Thread: First shave...It felt like I was ripping my face off!

I recently acquired my great grandfathers j.r. Torrey 5/8 round point hollow ground razor. The razor was not quite sharp enough so I had a norton stone sharpening wedge(6-8k I think) and the Apart barbers hone so I executed the "X" pattern till I felt the razor was sharp enough by feeling a cutting sensation drawing down my wet thumb. Looked at the razor with my 10x jewelers loupe and there were no jagged edges. I then did 50 laps on the linen and 50 on the leather. I checked the draw on my thumb and it seemed very sharp.
Seeing as this was my first shave I decided to do my neck first so I could stop if needed. I was sure I read a 30 degree angle is ideal.
My shave soap had a thick creamy lather that lasted for 15 minutes. I have a very thick heavy beard.
I took a shower before, before I exited the shower I put on a face lotion to try and add additional moisture to my beard for easy cutting, lathered on my shave soap and went to town and it started....
Some strokes were ok but some were almost unbearable...I do not want this to be my last experience so I am asking for your help. Please!!...

Should I send the razor out to be professionally sharpened?

What angle should the razor be at?

Thanks for the help in advance..

As to your first question, yes. I would definitely send your razor out to a pro. That way, you'll know that the razor is sharp and if the shave still does not improve its your technique that is the problem. As for the blade angle, 30 degrees is a guideline, not a strict rule. After you get the razor back from a pro, I would lather up just your cheek area and shave in short strokes starting with 15-30 degree angle and slowly increasing with each stroke to see which angle suits your face best.

I'm still getting the hang of straight shaving as well but this is just my two cents. Hopefully a more experienced member will chime in as well. Once you do get your razor back from honing, keep at it and your shaves WILL improve. It takes time and practice. Best of luck to you!

EDIT: If you need to find someone who will hone your razor for you, take a look in the classifieds under the member services link. There are a lot of experienced members offering their services for not too much money. Let us know what you decide to do!

Torrey is a good razor, so no worries about that. As stated, send her out for a professional honing. There are way too many variables in the beginning to be worried about IF your blade is sharp or not. I recommend stropping on newspaper on a flat surface at first instead of a strop for a while (search 'newspaper strop'). You will get more consistent results at first and remove yet another variable. Try starting with 200 laps for newspaper stropping instead of the linen & leather. You'll have plenty of time to worry about stropping technique later. Read all of the beginner shaving advice posts 100 times and go from there. Sounds like you've got the right idea, good shave prep, etc--you just need a razor you KNOW is sharp and some practice. It will get much better! Hang in there...

It sounds like perhaps you're new to str8 shaving. If that's true, the chances of being able to hone it properly are very near zero. I learned to hone at the same time I learned to shave. That was a mistake. Sub-standard edges kept me from learning shaving well - made it a much longer learning curve.

Burt,

You have the right ideas, don't be discouraged. There is a significant learning curve to straight shaving. You should definitely have you razor honed by someone who really knows what they are doing. Once you get it back, be careful with the edge, don't test it on your thumb and be careful with the strop. try not to nick the strop very much. As far as actually shaving, I always had a harder time with my neck when I started out. The grain changes directions and the angle's are sometimes funny. I agree with the suggestion of just starting with the side burn/cheek areas to start. I know it's tempting to try to shave your whole face in one go, but you will really benefit from the muscle memory/practice of the motions repeated on the easiest part of your face. Just take your time and read as much as you can on this forum and the wiki. There are lots of members here that really have this thing understood.

Enjoy it.

Avoid the neck until you're sure you have the necessary chops for it.

It might help to know where you are. If you post that there may be a mentor in your area who can help you not only with the honing, but with the shaving as well. I should also point out that every person I know having trouble with shaving is using too much pressure. I was recently asked how much pressure is too little and all I could say was "when the razor isn't touching your face". I agree that you should get it honed and there are many great guys here for that I have tried many edges from many of the guys here.

Don't sweat it. I made the same mistake when I first started...got my razor honed to perfection then destroyed the edge by trying to strop it. That first shave made my eyes water.

My first shave come to me a kind of naturally. I still remember the way it done by my grandfather. He use to shave his head and as a kid I've looked with the scare to what he was doing to his scalp. It is very important to learn the shaving technique with the good quality razor from the start.

Welcome to SRP, Burt. Hang in there. Please read and follow the Beginner's Guide. The Guide suggests you start with just the cheek of your dominate hand side. Remember - NO PRESSURE on the blade. You should imagine shaving the whiskers off at their base - without touching the blade to your skin. I know that is impossible, but that is the light touch you are trying to achieve. Beginners, including yours truly, usually think they are not using pressure but in fact are.

Straight razor shaving is a process and a luxury. Enjoy.