Thread: I can't get a straight razor to work

I have been experimenting with straight razors off and on for about two years and can not get a good shave from one. I can get a great shave from a feather artist club replaceable blade straight razor but it seems like a fixed blade just won't get sharp enough. I bought my own hones strops and everything and never could get a razor sharp enough. I finally broke down and bought one from straight razor designs to see what a pro sharpened blade feels like. It came in yesterday and it was sharper than what I had been able to do but it still would not take the hair off my face. So then I thought maybe I didn't strop well enough so I went back and took my time hitting the felt then the nylon and finally the leather and attempted to shave my head. It simply will not give me a close shave on my head or my face. My question is why can I get a perfect shave with the feather disposable blade straight razor but can't do anything with a fixed blade straight razor.

You stropped the SRD razor before using it? If so, the first thing I would look at is your stropping technique. I assume that would be the main difference between your shaves with a straight and with a shavette - if you do the same lather/prep etc for both.

Originally Posted by jameshob

I have been experimenting with straight razors off and on for about two years and can not get a good shave from one. I can get a great shave from a feather artist club replaceable blade straight razor but it seems like a fixed blade just won't get sharp enough. I bought my own hones strops and everything and never could get a razor sharp enough. I finally broke down and bought one from straight razor designs to see what a pro sharpened blade feels like. It came in yesterday and it was sharper than what I had been able to do but it still would not take the hair off my face. So then I thought maybe I didn't strop well enough so I went back and took my time hitting the felt then the nylon and finally the leather and attempted to shave my head. It simply will not give me a close shave on my head or my face. My question is why can I get a perfect shave with the feather disposable blade straight razor but can't do anything with a fixed blade straight razor.

Do you shave at a 30 degree angle? That was my initial problem, that and putting too much pressure on the razor against my face. I couldn't do it, then I paid attention to these things and began to get results.

I have never used a Feather straight, so I don't know the difference, but I have used other shavettes and they aren't quite the same.

I have tried all different angles and pressures. I'm not giving up on it though. I think it has to be my stropping. Can you over strop? Is there a way to test the razor as you strop to know when to quit?

Originally Posted by CaliforniaCajun

Do you shave at a 30 degree angle? That was my initial problem, that and putting too much pressure on the razor against my face. I couldn't do it, then I paid attention to these things and began to get results.

I have never used a Feather straight, so I don't know the difference, but I have used other shavettes and they aren't quite the same.

Start small and easy

Watch this vid and try to do the same and see what happens

http://straightrazorpalace.com/video...-test-vid.html

Nice video, really got me back to the basics of prepping for the shave. Unfortunately my razor failed the test. I've only shaved with it 3 times, its from SRDs so they honed it, and ive been really carefull with the stropping. I guess I could try to touch it up myself. I have all the stones but I wouldn't think that I would need to getting it from SRDs. I did, however, get the best shave of my life with my Feather DX Japanese style "no sharpen" straight razor. I love that razor! Thanks again for the shave prep refresher!

Why not try to touch it up then. If you have the stones, go for it. Stropping can do a lot of damage. Ive been honing and straight shaving since October and I only now let the strop go a little slack for a better finish. So I do 50 laps on the strop daily, for 9 months? that's like 13500 laps on the strop. So it does take a bit of time til you can get proficient at it. And I have 41 straights that were honed 3 or 4 x each. And I look at blades from 4 months ago and cant believe I honed them. Im not an expert but I see how time and experience shows you lots of things. Im looking forward to what I will be able to hone next year and the year after.

Originally Posted by jameshob

Nice video, really got me back to the basics of prepping for the shave. Unfortunately my razor failed the test. I've only shaved with it 3 times, its from SRDs so they honed it, and ive been really carefull with the stropping. I guess I could try to touch it up myself. I have all the stones but I wouldn't think that I would need to getting it from SRDs. I did, however, get the best shave of my life with my Feather DX Japanese style "no sharpen" straight razor. I love that razor! Thanks again for the shave prep refresher!

Simply put in that Vid and in the thread, until you can pass that test whether it be from Prep, Shaving Technique, Stropping or Honing,,,, perhaps a combination of all those, then nothing else really matters, you have to eliminate the variables one by one until you get the solution...

I hear this a lot and it is usually not the case.

With the disposable you can get away with a greater open angle than the straight razor when shaving. When using a straight razor, you really need to keep the razor almost vertical although the spine should not be touching your face. What most people do is hold the razor in an upright position and then when they start to shave, they bend their wrists back opening the angle up to as much as 90 degrees. Normally stropping is not the problem.

You should also just be shaving from one side burn to the jaw at first using light pressure and short little strokes with longer clean up strokes. Once the razor is cutting that area, you can then go to the cheeks, neck and save the chin for last. The overall learning experience is like starting all over again and you should treat it as such taking a couple weeks to get it down.

Have fun and hang in there.

Originally Posted by jameshob

I have tried all different angles and pressures. I'm not giving up on it though. I think it has to be my stropping. Can you over strop? Is there a way to test the razor as you strop to know when to quit?

Thanks Lynn....sorry I haven't replied to this post but I just went on vacation and haven't had the time to login. I only brought my de razor with me on vacation to my in laws but I shaved with it and they have much hotter water than I have at my house and the razor cut through my whiskers like butter, much smother than ever before. We have 2 1/2 year old triplets so we keep the water a little on the cooler side. It still gets hot but not near as hot as at my in laws. When I get back home I'm going to focus more on prep and keeping the blade warmer to see if that helps.