Ode to the Christmas DOVO :-(

Hi Barry,

Based on the date you joined SRP, you (and I) are in the start-up phase. I agree entirely with the folks who suggested you're trying too many variables too fast. When I (re)started DE shaving a year ago, the advice I got was to just work on one variable at a time. Without that, my shave wouldn't be repeatable enough to sample different blades and soaps/creams. And I didn't have to worry about honing and stropping on top of everything else.

My vote is to work on your prep first. The softer your beard is, the more of a fighting chance your razor has. There is an abundance of info on preps here and in other wet shaving Wikis. One technique recently debated here is "Kyle's Prep" over on Badger and Blade. Give it a try; YMMV.

How-to: Pre-Shave Prep - Badger & Blade

Best regards,
Don P

Might check the SRP wiki Prep

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Originally Posted by richmondesi

Might check the SRP wiki Prep

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Great reference. I hadn't explored that part of the wiki. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by richmondesi

Might check the SRP wiki Prep

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Been there...... Added the hot towel to my prep this morning. May have helped a little. I guess I have a coarser beard than most. I don't really have any way to compare ;-) I don't have the dark heavy look of a Greek because I have freckles and fair skin but I do have rapid growth and thick goatee.

The shave this morning was smooth and still BBS 5 hours later. I did do some extra stopping and that seemed to help as well.

I am still new to this and I am sure it is a combination of errors. I still want to figure out what I am doing wrong so I can improve......

Here is a photo of my face.........

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...ererMan010.jpg

Just enjoy the journey :)

Your technique will continue to improve (stropping, shaving, prep, everything) and you'll get those results that you're after. To be honest, you seem to be doing pretty well considering...

Your razors seem to be leaving green and brown marks on your cheeks. Definitely not normal! :D

I'd echo others and say just stick to a single razor with an edge by a proven member here. The first thing that came to my mind was improper stropping technique as eve a coarse beard shouldn't remove your edge that quickly (I typically hone every two or three months). You might also try applying some white paste to your canvas strop if you haven't already. I certainly found that that improved things greatly when I started.

I have a couple of my razors at a long time member here and he says they are really sharp..... Will figure this out. thanks for all the suggestions here. Still haven't got it yet but things are improving. My stropping seems to be improving and adding a hot towel to my morning ritual is helping some as well.

Thanks again,

Barry

Just an update...... I spoke to Jim at Vintage Blades today and he is making sure the Chirstmas Dovo is fixed. He is the picture of customer service. I had no doubt but just wanted everyone to know he is FIRST RATE.

Have been working with the JA and Jung and things are coming together. The Jung is continuing to shave well with stropping and the JA responded to a brief touch up on my wood hone. I still haven't gotten this all figured out but I am making progress.

Straight shaver in training,
Barry

Well, you've got all the advice you need from other members, but I'll add my 2 cents anyway. ;) Judging from your picture, my beard is very similar and I prefer my blades a bit sharper than those that come shave ready from Vintage Blades. The problem with sharper is that it results in a more delicate edge. A delicate edge cutting a wiry beard results in a more rapid deterioration of that edge - which I think is what you're experiencing. All you can do is exactly what you're doing; work on your technique so that you can get a good shave with a somewhat duller blade.

Like someone else already posted: a couple of months from now, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

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Originally Posted by radaddict

............ The problem with sharper is that it results in a more delicate edge. A delicate edge cutting a wiry beard results in a more rapid deterioration of that edge - which I think is what you're experiencing. .........

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Thanks....You are exactly correct. I have worked on a combiniation of things and am finding improvements. I do like the extremely sharp edge but it fades very quickly. I am using a DE in the troublesome corners of my beard and that has helped too.

Barry