Thread: Poor results of straight shaving - very disappointed

Thank you everyone for your replies. I have been practicing since one week. I do this at night with lots of time and cover small areas. I havent been applying much pressure either and the blades are indeed sharp. The blade doesnt glide smoothly and feels kinda rough, I have tried doing with grain and against the grain and it still feels when I touch with my hand.

I guess its all about practice and patience as suggested - glad to know that Im not the first one who felt and been thru this same way.

It took me about six months to get great shaves. During the learning period I used a DE on all the days I had to look my best and a straight the rest of the time. Now I'm getting bbs anytime I want with a straight. It's worth the steep learning curve.

I posted a similar thread a couple of weeks ago. The advice was helpful to me.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...l-stubble.html

If it makes you feel any better, I took more than twenty SR shaves before I achieved something that was "wearable" without resorting to using my Mach 3 to for a final pass. Even after that I was still touching up with the Mach 3 for about another month.

I'm to the point where I don't need to do that anymore. I still can get better results from the cartridge, but the results from the SR are improving little by little and that gives me encouragement to keep going.

So as a fellow newbie, my advice to you would be keep trying.

My straight shaves still aren't as good as what I can get with a Merkur 34C. They're not only not as good, they take longer and can be more painful. But it took me three weeks to get good results with the DE, and I expect it will take me more time than that to get good results with a straight. I've been shaving with real straights for about three weeks, and I know they're shave ready because I hone and test them. Like you, I may not be "shave ready" yet because I find I'm learning new techniques, approaches, and methods with every shave. I could go back to a DE and get great shaves easier and quicker. Straights are just more fun and more involving.

I have, however, become a true Stypticmeister!

Try looking into your stropping technique. As they say "poor stropping will ruin a shave ready razor."

Originally Posted by ace

I have, however, become a true Stypticmeister!

Congratulations! It's always good to become an expert at something.

Chattersking,
I've been at this straight shaving thing for 2 1/2 months now and I can honestly tell you that I can finally do my cheeks pretty well--once or twice a week, I can kind of do my chin pretty well--I have been finishing up with my DE since I started this learning curve on 12/12/10. What I have noticed is that when I let myself get frustrated abour results--they get worse. When I just enjoy the experience, I seem to get better results. I am slowly and I mean SLOWLY getting better. This does seam to be a skill that takes a great amount of devotion to aquire. When I get really down I read the newbie forum and I realize that I have made progress, albiet slow. Hang in there buddy--give yourself several months and like the previous posts have said, there is no shame in finishing with your regular razor while you're getting better.

Chattersking,
If this was easy, ever guy you know would be doing it. Welcome to this new world. You have been given lots of excellent advice and I join in the encouragement. Time takes time. But you will be very pleased with your results as you continue. Each one of us has our own path to a BBS. The most important thing is to have fun as you travel the road. This is an excellent group if men and they will not heaitate to assist you.

Originally Posted by BanjoTom

Chattersking,
If this was easy, ever guy you know would be doing it.

Of course, keep in mind that a hundred years ago every guy was doing it. That means that it is within the realm of capability of the average Joe.

Hang in there, dude! Although this and other shaving sites have so much information that straight shaving seems just a little less complicated than neurosurgery, familiarity is 95% of it. After awhile you'll figure out the best skin-stretching techniques (for you), the best angle and all that.

For most of the 30 years I've been straight-shaving, I used the same (cheap) razor that I started with, an inexpensive strop and a couple basic hones. Most shaves, not counting the lather prep, are started and done in about five minutes. Smoother than any double edge!