The burn, the burn! Straight Newbie from UK.

F

Fatbuddha

Messages
18
Hi All,

Another straight razor newbie here. Been shaving DE for 5 years but recently an itch that I've been meaning to scratch has taken the better of me.

One new Dovo En Vogue, a Miller strop and I'm now the proud owner of razor burn I've not experienced for years! I wanted a challenge and I think I've certainly got one.

Technique, technique, technique - I'm sure I'll get there in the end and it'll be an experience getting to shaving nirvana (if that is possible) but boy does it burn on the way!

I'll definitely be seeking out the greater wisdom of the more established forum members for a little guidance here and there. Thanks in advance!

F.
 
Welcome to the forum :)

Its all about blade angle, skin stretching and no pressure.

How many passes are you doing?

Is it pulling much?

Straights have a longer learning curve than DE so expect it to take a while to get right.
 
Hello F, welcome to the forum. :)

Everything Jeltz says is good; some more questions:

Where did the razor come from, and was it sold as shave ready?
How confident are you that your stropping is improving the edge?
Is your lather slippery and cushioning?

Little tip for you: dipping the blade in hot water before shaving can make matters a lot more comfortable.
 
Jeltz said:
Welcome to the forum :)

Its all about blade angle, skin stretching and no pressure.

How many passes are you doing?

Is it pulling much?

Straights have a longer learning curve than DE so expect it to take a while to get right.
Click to expand...

Hi Jeltz,

It's pulling everywhere!! It's my technique for sure (2 shaves in, one yesterday, one this morning so can't really blame the equipment). I'm having to 'push' a little more than expected for the blade to cut (more effort than Derbys in my DE) and every hair pulls. It could be that i can get away with no stretching when DE'ing and still get a good shave so I have to remember to stretch more with the straight. Wearing glasses is also a pain (taking them off is not an option for me - I'm blind as a bat without them) as the blind spots are much more apparent with a straight than a DE.

Also, shaving two handed will take time but I'm pleasantly surprised; my left side is equally as bad as my right side :) I thought it would be much worse!

I'm certainly not going to give up at this early stage. I'll stick with it until I get it right. I'm still looking forward to the next shave but I might give it until next weekend before trying again as I don't have time before work to give it the time it deserves when I'm so slow so it'll be DE for the next few days.

F
 
Hi F,

If you possibly can try to shave with your straight every day, or whenever you'd normally shave anyway. Also check your prep. Make sure your beard is properly softened either by having a shower or using a hot flannel for a couple of minutes beforehand. Welcome to TSR!

Adam :)
 
Jeltz said:
Welcome to the forum :)

Its all about blade angle, skin stretching and no pressure.

How many passes are you doing?

Is it pulling much?

Straights have a longer learning curve than DE so expect it to take a while to get right.
Click to expand...

+1 on what jeltz said a wee bit more info would be helpful like were you got the razor and was it shave ready
 
Fatbuddha said:
... can't really blame the equipment ...
Click to expand...
Oh yes you can. If the razor ain't sharp enough the job's going to be a bad 'un.

The only vendor I know of who sells new Dovos in a shave ready state is Invisible Edge. Factory honing is generally diabolical, though there are rumours that some of the high end blades get breathed on.

Normally I wouldn't recommend this to non honers, but have you tried a hanging hair test? Take a hair from your head, hold it up by one end and attempt to cut it, then try it holding the other end. If it works you have a shave ready razor; if not ... well it doesn't really prove anything but there's a strong chance it needs honing.

If the razor passes, then it's likely to be your shaving angle which needs some attention. Skin stretching helps a lot, and is also important for safety.

You're right to give yourself a few days off I think, though what PC says about using the straight every shave (if only for the easy bits) is good advice - best to let the irritation die down for now though.
 
Welcome to TSR.

I had a similar experience with an open comb Gem Micromatic, so I'm going to wait until I am on holiday at Xmas before giving it another go. Hope you get your shaves sorted out. :icon_smile:

Gordon
 
Fatbuddha said:
Jeltz said:
Welcome to the forum :)

Its all about blade angle, skin stretching and no pressure.

