Thread: It won't shave! 2nd shave!

Straight shaving works. If it doesn't, then its either the user or the blade. I suspect its the blade in your situation. The $6 boar brush I had was aweful and I finally gave it to the cat as a toy. I have $50 pure badger brush and the difference is night and day in performance and feel.

Pick up a disposable straight shaver with some fresh blades. They are cheap and don't involve any maintenance. This experience will guarantee you to know what a sharp blade feels like and this will help you figure out your situation quickly. Plus, when you travel, the disposable straight shaver comes in handy.

Duller blades require better techniques.

Good Luck,

Pabster

I may be going out on a limb here, but it wouldn't be the first time. In my experience, I have not found a brush that wouldn't work up a lather that was good enough for a shave. I have found that some bath type soaps can be used with good results, but some will just not cut it. Do I like my silvertips better than synthetics... absolutely, but can I get great lather using a 3$ boar brush.... absolutely.

With respect,

You say you want to be a straight razor shaver, but if you're not willing to invest in it, it won't be for you.

You need a sharp razor, that's for shure. Have that razor checked. Holli4pirating is a respected member here, with impeccable reputation.
Criticising (even unintentionally) his work makes people nervous, please try to understand that.
There are numerous reasons why a razor can loose its edge (cutting a sheet of paper, wrong stropping, the thumbnail test, touching the edge with anything else than your skin, etc...) It's not even important how or why that razor lost sharpness, if it did at all. The fact is, that you've lost your confidence in that razor. That needs to be fixed. And it's you that needs to invest in fixing it. If you can't put your trust in holli4pirating any longer, then pay for a honemeister.

You also need to buy shaving soap. That doesn't have to be expensive, but if you're not ready to invest in searching this forum for the name of a cheap and decent puck of soap, and go out to buy it, then I fear straight razor shaving will not be for you.

Your boar brush is fine. Any brush is fine. Better brushes are a luxury.

You need a hanging strop and you need to figure out how to use it.

You need to learn about proper beard preparation and be prepared to take your time for it.

Anyone can take a razor, put it against his face, experience some pulling, and speak to the mirror "nah, not for me". There's no shame in that.

But if you're determined to learn it, you need to invest in it.

Kind regards,
Bart.

I would second the idea that you should send it back to be evaluated and potentially rehoned. Having an expert look at it will tell you for certain if the edge is good enough to shave with. There are a thousand reasons why it may not be. You need to know that the edge is ok so you can eliminate that as a potential variable. If the edge is ok, then you have to focus on your technique.

Variation in angle and pressure is much more subtle than most people realize, and the learning curve is largely about learning how it should feel and what the feedback means when it feels wrong. In fact, there is probably no such thing as proper angle and proper pressure. They are just continuous variables in the process. Getting to know how your blades respond to your face is the education required to shave with a straight.

I don't know if it's possible, but it would be nice to find a barber that can shave with a straight and have him shave you with it. That way you could prove on your face if it is the blade or the technique. Short of that, you can have someone else that has coarse whiskers give it a try. There are a lot of good people on this site, and I'm sure that many would be willing to help you out.

+1 on the last 2 posts from me
if your not happy with the results from your shaving I can see that there are only 2 things that can be wrong
1 Your Razor
2 Yourself

Thats it, shaving is a solitary experiance that puts the person TOTALY in the driving seat.
Send the razor back and whilst it is being given a very very expert once over buy shavette, they are dog sh#t cheap, when I was starting out I got a no-name one for under $10, this will without any doubt allow you to eliminate the Razor as your source of unhappy shaves
Get hold of some decent shaving soap or cream and learn how to apply it using proper beard preperation techniques, I scanned through this thread and you have at least 1 offer of some free, you say you have a brush, and i presume you got hot water? so you should be ready to go.
Read the wiki and watch the videos, there is one by Jockeys that I would reccomend, and take your time, just shave your cheeks if needs be, and progress as your experiance and skill levels increase.
An experianced straight shaver could most likely tell you everything about it in an hour, would anyone be able to shave straight after that? no it takes time, commitment and patience, it needs to be worked at.
Straight shaving is once mastered very very rewarding, just look at the amount of members and posts this forum has, that should tell you something.
the amount of good advice and help on here is almost endless, please take it and use it and I believe you will soon be a very happy straight shaver

just my 2 pennies
Ralfy