Ok I’m in, but need some help

[Alex Jr]

Morning gents!

Ok, after a long time reading about straight razors (I’m looking at you @rbscebu) I pulled the trigger and got a gold dollar.

I sent it directly to a honer to get it ready and received it last night.

First shave today, no cuts or irritation and the motion felt pretty natural.

HERE IS THE PROBLEM. The thing doesn’t cut! First pass I was left with full stubble, second and third the same.

Applying after shave was like I hadn’t shaved. Sandpaper face all over it.

So after cleaning everything I went to the strop for a few laps.

HHT? Nada, not a single hair. Tried to shave a small part of my arm. Nada. I even pulled the hair, the edge hit it like a pencil. Nothing.

What is going on? I called the honer, a very nice guy, with lots of references here and he said the edge was tested and it was fine.

We discussed oxidation but it was only a few days.

I’m really lost here. So I took some pics but I don’t know if it’s possible to judge anything.

Thank you and appreciate any input.

 

[gpjoe]

I found myself in a very similar situation. Purchased several shave ready straight razors that were nowhere near as efficient as I expected. After the first WTG pass my face felt like nothing was happening, no hair removed.

Part of the problem was my technique (blade angle and pressure), but a lot was my expectations. I was coming from AC barber razors using Feather and Kai guarded blades and those cut through my beard like butter. Not so with my SR.

On a positive note, I'm getting better with my SR and am now able to remove hair a bit more efficiently (noticeably) so things have improved, but at the same time I have lowered my expectations and still hoping that with practice my shaves improve even more.

In your case, the main variables would be the same as my situation, and for anyone new to SR shaving: inexperience, and equipment.

I think not knowing how to shave coupled with not recognizing a true shave ready razor are the two biggest issues we face. Unfortunately the only way to get through it is to get through it by staying with it.

 

[Seelector]

I see a lot of chipping and edge shininess from the midpoint out to the toe of your razor. You may have rolled the edge while stropping - it takes a while to get the hang of it. When I started it didn't take me long to wreck the edge that @rbscebu put on my first razor.

IMO your razor needs to be rehoned to get those chips out.

Even with a fantastic edge, your first few SR shaves will likely be awful, leaving a stubbly mess behind. There's a learning curve but thankfully it's not that long (maybe 8-10 shaves) before you start to get pretty good shaves. Then they continue to improve for a couple hundred shaves or so. But you have to start with a good edge, which unfortunately it doesn't look like you have.

 

[Alex Jr]

I found myself in a very similar situation. Purchased several shave ready straight razors that were nowhere near as efficient as I expected. After the first WTG pass my face felt like nothing was happening, no hair removed.

Part of the problem was my technique (blade angle and pressure), but a lot was my expectations. I was coming from AC barber razors using Feather and Kai guarded blades and those cut through my beard like butter. Not so with my SR.

On a positive note, I'm getting better with my SR and am now able to remove hair a bit more efficiently (noticeably) so things have improved, but at the same time I have lowered my expectations and still hoping that with practice my shaves improve even more.

In your case, the main variables would be the same as my situation, and for anyone new to SR shaving: inexperience, and equipment.

I think not knowing how to shave coupled with not recognizing a true shave ready razor are the two biggest issues we face. Unfortunately the only way to get through it is to get through it by staying with it.

Let me add to this because although a have no experience I really think there’s something that’s not right here.

The edge does not cut a single hair on my arm, either standing or not.

I tried to shave a small section near my hand, not standing hairs, actual shaving, it does nothing. It simply goes trough the hairs like the backside of a knife.

I asked the wife to pull one hair so I could try to cut it, the razor hits it and bounces back, literally!

I wish I could show you the video I recorded with her help.

Again, I’m doing baby steps here, but from the things I’ve read or watched in the past month or so, these tests were supposed to show the edge cutting, I think that part is pretty obvious…

It matches exactly what happened on my face…. Nothing.

Thank you for your help, you’re totally right, I’m gonna keep at it and figure out what is going on.

The most important thing is that I loved the experience! I’m in!

 

[Alex Jr]

I see a lot of chipping and edge shininess from the midpoint out to the toe of your razor. You may have rolled the edge while stropping - it takes a while to get the hang of it. When I started it didn't take me long to wreck the edge that @rbscebu put on my first razor.

IMO your razor needs to be rehoned to get those chips out.

Even with a fantastic edge, your first few SR shaves will likely be awful, leaving a stubbly mess behind. There's a learning curve but thankfully it's not that long (maybe 8-10 shaves) before you start to get pretty good shaves. Then they continue to improve for a couple hundred shaves or so. But you have to start with a good edge, which unfortunately it doesn't look like you have.

I took it out this morning and shaved without stropping, as the honer said it was stropped and ready to shave, so the only stropping done was after the shave. Just a few laps, no rush, totally focused.

Maybe it came like this from the start?

I don’t know… but it sure wasn’t cutting at the beginning of the shave.

The arm test done later was even worse, nada. I wish I could show it to you here trough video.

Thank you for your help, I’ll figure this out!

 

[Doc226]

Did you test before using it? You could have wrecked the edge from your shave/stropping.

Looking at your pictures the edge looks rough, some parts look like the very edge is not honed.

At this point you really need to have someone with experience check your razor.

 

[Wid]

Lots of damage to the edge and a lot of deep scratches. It also looks like it’s been hone way up on the tang. It will need to be re-honed.

