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I've been shaving with a straight for about 2 months. Had to shave with a DE the other day and it was much closer. Shaving with a Ralf Aust razor honed by Lynn. I think I'm doing the right things such as stropping and also have .5 micron paste on one side of my canvas strop. Shaving my chin has never been easy since my face is very angular. Any advice?
Thanks
It takes a long time to figure it out, about a year for me. Don't get discouraged and enjoy the experience.
I did read somewhere 100 shaves until you get consistent results, i think that is about right.
For me, good shaves came at the two month point and really great shaves took six months. I might be a slow learner, but it just takes time.
The question is how close is the straight shave? Is there stubble left behind? Does the razor pull? Does it feel harsh?
Also review your shaving angles and pressure. I have the Aust razor and it's a great shaver.
it took a little honing to smooth it out but it shaved really close out of the box.
The chin was the toughest area for me to learn also. Don't worry, you'll get there.
+1 on thebigspendur's comments. When it comes to your chin or any trouble area for that matter don't go in hacking and slashing like an amazon explorer. Take your time and plan your moves. Look closely at how the hair grows and most importantly how you shave. Save those areas for last when you can concentrate without having to worry about lather drying or just getting it done.
Shave on off hours when possible so you can take your time and enjoy it. A good SR shave at night should last you through the next day!
If your razor is tugging or pulling, leaving whiskers behind or causing irritation you may need have it honed. I killed two razors when I first started on the strop and had similar issues. A SR will trump a safety razor when used properly every time!
100 shaves sounds about right, and it gets much better. 3 months to get bbs. And now its every time. The biggest breakthrough lately was making an effort to keep the angle as low as possible. Actually the lowest angle that still cuts. My angle early on was too high and I was scraping. Hard to shave it off that way and the irritation was no bargain. I used to use pre shave, alum, lots of as balm etc. Now I do less prep and shave better. Zero irritation. BUT I will admit I almost packed it in a few times. I'm glad I hung around though.
About a year in I was feeling comfortable and getting great shaves. I was honing my razors too, which were less than stellar. But you gotta learn. That lead to some less than stellar shaves. Anyway, you will get there. I actually hate using a DE. I am not saying they are bad but a straight feels right to me.
Thank you, How did you hone your razor? Mine was honed by Lynn, but being a newbie, don't know if I've screwed it up?
Don't quit yet. I was raised on a DE, and I am now a SR shaver. IMHO SR is better, but longer to learn and actually perform.
I actually think a contest between say an open comb Gilllett with a feather blade,or a Hoffritz slant VS an SR,would be interesting.
To say an SR will trump a D.E is a pretty broad assumption.JMO
I still wonder if I screwed up my edges too. I started honing early on which was stupid really. Unless you have someone to mentor you close by. It is not hard but can be vexing sometimes. I really wore out some razors too. The most stress free option would be to send it back to Lynn, have him evaluate it. Or maybe one of the more experienced folks on here could do that. They could let you know how the edge is doing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bamicus
Stropping 50 laps daily for 9 moths is like 15000 laps? I just in the last two weeks have let the strop a little slack which IMO has given the edge a boost. It takes a while before the hands pick up the motion and everything goes great. Same thing with honing. The more you do it the better you become. I'm no expert but I have seen the edges improving every time. The shaving technique, it all improves. I'm looking forward to next years shaves!LOL.
Yes, I have a slant with a feather and the shave is awesome! Can't get that yet with a straight!
It took me two years to master a straight. Once you do that, nothing's closer than a straight.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bamicus
I have been in a class from 6 AM to 5 PM for the past week and used a DE, and my shaves weren't as close as I am accustomed to having.
Relax and take your time, it'll come. I shave with a straight most days -for the past decade- and with one of my DE's equipped with a Feather blade when time is short. Personally I think that in terms of smoothness of the shave (ease and speed of the movement) then no, a straight cannot trump a quality DE. But all other things being equal, my straight will give me a closer shave any time. The main issue with straight shaving is that the learning curve is long and certainly in the beginning, brutal. That's why so many people give up after a couple of weeks/months. Just hang in there, make sure your razr's properly honed and stropped, take your time on problem areas such as the chin and you'll get the hang of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bamicus
2 1/2 years with a straight & I get great shaves,,,,but I have yet to beat the shaves that I get with my vintage Gillette, loaded with a Feather.
