Thread: Horrible Shaving Experience

Have known Jim Ayars for a good while.He is a Straight forward guy and I'm sure you most probably just having a really bad first shave. Jim will do you right. He is a stand-up guy and he will stand behind his things. I have bought a coup[le of Dovo's from Jim and everything has been good.Also other things like stones,colognes and ect..If its the razor....He will make it right.
Jim C.

Neal, if you haven't already, read this thread:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/newbi...en-i-noob.html

What you need is patience and practice. Patience and practice...patience and practice...

If shaving with a straight was as easy as picking up a sharp blade and using it, a lot more people would do it. Let you face heal for a day or two. Then try just shaving your cheeks with the grain. When that is comfortable, expand the areas you shave. You have to get used to wielding the blade. That only happens after you do it a number of times. If all you want is a good shave - fast, then by all means stick with the DE.

One reason many of us enjoy shaving with a straight is that it forces you to slow your pace and pay attention. You've got your whole life of shaving to learn, so enjoy the process. Best of luck.

Jordan

Originally Posted by RacerX

I did some forum reading and saw some posts about testing the razor on arm hairs. I tried it and found that it is even grabbing/pulling on my arm hairs. I have withheld the vendor's name, but I will post it here now. I purchased from Vintage Blades and paid the additional $20 to have the razor prepped by Lynn Abrams. There is even a label on the box that states that the razor does not need to be stropped prrior to first use. I have sent an email to Jim at VB and I'm awaiting his response. This was not the best time to start experimenting with a new shaving technique. I just started a new job and it was actually the reason I looked into straight razor shaving in the first place. I wanted to get a close shave that lasted throughout the day. In the mean time, I don't even know if I can use the DE. My face is not having the best reaction to blade shaving - period. Neal

1. Every razor honed actually receives a shave test by me. If you are unhappy and certainly have shown that, I am always willing to rehone a razor.
2. I always recommend to people who are new to start with just the sideburn to the jaw until they are comfortable with a razor. After a couple days, move to the cheek. Then to the other side of the face, the chin, the neck and so forth. Every face has it's own angles and it is best to take it on a little at a time vs. shaving the entire face first time. The chin in particular can be problematic as most people flatten out the razor when they first attempt to shave it.
3. Towels are nice and prep is very important. You want a soap that will keep a nice thick wet lather through out the shave.
4. As already expressed this is an art and it does take time to learn. Sometimes it is hard not to let expectations get the best of us and the support you are receiving from the great folks here is testimony to that.

Thanks,

Lynn

Originally Posted by RacerX

I did some forum reading and saw some posts about testing the razor on arm hairs. I tried it and found that it is even grabbing/pulling on my arm hairs. I have withheld the vendor's name, but I will post it here now. I purchased from Vintage Blades and paid the additional $20 to have the razor prepped by Lynn Abrams. There is even a label on the box that states that the razor does not need to be stropped prrior to first use. I have sent an email to Jim at VB and I'm awaiting his response. This was not the best time to start experimenting with a new shaving technique. I just started a new job and it was actually the reason I looked into straight razor shaving in the first place. I wanted to get a close shave that lasted throughout the day. In the mean time, I don't even know if I can use the DE. My face is not having the best reaction to blade shaving - period. Neal

Hi Neal -
I have a personal experience that I will relate concerning getting a shave-ready razor from anyone. I had a similar experience to yours and thought that I had really gotten a bad deal on having someone else hone for me. The vendor rehoned the razor for me and my first shave off the blade was acceptable considering I was just beginning. However, within a few shaves my blade was pulling and my shaves were very uncomfortable. It was not until I did quite a bit of reading that I understood that I had been rolling the edge on my razor by applying too much pressure during stropping. I am not saying that you have done the same thing because you may have better technique than I had in the beginning or have read about the probelm and knew to avoid it. However, if you have not read about it, you may want to consider it.

I am also not saying that the honemeisters don't let one get by them from time to time. It happens and they realize it and make allowances for it. Just do some research on stropping and make sure you are stropping correctly. There are plenty of threads here on SRP dealing with the subject.

