Thread: New guy here..

If you can't get your razors sharp with all those laps on the 8000, you're not likely to do it with the pasted strop. A .5 micron is like 50,000 grit!

Originally Posted by threeputt

I may give a paddle strop & paste a shot. I assume buying a new one and dedicating it for the paste is the way to go. Maybe one with leather on both sides and do a .5 and a .25? The advice is helping though. Still had a helluva time with the chin the past couple of days, but the overall shave was smoother for sure, especially this morning with the TI.

Thanks for the info! Since you stone is flat and clean then we can eliminate that as a source.
Since you tried that many laps on the 8000 then we can eliminate that as a source. The solution is a coarser grit. Like 4000. You have a choice, either a standard 4000 waterstone or a pasted paddle strop with a coarse abrasive. Get ahold of Tony Miller for the paddle strop and abrasive. He has his stuff available in the Gear for Sale section of the Gallery. The other option is Ray at www.classicshaving.com. He has all of the above.

try a sequence of
10/5
5/5
1/5
1/5
on the 4000/8000 hones then strop and test shave. You will feel a difference.
Adjust the sequence as necessary and repeat if needed. Such as

5/5
3/5
1/5
1/5

The hanging hair test is not performed like you think. I will try to send you a jpg of it via email.


Hope this helps,

Randy, can you post the hanging hair jpg? I'd like to see it too.

showme

update...I honed both the dovo's gently for about 15 laps today followed by generous stropping. They shave ok but I still can't get them to pop a loose hair. The T-I is still far sharper, and will pop pieces of a hair off. If I hold a hair vertically and let it hang down, I can take pieces off of it from the bottom and go up towards my other hand. Plink plink plink. That's pretty friggin sharp to me. I'm at work and haven't had a chance to check my home email for the .jpg. Shaving around the chin was a little better today though. Everyplace else is still pleasingly close. Must be a combination of "not quite sharp enough" + "poor technique". That and the dimple in the middle of my chin doesn't help. Right under the chin there is a ridge in the skin below the chin bone that gives me fits too. Best way I can describe it is my chin looks like a tiny little ass at the extreme lower end. Getting better though! At least today was better. Haven't bought a razor blade in a long while now and that makes me smile. Picked up a bottle of Pinaud Clubman aftershave the other day at Walgreens for 4 bucks and I'm liking that stuff a lot. In SRP terms, what does DE mean when speaking of razors? There are a few other abbreviations I haven't figured out too. Do you guys have a legend somewhere for approved/suggested abbreviations on the forums? I know the universal ones for the most part, but the shaving specific ones I see here are another story. Thanks

"In SRP terms, what does DE mean when speaking of razors?"

DE refers to double edge safety razor.

Don't get hung up on these tests. If they shave OK, that's all that counts.

Originally Posted by threeputt

update...I honed both the dovo's gently for about 15 laps today followed by generous stropping. They shave ok but I still can't get them to pop a loose hair.

OK I'm a moron. I'm making some progress around the chin area now . I've recently begun trying to continue down and under my chin with a single stroke, sort of rolling the razor around the contour from under my lip down to my neck and it seems to be working. My problem has been that I wasn't comfortable enough with the razor to do this and was trying to get my chin with numerous short strokes. The beard there is so strong that I couldn't seem to get a stroke started from in the middle of that mess. The razor would catch on the hair and not move. If I start above and get some momentum going, I am having more success!

I notice from later posts that you're imprving, but you do have a problem with your shaving technique. You're trying too hard. Doing a section of your face at a time added to it. If you look at Lynn's video you'll see that he does his whole face in one lathering and in one direction.

I'm a new str8 shaver, but I'm a long time DE (double edge) shaver, and we need to discuss fundamental shaving technique. Don't try to do too much in one pass. That leads to irritation, because you'r trying to chop down trees and go bay smooth at the same tim. You'll just irritate the skin. The first pass on your face should be with the grain and with flowing, smooth strokes. Don't worry about what you're leaving just remove material and don't go back over any spots. You've just mowed down the major stand with minimum irritation.

Lynn does two passes, but I find three to be gentler. On the second pass go across the grain, after relathering. If the grain on you cheeks runs down, that means ear to nose direction. Do it the same as the first. Still don't worry about what you leave. But when this is pass is done, youll be pretty clean, except for some stubbled spots or a light genral.stubble.

The third pass is against the grain, buut it is gentler if you go against the grain on an angle. Now whe're going for clean. Do it a little slower and notice the ares you're missing, but don't attack them. After this pass your shave should be petty good.

Now feel your face and notice the stubble spots and the dirrection of the grain. Using your fingers, coat each spot with a light layer of later, just to make it slippery. Lightly attack the spot in each direction, ending up going against the grain (if possible). You must do extreme stretching (you should have been doing some all along) with a very light touch to avoid irritation. Don't ty too do too much. Some compromise may be necessary. It will get better with time as you learn your face and improve your technique. You'll only have to do a little bit after the third pass.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

I lather normally one half of my face first, shave it, then the other. Next I lather and shave my upper lip and around the corners of the mouth. Lastly I do the chin area, often re-lathering. For the last pass in each area, I normally dip a couple of fingers into the now warm water in the sink and wet the area. I use the same water to keep rinsing my razors and to re-wet the brush occasionally. Even on my cheeks, it takes easily 5-6 passes over one area to get baby's butt smooth, and even more so on my chin area.

I agree ith Joe Lerch. Oh yeah and Welcome to the gang!

I have been doing a little product testing lately. All last week I used David Sommersets Shave oil. I couldn't use it by itself like it recommends, so like some of the other guys on this forum, I applied that first and then applied shave cream over it. I found that using the oil and then applying Musgo Real shave cream on top of that made my skin feel real nice afterwords. The Musgo is good to use when your skin is sensitive because of the lanolin in it.

I usually use an alum block after I rinse off after the shave. I rarely cut myself anymore, but I like the block because it is a great indicator of where I shaved too close. That indicator being the stinging sensation.

Another method I might suggest (I have Brillo Chin myself) is using a scything movement around the chin, You do this by pivoting your motion at the heal of the razor, much like peeling an apple.

I'm finding a 5 micron pasted strop helps me a lot. I'm sure my honing technique has MUCH room for improvement and the pasted strop gives me the extra keen I need for a great shave.

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