At least I am not the only one who can still get a better shave with my old short comb Gillette GE and Astra blades than with straights. It is a close race though with the chin being the losing spot for the SR for lack of being able to go ATG there with much success. Still enjoy using a straight more despite that.
Bob
It has been my experience that shaving with a SR gives a closer shave more comfortably than a DE. I always get ingrown hairs after a close shave with a DE and small cuts where the DE doesn't slide over a bump or scar. I can avoid trouble with a straight because it is so precise! I still would tell people hesitant to use a SR to switch to a DE but for best comfort and longest lasting BBS shave I say SR is still tops!Quote:
Originally Posted by pixelfixed
Geez, I was just reading above and maybe I have to give feathers another try. I swapped out for the personna labs which I really like but you guys are selling me on giving feathers another try.
Will Whisker eat crow? I have before and I probably will again!:p
you can shave atg with a straight, its just a bit trickyQuote:
Originally Posted by BobH
Like most everyone who posted I had to be at it for months, maybe a year before I started consistently equaling my DE shaves. Usually with a Merkur slant or vintage Gillette. For sure I prefer straight razor shaving to DE even when, early on, it wasn't as good consistently. There is something about the simplicity of a naked blade mowing down the whiskers instead of a mechanical contraption , no matter how much I may like that contraption. Of course I must say that for me many straight razors are an object of art.
If you think about all of the skills involved in shaving with a straight it is not surprising that it takes time to get really proficient. Stropping, skin stretching, mapping the face to know which direction the strokes will be most effective. Angle of attack, and maintaining blade angle relative to the skin, that angle changing from one place to another as we go under the jawline, around the knob of the chin. Learning advanced strokes like the guillotine and coupe de maitre.
Then there is the razor and how it was honed and maintained. Honing like shaving is an art and craft that takes time and practice to acquire the skill set to become proficient. If the individual has the time and the inclination to devote to it, that annoying burden of shaving becomes a labor of love IME. :chapeau
Hang in there.. I had the same quest as you, using a DE shave as a barometer.
You'll get there.
Took me about 100 shaves to figure out how to replicate my DE shaves closeness. Now I get a killer BBS and far less irritation.
Most important points I've learned are angle of the blade differs whether you're going WTG, XTG or ATG. Be mindful. Take short strategic strokes rather than long sweepers. And most important is stretching. Used in tandem with the short strokes makes a huge improvement.. So stretch and stroke, move a little, stretch and stroke. And, if a spot is proving hard to get to, stretch to a different place on face and shave it there. For instance, I have one spot on my neck, just below my jawline and in front of my ear. Impossible to get that spot cleared. Plus the whiskers grow scatter-shot. I learned to stretch that spot up onto my cheek/jaw and BAM! it's perfect every time!!
Haven't touched one of my many DE's in ages.
You misunderstood, I do shave ATG with a straight and have for over a year. The only part of my SR shave that is possibly sub par at times to my DE is going ATG on the chin knob and today was not one of them. The rest of the face is good to go. After over 40 years of shaving with mostly DEs I did not come to SR shaving looking for an improved shave just a challenge and change of pace. Found both and as a bonus enjoy using an SR more.Quote:
Originally Posted by shanky887614
Bob
Stropping comes in two stages
1. Do no harm
2. Improve the edge
It takes quite a bit of use/practice to move from stage one into stage two,,
As you are learning everything is going against you getting a smooth shave, there comes a point in the process where you start to turn the corner and everything starts going in favor of you getting a smooth shave...
Personally I feel many newbs put to much effort into "close" rather than "comfortable" just my observation
Yea, by trying for close right off the bat you surely do get a face full of razor burn.
Bob
+1 on don't worry about closeness and worry about comfort. No point in having a close shave if your face feels like crap and can't let a lady touch it. It's easy to get addicted to smooth, but I'd say settle for directional smooth first and master with the grain and across when it comes to the chin.
My neck hair grows towards the right and I'm still trying to master how to tackle it...I can get a good shave on the left side but the right, not so much. I need to go up and to the left on my right side and down and to the left on my left side to get an equal shave on my neck :shrug: suffice it to say this is much easier with a safety razor lol
I find this helpful for not only first time shavers, but those who are having some difficulty learning. It normally is not the razor guys.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...icipation.html
Have fun