Thread: Finally made the step and got the Bismark

Was shaving with a shavette for quite some time now and really wanted to up the game, so I caved in and got the 6/8 Bismark from StraightRazorDesigns.
Gotta say, it's a thing of beauty.
I was too anxious to use it though so didn't shower prior to shaving. The beard was kindda rough therefore I ended up going back and forth between the Bis and the shavette. Love the weight of the blade and the feedback it gives. It felt I was scraping a bit though, I'm hoping this is because I didn't prepare right.

Originally Posted by bvais

It felt I was scraping a bit though, I'm hoping this is because I didn't prepare right.

Scraping is too high an angle. Keep the spine close to your face.

Congrats!
I started with a shavette and it still took about a dozen shaves before I didn't need to cleanup with shavette afterwards. Lower the angle to the face, go slow, and enjoy the shaves!

Straight razors in the Bismarck style can be very nice and I believe it was a good choice to get the razor from Straight Razor Designs, as they deliver the razor shave ready, something that Dovo fails to do.

I see no need to shower before the shave, the same effect can be had by thoroughly moistening (washing with soap, if you like) your face and let the water soak into you facial skin for a few moments. (For this purpose, I use the same sponge that I later use to wipe the excess lather and water off the razor blade.)

While I do like the Feather AC system, I never cared much for Dovo style shavettes; they felt too flimsy and lacked the mass and feel of the classic straight razor.
Coming from a shavette, it may therefore take some time getting used to a straight razor, but ultimately you may find they handle nicer and provide more forgiving shaves.

Of course, this comes at the price of stropping and honing, techniques that need to be mastered.
If you should notice a deterioration after a few shaves, be patient; the root cause may be that your stropping technique needs working on.


I hope you will enjoy the new experience.



B.

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the spine of the razor should be about one spine width away from your face on the cheeks. That way you slice more than scrape. It's a different beast than using a shavette.

That is a nice razor! I wanted to get that but decided to get a cheaper one to start with. Straightrazordesigns is awesome site to deal with. I also don't shower every time before I shave, but I do wash my face with soap with warm water then use a hot towel before I start shaving.