Straight shaving issue

[Goodknightbri]

Hey guys,
I have an issue that just hasn't gotten any better. No matter which straight I use, whether it's a 5/8 spike point duck or a B.J. Eyre 6/8 Wedge, I don't seem to get as close as I can get with a safety razor. It's gotten better, and I've used many different grinds and sizes, but I always find myself "following up" with a safety razor. I have dark brown hair and, although my beard is not very full, the individual hairs are thicker. It can be tough to go ATG with a straight, especially in certian places. Even when I can, I can't seem to get as close as I can with the trusted Fat boy. Any advice or ideas?

[luvmysuper]

How long have you been at it?

It takes quite a while to develop the skills necessary to get a great shave. Several months of regular daily use for some folks. (like me)

[Goodknightbri]

6 months but not daily. I manage not to cut myself and I've got most of it down. I just don't ever seem to get as close. Admittedly, I don't use straights daily. Probably twice a week.

[Hawkeye5]

So you are right around 50 shaves, but only twice a week.

I might suggest using the straight every day for at least 2 months. My feeling is that twice a week is not enough to learn and retain all the little things that make a difference.

[Luc]

6 months but not daily. I manage not to cut myself and I've got most of it down. I just don't ever seem to get as close. Admittedly, I don't use straights daily. Probably twice a week.

Sounds like my path... I was starting to get DFS at that stage. Make sure your angle is very low (spine almost touching your skin).

You might need re-honing unless the blade is not pulling. It took me ~70 shaves to get my first BBS with a straight.

[kg4ghn]

Just keep on keeping on.

I have been using a straight since the beginning of March. Only straights for about 3 months straight, and then adding in some DEs and some SEs as I picked some up at local antique stores. I am now back to straights all the time trying to get my technique the last bit there.

I can get a consistent DFS and am just now starting to get BBS in spots.

Here are some random things that have helped me along the way:


STRETCH the skin! rub the fingers that are stretching on an alum block for grip
keep angle low/spine close to face
keep the blade touched up (I like my chinese 12k)
NO PRESSURE!
don't be afraid to try wierd angles/directions that feel strange at first

[TenorClef]

I read earlier in this forum that you have to really commit to a straight in order to become proficient at it. So quite early on I decided to use only my straight for daily shaves with perhaps one shave a week on my DE, my DE rarely ever gets used at all now. I only started straight razor shaving in June 2010 and can say the shaves are definitely getting better. Consistent overall DFS, occasionally i hit a overall BBS, BBS every time on the cheeks going WTG and ATG. I consider this good going considering I've only been at this for around 12 weeks.

[Shangas]

Practice, determination and a "to hell with it!" attitude are essentials for shaving with a straight-razor, I've learnt. You must do it regularly, at least every second day, and you must be patient and you must be determined.

As the famous British politician Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill said, "We must just keep buggering on!" and never give up. You will never learn to straight shave properly if you don't do it often enough.

The VERY first time I shaved, I was amazed that it worked at all. The next time I shaved, I got a SERIOUS case of razor-burn. The next time I shaved, I got less razor burn and more shaving. The fourth time I shaved, I got minimal razor burn and more shaving. The fifth time I shaved, I got what I would consider my first decent shave.

But I did that every day for a week. You need determination. Twice a week (literally and figuratively) won't cut it.

[RF1963]

As the old street busker said to the young man who asked "How do I get Carnegie Hall?" "Practice, just practice".

Seriously, there's nothing beats using the instrument to get proficient at it. Applies to straight shaving just as much as it applies to jazz. (Am listening to, and therefore inspired by, Art Pepper).