Thread: Frustration...

Alright guys...

I am just not getting it here. With two separate razors, one which was honed by a meister and one by myself... both of which are able to take hair off my arm with absolutely NO effort at all, and pass the HHT anywhere on the blade... I am getting both terrible drag and razor burn out the wazoo.

I know what you are thinking... angle, position, lather, preparation...

I'm sooo frustrated.

I need a better brush...

What are you using for soap/cream?

It doesn't matter how sharp my razors are, mine still pull a little if I pass the blade perpendicular. I use a toe leading stroke - somtimes quite a steep angle which kills any pulling at all. You just need to go easy for the first few attempts because you need to know when the angle is close enough to take a chunk of your face with it!
Also try different angles and pressure and check your stropping technique

Originally Posted by crichton

What are you using for soap/cream?

Well...

I have Tabac, Bath and Bodyworks cream, Willaims Mug Soap, And Mitchell's Wool Fat.

I believe the day I am referring to it was Tabac. Wonderful stuff, love the smell... but a bit pasty when there isn't enough water. Hopefully I will purchase a brush in the near future that is made out of hair... I hear badger's hair is the way to go...

Smoove,

Perhaps you should avoid shaving your wazoo until you are more practiced . Out of curiosity, what are you using for a brush? While I haven't tried it yet as directly applied to my face, I have a tube of cream which states it may be applied with one's fingertips directly to the face. I have tried that cream, but whipped up the lather in a bowl before slathering it on my face. With a brush it worked fine. This implies that for some products, there are options to just lathering with a brush.

I got drag and rather poor shaves my first attempts. Likely it was poor technique as the test razor worked fine after several more tries. One's face also seems to become more accustomed to the cut throat attack after a couple of weeks. Your sink does too, soon it will no longer become pink with "embarassment".

Good luck

Oh, by the by, have you tried a 2" china bristle paint brush yet - might just work in the meanwhile

Thanks for posting this! I finally received the long awaited razor yesterday (been sitting at may parents home since Christmas until I flew back from europe). It was prepped by Lynn, Tony Miller paddle strop ready to go... been practicing lathering, watched the DVD, etc., etc.,

But Ouch! Not sure what this should feel like to know... I'm getting the little cutting noise, and not too afraid, other then being total useless with the "off hand". First shave no cuts or razor burn. Second shave minor drop of blood from a mole right in the center of my cheek and some burn. Cheeks smooth, chin sucks.

Now let me ask you...is it meant to go like a "hot knife throught butter" or a little "pull/clip" (I know bad words to use) that goes unnoticed (but remains) after you become more familiar? I am fully aware that my technique has to improve, etc. but just searching for a clearer explanation of what I should or shouldn't feel. Especially since there is some S&M going on here (Oh baby, LOVE that alcohol burn).

For me, sometimes it feels perfectly smooth, almost like a hot knife through butter, but very, very rarely. For me there is always a sensation that I am cutting whiskers. Just a tad of a pull.

Funny thing though, and this is probably important. I can push the razor into my face and scrape it across my face with big pulling or I can gently lightly shave with no pulling or shaving sensation with the same razor.

For me, its all about using a light touch, thinking about just how deep I need to stroke into my face to actually only cut the whisker. I don't need to ADD drag by stroking the blade against my skin. A straight razor shouldn't be treated like a regular razor (coated in teflon or whatever). The actual contact with the skin should be light and gentle. Its almost as if you gently move the blade to the base of the whisker and with perfect precision shave only the hair off. Ofcourse your stroke has to come in along your skin line or you'll cut yourself.

The best analogy I can give you would be like an airplane swooping in for strafing run. It doesn't bang into the ground (you just lightly touch the skin) and then it rises back upward.

I think you could almost teach someone by telling the student "shave this guy without touching his skin" and you'd be close to the way I shave. I make contact with the skin but its very, very light.

Its almost like I'm shaving my face without touching it. Once you get there you'll know it because its an incredibly close shave and irritation free.

All it requires is skill and a true concentration on each stroke.

Originally Posted by SmooveRN

Hopefully I will purchase a brush in the near future that is made out of hair...

What exactly do you mean by this statement? Are you using a synthetic brush?
IMHO the brush has nothing to do with it. I use a $2 boar hair brush and it does the job perfectly fine, upgrading to a badger for me will simply be a luxury choice..

I think it mainly your angle and or pressure. As AFDavis11 said, you need very little pressure on the skin. The angle on the other hand I have found by reading many, many posts is personal preference some say 30 degree angle and others say almost flat against the skin. I don't know degrees really well so I have to say, I have the spine approx 7mm off my skin and get a fairly decent shave since I am too beginning, my feather on the other hand is about 2~3mm off my skin.

Concentrate on your angles and of course your prep.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

For me, sometimes it feels perfectly smooth, almost like a hot knife through butter, but very, very rarely. For me there is always a sensation that I am cutting whiskers. Just a tad of a pull.

Funny thing though, and this is probably important. I can push the razor into my face and scrape it across my face with big pulling or I can gently lightly shave with no pulling or shaving sensation with the same razor.

For me, its all about using a light touch, thinking about just how deep I need to stroke into my face to actually only cut the whisker. I don't need to ADD drag by stroking the blade against my skin. A straight razor shouldn't be treated like a regular razor (coated in teflon or whatever). The actual contact with the skin should be light and gentle. Its almost as if you gently move the blade to the base of the whisker and with perfect precision shave only the hair off. Ofcourse your stroke has to come in along your skin line or you'll cut yourself.

The best analogy I can give you would be like an airplane swooping in for strafing run. It doesn't bang into the ground (you just lightly touch the skin) and then it rises back upward.

I think you could almost teach someone by telling the student "shave this guy without touching his skin" and you'd be close to the way I shave. I make contact with the skin but its very, very light.

Its almost like I'm shaving my face without touching it. Once you get there you'll know it because its an incredibly close shave and irritation free.

All it requires is skill and a true concentration on each stroke.

Yes! Well said. It took me about a year and half to start to reaize this myself. Its like there is a place where your whiskers meet your skin and that's where the edge has to be, but no closer. Go for a comfortable shave instead of a "close" shave and you'll start to find this place. Keep at it.

Jordan

Thank you all for the sage and welcome advice. I will let you know tomorrow how it goes!

And I do use a synthetic brush, that and an old boar's hair brush. That old one works better than the synthetic... it simply holds more water and produces a better lather.

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

Cheers everyone!