Thread: Horrible Shaving Experience

Funny, but I went through the same thing when I first started ... which was only a few months ago.

The best advice I can give in this situation is to become comfortable with handling the blade first.

For me, this was the difference between scraping and shaving.

Pre-Shave Prep is a really big deal, believe it or not. I find myself prepping and re-prepping areas because it still takes me some time (30 minutes or so) to get through a full 2-3 pass shave.

I have sensitive skin as well and I have found that a pre shave oil without lather does the trick. I cant see what the blade is doing when it is covered up with shave soap. Never really did like shaving creams or soaps to begin with. Olive oil is my friend. Also I have found that hair conditioner works really well. I usually use some conditioner on the beard area in the shower. Post shower comes the hot water/hot towel then the oil.

Hey, it works for me.


As far as me chin .. well ... that area for me is a tough one as well. I never realized how tough the hair on me chin and moustache area really is.

I have found that when my blade handling technique suffers, I get scraped up skin. Usually this is from me pushing the blade into the skin to cut the hair. At first, I was impatient and would push through the chin area. The result? Not slicing off too much hair and getting really scraped up in the process.


A gentle touch, good prep, and lots of skin streching usually gives me a decent shave regarding the chin area. Like I said before ... I am still learning.

For me, I would rather leave some hair and not get all tore up than to try and get a great shave and get torn up ... and still have remaining hairs. Grrr.


Hope this helps.

#1 most important thing that leads to a more comfortable shave is to REDUCE THE BLADE ANGLE.

30-40 degrees is not a very good indicator of the needed geometry. If you use the scales as a guide and put then away from your face by an estmated 30-40 degrees, you will get a crappy shave....How do I know this? Well, let's just say that I know this, OK?

Put your razor pretty much flat to your face, then lift the spine by only about a spine's width off of your face, and then proceed. That is closer to the angle you need. 30 degrees off the face will rake the whiskers and truly not be enjoyable, and beat up your edge while you're at it, it will also increase the likelyhood of getting nicks and cuts....How do I know that?.....well....

Great advice! I just got a new C-Mon razor and decided to shave with it straight out of the box, after a little stropping. It was not a great experience. It did shave, but not very close and not comfortable. It left me with razor burn that none of my other straights do. Now that I can feel the difference between a new out-of-the-box razor and my other pre-honed razors, I will now do some careful honing and stropping. It should be a much better experience after that. I'm still in the experimentation stage, trying different brushes, shaving creams and aftershave lotions. My brushes in order of satisfaction are, first, the badger hair, then below that is a nylon synthetic that does a pretty good job and finally, a boar bristle brush that isn't as good as either the badger or the nylon.
Larry

RacerX, by all means don't give up just because you didn't get stellar results. Chin hairs are tough,depending on the shape of your chin and the coarseness of your beard. My beard is like wire. I STILL have to concentrate on my chin. Str8 shaving can not be learned overnight. Chances are VERY good that the razor you have is NOT your problem.

All the posts made raise valid points. Personally, blades honed by others rarely shave well for me. As your skin increases you'll learn that there is more to shaving than just a sharp razor. Lynn's DVD is a very valuable resource and I would definitely recommend it.I short,you have to walk before you run and unfortunately you'll have quite a few bad shaves until you figure out what you are doing wrong. I'd give it another chance before going back to the DE.

Hmm. Long time, for me, since seriously posting about str8 razor shaving.

I'm not a newbie, neither am I an old-timer ("seasoned"). But, since my hymen-breaking straight-razor was from a poster in this thread (Sebell) I guess I should say...

Angles count. Pressure counts. But beyond that, pre-shave preparation counts. Heat treatment helps to soften the protein structures of the hairs, allowing for a much smoother cutting action. I don't know of anyone, anywhere, who does a lackluster job of stropping who admires the virtues of the straight-razor shave. It's a consistently renewable, carbon-friendly shaving edge.. that must be maintained. Forget the advice from some corporation's blurb that a simple stropping on the thumbpad is enough, or that a blade is good enough from the box (NOS or Lynn-honed NOS/NS).

People have remarked here that a blade is actually smoothest at about 5-7 shaves after touching up (refreshing or re-creating) with the finishing hone. Maybe there is something to that. I wouldn't know.

Sebell's 6/8 Dovo "Best Quality" gave me a fantastic shave, for the areas I shaved well (entirely my own fault/success) from the very first time I ever used it, my first ever straight razor shave. The double-edged razor (Weishi), the disposable razors (Bic and Walgreens house-brand) and Gillette's Sensor Excell (years ago) were my only history. The closest shave could only go about 6 hours before discernible bristle from the direction of the closest shaving direction. The first shave from the Dovo was probably about twice that. Still smooth. Seriously.

