Thread: How did you learn?

Originally Posted by freyguy

I'm using a shavette, so the only way I can identify shave readiness at this point is by putting in a new blade. How would you recommend a newb determine a shave ready blade from something that's not quite there.

I just ordered a shave ready Dovo from SRD, and figure that with that I would get a feel for a what shave ready really is.

I never used a shavette but I suppose they should feel very similar and you can test with a new blade the same way. If you ordered from SRD it should be shave ready. A way to see if a razor is shave ready is try to cut arm or leg hair with the razor away from the skin and repeat with all edge length (cut, move the blade, cut - don't go cutting sideways), hair should pop off easily, but most people would tell you that the only shave ready test is shaving and I tend to agree, but even before it is shave ready it has to cut hair. I get a lot more info from making a thumbpad test but you first need some feeling for it, try it on your shavette (first watch a video of someone doing it and be carefull). Good Luck.

I actually practiced for a while using one of those old wooden rulers that have the metal strip embedded in the edge. The metal edge gives some audiable and tactile feedback so you can get a feel for whisker direction, and handling a razor.

It's not perfect, but I felt I got some confidence in going to the str8.

Nothing worse that taking some surical sharp steel to your skin for the very first time you ever handled the razor!

Hello. I messed about with straight razors years ago without much of a clue about what to do, with mixed results. With the exception of that, I've always used a DE, which definitely teaches you a sensible approach to shaving, especially an aggressive razor like the Aristocrat Jr. which I used exclusively for years.

Now I've returned to using a straight: here's how it happened. I bought myself a couple of vintage Sheffield razors which were just too gorgeous to pass up, and spent a couple of months contemplating them. I then decided to hone them, and one (a Fenton 6/8) came sharp without much trouble, but the other (Butler 5/8) refused to co-operate (I now believe that it had been honed previously with tape on the spine). I stropped the sharp one on a homemade paddle loaded with jeweller's rouge and sent the other to Neil Miller for a complete refurb. By the time it came back I'd managed a few creditable shaves, thoroughly enjoying the process. Neil also sent me three sample strops which have improved matters a good deal: both razors cut hanging hairs easily and I'm as clean shaven as I ever have been. The next steps are to commission another razor as a stopgap and send the Fenton off to Neil for a polish, acquire a better hone ... and so on. I feel like I've learnt a lot already about a subject which is going to continue to give me a great deal of satisfaction for a long time.

Originally Posted by yoshida

I never used a shavette but I suppose they should feel very similar and you can test with a new blade the same way. If you ordered from SRD it should be shave ready. A way to see if a razor is shave ready is try to cut arm or leg hair with the razor away from the skin and repeat with all edge length (cut, move the blade, cut - don't go cutting sideways), hair should pop off easily, but most people would tell you that the only shave ready test is shaving and I tend to agree, but even before it is shave ready it has to cut hair. I get a lot more info from making a thumbpad test but you first need some feeling for it, try it on your shavette (first watch a video of someone doing it and be carefull). Good Luck.

Thanks for the advice. I've seen some youtube videos on the thumb pad test, but I'm not quite ready for that. I wouldn't know what to feel for. However, I accidentally performed the thumb pad test on my first few blade replacements without knowing it.

I was installing the new blade, and found it hadn't seated itself quite right, so under estimating how sharp the blade was, I used the pad of my thumb to push down on the blade to seat it. I have three cuts on one thumb because of this. I suppose the blades were shave ready.

In hind sight, I get a pretty good laugh about it

Been wetshaving with a DE for over a year with good results and father suggested I get a str8. Looked around this site and after months of lurking and reading bought a 6/8 (more like 13/16) Dovo "Best Quality" from sebell. Watched Lynn's DVD and with all the reading learning from the mistakes of others the first shave was pretty darn smooth. Did the whole face (bristles here and there and difficult spots). Walked to work in a chilling, windy cold with tiny ice crystals whipping into my face to provide further exfoliation and face looked razor burned for about two hours then magically recovered.

A few months later got Norton synthetic water stones and Spyderco synthetic sapphire stones and a lapping stone. Honed up a small 4/8th, a 5/8th W&B wedge and a 11/16 Dubl Duck "Dwarf" without a real problem (4/8th's edge collapsed twice but shaved o.k. immediately after honing). I'd done plenty of freehand sharpening of various cutlery for a few years and had a delicate, soft touch.

I can honestly say that for the first two years I'd owned a str8 that I spent more time honing straights than actually shaving with them!

Started with a Fromm Hairshaper about five years ago, bought my first two vintage straights about two years ago, which lead me to the shave forums. Learned pretty much by trial and error.

goshawk

I learned with a new, professionally honed razor. The razor was fine, but my techniques lacked. Lots of cuts at first. I haven't had any problems for a long time. However, three weeks ago I cut the last joint of the middle finger, left hand off with a table saw. Besides making me a handicapped driver here in the mean traffic of Atlanta, it's put a temporaty halt to my straight shaving. Although I have a good DE, you don't appreciate a straight shave until you can't get one. Soon I'll be able to hold a razor with my left hand and will be back in action.