Interesting. Slicing your Adam's Apple triggers a gag reflex.

[Skippii]

Anyone know why that is? One minute I'm shaving with a straight razor, the next I feel like I'm choking, and the next moment there's blood on my throat.

Anyway, that aside, I shaved today. Took about a 45 minutes to do my cheeks and chin. I gave up on my windpipe after the first incident.
I've gotten better. Now my shave is as close as about...I'd say a full day's growth for a hairy man.

I'm surprised at how much pressure I have to push down with on the blade. It's not very much, but it doesn't really seem right.
It still feels like I'm ripping the hairs more than slicing them. Hurts quite a bit, too. On my cheeks, it becomes a lot easier if I use a slight carving motion, like cutting through a roast beef or ham. A lot less pulling. I'm scared though that I'll slice off a lump of flesh...like cutting through a roast beef or ham! I haven't tried this on my neck. I'm still pretty hairy along my the sides of my neck. I can't bring myself to push the blade into my Jugulars that hard, and if I'm not really pushing, nothing happens.

Cutting off my goatee was the worst part. Probably had about 6-10 days of growth on it, so it was a bit over half an inch long, maybe 3/4". I soaked it and saturated it with water and then soap several times, but still couldn't stop it from feeling like I was tearing the hairs out with pliers rather than slicing them off.

So that was my third shave. I'm learning things that work, and I'm learning things that just don't work, and I'm probably learning bad habits. I almost killed myself, and I'm really wondering if this is worthwhile.

[rth97601]

Hmmm ...

I'm a straight razor newbie myself--maybe two dozen shaves under my belt--so I'm no expert, but the pressure and slight sawing motion are ringing some alarm bells for me. I use very little pressure, and always a straight motion, and I have been getting good and generally bloodless shaves--if I shaved in the manner you describe, I'd cut myself to pieces.

Perhaps your razor needs honing?

[Skippii]

Yeah, I think a Hone is next to add to the list of "all the stuff I have to buy so that I'll never have to buy another razor."

I suspect that's the problem. I gave it a good stropping every 15 minutes on a fabric strop with .5 micron paste on it.

Sawing was only on the cheeks and goatee. I'd NEVER try that on my throat!

[michiganlover]

Yeah, I think a Hone is next to add to the list of "all the stuff I have to buy so that I'll never have to buy another razor."

I think you totally missed his point about needing to have your razor honed: You don't need to buy a hone, you need to immediately send your razor away to be professional honed.

There is no way a shave ready razor should behave in the fashion you describe. I would not even think about using it again, until you have it professional honed!!

[valmara1971]

I think you totally missed his point about needing to have your razor honed: You don't need to buy a hone, you need to immediately send your razor away to be professional honed.

There is no way a shave ready razor should behave in the fashion you describe. I would not even think about using it again, until you have it professional honed!!

Been there, done that, listen to the man here that thing will kill you if it's blunt. I have the scars to prove it. :blushing: and that's why I'm a DE only man :lol:

[brianw]

Put that razor down and back away. Do not pick it up again except to put it in a box to send out to get honed!!!!!! I do not want to pick up the paper and read about some guy who cut his cheeks or lips off with a str8.

[Skippii]

Okay then, point taken.
I'll check out the honemeister list tonight when I have a chance, and dig the m3 out of the trash for the next few weeks.
Thank you all, by the way, for having such a nice website with stickies and the like for easy access to things like this as well as the promt replies.

[valmara1971]

Okay then, point taken.
I'll check out the honemeister list tonight when I have a chance, and dig the m3 out of the trash for the next few weeks.

OMG don't do that! Sure get the str8 off for a hone no biggie no real harm done but for the love of all things holy leave the M3 in the trash!

Get on over to the B/S/T and grab a cheapo DE to tide you over. :thumbup1:

[Atrin]

str8.

You people give up the convenience of cartridges and electrics, settle down to shave like a real man.

And then spell the manly tool like a 13 year old girl.


I feel like a firing squad is necessary for such hypocrisy. ;)

[BeyondPsyche]

you people give up the convenience of cartridges and electrics, settle down to shave like a real man.

And then spell the manly tool like a 13 year old girl.


I feel like a firing squad is necessary for such hypocrisy. ;)

omg i srsly jst lol'd

[AdrianR]

omg i srsly jst lol'd

Pwned!:thumbup1:

Seriously, gents, can't we leave the 'leetspeak' off this forum? Regular usenet abbreviations like 'LOL', 'FWIW', 'YMMV', 'IMHO' etc are acceptable - 'str8' raises my blood pressure a few points...I have no desire to raise it further by having to decode messages that read like text-speak.

[/rant]

[BeyondPsyche]

Pwned!:thumbup1:

Seriously, gents, can't we leave the 'leetspeak' off this forum? Regular usenet abbreviations like 'LOL', 'FWIW', 'YMMV', 'IMHO' etc are acceptable - 'str8' raises my blood pressure a few points...I have no desire to raise it further by having to decode messages that read like text-speak.

[/rant]

You should see how my wife butchers the English language in her Facebook posts and text messages. Sometimes I can't even understand what the topic of conversation is.

[bluefoxicy]

You people give up the convenience of cartridges and electrics, settle down to shave like a real man.

And then spell the manly tool like a 13 year old girl.

Actually the abbreviation 'str8' seems to originate from gay-friendly personals ads services...

Or 13 year olds on AOL talking about same.

To me it's just a "razor" anyway, which is odd since I always shaved with a Fusion/Bic/Mach3/whatever. But we have "Razors," "safety razors," and "multi-blade cartridge safety razors" or whatever.

[michiganlover]

Actually the abbreviation 'str8' seems to originate from gay-friendly personals ads services...

Interesting, the first time I saw the abbreviation was around 1996. It was embroidered on the backpack of a college student who was into a underground movement of raver like people who were dedicated to being drug, and alcohol free. The movement was called "str8 edge". The movement has been pretty well slaughtered by WWE Wrestler CM Punk the last year or so, who treats the movement as if it were his God/ Religion.

[BeyondPsyche]

Okay, I think we have sufficiently hijacked this thread. I suggest we create a new thread if we want to discuss this further.