I had read many posts, from a variety of sub-forums and definently varied circumstances, and had thought many times over the subtleties of this most basic and powerful of shaving systems (with great power comes great responsibility). My face had undergone not only the first straight razor shave but also the confluence of events of my lattitude and region of the crystallization and melting and clumping and re-crystallization of airborne water-into-ice whipping at dramatic speed into my face for the trip into work immediately after the first str8-shave.

Pre "cook" the whiskers (soften), use a good soap/cream, use the angle that works for you, and please strop your steel lightly and thoroughly before you scrape it across your face.

If I had used the cannister foaming gels or foams as the lubricant... pain. No heat and moisture treatment... pain.. no adequate stropping.. pain. Don't be a pain to yourself. Each step is important, together it becomes almost magical. Mine was a first time, magical. I had two hours of tenderness and slight redness before it disappeared (after the horrible weather and trip to work). So smooth.. for SO long!!

I've learned about these stages through the double-edge safety razor. For double-edged blades I have India (Supermax (a smidgeon wider and therefore much more aggressive)), Korea (Dorco), Bangladesh (7 a.m.), and Israel (uknown just patent #) and local stores (K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Wal-Greens). For achieving a smooth XTG or XTG shave the age of the blade edge and all the prep work are major factors in determining the overall success of the final shave's results.

The Mach3 and clones, the DE shaver.. after the stropping is taken out of the time aspect of this manly shaving equation... after less than a month's worth of shaving.. for me anyway.. the straight razor mows them down with an authority that is beyond commercialization.

I will still use the DE for it's speed, it is a step above the cartridges (no real sycosis). But let's face it. If you know what you are doing and are mindful of the stages, the best, most enduring smoothness is still from the most basic of shaving "systems". It's just that from the cutting strength, there is the important need for a proper foundation and practice in the preparation for such an effective and different razing.

The skin adapts, you must allow for that. Technique matters, so do you. Prep-work matters, no amount of technique can really account for this (unless you're blessed with tough skin). Without good enough lubricant.. you're up the creek without a paddle!

Good luck, man. Let's hope everything gets sorted out in the end.

Sorry I haven't responded, but I haven't been keeping up with the forum since my attempt with the straight razor. My skin was in lousy condition from transitioning with the DE and trying my hand with the straight. I have since gone back to my Panasonic Electric wet shaver. The electric gives a close, irritation and nick-free shave, but I am still looking for a better shave. My skin has recovered and my straight razor and related supplies are sitting in the box they came in. Vintage Blades offered to rehone the razor at no charge, but they will not take it back (which I understand).

I went to a new barber shop to get my hair cut today and they happen to do straight razor shaves, although the razor my particular barber showed me was a Feather with "Pro Guard" blades. I talked a litlle bit about my shaving experience with the barber. The Feather with the "pro guard" blade seems like an elegant compromise to using a "real" straight razor, but I am unwilling to spend any more money unless I can recoup some money from my Dovo purchase. So for now, I am unwilling to make any further inroads into the world of straight razor shaving. I know it sounds like I am giving up far too fast, but I am in a new, high profile job with strict grooming standards. I don't have the luxury of letting my face adapt to the new shaving method. I admire you guys who are able to pull it off. Neal

Originally Posted by RacerX

. My skin has recovered and my straight razor and related supplies are sitting in the box they came in. Vintage Blades offered to rehone the razor at no charge, but they will not take it back (which I understand).

I am unwilling to spend any more money unless I can recoup some money from my Dovo purchase. So for now, I am unwilling to make any further inroads into the world of straight razor shaving. I know it sounds like I am giving up far too fast, but I am in a new, high profile job with strict grooming standards. I don't have the luxury of letting my face adapt to the new shaving method. I admire you guys who are able to pull it off. Neal

I think I smell a razor going on sale soon...

Originally Posted by RichZ

I think I smell a razor going on sale soon...

And the sharks begin to circle.....

Originally Posted by RichZ

I think I smell a razor going on sale soon...

Theres blood in the water! Look out!
But seriously X dont give up, one day when you are settled into your present position and have the time, maybe a vacation or holiday, your going to want to try again. Keep the Dovo.

For what it's worth, I'll weigh in and say that my skin didn't need any "adjustment time" to straight shaving. I went from a six month old beard to a straight razor overnight, and the total lack of razor bumps and smoothness had me "sold" on straight razor shaving.

It's worth repeating - everybody's skin is different, everybody's technique is different - but the basics are very, very similar - good prep, good angles, and the lightest of pressure with a sharp razor should give a GREAT result.

Hoping that you'll stick with it!