Thread: First straight razor shave. absolutely horrible what am I doing wrong?

rmani, you're getting all the right stuff in the responses. You're east coast, and there's lots of pros and other members able to turn those Dovos into a wonderful shaver. Being that you're new to the art, I would suggest having a known pro do your edges - so that variable is removed from your mind. That leaves only technique. Some time reading on first shaves, beard prep, lather - and especially stropping (see gssixgun's 3/11 tips for beginners). As a new guy, my stropping would trash the best of edges - and more than a few strops. sixgunner's suggestion in that thread to lay the strop on a hard, flat surface - and afdavis' vid (in sixgun's thread and also linked on the srp home pg) about the all-important 'flip' on the end of a stropping stroke will save money and blood.

After you get a feel for what a good edge is like, there are others that hone for just the cost of shipping the razor back to you. Another of sixgun's threads describe how a new guy needs edge work frequently when starting, and as your stropping and shave technique improves, the time between honings will typically double.

FWIW, my first str8 shave was also w/ a Dovo w/ a factory edge. I'm called pinklather for a reason. 8 wks later, that same razor was giving wonderful shaves - mostly from having learned more about how to shave. If it sounds embarassing to hear about 'learning to shave' - remember - King Gillette (his real name) has had about 90 yrs of marketing to remove the need to learn the skills any barber used to know. Being from the last ice age, I learned on a DE. What I learned was at best - how not to bleed. I learned nothing about beard prep, lay of the beard, etc. 3yrs back, the best I could do w/ a disposable was to mow off the tops of shave bumps and clean up the blood. Now the shave bumps are gone, my shaves amaze the lovely bride, and I LOVE a good shave. Yup, there's some learning. The payoffs are quite real.

Originally Posted by rmani

no it wasn't honed but how can it make that much of a difference? i was told i could still try it out before getting it honed.

Sorry about the confusion. I think I'm the one who told you you could test out the razor. I didn't mean to give you high expectations. Only for you to test the edge a tiny bit on your cheek or something.

My offer to meet up still stands if you want. Just let me know.

Michael

I think the baby oil is a less than optimal choice. It is a quickly absorbed oil. You need a long chain fatty acid oil that sits on top the skin. You might do better with some glycerine in your lather, or a product designed as a pre-shave.

The first shave with a straight razor is never going to be a good one, even with a shave ready razor. It is a little like giving your sixteen year old daughter, who has never driven a car, the keys to a Dodge Viper and telling her to go out and give it a try. The automobile may be in fine tune, and in the hands of an expert can be a great drive, but you don't want to start her out that way. In SR shaving, it is not just the razor, it's you, the operator, and you can't expect to get it right the first time out.

Unlike most who here who seem to start out without doing much research, I did it all, read the Library, watched the videos, had a shave ready razor, and my first shave was horrible. There is a skill set to be learned in SR shaving, and it is almost as complicated as running a Dodge Viper effectively through the gears.

My first 30 shaves were not good at all. My next 30 were more comfortable, and my next 30 were even better. My experience was that it took me almost three months to learn how to get really good shaves and not risk my face in the process. Two years later I'm still improving, and my shaves now are as good as I think they can get, extremely close and comfortable. It just takes time, practice and patience.

The straight razor is the best way to shave, but you can't just pick one up, start hacking away with no knowledge of how to do so and get good results. That's why we refer here to a learning curve. At first it is steep, then it levels off a bit but is still somewhat long. If you persist to that point, the reward will be great shaves. It just won't happen right away. Good luck! It IS worth the effort.

Originally Posted by rmani

no it wasn't honed but how can it make that much of a difference? i was told i could still try it out before getting it honed.

WHOA NELLY! Makes all the difference in the world. Now go get it hone properly.

Hey michael i definitely want to but ive gotten into the hectic time of year and my travel schedule is quite extensive. I do need help though this razor sucks

Update guys. I just got my razor back. Since i was traveling for business i mailed it to straight razor designs. It came back in two weeks and they said they tested it out.

Well. This shave was possible worse than the original. I stroped it as seen on youtube videos. Used a proper shave cream and applied it with a brush.

The tugging and pulling was worse than a rusty 100 year old butter knife. My face felt as though it was on fire having gone over several areas multiple times. Finaly in disgust i used my old disposable razor and got a smooth shave though my face felt so raw afterwards.

Im at a loss for words ive wasted so much money on this only to find a $1 disposable razor is better than a $200 dovo. I dont get it...

I'm new - so certainly not an expert, but my thought is that you are using pressure while shaving. I would guess it hurts more than the first because the blade is sharper.

I use only the weight of the blade as I stroke, and let the edge glide through the lather, only worrying about angle.

I would also make sure you are pulling the skin to make sure the area you're shaving is tight.

When you say applying pressure yes i am but the razor doesnt move and inch if i dont. Yes i am stretching my skin as well. It just doesnt cut the hairs. When i go with the grain it doesnt even lool or feel like i shaved. Against the grain is too painful.

I will defer to the experts. I was lucky to have good shaves right from the start, but chalked it up to the endless hours spent reading and watching videos offering tips on techniques from this site.

Prep, pressure and angle are typically things that go wrong when starting out. My first straight came from SRD and edge was great for me. I'm not saying there is not an issue with your edge, but I would seriously doubt it.

Did you strop razor before shaving? If you did, that could also be the variable that went wrong.