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I have several full hollows that I just can't get the hang of shaving with. I'm not sure if it is the coarseness of my whiskers or what. Consequently, they don't show up in my rotation very much. Is there anything technique wise I need to know relative to using a full hollow grind?
What sort of problems do you have with the hollows? Do they not shave properly or is it uncomfortable?
Typically I've found that the hollows are more sensitive to the angle -- if you're off by a little you can either tug at the hairs or irritate your skin, in my experiences.
Commiecat,Quote:
Originally Posted by commiecat
They tug quite a bit and my skin is definatley sensitive to it. Reminds me of the shaves I got when I fist started using a straight. I know the razors are sharp. I have been adjusting the angle in each direction to try and figure out how they shave. But I can't figure it out. I bailed out on a Droescher Black Smith today when I went to shave my chin and finished with my Filarmanica DT12.
So what would you recommend for the WTG, XTG and ATG angles?
Thanks.
Well I think I follow the general rule of around 30 degrees for my WTG pass. It would probably be a tight squeeze to get my pinky in between the spine and my skin.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alembic
For my XTG I keep it pretty flat with the spine almost touching my skin. I don't go ATG.
Commiecat,
Thanks. I will try to tighten the angle more on my XTG - don't know about my WTG yet.
Alembic,
If this does not work for you I would suggest immediate disposal. As I am a disposal expert I would be happy to dispose of them if you ship me all of your full hollow razors. I am even feeling generous enough that if you wish me to dispose of these blades for you I will reimburse you the full cost of shipping.
:)
-G
I have a very course beard and I do a very light N-S pass then I soak my beard with a hot towel for about 20 seconds, re-lather and hit it again in earnest. My beard is so tough that a 1/4 grind razor is a "singing razor" for me! :D My wife can hear my beard being cut when she is in the other room when I use even a 1/4 grind. I like full hollows but for me they can not compete with a 1/4 grind for smoothness or ease of use. I have heard that it is technique, prep, sharpness and ......no never mind a full hollow is harder for me to use.
Take Care,
Richard
Make sure your hollow is super sharp. I found when using a full hollow first time I couldn't shave well at all, but I think the technique is a bit different because now it's totally fine - not sure exactly what I do different.
Did you see the recent thread on the scything stroke ? IIRC Utopian draws an analogy between shaving and cutting a tomato. If you try to shear the whiskers by attacking them with a straight cut it isn't as effective as slicing them as you would a tomato.
So if you are doing a WTG from the ear level down to the jaw line instead of moving straight down you are also moving at a slight diagonal. IOW the point or the heel won't end up being on a vertical plumb line from where you started to where you finish.
You will either move the edge forward as you go down or backward as you move down. This slices the whiskers. The bad news is that the angle has to be right and you cannot be pushing the edge into the skin as we tend to do when we are new. If you do this applying pressure you'll slice the skin. The edge skims the surface of the skin slicing the whiskers. It is not like scraping ice off of your windshield.
I consider this an advanced shaving technique and it took me a couple of years to be comfortable with it. Different people have different learning curves. I see some guys picking it up relatively quickly but I was not one of them. Eventually I got to where I could do this on about any part of my physiognomy except the knob of my chin and my upper lip. I'm still very careful on those two areas. :)
I started with full hollows and found them very sensitive to angles even different full hollows needed slight tweaking of the angle for good results (I say good because with only a little more then a month into this I know I'm still probably years away from best results). Then I tried a 1/4 grind wow what a difference, easier on the skin and less tugging from what I've read it has less to do with beard type and more to do with technique but i still prefer the full/singing hollows. Yes they are still more irritating to my skin but I keep coming back to them maybe I'm just stubborn. Continue working at it and I'm sure it will improve, if not you can always take deighaingeal up on the generous offer to dispose of it for you, you never can be too careful when disposing of a straight and it's always worth it to go with a professional disposer:) have fun, part of enjoying straights for me is experiancing the subtle quirks that make each razor unique and learning to master them.
What an advice :beer2:Quote:
Originally Posted by deighaingeal
Thanks Jimmy,Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
That is the technique I was using. I would not have been able to get as far as I did without it. It's funny that you mention the chin, because that is where I finally had to throw in the towel - I have not learned to scythe on the chin area.
Having said that, I might still have the wrong blade angle combined with the scythe cut. Sometimes this is a little like trying to fly a helicopter. A lot of stuff to coordinate into a single simultaneous action.
David
Alembic,
Don't give up on your hollows yet. And I know you'll kick yourself if you got rid of them now in frustration.
For all of you who are getting frustrated with their hollow razors please read this: http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...w-apology.html
Perhaps you may have some renewed interest in those razors you were about to give up on.
Best regards,
Ryan
Using a 30 degree blade angle is often mentioned here. But, that is a guideline. The optimal angle will vary.
If your beard is tough, using a 30 degree angle with your first WTG pass might not be the best idea. Old barbers manuals often say to "lay the blade flat on the skin" with the first pass. 30 degrees seems to be mentioned so much here that I reread the sentence or two in the first manual I found that mentioned "flat on the skin" to make sure I had it right.
And, that really worked! Now, in the tough whisker spots, my first WTG pass is with the blade flat on my skin. There is very little chance of it cutting because of the angle, and the length of the whiskers are reduced to right at skin level.
After reducing the beard with a "flat on the skin" WTG pass, I relather (just a second or two), and shave WTG again. But, this time the angle of the blade is about 30 degrees. And, throughout the rest of my shave the angle stays at about 30 degrees.
Even with a full hollow, I bet if you started "flat on the skin", you will do fine.
Thanks - good feedback. That is how I perform my first WTG as well. It just did not seem to work with my full hollow grounds. They are almost like a sheet of paper right up to the spine.Quote:
Originally Posted by LarryAndro
I am a firm believer in starting flat and lifting into the stroke - it really works for me.
Fellas,
I have them all - full hollow, 1/2, 1/4, and a big wedge. Its all about the face prep, shaving technique, and keeping the edge tuned correctly.
If you are seeking the "heft" feel, you may be pleased with the feel and performance of the 7/8 and 8/8's full hollow straight razors. These sizes are my personal favorites.
Pabster
+1 on scything...Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
I have coarse beard as well and very early on during my str8 shaving career, I found that this was the pecking order for me, as far as grinds are concerned:
Wedges > 1/4 hollow > 1/2 hollow > full hollow
So wedges worked best. Then as my technique improved, I found the grind to be more or less irrelevant. I get as good a shave with any of my hollows as I do with my wedges...I actually prefer hollows. I also quickly learned that I was more comfortable with scything than other techniques...this vastly improved the shave with hollows (as well as wedges)
I think there's a level of intuitiveness that goes into each of our individual shaves. This will be different for all of us and I think you need to experiment a bit to find the sweet spot for your hollow str8s. I also believe that having sensitive skin can work to your advantage. It will provide you with a better metric to judge the different techniques. but, that's what worked for me...YMMV :)
Not so fast buddy...You may be a disposal expert here, but I am the "CA state regulator" of all EPA (and other) related disposal activities :D. So, do remember, you are obligated under CA state law, to drop these off to my office for evaluation, which may take awhile to finish :roflmao.Quote:
Originally Posted by deighaingeal
[QUOTE=BladeRunner001;642067
I think there's a level of intuitiveness that goes into each of our individual shaves. [/QUOTE]
Or, as I have been saying, use the natural approach and stop trying to force unatural angles, strokes and techniques.