Thread: Having Trouble Shaving and Need Some HELP!

My number one rule for new guys that want to learn this hobby:

* Don't try to hone your razor at all until you can shave with a well honed one you bought from someone that's known for their razor honing.


That's it.

Hope that helps.

After listening to that rule following some others:

2) learn to strop, turning your wrist, incorrect strokes. etc, they all lead to dull razors in just a few shaves.

3) Don't buy hones for a few months!

Originally Posted by jhenry

Ryan,

+++1 on the previous advice, especially that of Obie. First, send your razor out to be professionally honed. Second, forget about the canned stuff and purchase some decent shaving soap or cream and a brush. Neither need be expensive, but those two items--along with the refinement of your shaving technique--will do wonders to improve your str8 razor shaving experience.

Take care--and smooth shaving.

++++1 on the previous.
Of interest using an inexpensive boar brush to work
a bit of extra water into the goo and help clean the
face with a bit of gentle brush action can help a lot.

For beginners that are asking and have a limited budget
I recommend the kit that Walmart and others have.
It has a decent boar brush, a lather bowl and a puck
of Van Der Hagen soap. i.e. Van Der Hagen Premium Shave Set

Follow this link to see what I am talking about.

Amazon.com: Van Der Hagen Premium Shave Set (Soap, Bowl, Brush): Health & Personal Care

Build from this with a better soap or cream and later add
a better brush if you wish... Since a good shave depends
on your preparation this is the easy place to start.

The vdh soaps are great, they're cheap and you can find them in pretty much any drugestore or super maket.

A properly prepared razor will seem to just wipe the hair off when you shave. Use the HHT to determine if it is sharp enough before you shave test it.

Good luck and have patience it takes time to get where you can consistantly hone your razor to do the HHT test.


Silver2

Originally Posted by Disburden

* Don't try to hone your razor at all until you can shave with a well honed one you bought from someone that's known for their razor honing.

2) learn to strop, turning your wrist, incorrect strokes. etc, they all lead to dull razors in just a few shaves.

3) Don't buy hones for a few months!

+1 with what Disburden said. Get a professionally sharpened razor and forget about honing for the first while. Removing the "honing factor" at the beginning allows you to concentrate on the basics like prep, proper stropping and shaving techniques. Don't worry, there will be plenty of time to learn the honing ropes!

RBF:

To put this in perspective I had to go with some of your older posts

starting here: where you comment on the wealth of Knowledge that is SRP...

http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...hello-all.html


Then here where you ignore that wealth of Knowledge that is SRP..

http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...ld-razors.html

You got two razors with unknown edges, that you Sharpened (not honed) on unknown stones with no razor honing experience..

Then you post this thread and ask why you can't shave???

My suggestion and I realize that Robin is now grinning from ear to freaking ear...
Start in the Wiki with the Newb section and explore that wealth of knowledge first, then realize that you did EXACTLY what we say not to do, follow the links from the Wiki to more detailed explanations of this hobby we persue...Read Lynn's section on the first shave...

And send me one of those razors so I can get you started off with a real edge, (God I hope these razors are honable) which I will hone for free, but only if you promise to read all that while the razor is here and in the mail.. (Postage is on you)

My dear RBF:

I concur with Glen — absolutely.

Please take his advice and do the necessary research. While reading up, also please take his offer to hone your razor — without charge. Glen is a master of his trade and he will turn your razor into a gem.

Regards,
Obie

I got my first straight razor in college from my room mate. Fortunately, he have me a good one (Double Duck). I was working at a bike shop at the time and a couple of doors down was a barber shop where my dad used to go and I did as a kid. The same old barber was still there. I asked him to teach me how to shave with it. The first thing he did was check the razor's edge and strop it, showing me everything. If you can find an old barber who still knows how to use one, that might be a place to get some first hand advice and a lesson.

BTW, I remember asking him where he learned how to shave with a straight, and his reply was ....prison!

Goog

Razortrader,

LOL I figured it out, it was my angle. Thanks for the pointer.

Ryan

Originally Posted by Razortrader

I guss you can always go back to your mach 5 little easyer to understand lol
J/k make use you use a 30* angle

JimmyHAD,

It was my angle. I havent been honing razors long but I have been sharpening knives for over 25 years so the honing wasnt as hard as I thought it would be. You were right that it was all in my technique. Thanks for the help.

Ryan

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

This is why it is good to start with a pro honed shave ready razor. It eliminates one possibility. namely that the razor isn't sharp enough. You've honed it to the point where it will pop leg hair which is one indication that it should shave but you haven't been honing for long I take it ?

It may be sharp enough and the problem may be one of shaving technique. Aside from good prep skin stretching and blade angle are very important. With proper blade angle and a sharp razor pressure is not called for. Hard to say what the problem is exactly. If you've got a quality pro honed razor to compare to that would help sort things out.