like the straight is just not for me...

What to do? I feel like it's getting pointless to try getting a smooth shave with a straight. Maybe I should just sell it and stick to my DE...I don't know...maybe it's my technique? :shrug:

P.S. It's not the prep...I know how to prep myself and I consider myself an expert DE shaver. I shave my head with a DE in like 15 minutes with no mirror. No cuts or anything. Feather blades always.

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I see encouraging post here, to keep working on your techniques and be patient. However your technique may not be the problem. I ordered and received a new Dovo best quality 6/8 razor last week. It was "Professionally Honed and Stopped" it must be shave ready. So I did 10 strokes on linean and 60 strokes on English bridle. The shave was awful. My cheeks were shavette quality at best and my neck and chin after about 5 passes still had stuble. I let it go for the night and shaved the next day with my vintage Bismarck and it was a close shave so what was the problem....went back to the Dovo and the strop. 100 strokes on chromium oxide...100 strokes English bridle...60 strokes linean .....another 100 strokes English bridle....shaved with it an hour ago and it was a comfortable shave no irritation no razor burn just a bbs shave and only 2 passes. Left me saying oh yea. Don't be afraid to strop a new razor. Many times it is technique but it can also be the razor. Hope you figure out your situation and stick with sr shaving. I think you will be more than pleased when you get it down.

Hey guys, the OP is a banned user so he won't answer anymore to all the encouragement.

Bob

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Originally Posted by BobH

Hey guys, the OP is a banned user so he won't answer anymore to all the encouragement.

Bob

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Thanks Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rachmaninov

I have a brand new Wacker which was professionally honed and stropped and it's been two weeks since I started shaving with it and I still have to touch up with my DE...

The most problematic areas are the neck and chin. My beard growth is all over the place on my neck. Cheeks and moustache areas are ok. I wish I had a normal growth like most people. I'm also cursed with a very course beard and sensitive skin. I get the smoothest shaves with my safety DE razor but starting to feel like the straight is just not for me...

What to do? I feel like it's getting pointless to try getting a smooth shave with a straight. Maybe I should just sell it and stick to my DE...I don't know...maybe it's my technique? :shrug:

P.S. It's not the prep...I know how to prep myself and I consider myself an expert DE shaver. I shave my head with a DE in like 15 minutes with no mirror. No cuts or anything. Feather blades always.

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I have the exact same problem and started to think the same thing. I couldn't find much on YouTube in regards to technique around the neck area but I started experimenting with technique. One thing that I am experimenting with is canting my razor at an angle after my against the grain pass. So just as you are to do another ATG pass tilt the razor from parallel to the ground to having the sharp edge about 10 degrees or less against the stubble left behind but still move your hand upward like you would normally. In other words the only difference between this pass and the ATG pass is the angle in which the razor is held. This may be common sense to most people here but this is just what I learned from experience. Hopefully that makes sense and helps in some way. Just take it easy the first couple of times. Also, sometimes it helps to use the opposite hand to whichever side of your neck that you are shaving.