Some problems when shaving. Please help.

I'm using a Dovo straight razor and I've had a few shaves with it. I've noticed I'm coming a accross the same problems and I'm not quite sure how I go about fixing it. Stropping the razor is fine and the razor seems to cut well however after a few strokes I've noticed the blade seems to grip on my skin which in turn makes it difficult to carry on shaving. The first one or two strokes is ok and the razor glides accross my face but after that it starts to grip on my skin. I'm thinking it could be a result of the water and shaving soap drying up but I'm using Mitchell fat soap which has good moisturising properties so I'm sure what is causing it and how to fix it.

Also I've noticed when the hairs get cut by the razor it can be a little painful. As I said the cutting seems to be fine and it came fully honed and I'm stropping it before using it so I'm not sure why it causes pain.

If anyone can give me some advice or help it would be really appreciated. By the way this is my 5th shaving with a straight.

Ideas:

1. Most people new to stropping do more harm than good. You might be slightly dulling the edge.
2. If you are doing multiple passes (short strokes) over the same area, the subsequent passes are on bare skin.
3. If your edge is sharp, when it cuts whiskers, you will feel nothing, certainly no pain.
4. In my experience, lather is never the problem. I can shave fine with hand soap applied by my hands.
5. Razors lose their sharpness. I would suspect that is the case with yours.
6. It never hurts to lower the angle and see if that helps.
7. A truly sharp razor solves problems that weren't there in the first case.

Hmm. I'm only stropping very finely sure I'm sure its not that. It came from invisable edge and it was shave ready so I dont even think its that. I think it might be as you said I'm running the edge on bare skin. I'll have a few more go's and change my angle and if I'm still get some pain I'll send it off to have the edge checked.

I think that's a good plan. When I watch shaving videos and read the Library here, I notice everyone is using or recommends short strokes. For people just starting out, I can see the point of that. Once you get the hang of it, and it does take some time, you can graduate to longer strokes. I now go from the top of my cheek to the bottom of my neck and back up ATG (after re-lathering) in one stroke. While newbies probably should not attempt this right off, it is a goal to pursue. Multiple short strokes over the same area force the blade to shave skin that has no lather on it. I can see how irritation could result from that. HOWEVER, if your blade is causing tugging, pulling or pain while cutting whiskers, your blade is just not sharp enough. When you have a really sharp blade, the experience of cutting whiskers seems a non-event.

Although your stropping may be done "very finely", and that is good, what matters is the technique and not so much the pressure. Any blade that starts off sharp and degrades with stropping puts the stropping technique into question. Stropping should make the blade feel sharper.

Could be your razor angle or your lather is drying out as you get farther into your shave.

You may also want to make sure you are not applying to much pressure or moving the blade across your face too fast. That is something I still tend to do, especially when I am in a hurry. And like Ace said, try different angles. Play with your technique and see what happens.

I think it may be a problem with the soap drying on your face . Try re-lathering , when the razor doesn't seem to be working right , and see if it helps .

How many laps are you stropping before each shave?

25. up and down is 1 stroke counted.

I would say that 25 is fewer than minimal. I never ever do fewer than 100 and get good results.

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Originally Posted by gsingh13

25. up and down is 1 stroke counted.

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I assume that's 25 on leather alone? Try 60 leather. If you have a material strop (linen, canvas, webbing etc) do 20-30 laps prior to leather. I think you'll notice a difference.

Yea, I would up the stropping count also. Personally I do 20 on hard felt, don't have canvas or nylon webbing, followed by 60 on leather before each shave. Watch your blade angle and possibly your lather may be too thick with not enough water in it too. Hard to find the sweet spot between too much or too little water when making lather.

Bob

Number of strokes on the strop is pretty much meaningless without some gauge of stropping effectiveness. Your edge could be perfectly "shave ready" but if your shaving technique is lacking you may suffer poor results. Or visa versa you technique may be fine, your edge not so much. Or it could be both. Therefore, it's rather difficult to tell which is the case just by test shaving. And adding additional stropping strokes? How will that really help considering the above variables?

