Thread: 3rd Time is Not a Charm

Hang in there, it will all "click" soon.

Drifter --

This sounds like exactly what I went through when I first started. I've been doing this... two years now, though I only recently found the forum. My biggest issue (and it sounds like one of yours) was stropping. What is proper technique, what the hell sound should this make, how much pressure...

I'll be honest here and maybe get pegged for it, but this is purely my opinion. When stropping, no pressure = no results. No pressure means no contact and that means... nothing happens. Also, if I'm actively trying for as little pressure as possible, I end up doing other wonky things... bad angle, slow speed, variable stroke length. So, a more correct question is... how much pressure? I don't use a lot of pressure, but I do have enough to cause some minor deflection in the strop as the spine moves with the stroke. The key for me was maintaining that pressure from spine to cutting edge and working on the blade roll. The speed of the "whole" process is not nearly as important as the continuity of speed during the actual stroke. Try slowing the roll but keeping the actual strokes quicker. I promise you'll find your own rhythm.

Fortunately for you... it's StropTober! That link will bump you to page nine, where Lynn has kindly posted a great video (post #83 I believe) with excellent sound capturing. Want to hear what it should sound like? That man provides the sound you're looking for. Want to try a different technique or having trouble with the spine roll? There are a ton of videos, all with their own personal flair.

I enjoy your updates immensely and hope you find what you're looking for.

Fal

Wow, you guys are all too kind. Tips. Positive reinforcement. Encouragement... It's like I'm wandering along the creekside, I got a new rod n reel but lost my tackle in the first cast, then got my gear wet trying to retrieve the setup. You guys call me over to your fire, share some hot coffee, show me your fish, share some pointers and give me a hook and lead. I can't say thanks enough.

Fal - I think you're onto something. I was starting along that train of thought earlier today. No pressure is an overstatement I think and probably works fine to convey the message for most people. Some people, like me, get a little literal though.

Tonight I think I'll play with lather and the strop. I'll watch videos first. I need to hear the sound. I might even shave... or at least drink some milk because I need more hair!

Thank God its Stroptober

Stroptober Fest! Beer, Brats and Blades! Dangerous or Delicious?

After a 100 shaves is about the time it's just starting to "click"

You are doing good and have gotten good advice, its just a matter of time and you will be a natural.

You're getting good advice, and keep at it. Before you know it, you'll be a pro giving advice to newbs. Try skipping the oil and the hot towels. They're really not necessary. You can use those things later if you'd like, after your skills improve. And build the lather on your face. You can dip the brush in water from the tap if need be. Good luck, I wish you the best.

Originally Posted by hiplainsdrftr

I just remembered what this all feels like. It's very much like shaving with an older disposable (one that should have been thrown out but hasn't yet) and cold water. The hairs are firm and sturdy so you have to really pull the razor through and you can feel each hair being 'plucked' from your skin. It is not pleasant. I don't know if anyone remembers that feeling.

This can have any number of reasons, blunt razor, beard not softened enough, poor lather & steep shaving angle.
Don't know if the latter is your issue but try shaving with the blade nearly flat on the face.

Something I've found that really helps with razor burn is splashing on a little Witch Hazel after the final rinse. It also will stop bleeding from nicks and weepers. In my early days, I really suffered a lot from burn, and Witch Hazel was a godsend. (And it's cheap!)

Thanks for the updates! Really enjoyable reading. I wish I'd done something like that when I got started last January.

Howdy, Drifter, and a couple thoughts from me...

On stropping pressure, the blade meets the strop with as much pressure as gravity would cause alone, plus just enough for you to control its movement.

On your shaving travails, your description of the pulling like an overused disposable sounds like a dull blade or whiskers that need a better prep. If the whiskers are well hydrated, they do come off a little easier. I shave with cold water, but immediately after a warm shower. When I dry off, I don't dry my neck or the lower half of my face (and that takes some concentration; it's a break with my lifetime of postshower muscle memory), and keep them moist with reapplications from a washcloth while I partially dress (like to get socks and shorts on, at least, to offer a little protection to the piggies and the dangly bit before I open a razor). If I didn't strop and make lather before getting in the shower, I keep the face moistened while I do those.

I lather the whole thing, start from the collarline and work my way up, do the sideburns and cheeks and jaws, but leave the mustache and chin. Those are the toughest spots, and I like to rinse all my face clean and relather before shaving them. The first lather gives them just a little better soak, and the second lathering ensures I'm working with enough moisture.

For force applied while shaving, if your blade is properly sharp and your beard is properly prepped, the barbs come off like magic when you set your goal as simply swiping away the lather. Very little pressure is all it takes.

Best wishes to you

Originally Posted by hiplainsdrftr

36 hours later, Third shave... I'm determined. Not excited now, more like nervous. I had told my co-worker about the weekend butcherings. He asked about the growth I was cutting, I told him and he said, why not try to do like an electric shave and just 'clean up' with the straight? Yeah! I have a crappy electric with attachements that I use for the burns. One is a virtually worthless shave attachment and it does a consistent five-o'clock-shadow shave. So, I bzzz'd the face. It only takes 2 minutes to get that Homer Simpson look. I stropped really slow. I did a hot towel. I tried my VDH soap in my new warm scuttle thing. I lathered and shaved right, left, then center. The blade FINALLY 'glides' across my face. Lather and hair are coming off. I wipe on the towel and proceed. I get everything except for the sole and chin and decide they're just to advanced for me for now.

I did not cut or nick myself at all and the adventure continues...

Questions, comments or concerns? Lemme know and thank you for reading.

For your benefit and the benefit of every aspiring straight razor shaver I want to say that it took two full years to "master" the straight razor. From time to time I read others reporting that their first attempt was successful, that it takes a month, 100 shaves, so I want everybody to know that there is no set timetable or magic number out there to master the art.

The most valuable thing I learned is that with the electric razor, cartridges, and disposables I shaved for 40 years without knowing the direction of my beard growth. I just assumed everything grew straight down in a uniform manner. Ha! While learning the straight I was forced to pay attention to everything. No wonder that for all those years my face felt raw and chapped most of the time. I kept going over and over and over the same areas in the same direction without getting all the whiskers. (I want to try the cartridge one more time with the knowledge I've gained learning the straight to see if I can get closer, more comfortable results but I keep putting it off.)

I just love straight razor shaving and on this particular forum straights are their specialty. The past two days I was rushed and had to use a double edge razor. Great shaves with the DE to be sure, but this morning I went back to my straight and my face felt so much smoother and comfortable. I felt perky and more confident just because of that shave.

My stropping is still at "Turtle Express" speed despite working on it since March 2010. The videos by hi bud gl, AFDavis11, and Jimbo have really helped me learn the proper way to do it. You can probably find them on YouTube. If I hadn't seen them I would have thought I was incapable of doing it properly.

My honing is still hit and miss. Sometimes it's just terrific and I can't believe how long the blade stays sharp. On others I've honed a second-hand razor I bought 3-4 times and I'm still not happy with the results. But the fact that I get it right some of the time is encouraging. Once you get a blade the way you want it, you just have to maintain it.

Learning the straight has been totally worth it for me. Totally ignore it if someone gets the hang of it faster than you. Nobody is timing you. Proceed at your own pace and you will be rewarded!