Thread: something ain't right - help please.

Had my first shave with a real straight razor yesterday. I have used a Shavette for the better part of the past few years.

Had the new razor (A dovo special 5/8) sent to Lynn to ensure that it was honed properly. Stropped it as per the instructions I've read, using one of Tony Miller's 4 sided strops. 10 passes on a rough leather side, 10 passes on a smooth leather side.

In comparison to the shavette, it really felt like my beard was being pulled at rather than cleanly shaved off. I don't doubt Lynn's hand when it comes to honing, so am trying to figure out why it was not nearly as "effortless" a shave than a Shavette with Feather platinum blades in it.

I kept the blade flat when stropping, using enough pressure to keep it in contact - could I have dulled the edge nonetheless?

I'm not intending to use any hand pressure when shaving. At least not any more than I do when using a Shavette. Am I using too light a touch? Everything I've read suggested the blade edge / angle / weight should be doing the cutting, not my hand pressure.

Could it be possible that a 5/8 is just insufficient for my beard thickness?

Any other ideas?

I can get a good shave on my heavy thick beard with any of my razors that are keen. I find I do have to use a little pressure even with my 7/8 in order to get a really good shave. I use very little pressure on the third (S-N) pass.




Wayne

Howdy, my only concern is the stropping. Usually on a freshly honed razor, stropping on smooth leather is the ticket and all that's needed. I'm not familiar with stropping on rough leather of any kind. If it continues to pull, just send it back to me and I'll take a look at it for you. Lynn

Deep,
I think 10 passes is part of the problem. I useually do 25-30 on a long hanging strop. My short paddle has less surface area and will need at least the same 25-30 passes.
Sharpness, while supposedly a finite thing, at times seems subjective. I have had shave ready sharp razors from several members here that to me still needed work. I have also hones razors for others who found them to be a new experience in sharp and others who found them lacking. Your beard is one factor, the angle to the face another BIG factor. I can take any good razor change the angle and get anything from great to poor results.
Try more passes on the strop, try changing the angle a little and if all else fails let Lynn look it over again.
Best,
Tony

Thanks for the input everyone.

I will try and see next time if I'm just using too little pressure i.e. being gun shy with the new razor.

I just spent 50 passes on the smooth leather (final stropping) side so hopefully that will make a bigger difference than what I did before.

Usually I find I have to keep the angle of the blade nearly flat to my face in order to get a comfortable effective shave in general, perhaps it was the case that the areas I felt it the razor really pulling I had unconsciously allowed too large an angle.

Compared to Shavette (DE blade) straight razor will have some pull to the action.

Well, round 2 wasn't any better. I stropped a good 40 passes, made sure I prepped well, paid attention to angles, wasn't as gunshy in terms of hand pressure. It was marginally better than the first time but still not an effortless shave and some spots on the face were just painful to shave - like using a butter knife.

The shave is very loud - it sounds like beard is being scraped off rather than being sliced through. I don't know if this means my beard is just obscenely coarse and I don't realize it - because I don't hear this much of a scraping noise from my shavette or even a cheap disposable razor.

Advice please? Thank you.

Deep, the stroping is the real trick in straight razor shaving, and I think the part to learn the hardest. I use straight razor for 3 months now, and I am just getting good at stropping...

Just keep the light touch, and don't go too slow.

Best of luck

I think all razors are different blade size and all. I get good shaves from keen 4/8, 5/8 & 7/8's. I usually strop on smooth leather for 30 strokes. It might be the angle. It is easier for a person to judge a razor they usually shave with as to if it is dull. Sorry.

Hey guy! Welcome to Str8 shaving!

First off, the sound of a str8 will depend on the grind, size and steel used. Some of the full hollow razors make a fair amount of racket while the "wedge" grinds are less noisy.

The Feather Platinum blades are reported to be the sharpest things available. If you can get your Str8 that keen then you are doing wonderfull.

Please pay close attention to your prep. You probably are since you have been wet shaving for awhile.

The angle should be approx 30 degrees or two blade widths away from your face. This is the general rule of thumb to start with. Never flat against the skin nor at a 45 degree angle. Somewhere between 25 and 35 degrees.

If after your third attempt you feel that the razor is still pulling then its time for the abrasive pasted strop.
Try 30-50 round trips on that , clean the razor then 30-40 round trips on the plain leather strop. Then shave again and note the change.

Are you using a stainless steel razor? New ?

Hope this helps,