Thread: Tugging

Hi there
Just did my first shave this morning with a straight, only on the right side of my face. The results are good and my face seems nice and smooth. Just when I was shaving there was some tugging, but not much. How much is too much and what should I be looking for in terms of tugging? And what would this mean for my razor, technique etc. Thanks

Hello, There could be several causes for the tugging.
1. Razor not shave ready. Did it come professionally honed?
2. Face prep.
3. Razor angle and/or pressure
4. Stropping

Sure there will be some other suggestions also. Keep asking

It could be the razor or your technique. Didn't you post a thread about your honing an already shave ready razor? If so, then that increases the odds of it being the razor AND your technique.

Just to clarify it was only very slight tugging. The razor did not come professionally honed but seems sufficiently sharp and was polished by myself (honing technique may be to blame). Face prep could have been better, the soap I'm using was bought on a tight budget and I guess it could be down to technique due to lack of experience, suppose the only way to fix that is to keep trying. Thanks

Ideally, there should be no tugging at all.

The fact that you do experience tugging can be from a number of reasons.
Was the razor shave ready when you got it?
Did you strop it before shaving?

You need to work on your angles, your prep, and your lather in addition to making sure the razor is sharp.

If you bought it shave ready, it is probably your technique that needs honing, and not the razor
I believe most people experienced this when they started out, not to worry.

You need to work on all the above and in time, you should be fine. (if the razor is shave ready that is)
This is a learned skill, so take your time with it and be patient.

Check out the links in my sig-line, they should provide some answers too.

Good luck

+1 to what's already been said. Given that you started this thread, I'd say that it's quite likely that it needs to be properly honed.

We do have members across the globe and I'm sure that there's someone in the UK that you could send it to.

All I can do is say AMEN to what has already been said. Congrats on honing your own blade!

i'd like to offer a congratulations for only getting a little tugging on your first shave from a razor you honed yourself right off the bat.

That is an excellent point! (Sometimes I forget that some people are optimists.)

Even with a shave ready razor I find that there are a few spots where my whiskers are like little "wires" growiong in different directions and I always get a little tugging.