New blade bad shave

Thoughts and input on anything related to wet shaving or men's grooming.
Shettles
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Re: New blade bad shave

Post by Shettles »

Yea my blade as it stands currently will not even go against the grain without getting stuck on the stubble... and it even hurts a little going with the grain... and I have a pretty high tolerance for pain.. thanks for the advice im sure there are a few things im doing wrong like technique and stuff but im also pretty sure it's not sharp as it should be because I didn't even strop it until I just couldn't take any more and something had to give.
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drmoss_ca
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Re: New blade bad shave

Post by drmoss_ca »

That's no good at all. Don't judge what a straight can do by that experience. Let's see what we can do...
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Pierre-Simon de Laplace
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drmoss_ca
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Re: New blade bad shave

Post by drmoss_ca »

...so I've honed and stropped a TI 5/8 Super Gnome half hollow. Had a very comfortable two pass shave with it, sterilised, re-stropped and oiled the blade. The oil can be very lightly and carefully wiped off the edge before use, but it's non-toxic and won't do any harm if you leave it there. It is a carbon steel razor, so thorough drying and a drop of oil is mandatory to avoid rust. It does not need stropping for the first shave. If your strop is in bad shape, you'd do better to use a homemade denim strop from some old jeans, or even a rolled up newspaper (you just strop with an X-pattern as you run the blade, spine first, along the apex of the rolled up newspaper). Don't forget to thoroughly soak your beard, work in some decent lather (Conk soap isn't the best, but it's not the worst, and will do for now), and forget everything you've read about 30º angles. 15-20º is plenty, and you can have the blade almost flat against your face in some areas: judge this by comfort and perceived resistance. PM me with your name and address and it will go in the post tomorrow.
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
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Bill_K
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Re: New blade bad shave

Post by Bill_K »

drmoss_ca wrote: Sat Feb 02, 2019 5:25 am...straight razors can be very sharp, but they don't ever get like a brand new DE blade...
Chris, your comment surprises me - I thought that a properly honed and stropped straight razor would be far sharper than most, if not all, DE blades. Is that not the case?

As a corollary question, is it likely that I'm expecting too much from my straight razor shaves? I currently get decent (but not damn fine) shaves with my Genco but I'm attributing that to my lack of experience and budding technique. On the other hand, I get damn fine shaves with my DE just about every time. Am I chasing the end of the rainbow in trying for an equally fine shave with my straight?

I have to confess, though, that finishing a shave with my Genco is more satisfying than with my DE (and let's admit it, it's really badass).
Bill
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drmoss_ca
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Re: New blade bad shave

Post by drmoss_ca »

The paradox is this: the razor isn't as sharp, but the resulting shave feels smoother and lasts longer. The explanation is that the straight edge frays the tips of the cut hairs, making them less spiky and softer to the touch. You see the same thing with less aggressive DE blades compared to super sharp ones, eg Merkurs versus Feathers.
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
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drmoss_ca
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Re: New blade bad shave

Post by drmoss_ca »

Sadly, I've heard nothing so the Super Gnome has gone back to the hoard in the basement. :cry:
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
Bill_K
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Re: New blade bad shave

Post by Bill_K »

If you're willing to part with it, it could be the start of my hoard. My Genco could use the company.
Bill
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drmoss_ca
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Re: New blade bad shave

Post by drmoss_ca »

I only give them away to new users who seem like they will stick with it. In this case I was sorry that the OP had been, perhaps, taken in by one of the many self-appointed honing experts on the internet. But he seems to have wandered away.
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
Shettles
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Re: New blade bad shave

Post by Shettles »

Haha no I'm still here just been a little busy lately...I'm still working on my technique... I hope my stropping is doing more harm than good. I'm addicted to shaving this way I just have to figure out how to get it right. I do have a question though... if I round the edge by stropping it will feel like its pulling during the shave right?
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drmoss_ca
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Re: New blade bad shave

Post by drmoss_ca »

If you bend the edge right over, yes, but that's hard to do. And the rounded bevel caused by using pasted strops won't matter a bit as long as the edge is sharp. You can avoid problems in strop tension by using a paddle strop, which works very well. If you prefer a hanging strop, I'd start with the strop a bit loose, so that it bends as the blade passes over it, and then tighten the tension and lighten the stropping pressure as you go on. No real point in doing more than forty strokes (twenty roundtrips) on leather: more just increases the chance you'll make an error. There's also no benefit in stropping fast, slow strokes work just as well.
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
Shettles
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Re: New blade bad shave

Post by Shettles »

I got a nice comfortable shave this morning with the Lee but once b4 it pulled... it was probably my technique
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