Thread: Poor results of straight shaving - very disappointed

I've been shaving with a straight for almost two years and I'm still learning. Yes, there is a huge learning curve. Yes, we didn't have a luxury of watching our father or grand father shave with a straight.

I don't recall you mentioning if you're doing one, two or three passes. WTG, XTG, and ATG are all important for a BBS shave. Just doing the first two passes will yield superior results as opposed to a single pass.

Study the pattern your beard grows in. That will also improve your shaves.

Keep the faith, you can do it.

Chattersking is absolutely right. I shave with a straight razor every morming and my blasted whiskers keep coming back, and coming back, and coming back. I thought they'd have gotten the message by now, having been threatened again, and again, and again by such a marvelous edged weapon, but no. I'm with you, man, it just ain't working.

FIND A MENTOR...

Watching someone shave and then having them to watch you is worth more than any of us can type here...use the map under the community tab above or go here:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/vbgooglemapme.php

Chattersking my friend, hang in there. I am very very new at this, but making progress. My first shave was very wrong, but I was so excited I decided to hang in there.... I started just after Christmas last year, read the WIKI here and read most of the forums as well. I also watched many many videos on Youtube and thought to myself I CAN DO THIS....

I travel for my job and when I do I take my Mach3 instead of the straight so I've had kind of a way to test my progress. 3 weeks ago was the first time I shaved with the M3 since Christmas and that shave was much closer than the straight. BUT, you know what, I found myself stretching my skin like I do when I shave with the straight. I also found myself 'aware' of the growt pattern and because of this the Mach3 shave was closer than that type of shave had ever been. This was a realization! When I can home I started shaving straight again and paid even more attention.

I had to travel again this week and guess what -- On my cheeks at least I cannot get the Mach3 shave anywhere near as close as my straight shave. I am still a little behind on my neck, but it is very close....

Don't rush. Let this be fun and it gets easier. Enjoy the shave and don't make it a chore. At least I found that helped me and the concept of pressure really works for me as well. When I feel like I am pushing the razor I don't get as close, but when it feels like I am spreading butter on bread it gets really close.

I practiced in progression as well. After about 2 weeks I stopped worrying about the XTG and ATG and simply started playing with the With The Grain. That got better fast. I think that also allowed me to develop muscle memory around 'how to hold the blade' on different parts of my face. Then the XTG and ATG got simpler. Just last week I read how close to have the spine with ATG and the shave on my neck became much smoother and even closer than it had been.

Not there totally yet, but it keeps improving. Sometimes every day and sometimes it takes a week or longer to find the next level of improvement.

When you feel like that rope is continually slipping through your fingers, Tie a Knot in the end and hang on!

Good Luck

There is a learning curve..WIth str8s it is all about angles and technique..Everyone has something different to say. You have to find "your" way...Personnaly I hold the razor at a near 90 degree from my face..to be specefic it is around 82 degrees..I do not do a bunch of passes either..I do one pass and do mutiple strokes on one area..I think it is called "buffing"..I can shave as fast with a st8 as I can with a DE...The diff is I get razor burn with a DE..By the way I have been shaving with st8's for years and never learned the "proper" way to shave. I learned from watching my grandfather and trial and error..I think what saved me was wheen I started shaving I was a peach fuzzed boy.The emistakes I made (besides) slicing chunks of my face off were not noticable because I didn't have much hair to shave off...As I have gotten older my 5 oclock shadow is intense..Also, I just recentley started shaving with a DE Gillette fat boy and a Merkur 33c..I find them easy to shave with and get a very close shave in comparison to a Mach 3 or any cartridge razor that I have tried..So if st8's aren't for you, try DE's...Less learning curve with the same wet shaving satisfaction..

Straight learning curve pretty much says it all.

I was a little frustrated with my first shave as well. I had a couple of shaves from my barber last year that were the so smooth I thought my face was a babies butt. That peaked my interest in straights. I started in December and it took me 20 shaves to get to the point where most of my face could get barber shave smooth. I have at least another 30 shaves under my belt and am getting better and better with every shave. There have a been a couple of times I was a bit tired and didn't take the patience this art deserves and knew right away I had short changed myself. I now pick times where I know I am alert, have at least an hour for shower and shave so I'm comfortable. Hang in there and be patient.

Shave On!

Chip

Applying more pressure to the razor on your face may help.

You see, when you first start out shaving with a SR you are very cautious and timid. Your hands may even shake while holding the razor as it approaches your face.
Once you become comfortable with the whole idea of having something "murderous" against that pretty face of yours you will be able to focus more on technique.

Don't give up EVER! Once you get it you will LOVE it.

If it's really that important to you, then keep doing it. One tip is to pull the skin that you are doing taut. Then, slowly and cautiously shave it. If you persevere, you will become good at it. It takes alot of patience. As a barber, I like to keep the face hot with hot towels and steam. It seems not to tug as much that way. Good luck.

I've been shaving with only straight razors for a couple of years now, and I'm still learning. I'm sure the guys who've been doing it for years more are still learning. Keep the "faith" and endure.