EDIT: I see that Lynn beat me to the puch. He will take good care of you.

Thanks Ben and Lynn for all the great info. Ben, that was a terrific explanation. Lynn, I have watched your CD a few times. This week is the week for me. I am taking Thursday and Friday off work this week, and that's when I will be starting. I didn't want to begin on a workday, or a day when I am going to have a big meeting. I want the time to learn this the right way...

Dan

Is there anyone near RacerX that can spare a shave ready wapi so he can try a different razor?
sssz

Racer,

One of the things answered indirectly here was your face also needs some time to get used to the razor's edge. The blade is not just removing stubble, it is also removing skin, albeit with a correct application of shaving technique, it is only some of the dead skin cells. How much skin you remove depends on the manner in which you apply edge to skin. Your stroke will have to be learned by practice as you likely did not have the opportunity to watch one of your male relatives use a straight razor and watch the application of the subtleties involved. When you refine your techique and your face has developed some toughness to enable it to deal with straight razor shaving, you will get a very satisfactory shave. What you must do is allow the time needed for all these elements to come into play.

As a young boy I was fortunate to be able to watch my grandfather shave with a straight razor and see how someone used the "straight edge". I was pre-teen and grandpa would have been in his 70's, so I also watched how skin stretching was done to avoid getting a bunch of skin wadded up in front of the blade (big no-no). I shaved with a straight before growing a beard and have returned to it a couple of years ago.

Since returning after many years hirsuite, I have had to re-learn everything about shaving with a real razor. None of these lessons was acquired without some considerable effort, much trial and error, more trials with fewer errors, some gloating with subsequent bleeding These blades are sharp! And their application to one's face needs preparation and practice.

About the sharp bit - Lynn is someone who I have not met, but have spoken with and we have emailed forth and back a bit. Were we to live closer to one another, I have the feeling that he would be one of the guys who would become a good friend. If you are unsure of the edge on the razor which he has honed, he will make it right.

Jim Ayars of Vintage Blades is another of the brotherhood here who I have the misfortune of not knowing personally. I've purchased a bunch of stuff from Jim and everything is exactly what I understood it to be - or better!

So your razor not being shave ready, probably not, but if so, it will be made right. If it goes back for rehoning, when it comes back make sure you shave with it before you strop it so one variable can be removed from the experiment. There are a lot of things to be learned: face prep, lather making, stropping, blade pitch to face, blade angle to face, blade pressure, stroke sequence, number of passes options, skin stretch, etc, etc, etc.

None of this is learned overnight, so you also need to practice a bit of patience along with practicing some technique.

Best of luck,

There are a few more options that you are able to pursue, one that I would recommend and that I think many others on this forum would recommend: Is going to the nearest barber and asking about shaving with a straight razor (THEY KNOW ALOT!!), and you might be able to convince one to show you how to strop if they still do it.

Or my personal favorite, the dovo shavette, its great to lean the ropes to shaving IMO.

Hope it helps, Roadie

Racer X,
Where are you man? I can't add to any of the great advise you have received through the course of this thread only that I hope you have taken some time to calm down and let it all soak in. We haven't heard from you since Sunday, are you still there? Come on man, I mean the guy who actually honed your razor even responded here. I hope you decide to be patient and learn the art instead of ditching it over a crappy first shave. Anyway, chime in again and let us know how it's going, resolution with the vendor, second try, stropping or whatever.

Cheers,

I want to throw in another thought. What kind of soap are you using? If you are using stuff in a can you will be lucky to have a face left. The soap in the aerosol cans are not good with straight razors. I can swear to this as I used it with my first str8 razor shave, what a butchery there was blood everywhere and I thought the hairs were being pulled out by the roots.

Everyone else has told you the truth, it takes a while to become proficient with a str8 razor. I can tell you I was extremely disappointed after my first 25 shaves. I thought I am a man, this is a man's thing, I can do it right away... Not true it takes time and practice and an amount of blood loss...

Stay with it you won't be disappointed..