Thread: A week or two but still trouble.

I've been trying to shave for a week or two now but have been encountering a few things that annoy me.
1) I still cut myself on a regular basis although not a bad as I did the second time shaving (took more than a week to heal)
2) I can't get as smooth a shave as I expected most of the time. Once or twice it wasn't too bad but mostly it isn't smooth at al. Not even nearly as close as my old mach3 was.
3) When doing my throat it feels like running a file acros my skin.

Now I think I might know why though. My first tries were with a cheap stainless blade I bought of the internet in Germany. I don't think it's that sharp.
At the moment I use a secondhand blade by Dovo that I also bought through e-bay. It's broken near the end so it's not as long as a normal one but I don't mind because it makes manouvering across my skin easier. But I think it's a bit dull as well and I don't think I have enough experience OR the right equipment to fix that.
The thing is though...I live in the Netherlands and don't really know where to turn. Anyone that can help me? (oh yeah..I'm a student and Don't have any cash for nice new ones that's why I bought mine through E-bay.)

wow, Yes Id say the problem is that the thing is not sharp enough, PRetty much any knife you buy off of ebay as vintage is going to be closer to butter knife sharp than shaving sharp. I'd say you have three options, and I am not sure how viable they are given your current economic status and location.
1) buy a shave ready razor
2) buy and learn how to use some hones and strops (you need a strop regardless)
3) find someone that can sharpen what you have for you.

I would definately get rid of the razor with the broken blade, you can hurt yourself with it as there will be a jagged place where it broke.

what make was the stainless you bought? if it was made in pakistan or india you pretty much have a letter opener rather than a razor.

The cheap razor was made in Solingen (or so it says) but it's beyond cheap and practically falls off the Handle. You misunderstoood what I meant about a broken razor I think. I mean the part broke off clear. The blade is simply much shorter... still it gives a better shave than the new one. I'll also be getting a Thiers Issard blade from france soon but it's ancient also and will need some fixing up I think.
Oh yeah...before I forget I also already have a cheap leather and canvas strop. I might invest in a better one later. (my fiancé already promised me a Thiers issard Damascus razor when I grow up héhéhé but that might take a while you know)

I don't know if they still have barbers that give straight razor shaves in the Netherlands, but if there are some, it might be worthwhile to take your razor there and ask them if they can hone it for you or if they know of someone locally that can hone it for you. If your razor isn't sharp enough, you will get those problems that you are describing.

Can't find a barber that does around here. But last week I bought an old razor at a junk shop. I'ts pretty nice. Sheffield Silver steel blade made in Solingen with a handle made in the Netherlands.
It's a lot sharper than my other one but still Can't get my throat to be nice and smooth....although I've gotten my cheeks better than I ever did with my Mach 3 so there's progress.
Is there a trick for doing the throat though?

That's what I'm also wondering. I get very nice shaves but a V-shaped strip around my neck gets irritated. In Lynn's video, he shaves it with downward strokes and I noticed that it's against the direction of growth, at least on my neck. Therefore, I'll try doing it with upward strokes in that region.

LX

As others have said before your problem is the blade is not sharp enough. The cheap one that says its from Solingen is really probably from Pakistan and is crap. I do not know how they are getting away with it but that is what is happening.
You will need to get a hone or at least find somone to hone it for you.

Thanks, I don't use the cheap one anymore however. And I'm still waiting for a decent stone to come in the mail. It's just frustrating that I was able to give myself a decent shave all over my face except for my throat.

Shaving the throat and neck can be a challenge. One of the biggest factors that can affect the shave quality on the neck is razor sharpness (at least in my experience). If your razor is not sharp enough, it makes shaving your neck that much more difficult. Another factor is failing to stretch the skin as taught as possible. I also tend to use a smaller (10-20 degrees) blade angle and a very, very light touch when shaving my neck. Even doing all that, I find that my neck shaves usually don't turn out as good as the other parts of my face.

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

It's a lot sharper than my other one but still Can't get my throat to be nice and smooth....although I've gotten my cheeks better than I ever did with my Mach 3 so there's progress.
Is there a trick for doing the throat though?

I'd say that it may be the angle. I use both hands while shaving depending on what side of my face I'm working on. I find that my left side (shave N to S with left hand and S to N with right hand) is never irritated. My right side usually has some amount of razor burn that goes away within an hour or so. The only thing I can think of is the angle is different with each hand. I also tend to think it's happening on the downward stroke, but that's just my opinion. Still, I get much less irritation than when I used a Mach III and a closer shave as well!
-Fred