Thread: Frustration...

Originally Posted by SmooveRN

What I wouldn't give for one of those 2006 B&B limited edition horn or ivory brush that's NOS... what beauty!

Of course you know "pretty" alone won't give you a better shave .

Before you decided to use a str8 what did you shave with (eg, cartridge, DE, electric, etc.) and did you have any problems with irritation, ingrown hairs, etc. with those razors? You might consider reducing the number of variables... ie, get shaving perfected using one razor, one soap, one brush... that way you'll "only" have to worry about stropping, lather and prep, and technique... and that's plenty. Once you've optimized around that you can then experiment with different soaps, razors and brushes.

Originally Posted by SmooveRN

I am getting both terrible drag and razor burn out the wazoo. ... I know what you are thinking... angle, position, lather, preparation...

Well mostly that's what I'm thinking... most times I find it's razor sharpness, angle, and prep.

• Regardless of who honed your razor/how sharp it was when you got it, the question is how sharp is it when you are ready to shave. Razor edges are delicate and poor stropping can destroy an edge in an instant. Are you sure of your stropping technique? And you are stropping before you shave, aren't you? I won't quite go as far as to say forget the HHT and arm hair tests, but the true test, and the only one that matters in the end, is whether you get a close comfortable shave... when you do, your razor is sharp. When you don't, it most likely isn't. You probably know what shaving with a dull cartridge or DE razor feels like... if you feel the same thing when you're shaving with a str8 then it's not sharp enough, period end of story.
• angle is important... somewhere in the 15-30 degree range will work. Too steep an angle can deform the edge slightly since your scraping the whiskers off instead of slicing through them... this can "bend" the micro micro thin edge enough to create skin irritation and in the extreme, require a honing session to reestablish a good edge. (I used to do the "scraping" thing in my chin area when I first started... had to re-hone every couple shaves. Once I stopped that, my honing intervals decreased to weeks... and yes, once my honing technique improved, the interval went to months).
• prep is important... are you sure your beard is soft when you are ready to shave? You don't tell us whether you're beard is tough as nails or average. How sensitive is your skin? At one extreme, some people shave only with water, and at the other extreme some need pre-shave oils and good lather to fully soften their beards and protect delicate skin. Where are you in this continuum? Are you using enough soap/water in making your lather? Too little soap (or too much water) and you simply whip up a big pile of lather that may not lubricate and slip nicely even though it softens your beard... I find I get more irritation when I inadvertently do this. Too much soap (or too little water) and you may find your lather is too thick and/or dries out too soon causing extra drag and irritation. Every soap is different, so you have to experiment with each one to know what ratio is best for that particular brand and type of soap or creme.