Help: SE not cutting it

[Shaggylane]

I ordered a DE (Merkur long handled) and a SE (Dovo tortise shell). They both arrived last Monday. Since I'm new to wetshaving I figured my face would take a bit of time to get use to the new regiment. I thought starting with a DE would be a good idea. As it turns out, I was right. I find that there is a lot of pulling when I use the SE. I'll describe my preparation:

* soak the badger brush in hot water while I take a shower
* wash my face in the shower to soften my beard
* mix up a lather with premium shaving cream (Truefitt & Hill Ultimate shaving cream)

Once my beard is lathered up and soft, I start on my left cheek near the sideburn. With the razor at 30 degrees to my face, I stroke with the grain. There is a lot of pulling which makes me wonder if the blade is sharp enough. So far, I have finished each shave with my double edge razor which cuts through my beard like butter.

I have tried stropping the blade paying particular attention to technique rather than speed. The blade certainly feels sharp to the touch.

I bought the SE from Dovorazors.com which is suppose to be prepared "shave ready" before shipping. I sent them an email to find out about their honing procedures.

In the meantime, I'd appreciate any other suggestions or insight as to what I can do to improve the SE experience.

Doug

[SMOKE]

I can't help you with the SE, though many others here can.

As far as the DE...Sounds like you got a decent shave, I am guessing you used the Merkur blade shipped with the razor??
Ditch the blade. Get some derbys, crystals, or IP's. Your DE shave will be MUCH better.


Regards,

[Jockymac]

If you're getting good results with the Merkur blade you may wish to stick with it for now.

I started with the Merkur blades and had a few issues (minor nicks and irritation) which went away as soon as I switched to Personnas (IP). I don't have any experience of the Derbys or Crystals, but the consensus of opinion on here would suggest they are both worth trying.

Good luck.

[SMOKE]

If you're getting good results with the Merkur blade you may wish to stick with it for now.

I started with the Merkur blades and had a few issues (minor nicks and irritation) which went away as soon as I switched to Personnas (IP). I don't have any experience of the Derbys or Crystals, but the consensus of opinion on here would suggest they are both worth trying.

Good luck.

Honestly, i would ditch the merkur blades post haste. They tend to tug and scrape. You can't go wrong with a derby, crystal, or IP. Please trust me on this. I know of what i speak. Your shave will improve greatly...assuming your technique is on par.

[Shaggylane]

Having read the advice from Badgerandblade I tossed the Merkur blade that came with my DE and tried a Derby. Works like a charm......well, once I got the knack of not applying pressure to to the razor.

Now....back to my original question.....How to improve my SE experience.

Doug

[SMOKE]

Having read the advice from Badgerandblade I tossed the Merkur blade that came with my DE and tried a Derby. Works like a charm......well, once I got the knack of not applying pressure to to the razor.

Now....back to my original question.....How to improve my SE experience.

Doug

Told ya!!! :w00t: JK I'm sure you received great advice from all. Wish I could help you with the SE, but not my thing. Many others here will though!!!

[MotoMike]

I don't believe that Dovo Straights come from the factory shave ready. They do the minimum honing and the shave is brutal. I had a Dovo Special with the faux tortoise scales. It was most definitely not shave ready when I got it. Some retailers offer honemiester services for a nominal fee so that your new razor arrives whisker popping fresh. I recommend that you have a honemiester service your razor so that you know what sharp is and have something to compare to when you do your own honing.

[gabeyb]

Yes. You need to have someone hone it for you. Put a post up in the Straight Razor section, and someone can point you to a "honemeister" near you.

Shave ready from the factory—as I understand it—is not really shave ready.

[Shaggylane]

I heard back from my inquiry to dovorazors.com:

I wish I had a pound for every time I've had this message! Generally, the problem is with the angle of blade to face being far too wide - although you may think you are holding the blade at 30 degrees it's usually a lot more. This results in the stubble being torn rather than cut cleanly. A DE blade is set at an angle that is more or less fixed - and far narrower than you might think. Another factor is confidence - which only comes with practice. Holding a straight at a shallow angle to the face gives great results but may seem a bit dangerous to the newbie! Too, typically, newcomers make short, repeated strokes as they search for the right angle of cut -this adds to the discomfort as the skin is rapidly abraded by the blade. An experienced user can normally shave from base of sideburn to the collar line in one pass - it's just learning the correct moves. You certainly are making the right preparations - they're the same as for a DE shave anyway. I would suggest just being patient and giving it a chance - it is a learned skill after all and you do fall off a bike a few times before you ride it!

Depending on the razor - different ones sometimes take a slightly different technique - I generally 'finish' on either a yellow coticule of a 10K japanese waterstone, before proceeding to pasted strops (if necessary) and then final stropping on bare leather. My aim is always to give a good shave-ready edge that passes the HH test and that I would be happy to shave with myself. Obviously I cannot test the razor in this fashion but my forearms are usually kept pretty smooth and It's a good job I have a good head of hair! Your Dovo Special was no exception - it honed very well to a great edge. Make no mistake - I value my reputation highly and am NEVER tempted to send a razor out that's anything less than as good as I can make it.

I do hope this reassures you a bit - I know that purchasing from some unknown person a long way away is a bit of a leap of faith. Honestly - keep practising and it WILL come.

Regards
Steve Dempster

Now that I think about it, the angle the DE blade was striking my face was much less than the SE.

Doug