Thread: ahhhh thats so much better (aka keep track of what you do to your razor)

My last few shaves have been....unspectacular to say the least.
I wasn't getting a close shave. My wtg passes, which normally could clear a forest, were now requiring 2 passes, and then some.
I choked it up to not focusing, I had a passing in the family and was very worried that the news of said passing would result in my very weak 93 yo grandmother having one last heart attack, and the myriad of typical other issues.
Then I thought about it. There is always crap going on in my life, and I can deal with it (via chemistry!). I've been at this straight shaving for over 2 months now and getting better and better, and now i'm going backwards? NOT ME!
2 months of a newbie using a razor. 2 months of just destroying a strop. 2 months of using a sponge to wipe my razor between strokes.

So me, being the smart and resourceful guy that I am, bust out the package I got 2 months ago from one kind patient businessman in Texas. Ah, that piece of red and green balsa wood!
The one I said to myself 2 months ago "i'll never use this, by the time I need to sharpen a razor i'll have some sweet hones and will be the GREATEST HONER EVER". I take it out. Which way to do I run my razor on this thing? Oh yea! Larry gave me some instructions! God bless him. 40 strokes on each side, 40 more on whats left of my strop and i'm feeling ballsy again.
I decide, in Larry's honor, to do a poormansuberlather. Poormansuberlather, whats that you ask? Why its uberlather WITHOUT the glycerine! XXX and some Bigelows whipped up (whipped....get it????) after some poraso pre/post and i'm off to the races.

SUCCESS! The BEST shave i've gotten yet.

Now a question. I have a new strop coming in. I don't want to destroy it. Is it cheating if I go 30 strokes in the same direction, then switch hands and go 30 strokes in the other direction? I get a better 'rhythm' that way. I'm partially ambidextrious. My dad, being the sharp guy that he was (sharp....get it? i'm on fire today, and its NOT my face!) knew that left handed pitchers were a commodity in the majors, even if you weren't that good. So he forced me to be left handed in sports. I write with my right hand, but can do just about everything with both. So is it cheating, or is an homage to my dearly departed father??????

Don't feel bad. Learning to shave with a straight razor is full of advances and setbacks. Some days you'll feel like you're on fire (doing great, that is), and other days you may wonder why you even bother. This is completely normal until you reach the point where you can achieve consistant shaves, well, consistantly.

As you may have guessed already, one contributing factor to lousy shaves is a dull or dulling razor. After more than two months I will guarantee you that your razor was past due for a touch up. I would suggest dialling down the lap count a bit as 80 pasted laps sounds excessive. Try sets of 5 or 10, continously checking the edge for improvement with the TPT. When it feels sharp enough strop and test shave. As Lynn says, less is better.

As for your stropping technique, you can practice stropping any way you like. Experimentation is a joy in this hobby. However, I would highly recommend learning and practicing traditional stropping methods as it is very hard to unlearn bad habits further down the road.

Have fun,

Ryan

Originally Posted by rearviewmirror

Is it cheating if I go 30 strokes in the same direction, then switch hands and go 30 strokes in the other direction? I get a better 'rhythm' that way.

Are you saying do 30 strokes without flipping the razor, and then switch hands to do the other side?

If so then that seems odd but I think it would work. Practically the same principle as when people do circles on the hone where it's like 20-or-so circles on one side, then flip. Although you could just try 15 normal laps (both directions) with one hand, and then again with your other hand.