OK - I now have a strop, and am trying to get better using a straight razor, with some difficulties. There are a few basic things that I'm just not sure about - looking for some help. Having used a straight 4 times so far, I'm still not sure about:
1. How do you know if your razor is sharp enough? I hit the strop with 50 laps on the linen side, and another 50 on the leather. The blade still seems to "stick" sometimes, but I'm not sure if it's the blade sharpness, or the angle.
2. Unlike Ben, I am not a surgeon, but have been able to switch hands to get good angles on both sides of my face. The face is not a problem, can get it reasonably smooth, with a WTG / XTG combination. The neck is a different story - just can't seem to get the blade to run smoothly to get close. The N/S pass is ok, but how can you go E/W under your chin? I feels like the blade is just too big to get this type of pass completed.
3. Does this actually get easy over time?
Neck today was not good - had to finish with the DE. A few cuts and lots of irritation. BTW, I have a goatee, so the pass under the chin has to be a little lower than average.
Best ... Steve
Getting Started
Getting Started
To want what I have
To take what I'm given with grace
For this I pray
To take what I'm given with grace
For this I pray
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kaptain_zero
- Posts: 1031
- Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2005 11:59 am
- Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Steve,
Congratulations, you're well on your way to becoming a straight shaver if you stick with it.
If you are talking about the blade "sticking" while shaving, you are probably keeping it a tiny bit too close to parallel with your skin. It will shave well at such a shallow angle but it won't shave that close and it can stick due to suction between the blade and your skin. If you are talking about sticking on the strop, we need to investigate more.
How do you tell if your razor is sharp enough? Well, the best way is to get a razor honed by someone reliable and try shaving with it before stropping or anything else. I beat my head against the wall with my Boker... it was a 6/8 full hollow, paper thin blade... it's takes a very light touch on the hone to get it sharp.. A fellow on one of the shaving forums took pity on me and offered to tweak it up and I took him up on the offer. The razor arrived in the return mail with a little note stating that I'd had 99% of the honing done and all it needed was a light polish on a barbers hone to bring it home. I shaved with that blade just as he had returned it and then I knew I could shave with a straight razor and get a close and comfortable shave.... from there it was rather easy to get decent shaves... I still work at improving the edges on my razors but can produce a comfortable edge at will on most of my razors. You will need to invest in one or more hones to keep your razors sharp.. the leather/linen strop is great for maintaining a razor but it will not sharpen it if it's already started to go dull.
E/W passes... nope, I cannot do. I settle for NE/SW diagonal passes instead. Come to think of it, I could never do an E/W pass with a DE on my neck either....
Yes, as in all things, practice makes perfect. It takes time to get it right... don't obsess with getting BBS shaves, settle for a good clean shave and you'll live to shave again tomorrow. As you try different things, different angles, directions, the other hand etc. you'll eventually figure out what works best for you, and how to achieve it.
Regards
Christian
Congratulations, you're well on your way to becoming a straight shaver if you stick with it.
If you are talking about the blade "sticking" while shaving, you are probably keeping it a tiny bit too close to parallel with your skin. It will shave well at such a shallow angle but it won't shave that close and it can stick due to suction between the blade and your skin. If you are talking about sticking on the strop, we need to investigate more.
How do you tell if your razor is sharp enough? Well, the best way is to get a razor honed by someone reliable and try shaving with it before stropping or anything else. I beat my head against the wall with my Boker... it was a 6/8 full hollow, paper thin blade... it's takes a very light touch on the hone to get it sharp.. A fellow on one of the shaving forums took pity on me and offered to tweak it up and I took him up on the offer. The razor arrived in the return mail with a little note stating that I'd had 99% of the honing done and all it needed was a light polish on a barbers hone to bring it home. I shaved with that blade just as he had returned it and then I knew I could shave with a straight razor and get a close and comfortable shave.... from there it was rather easy to get decent shaves... I still work at improving the edges on my razors but can produce a comfortable edge at will on most of my razors. You will need to invest in one or more hones to keep your razors sharp.. the leather/linen strop is great for maintaining a razor but it will not sharpen it if it's already started to go dull.
E/W passes... nope, I cannot do. I settle for NE/SW diagonal passes instead. Come to think of it, I could never do an E/W pass with a DE on my neck either....
Yes, as in all things, practice makes perfect. It takes time to get it right... don't obsess with getting BBS shaves, settle for a good clean shave and you'll live to shave again tomorrow. As you try different things, different angles, directions, the other hand etc. you'll eventually figure out what works best for you, and how to achieve it.
Regards
Christian
Previously lost, on the way to the pasture. Now pasteurized.
Re: Getting Started
SirCur wrote:OK - I now have a strop, and am trying to get better using a straight razor, with some difficulties. There are a few basic things that I'm just not sure about - looking for some help. Having used a straight 4 times so far, I'm still not sure about:
1. How do you know if your razor is sharp enough? I hit the strop with 50 laps on the linen side, and another 50 on the leather. The blade still seems to "stick" sometimes, but I'm not sure if it's the blade sharpness, or the angle.
2. Unlike Ben, I am not a surgeon, but have been able to switch hands to get good angles on both sides of my face. The face is not a problem, can get it reasonably smooth, with a WTG / XTG combination. The neck is a different story - just can't seem to get the blade to run smoothly to get close. The N/S pass is ok, but how can you go E/W under your chin? I feels like the blade is just too big to get this type of pass completed.
3. Does this actually get easy over time?
Neck today was not good - had to finish with the DE. A few cuts and lots of irritation. BTW, I have a goatee, so the pass under the chin has to be a little lower than average.
Best ... Steve
I know your frustrations well... the catchiness is happening for me too and I think it's a function of sharpness and angle.
I know from the very first stroke whether the blade is right or not in that a razor that sticks on the sideburns is blunt... when it's right the blade just starts moving and keeps on moving. Last night I used the Bartmann and it glided so well I thought it was actually a butter knife and not doing anything till I wiped off the blade and saw the fine stubble it had cut without any drag. I confirmed that the razor passed the HHT afterwards so it was deadly sharp...
As for razorburn I have not had any, touch wood... I must say that I have prior experience with the cheeks and neck so it doesn't surprise me but just as with DE it really is a matter of appropriate pressure.. not too much not too little though I've been consciously erring on the side of too little...
I too can't yet see the light at the end of the tunnel as it seems so distant to got anywhere near the quality of shave from a HD Rocket but it is very enjoyable. I'm definitely addicted to it, and look forward each night to a practice shave which takes up about 40 minutes to an hour currently. My 3 pass DE shaves are down to about 12 minutes faucet on to wipe down.
I've only just started trying XTG so you're a bit more advanced than I am in technique...
Ben
Merkur Futur in Au.
Merkur Futur in Au.