How many passes are you doing?

Is it pulling much?

Straights have a longer learning curve than DE so expect it to take a while to get right.
Click to expand...

Hi Jeltz,

It's pulling everywhere!! It's my technique for sure (2 shaves in, one yesterday, one this morning so can't really blame the equipment). I'm having to 'push' a little more than expected for the blade to cut (more effort than Derbys in my DE) and every hair pulls. It could be that i can get away with no stretching when DE'ing and still get a good shave so I have to remember to stretch more with the straight. Wearing glasses is also a pain (taking them off is not an option for me - I'm blind as a bat without them) as the blind spots are much more apparent with a straight than a DE.

Also, shaving two handed will take time but I'm pleasantly surprised; my left side is equally as bad as my right side :) I thought it would be much worse!

I'm certainly not going to give up at this early stage. I'll stick with it until I get it right. I'm still looking forward to the next shave but I might give it until next weekend before trying again as I don't have time before work to give it the time it deserves when I'm so slow so it'll be DE for the next few days.

F
Click to expand...

if your new straight pulls hair more than your de razor, try pulling out your de when your in the middle of your next shave(part of the shave with straight and part with de), if de pulls as well you know its your prep, if it dosnt then its likely the razor isnt honed enough/technique/(insert other reason here andy)
 
Arrowhead said:
Fatbuddha said:
... can't really blame the equipment ...
Click to expand...
Oh yes you can. If the razor ain't sharp enough the job's going to be a bad 'un.

The only vendor I know of who sells new Dovos in a shave ready state is Invisible Edge. Factory honing is generally diabolical, though there are rumours that some of the high end blades get breathed on.

Normally I wouldn't recommend this to non honers, but have you tried a hanging hair test? Take a hair from your head, hold it up by one end and attempt to cut it, then try it holding the other end. If it works you have a shave ready razor; if not ... well it doesn't really prove anything but there's a strong chance it needs honing.

If the razor passes, then it's likely to be your shaving angle which needs some attention. Skin stretching helps a lot, and is also important for safety.

You're right to give yourself a few days off I think, though what PC says about using the straight every shave (if only for the easy bits) is good advice - best to let the irritation die down for now though.
Click to expand...

Hi Arrowhead and all those who kindly replied,

The razor was from Invisible Edge so I'm pretty sure it is my technique. Oh and what I said about the left being just as bad as my right - well that was wrong. Just checked in the mirror and I've got 2 hairline cuts about and inch and a half long on my left cheek (but ladies dig scars right?). I'm pretty sure no lasting damage but stretching would have prevented those; much harder to dig into tight skin I guess.

The second shave did feel better than the first and that was after I had stropped the blade on a Miller tallow tan strop. First shave was straight from the box but as the blade is 'shave ready' no stropping required. Both shaves almost felt like shaving dry, they were that prickly. I used exactly the same prep as I do for my DE shaving, lots of hot water on face, Trumper Sandalwood solid soap face lathered using a brush. I did try using a slightly wetter lather as I hoped that would provide more lubrication but that did not seem to help. Maybe the angle is too steep and I'm 'scraping' the hair off instead of shallower angle to 'slice' the hairs off.

To be honest, I'm sure these issues are echoed in most newbie posts so I'll be patient, stick with it, take it shave by shave and hopefully get a little better each time.

Arrowhead, Jeltz, Pig Cat and Shanky - I'll take on the advice and see where it leads. Thanks.

Everyone else, thank you for the welcome.

In the words of Buzz Lightyear - "To the next shave....and beyond!"

F
 
Well F, I really admire your enthusiasm. My comment about trying to shave with your straight every day should have included the advice to only shave with the grain for the moment. As regards the 'shave-readiness' of your Dovo blade, I feel I must say that I also bought a Dovo from Invisible Edge and it was not shave-ready. I was nearly put off straight shaving but luckily I was kindly lent a razor by Neil Miller who then went on to hone the Dovo. I expect that I was unlucky as I've heard lots of good things about Invisible Edge. As a beginner you won't know what a shave-ready razor feels like so it's really important that you experience one that is.
 
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