It will not cut the hair by simply passing over the blade. I shaved using my new razor today (first time with a str8 razor) *Total Damage* - about ten cuts to my face. None of them a big deal but, because I a new to this I am now thinking the razor was not sharp enough although it was supposed to be "shave ready - pre-sharpened". I have stropped this razor for over an hour after watching numerous You-Tube videos and reading "The-Straight-Razor-Shave" PDF file. The razor is a brand new DOVO Bismarck Straight Razor 6/8". Am I too much of a newbie and cut myself because I have no technique? Or do I need to hone this first? Give me some advice or just laugh as I cut myself daily - Love Ben
New Here - I just purchased new Str8- I cannot strop to pass the hair test.
- Thread starter shave_fiend
- Start date
Hi Ben and welcome. I am fairly new so hopefully a more seasoned straight shaver will chime in as well. First, I thought my first "shave ready" razor might be a bit dull as well. This is a common misconception. Technique is much more important with straights and it takes time. Eventually you find the right angle, pressure, touch that takes off the hair without irritation. I don't think you can get there without going through the process of experimentation with several shaves. Read, watch videos, ask questions, and shave. Eventually you will get there. That said, your stropping technique is likely poor as you are new. I know mine was and I am still working on it. In fact, you may have destroyed the edge with that much stropping. You should only need 40-50 strokes to touch up the blade. Honing is evidently a much more in depth process than you would think. I can get a knife scary sharp and haven't tried honing a razor because I read enough to realize that I would likely not get it right. In fact, I just put 3 razors in the mail to get honed today. My advice is to get the razor honed again my a professional and start over. The good news is that it's worth it! Another option is to order another razor from whippeddog.com. I started with Larry's razors and, while not beautiful to look at, they shave great and are a much cheaper option to get a shave ready razor. Hope this helps and keep the faith!
Yeah, sadly, this may be true. Where did you get your blade?
I'd go with the shave ready razor from whipped dog. Don't strop it before the first use.
It does take a while to get the correct angle. If you have cuts, then it is simply technic. Wrong angle? Digging in? Simply touching the razor to your face and getting a cut like that? All technic.
Let us know how the second shave goes. Go for a decent pass on your cheeks first, as this is usually the easiest place to shave correctly.
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- #5
Hmmmm I will try a second shave and see what happens. I would prefer to hone myself (never done it). Perhaps I should buy a cheap razor to "practice honing / stropping" on. I purchased my Dovo from www.fendrihan.com. I live in Canada, so shipping outside of this country to have a razor honed is not an option. Thanks for your replies! I look forward to cutting my face until I can handle this like a pro.
Welcome to B&B
Soap up a balloon and practice shaving the lather off, if you don't pop that balloon then you don't cut yourself.
Soap up a balloon and practice shaving the lather off, if you don't pop that balloon then you don't cut yourself.
also think about your lathery stuff. Are you using soap or creme? I have used soap the last few days, and used a creme sampler I received today, and didn't like it at all. I got a really thick lather, and it went on well, but it didn't feel as slick as the soap did. I'm sure I did something wrong, like not enough water, but it's something to consider.
Most people use far too high an angle when they first start with a straight. You want the spine of the razor no more than twice the width of the spine away from your skin and use NO pressure. NONE. AT ALL. Also use short strokes and don't go fast. Think "smooth". If it takes you half an hour to shave at first, fine. Just make sure if your lather dries out that you replace it. Good advice is to start with just your cheek area and add a little more each time as you get more feel for the blade.
As for stropping, yes if you do it wrong you can dull and even bend the blade. A modern straight is a full hollow grind (most likely) and the metal at the edge is VERY thin. Good stropping will never hurt a blade no matter how much you do, but one wrong stroke can damage it just as easy.
and I don't think anybody mentioned it, but you NEED good lather when shaving with a straight. If you're using pressurised goop in a can you may as well try to shave with a chainsaw for all the good it will do you. That stuff is for people who have no expectations and shave with training wheels on their razors (ie 70 "blade" cartridges). Spend a few extra bucks on some good shaving soap or cream. Don't use body soap or even face soap, get the right stuff and it will save you a LOT of issues. It doesn't have to be expensive, but it will need to suit your skin (as in YOUR skin and not necessarily mine). Smelling nice is a good thing as well.
