Too much work/effort?

[Wid]

I don't really need more stretching, I do some more with XTG passes but not that much more. I am lucky my skin is pretty tight.

Damn kids LOL!

[hotreds]

WTF?????

I would talk about how straight shaving is a meditative process, meant to be enjoyed slowly, etc, etc... but I can't get past this part. Dude, why are you stropping for 20 minutes?

100 slooow strops on each side. 20 minutes might be an exageration, but my point is the length of time involved in the ss process. HOWEVER- I have just purchased several ready-to-shave straights and will concentrate on my technique and stropping and send them out to be honed as need be. I WANT to straight shave, and I appreciate the helping hands many here are offering!

[Drybonz]

100 slooow strops on each side. 20 minutes might be an exageration, but my point is the length of time involved in the ss process. HOWEVER- I have just purchased several ready-to-shave straights and will concentrate on my technique and stropping and send them out to be honed as need be. I WANT to straight shave, and I appreciate the helping hands many here are offering!

Not to try to get you to try to strop quickly, but it should, ultimately, be a 1-2 minute process, even if you are taking your time. I think you are on the right path, though, by concentrating on your technique. If you are patient through the initial learning process, you will find that it naturally takes you less time as you become more proficient.

[ladykate]

Nice video. I know I do a lot more skin stretching than what's shown in your video. Have you tried (or even need to) do more stretching of your skin?

Youngsters don't need no stretching of the skin. I sometimes look younger after a shave because I mow down a few wrinkles. If I stretched my skin properly, my stretching hand would be out beyond my shoulder.

For those who claim this; will one of you hone a razor for me so I can see what you consider sharp.

+1

For my face, I can't get that good with a Super Pro, so I would be in awe if a regular straight could be keen enough to do it. Not sayin'... just sayin'..

[Kentos]

Not to try to get you to try to strop quickly, but it should, ultimately, be a 1-2 minute process, even if you are taking your time. I think you are on the right path, though, by concentrating on your technique. If you are patient through the initial learning process, you will find that it naturally takes you less time as you become more proficient.

I would add, though it's purely an opinion, that some brevity (and pressure) is needed for the strop to properly bring the edge back. I aim for around a 1 second round trip lap up and down the strop, maybe a little faster. YMMV tho, and going too fast WILL lead to nicks and slices, so ultimately take your time and build up to that pace.

[hotreds]

Have been careful with my stropping and have been happy with my straight shaving this past week. It does seem to be a slower learning process than with a DE or SE. After a week of ss I find that I still get a closer and more comfortable shave with my DE. But, unlike my first stab at it, when I mis-stropped and was unable to finish more than a few strokes, this past week I was able to shave with nothing but my straight, and today I even did a bit of ATG under my chiny chin chin. The key is getting the angle and pressure IMO, and THOSE I am still discovering!

[cb91710]

Bingo.

Straights are far less forgiving than DE.

I fast-tracked it... went from Fusion to the Merkur 38C for 6 shaves, then to the Muhle R41.
The R41 forced me to quickly learn angle and pressure, but it was still a bloodbath until I moved to a good blade... Derby was a killer for me.

After maybe 15 or 18 shaves with the R41, I switched to straights.

Being overly cautious, that first shave didn't take off much, and I ended up doing the 2nd pass and buffing with the R41.
The next night, I committed myself to the straight, got a bit more daring with the angle, and the shave was much closer, but got a little burn.

It will take a few weeks to really get dialed in, and you'll want to keep a fresh DE blade available for your "old reliable" for a "special night" where you don't want to take a chance on a bad shave.
It will take months to master, but once you do, you'll be wondering why it used to take you an hour.

[Obiwan]

Sounds like things are improving. Keep it up and keep us posted. You'll be glad you're sticking with it once everything clicks.

[danjared]

Have been careful with my stropping and have been happy with my straight shaving this past week. It does seem to be a slower learning process than with a DE or SE. After a week of ss I find that I still get a closer and more comfortable shave with my DE. But, unlike my first stab at it, when I mis-stropped and was unable to finish more than a few strokes, this past week I was able to shave with nothing but my straight, and today I even did a bit of ATG under my chiny chin chin. The key is getting the angle and pressure IMO, and THOSE I am still discovering!

Comparing straights, DE's/SE's and cartridge razors, DE's/SE's are hardly different from cartridge razors compared to straight razors. It'll take you some time to develop proficiency.

[hotreds]

Dang- a slice on the chin. Was doing one last "buffing" pass and cut myself on the chin. Now I have cut myself on each of my last two straight shaves. Chin and 'stash area seem to be esp. tricky with a straight! The styptic pencil didn't help at all on this one- I now have a piece of Kleenex on the wound- will hafta be careful taking it off to avoid re-opening the cut! Oh, well, live and learn, I reckon. Unforgiving shavers, those straights!

[California Cajun]

Straight shaving seems like too much work! I got the film and stuff, but 100 or so strokes on 5 different sizes, then more stropping- all done at a slow pace- you're talking an hour or so just to get shave ready! And, 20 minutes of stropping either before or after each shave. It takes me 15 or less minutes from start to finish three passes with my DE or SE and I doubt a straight could shave me any/much closer! And there are three main learning curves on lapping, stropping, and shaving with a straight- with a DE or SE there is only one main learning curve. I'd love to be told I'm wrong, but it sure seems like a lot of work for - why?

All my life, I was fascinated while watching a straight razor shave being performed in movies. I saw a friend get one in person because he wanted to surprise his mom and get rid of his beard. When I was a kid barbers used to shave around the ears with a straight and I just loved that feeling of hot lather and the shave.

I went on to have very unhappy experiences with electric razors, disposables, and cartridges. Discomfort and bad shaves. Never shaved unless I absolutely had to do so. Two years ago, when my electric razor lost it's keenness on brand new blades after only one week, that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Then I read The Zen of Shaving (see my signature) which showed me that the old-time instruments were still in use by people and available, and at Age 54, started using them. I just loved my DE experiences, then tried SE razors and loved them too. But I had a tremendous desire to learn the straight razor and despite taking two years to master it, I just love it. At first the DEs gave the far superior shave. Now the straight razor does.

Summed up, it depends on the individual. It was worth it to me to learn a straight, personally.

[Kavik79]

that's the built in mechanism that trains you to become proficient or face the consequences LOL

it's been said over and over, but I'll throw in my 2 cents to back everyone else up. When I first started it would take me almost an hour for a 3 pass shave, to get "okay" results. And stropping would take me at least 5 minutes slow and careful. Now, about a year later, I'm usually out of the bathroom about 25 minutes after I get out of the shower, including clean up time...and can get better results now with a quicker 2 pass shave than I used to with a slow and shaky 3 pass.

It'll all come together in time, and the speed of stropping with naturally progress when you build the muscle memory for it. I strop now in about a minute to a minute and a half, depending on which razor I'm using and how many laps that one needs (easily done while you're letting some lather soak into your beard), and haven't nicked my strop in at least 9 months

Keep at it, it sounds like you're doing fine and just needing more practice time. In a month or two you'll look back at this thread and laugh that you ever thought it was so hard

[hotreds]

Thanks very much for the encouragement, Daryl!