Thread: Avoiding Nicks and Cuts

Originally Posted by theirsashave

Hey, ryan82,

So, i prepped myself, hot shower, oil, cream etc.. and here we go... the razor completely dug into skin, nothing was cut, (a few whiskers).. So, i stopped, re adjusted my angle to about 30 deg and tried again... All i got was cuts and pain and no shave?

So, Im figuring hmm, i guess my new SR needs to be honed? So i called a gentleman at a knife shop that does sharpening and asked some questions. He recomended that i bring it in. SO, today i did just that, and he looked at it.. He ran it on the strop a few times and i bought a strop there took it home and began stropping based on everything that has been said here.... Tried again... 2nd attempt! nothing, just like the first but i didnt give up, ended up using my nik pen 10x and i dont have a half way close shave? what do i do? im willing to put the effort into this but im a little discouraged right now?

thanks for your help

mark, lake oswego, Oregon

Sorry Mark, I just noticed your post today.... oops!

I see you haven't been active here for awhile, so hopefully you'll read this and haven't given up on straights yet. Anyway, the statement highlighted in bold font says it all. Please, whatever you do DO NOT TAKE YOUR RAZOR TO A KNIFE SHOP. They can be very presumptuous and assume they can hone razors, when in reality that may not be the case at all. So step one would be to send your razor to a respected razor honer aka "honemeister" and go from there. If you still have issues we'll deal with it then

Sorry again,

Ryan82

Being new to this... If you watch the "toe" the "heal" will follow.

I found if you pay more attention to the "toe" of the blade the "heal" will follow.

If I watch the "heal" the "toe" most times "bites me"!

Ok . So I have used a straight for 13 years and have only ever had one nick (on the point of my chin)But tonight I decided to give the 5 old razors I had just finished honing a try. You know, just to check that they are all really "shave ready"
I was particularly curious as I had just received my brand new "Neil Miller" Strop. Wow what a thing of beauty it is.
I kind of knew that all 5 of them were on form. The strop makes them so sharp that I have been looking around in drawers and cupboards for any old atoms to try splitting. I had already stolen most of my wife and daughters' hair for my HHTs. Even the cats are starting to shy away from me. Cat fur! Now that is a challenge. Dont know if any of you have tried.
Anyway I seem to have drifted a bit off topic, but I managed to give myself no less than 7 cuts.
Strange I thought, but then I remembered the 6 or 7 pints I had had in the pub an hour or so before.

My simple advice is, no matter how sharp the razor. No matter how good the prep, or the technique.
Getting pissed and then deciding to shave with 5 unfamiliar straights is not a great idea.
Just goes to show.. there are always things we can learn.
Will stick to 5 pints or less in future.

In my limited (18 months) history of str8 shaving, I've discovered that the nicks and cuts for me come most frequently at a point when I'm changing the direction/orientation of the blade (i.e. finishing a north-south pass and starting an east-west). I usually start southward down the sideburns and then start an ATG pass east-west without re-lathering. My latest gash came when making that 90-degree transition. Need to slow it down and set the razor carefully before starting the draw.

Now, having said that, there have been a couple of occasions where I've been bitten for no discernible reason. We all probably have those "go figure" moments once in a while.

When I was a early noob, I was a bit aggressive with the blade angle, trying to get a BBS shave, and that was the occasion for some new "character lines" on my face. I've since corrected that habit and learned how to get close without going into the red zone with the blade angle.

Good luck, and remember, when you get a good slice, rub some balm or Vaseline into it during the healing process to reduce the chance of a permanent "badge of courage."

Cheers!

down anybody else have problems on the right chin/ jaw area? i swear every cut i have ever had has been in the 2 square inch area. how am i supposed to approach that area?

Originally Posted by AngryBadger417

down anybody else have problems on the right chin/ jaw area? i swear every cut i have ever had has been in the 2 square inch area. how am i supposed to approach that area?

Shallow blade angle (spine closer to the skin but not close enough to touch) and make sure of your skin stretching. Doesn't have to be drum tight but it should be taut.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

An old barber told me to hold the razor securely but lightly enough so that is if it pulls the razor will flex in your fingers and be less likely to nick. He also told me to never force it if it does pull. Following that advice I have rarely gotten a nick.

My advise to anyone new to SR shaving is to use a very light touch with the razor and keep your razor very, very sharp. It has served me well.

Perfect simple advice. I have to use paste on my strop for the first time. Last time I shaved it started to get uncomfortable and not cutting my whiskers with ease like before. Wasn't pleasant but just finished up with my safety razor.

Gents, I am new to straights but have used DE for some time now. While traveling I had my first straight shave from a Turkish barber in the UK, then later took an hour lesson on how to shave with a straight from a Turkish barber in Ireland.

My limited experience with straights may seem a bit presumptuous but here are a couple of reasons I know I have cut or nicked myself.
1. Jet lag / tired in the morning. I have a couple of nice cuts from being excited about learning how to use a straight and trying a straight shave with jet lag . BAD idea.....
2. Inadvertently changing to more of an east to west shave than the North to south I was attempting.

The tighter the stretch the closer the shave. Not the more presure that you apply.

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