As for stropping, yes if you do it wrong you can dull and even bend the blade. A modern straight is a full hollow grind (most likely) and the metal at the edge is VERY thin. Good stropping will never hurt a blade no matter how much you do, but one wrong stroke can damage it just as easy.
and I don't think anybody mentioned it, but you NEED good lather when shaving with a straight. If you're using pressurised goop in a can you may as well try to shave with a chainsaw for all the good it will do you. That stuff is for people who have no expectations and shave with training wheels on their razors (ie 70 "blade" cartridges). Spend a few extra bucks on some good shaving soap or cream. Don't use body soap or even face soap, get the right stuff and it will save you a LOT of issues. It doesn't have to be expensive, but it will need to suit your skin (as in YOUR skin and not necessarily mine). Smelling nice is a good thing as well.
What made you strop for an hour? It should take a couple minutes at most you know. As already mentioned, it's highly likely you ruined your edge doing that. It probably came ready to shave right out of the box, no stropping necessary before the first use.
You can forget about honing it yourself, you need to have it honed by a professional as you need a benchmark for what sharp actually is.
Starting honing without that knowledge is futile.
Good honing service in Canada: http://www.classicedge.ca/
And welcome to B&B!
You can forget about honing it yourself, you need to have it honed by a professional as you need a benchmark for what sharp actually is.
Starting honing without that knowledge is futile.
Good honing service in Canada: http://www.classicedge.ca/
And welcome to B&B!
Welcome to B&B!
When you say "pre-sharpened" and "shave ready" do you mean that it was from the manufacturer or there was an actual person using a stone to sharpen it? You bought the straight new? If that's the case and it was advertised shave ready, chances are, it wasn't. I might feel sharp but it's not sharp enough. Send it to a honemeister to be honed
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Honemeister
When you say "pre-sharpened" and "shave ready" do you mean that it was from the manufacturer or there was an actual person using a stone to sharpen it? You bought the straight new? If that's the case and it was advertised shave ready, chances are, it wasn't. I might feel sharp but it's not sharp enough. Send it to a honemeister to be honed
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Honemeister
~~~FWIW, when I stepped into the STR8 razor realm, I went into it specifically to also learn honing at the same time. If you can walk and chew gum simultaneously, you'll learn how to hone, but it's a learned art, and yes, buy a used vintage razor for little dinero for your 2nd razor. I would suggest putting an ad up in the WTB forum, stating you want to buy an economical vintage STR8 razor. I'm sure someone here will come to your rescue selling you a vintage STR8 on the cheap, and shave ready to boot...and get it to Canada for little more than shipping CONUS
As others have commented, you can dull your StR8 with improper stropping technique. We've all done it. That's how you learn, and you'll likely butcher your first strop, or two=
Strops can be repaired, by removing the flap you created (cut the flap out with a sharp knife), to make the crater edge smooth so the razor's edge wont catch on the flap...if the flap isn't there, the razor wont hit it, then you sand the edge smooth and strop right on over it. Your razor will never know it was ever thereNow my comments about encouraging you to learn how to hone, were not meant to take a jab at anyone who sends their razors out to be honed. To each his or her own. I'm a bit of a DIY type and the idea of learning how to hone intrigued me. In a way, honing is sort of like whittling a a piece of wood with a knife. You keep at it, you'll get better. That said, others may have better and different ideas
Best,
Jake
Reddick Fla.
Welcome to B&B !!
- Thread starter
- #13
Ok, I will attempt my second shave tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestions, I will let you know how it goes.
Welcome!
There will be blood. Your razor is not shave ready. You didn't read this written under every Dovo sold by Fendrihan?
"This razor is not pre-honed. Even though Dovo Solingen do sharpen their razors before packaging, the razors might require some honing before first usage."
It's factory sharp, which means it's as dull as a spoon. A weeks worth of stropping wouldn't sharpen it.
Welcome to B&B. Some very good advice already given.
As for me I use the top of the line Feather and Kai straights. No need to worry about a really sharp blade with them. Just change the blade when it gets dull.
As for me I use the top of the line Feather and Kai straights. No need to worry about a really sharp blade with them. Just change the blade when it gets dull.
Just a note to make sure you don't misunderstand some of the advice that has been given. Nobody here is trying to throw rocks at you, we really really want to see you enjoy straight shaving. The problem is that absolutely will not happen if you don't have a properly honed edge. Trust me, I am a couple months in and loving it. I also want to learn to hone my own blades. I know where you are coming from! Let someone who has done it hundreds or thousands of times get you what right looks like. Even properly honed, it might not pass the HHT for you and you might think it isn't "sharp enough". Stick with it using a properly honed blade though and you will figure out the right angle, pressure, and technique. While doing that, you will refine your stropping technique and your lathering technique. Anyway, I just didn't want you to think everyone is yellin' at you... we have been there and some of us still are Let us know how it goes!
