SR like cutting butter with a hot knife

[Nsgators]

The short version of my advice is to get a razor (whether it's the one you have or another one) honed by somebody with a reputation for making lightsaber edges and to lather up well and use a shallow angle and see how that turns out. Also, don't strop before the first shave, that way you can be sure you haven't dulled the edge.


The long version takes the form of a story. There once was a DE shaver who decided to try SR shaving. After his first dozen or so shaves with a straight, he was at about the same point you are, Nsgators, wondering whether what he was feeling was what straight razor shaving was supposed to be like. He was getting OK results in terms of closeness and irritation, but the experience during the shave wasn't what he had expected - there was some strong tugging along the jawline and chin, and even in the easier spots the blade was a little tuggy and it didn't seem like he could use zero pressure and still have the blade cut hair. He had purchased his razor (a NOS Klas Tornblom 11/16 faux-frameback barber's notch blade that had been put in cheap plastic scales) from a guy on another site who was a well-reviewed restorer and honer there, and while the scales seemed rather loose (though he didn't have anything to compare to at the time) and he had used the technique commonly recommended (30 degrees/2 spinewidths WTG), he figured the edge must not be the problem. He could shave a little better at a much shallower angle (about 1 spinewidth or about 15 degrees when going WTG), but it still was much tuggier than he though was right.

This shaver had a long trip coming up at that time, and he took the opportunity to grab a Feather AC and a pack of blades. The very first shave with it at a hotel was the best shave he had ever had at the time (he had been DE shaving for probably 8 months before he tried straights), with the true "hot knife through butter" feel and no irritation. Now, the technique is a little different for a shavette (even a good Feather or Kai barber razor) than it is for a traditional straight but it's not that different, and knowing he could get good results gave him some confidence that he wasn't losing his mind or totally incompetent.

By this point he also had taken a shine to the look of some other razors he saw listed online, and he bought a Baurmann honed on a conventional synthetic progression ending with an SG 20k by a different honer. He tried that out, and the results were nearly as good as with the Feather! The next dozen shaves with the Baurmann went about equally well. Shaves with the Klas Tornblom on the other hand still went quite poorly. He wasn't stropping any differently than he had been before and his technique was identical with both razors, but the results shaving with the two were night and day.

The shaver now went back to the guy who he had purchased his first razor from and inquired in the least accusatory manner he could about how it had been honed. The answer he got was that it had been finished on an Imperia La Roccia stone with 4 layers of tape used, and that this produced the keenest and smoothest edge imaginable. I won't say what the implication is here though I'm sure some folks can guess.

As you probably figured out, the shaver was me. A couple of hundred shaves later, my technique has improved and I'm happy with where I'm at and glad I neither gave up on the enterprise nor accepted the results I was getting with that first edge as normal. Unfortunately, the lovely Klas Tornblom razor never became what it deserved to be - I sent it to a guy who is well-recommended here to have the scales replaced, and he accidentally snapped the blade in half during repinning and refunded me the purchase price of the razor plus the price of the scales and shipping. Good customer service, though I would have preferred the blade not being broken in the first place. Someday I'd like to get another Klas Tornblom, though I doubt I'll ever find another NOS one and certainly not for the price I got the first one.

A few months ago, I bought a different razor from the same guy I originally bought the Klas Tornblom from and it tugged too until I rehoned it. It's had lapping film and jnat edges on it now and has become kind of a standard test piece for me as I work on my honing skills.

I just want to thank everyone for taking the time to reply to this thread. Everyone gave me some good insight. Mike, thank you for sharing your experience. I read every bit of it, not once but twice. I shared a similar experience. I purchased a used razor to start. It seemed to tug and didn't shave as I expected. I then purchased a shavette. While I did cut my face a few times, I actually got some really smooth shaves with it. While your second purchase was successful, my purchase was ok. This is what made me very confused. Today, I had a really good shave with it. My technique needs some work, but I'm finally sensing some progress. Lastly, I'm considering forking out the dough for some to stones to learn how to hone. I'll begin with the old razor rather than my brand new one. Thanks again everyone.