I suppose it's a start. But you're shooting in the dark.

If you are just stropping, learn the correct thumb pad test to test the edge after stropping. Then, regardless of number of stropping passes, you'll be able to gauge your stropping. See Sidney Thorpe Standard Baber Text for details on stropping and honing.

Also covers correct shaving technique. Just adapt to shaving yourself.

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Originally Posted by honedright

Adding additional stropping strokes? How will that really help considering the above variables?

I suppose it's a start.

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That's the idea.

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

That's the idea.

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Good. And now I think he is started in the right direction.

Hope the OP keeps us updated on his progress!

I never use my linen strop unless I encounter big issues with my shave. Right after honing i go right to leather based on advice by Maksim who sold me my jnat. The linen actually makes the edge worse imho. The linen is fairly aggressive in terms of stropping material BUT does a good job of resetting the blade as mentioned. You're getting some good advice here. There are plenty of threads about stropping technique that you should get familiar with and plenty of videos on youtube. Stick with it and figure out what works best for you on your strop and let us know.

At the end of the day, regardless of who honed your razor and who said it's shave ready, it might not be up to YOUR standard based on sensitivity of your skin or thickness/density of your particular beard. You might consider touching up your blade on the hones if you have no luck with stropping.

Start at a finishing level stone, shave and reflect. If the shave still isn't up to snuff, go one stone below your finisher, then finisher, shave, reflect, repeat as necessary to the point of resetting your bevel. This allows for improvement in edge without sacrificing much steel.

Keep us posted.

Hi guys thanks so much for all your posts. Well I'm just waiting now for my next shave. My hair hasn't grown enough for me to do my next shave but as soon I do I'll give you an up date. First thing I suppose is to try and increase the number of strops and see how that goes. I'm only using leather by the way and since you have said 25 is not enough I will increase it. I'm very finely doing the stropping so I don't think I am dulling the blade although that could be a possibility. As somebody has said it is difficult to pin down where the problem lies. If technique/angle is the problem then, I think, that can be easily be fixed however if the problem is with the edge or the stropping then it's going to be much more difficult to fix. If I use a process of elimination and assume for the time being the problem lies with the angle/technique how else, other than actually shaving my face, can I test the effectiveness of the strop or the sharpness of the blade?

As mentioned in one of my previous posts, the thumb pad test described in Thorpe's book (or the "alternate" method in the SRP sharpness test wiki. Why it's the alternate I don't know) will allow you to judge whether or not your edge is keen enough for shaving. That will at least help you to eliminate the razor edge as a culprit. Once you've verified that your edge is shave ready, and not the problem, you can then focus more on your shaving technique.

In case you couldn't find it, this one:

Practice and science of standard barbering; a practical and complete course of training in basic barber services and related barber science. Prepared especially for use by barber schools, barber students, barber apprentices, practicing barbers in pre

Awesome source of information that really contains everything you need to know. All you may need additionally is clarification on some points, and practice. Lots of practice.

Try using a wetter lather - just adding a little splash of water to a brush you've already lathered with and working it in- and lathering/shaving your face one section at a time, repeating strokes only on fresh, fairly moist lather.

Concentrate on slickness in lathering over bubbles and it should improve your experience.

I will second the wetter lather. I had this same issue and it really helped when the lather was not dragging the blade.

awesome book

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Originally Posted by honedright

In case you couldn't find it, this one:

Practice and science of standard barbering; a practical and complete course of training in basic barber services and related barber science. Prepared especially for use by barber schools, barber students, barber apprentices, practicing barbers in pre

Awesome source of information that really contains everything you need to know. All you may need additionally is clarification on some points, and practice. Lots of practice.

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WOW. Awesome resource. This tells you much more than just shaving. Thank you.