Let us know how it goes!
Welcome, and hang in there! I've only shaved twice with a straight razor and I've been able to avoid both nick and cuts, with only slight razor burn the first go round. First, I believed I would get a great shave with a straight razor before I owned one. Second, it really takes a lot of patience, and as Mick Russell said, it may take a half hour or so initially. I kept the blade angle rather small and made short strokes, especially for the first shave. I was able to shave my face and beard WTG (with the grain}, and I went a little ATG (against the grain) on one cheek before deciding I had gone far enough for round 1. I had a little bit of razor burn on one side of my beard, but it was gone by the next day.
For my second shave, I went all out and got a near BBS (baby butt smooth) shave, with my only trouble spots being my upper lip and chin. I went WTG, XTG (cross the grain), and ATG for that shave and I was surprised it went that well for only being my second time. As others have mentioned, use a high quality cream or soap. Keep it slow and steady. You can do it!
For my second shave, I went all out and got a near BBS (baby butt smooth) shave, with my only trouble spots being my upper lip and chin. I went WTG, XTG (cross the grain), and ATG for that shave and I was surprised it went that well for only being my second time. As others have mentioned, use a high quality cream or soap. Keep it slow and steady. You can do it!
~~~~I consider myself a n00b when it comes to weilding a STR8 Razor, having first picked up one in March of this year and used/played with it while also shaving using DE's and SE's. I only started progressing by leaps and bounds when I put the SE's and DE's in the proverbial drawer and concentrated on using the STR8 only...and I've been using STR8's day in and day out only for maybe two months now. That said, I learn something new (an improvement, better technique) every shave. Learning how to shave with a STR8 Razor is a lot like learning how to roadrace (motorcycles), for me as I remember getting my first racing license (May 96'-swan song 9/99') and every race day or practice session, I was improving, but you could use that analogy with just about anything that interests you and you have a desire to learn and advance
While I'm chewing up bandwidth talking about STR8's, one thing I kept hearing from those that have been using STR8's to shave with for a while was the oft repeated statement of how much better they could shave themselves using a STR8 vs. any other type of wet shave razor (DE, SE)...that the STR8 gave them the ability to shave better with one than any other wet shaving tool. Now I'm starting to experience that and I beleive that type of control has come about through repitition. Daily repitition. Most prominently that sticks out in my mind is the ability to put the razor on my skin using only a deft touch, and getting the whiskars off. What I'm trying to say is I'm able to use a lighter touch and not only get the job done, but get it done well, a better shave than I can get with a safety razor. Never thought I'd get there and you could say that it all fell into place, but, I'm not done learning how to shave better. Not by a long shot. I know I have much more to learn...I'm talking about getting a better shave.
One of the passes that is falling into place for me, a XTG pass starting from under the chin on the left side of my face and cutting up...that whole side of my face. The left hand still needs loads of work to get where the right is but I'm naturally right handed. Hah!, never thought I'd look forward to shaving daily, not until I discovered wet shaving. Old school wet shaving that is
Best,
Jake
Reddick Fla.
While I'm chewing up bandwidth talking about STR8's, one thing I kept hearing from those that have been using STR8's to shave with for a while was the oft repeated statement of how much better they could shave themselves using a STR8 vs. any other type of wet shave razor (DE, SE)...that the STR8 gave them the ability to shave better with one than any other wet shaving tool. Now I'm starting to experience that and I beleive that type of control has come about through repitition. Daily repitition. Most prominently that sticks out in my mind is the ability to put the razor on my skin using only a deft touch, and getting the whiskars off. What I'm trying to say is I'm able to use a lighter touch and not only get the job done, but get it done well, a better shave than I can get with a safety razor. Never thought I'd get there and you could say that it all fell into place, but, I'm not done learning how to shave better. Not by a long shot. I know I have much more to learn...I'm talking about getting a better shave.
One of the passes that is falling into place for me, a XTG pass starting from under the chin on the left side of my face and cutting up...that whole side of my face. The left hand still needs loads of work to get where the right is but I'm naturally right handed. Hah!, never thought I'd look forward to shaving daily, not until I discovered wet shaving. Old school wet shaving that is
Best,
Jake
Reddick Fla.
He bought a honed Dovo, Fendrian sells "pre-sharpened" Dovo's as well.
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