Thread: 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?

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.