uncomfortable shave

I have three razors in my rotation that are extremely sharp. They pass every single sharpness test. For some reason in order to get a smooth shave I have to use an angle that makes the razors pull and the shave is just uncomfortable. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or what.

I pull the skin of the area being shaved as tight as I can. I use as little pressure as I possibly can and still git rid of the hair. I'm using about a 10 degree angle to keep it from pulling but the shave isn't smooth. If I use a 25 to 30 degree angle I get a smooth shave but it hurts to even touch my face afterward. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Can you explain your beard prep? Sounds like that could be the issue.

I'm thinking the same thing. Beard Prep.

+1 on the beard prep. I personally use the AOS sandlewood soap everyday and can tell you that before finding the right soap for my face I was the same way. Look around at shaving stores and on the net and find a cream or soap that fits. Once you do, your shaving experience will be much better.

Ya +1 on Beard Prep

keys:

Hot Shower

Hot Towel/Wash Cloth

Good cream and hot lather.

If you don't do atleast this your F'd

Cheers
David

Maybe that's the problem. I usually just do a splash of hot water and then apply lather. What's the best method for steaming a towel?

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Originally Posted by bulldog

Maybe that's the problem. I usually just do a splash of hot water and then apply lather. What's the best method for steaming a towel?

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bulldog,

You might want to try this, along with your steaming hot towel, as part of your beard prep regimen. I've tried it, as well as several other SRP members, and it works.

Drenching the towel in hot water from the sink should be good enough, but if you want I guess you could throw a wet towel in the nuke.

Try a long hot shower first. Get out, dry off and just before applying the lather soak your face with hot water again. Not a splash, a full rinse. it's WET shaving, not damp shaving. :) The extra water will help with the lather making, too. Also, I find that face lathering helps with the prep and I get a more comfy shave. Lathering on the face takes about 2-3 minutes and really gets the lather into your beard.

:gl:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bulldog

Maybe that's the problem. I usually just do a splash of hot water and then apply lather. What's the best method for steaming a towel?

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I don't consider that I have a particularly tough beard but I usually take a hot shower and wash my face vigorously rinse and wash again vigorously. Get mad at those whiskers. When I get out I lather in a bowl and use a good thick lather. I do two passes with the gradual stubble removal technique and that does the trick 99% of the time. The other 1% the razor ain't sharp enough. YMMV.

I dont' know what the problem is. Prep is likely, but something tells me there is more to it.

Straight razors are wicked smooth. All I can share is that this is a big problem, one that probably lies in more than just your prep.

It sounds to me like the edge has been rolled off-center with unbalanced strop pressure.

I would look at the edge under super bright light and tilt it around and see if there is a clear dark line on the edge, slightly more prominent on one side then the other.

You can PM me if this is the case and I can explain what to do.

Otherwise change your prep a bit and see if that helps.

BullDog,

Everyone has chimed in. The good news is that this is an easy fix. Thanks for checking into SRP as everyone is very helpful to each other.

Pabster

For me, there's no substitute for a hot shower before applying hot towels. Lately, I've been applying the lather and letting it soak in while I strop and getting better results than before. If your prep is the problem, this might help. As an afterthought, I'm surprised no one has mentioned pre-shave oil. I don't use it myself, but many do.

All (especially AFDavis11), what is way to fix the edge if it is indeed rounded due to incorrect stropping? My guess is that is what happened to my razor. I've tried improving my technique, and performed over 100 laps on my Filly strop, and thought I detected some improvement in level of comfort, but still ended up with irritation. Would 10 laps on CroX fix it, or do I need a touch-up hone?

Thanks.

What I find strange is that you say the razors pass all sharpness tests
I would think a rolled edge would have difficulty passing the HHT.

If you do have a rolled edge, a touch up hone would bring you back to a known starting point.
CrO on leather will magnify any faults you may have in stropping.
You do need to address your stropping skills to prevent recurrence of the same problem.