 

[alex1921]

Don't worry about HHT, the edge looks bad. Even if HHT was perfect I wouldn't put that razor on my face.
So, you showed these pics to the person that honed it? I would and see what they say.

 

[Mr Bedlington]

Your edge looks dreadful, I have nothing more to add.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

Did you strop the razor before the first shave?

What are you stropping on, a new strop?

Yes, now the edge is trashed likely from stropping, completely normal.

Stropping is your final finish on the edge. The actual edge is so thin you cannot see it with 100x magnification. If you lift the spine or use too much pressure you will roll the edge and break it off. Proper stropping can be difficult to learn.

Gold Dollar’s are not shave ready razors, they are a razor kit that can be made to shave in experienced hands. Gold Dollars have probably caused more folks to give up on Straight Razor shaving than any other issue.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

If I would see a razor with that edge, I would immediately know that it should not touch my face.

L.E.: as remark above, were the pictures taken before or after you stropped the razor?

 

[Alex Jr]

Did you test before using it? You could have wrecked the edge from your shave/stropping.

Looking at your pictures the edge looks rough, some parts look like the very edge is not honed.

At this point you really need to have someone with experience check your razor.

No I didn’t. From the box to the face. No stropping before either. First pass and it was clear it was not removing anything. I guess if someone is wrecking the edge during the shave at least the first pass would cut, but nope. Stubble everywhere.

Thank you sir!

Lots of damage to the edge and a lot of deep scratches. It also looks like it’s been hone way up on the tang. It will need to be re-honed.

I was thinking that. Back to the stone I guess.

Don't worry about HHT, the edge looks bad. Even if HHT was perfect I wouldn't put that razor on my face.
So, you showed these pics to the person that honed it? I would and see what they say.

Yes I did. I explained everything I did, he said the edge was tested and it was ok. He doesn’t really know what happened and said to send it back.

The edge wasn’t cutting from the first pass, so he agreed that it probably wasn’t related to post shave stropping.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

Part of the problem was my technique (blade angle and pressure), but a lot was my expectations. I was coming from AC barber razors using Feather and Kai guarded blades and those cut through my beard like butter. Not so with my SR.

Then your SR is not sharp enough.

Now, in fairness, there are different levels of sharpness. Some like it sharper, others less. Perhaps the person which honed your razors didn't aim for a high level of sharpness.

 

[Alex Jr]

Your edge looks dreadful, I have nothing more to add.

Yeah that’s true!

Did you strop the razor before the first shave?

What are you stropping on, a new strop?

Yes, now the edge is trashed likely from stropping, completely normal.

Stropping is your final finish on the edge. The actual edge is so thin you cannot see it with 100x magnification. If you lift the spine or use too much pressure you will roll the edge and break it off. Proper stropping can be difficult to learn.

Gold Dollar’s are not shave ready razors, they are a razor kit that can be made to shave in experienced hands. Gold Dollars have probably caused more folks to give up on Straight Razor shaving than any other issue.

No stropping before. Only after. But it didn’t cut from the first pass. Not just at the end or middle of the shave. Post shave stropping was very light and carefully done, I can’t imagine any damage from it. Slow and steady.

If I would see a razor with that edge, I would immediately know that it should not touch my face.

L.E.: as remark above, were the pictures taken before or after you stropped the razor?

I think some before and some after.

Like I said, if it had cut properly during the first passes and then turned out this way I guess there would be no doubt it would’ve been due to post shave stropping.

But the thing didn’t cut from the first stroke. Nothing. Nada.

And even so I had a wonderful time, no irritation.

I guess I’m gonna love a real shave ready razor.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

I think some before and some after.

Okay, that's interesting because in all pictures you can see the edge is chipped.

Like I said, if it had cut properly during the first passes and then turned out this way I guess there would be no doubt it would’ve been due to post shave stropping.

But the thing didn’t cut from the first stroke. Nothing. Nada.

And even so I had a wonderful time, no irritation.

It sounds like you tried to shave with a spoon camouflaged in a razor.

 

[Alex Jr]

Okay, that's interesting because in all pictures you can see the edge is chipped.

It sounds like you tried to shave with a spoon camouflaged in a razor.

Now there’s when you need real technique!

 

[Alex Jr]

Question now is… send it back or try to hone it myself since it’s a pretty cheap razor?

Hmmm

 

[Wid]

Question now is… send it back or try to hone it myself since it’s a pretty cheap razor?

Hmmm

If you have the stones and talent, do it yourself. It will have to be a full on honing. Make sure the bevel is nailed, if not nothing after that will count.

 

[Christian1212]

My vote would be to buy a nice vintage from a known vendor that will have the razor shave ready. Can keep the GD as a practice razor at the very start.

 

[Alex Jr]

If you have the stones and talent, do it yourself. It will have to be a full on honing. Make sure the bevel is nailed, if not nothing after that will count.

5k+10k and pasted strop would be enough? Sorry for the ignorance.

My vote would be to buy a nice vintage from a known vendor that will have the razor shave ready. Can keep the GD as a practice razor at the very start.

Yeah that would be my choice. Problem is that it’s difficult to buy straights here, there aren’t any vendors so I’ll keep an eye for the ones here on B&B. Not everybody ships outside CONUS, there’s that too.

I’m not a quitter so…