Slightly frustrated.

I've been using a straight razor (and a DE from time to time) for about 2 months. I have some honing supplies and a few razors to practice on. I also have a shave ready razor from Whipped Dog.

Those that I've honed myself are fairly sharp but not quite as sharp as the one from WD. They work well everywhere except for the tougher chin/upper lip areas.

Even though the WD razor is the sharpest I still can't get the chin or upper lip area clean enough to not need to finish up with a DE.

I started DE shaving about the same time as with straights. The learning curve, if you want to call it that, was just a couple of shaves. With straights it's a lot longer of course but once I started holding the blade angle at 30 degrees or less it was no problem shaving everything but the upper lip and chin areas.

I know most of the "tricks" for shaving the chin/upper lip and therefore do cut some stubble but I'm stuck at this "stage" for a lot longer than I was at any other stage of straight shaving.

My sharpest blade is a 5/8 WD and number two is a 6/8 (Gold Dollar) that I honed. THe GD does a good job everywhere except those two problem areas. The WD is sharper and does a better job (but not good enough) in those two problem areas.

It makes me wonder if I need a blade that is sharper yet than the WD or if it's just technique (which is my assumption). I also have more of a pointy chin than some people so I'm sure that doesn't help.

How long did it take most of you to get a really smooth shave in the upperlip/chin areas?

Keep at it. The chin and lip are the hardest places to shave on your face.

It will take a while, much longer than a DE took. For myself the chin and upper lip must be pretty well shaven before attempting an ATG. This requires a good WTG and ATG prior. It also needs a sharp blade as well as scything and gulliotine strokes.

It is entirely possible that you need a sharper edge too. Work on perfecting your honing and shaving technique and all should fall into place soon enough.

What does your honing regimen look like?

My honing is sort of non-traditional I have an Arkansas Tri-Hone consisting of a corundum stone/soft Arkansas/hard Arkansas for setting the bevel. I have two Japanese slip stones (4k and 8k) and a Chinese 12k finishing stone.

I strop with a paddle strop with plain leather on one side and chromium oxide (on leather) on the other side.

I haven't honed the Whipped Dog blade (which is the sharpest). I strop that one before use each time on the plain leather side and strop with the chromium oxide side (and then plain leather) about once a week.

Non traditional or not the stones should give you a food edge, though I have not tried your set up personally. Does it get any easier right after he touch up on the crox? Or is that ATG difficult regardless?

Two months including some shaves with DE? It is still early and i beleive that you have done very good to achieve good shaves apart from chin and lips. Most of us took longer to achieve that. I had the same problem and one day i shaved my chin very good. However the next day i couldnt remember how i did it. It just happened. I beleive it needs good streching and very small moves inch by inch both the streching and the shaving. Do not be fustrated you are nearly there.

i'd like to provide some good info, but i don't exactly know what you are striving for, i may have missed it though. are you going full on BBS?

maybe you can tell us your tricks?

mine are typically a slide, a wipe, or a scoop, sometimes I even think of doing "the dog scratcher"... edit: but i don't since i am not crazy

I can't tell any real difference after using the crox regarding the chin/upper lip areas. I haven't specifically thought about it or experimented that way however.

Regarding tricks, I was just referring to short strokes, reading the stubble direction, coming in from the side, etc.

i would think that coming in from teh side might get those stubborn ones… especially on the chin and outside moustache area. perhaps they just aren't sharp enough… maybe your technique has dulled them sufficiently…

Have you considered a Kamisori?

gimpochin said:

Have you considered a Kamisori?

Click to expand...

I think they look cool but I don't think one should be necessary to get a close shave since many others seem to be able to do so with a standard straight.

I'm getting closer and closer. I'm not really willing to go ATG with a straight right under the nose.

seattleshaver said:

I'm getting closer and closer. I'm not really willing to go ATG with a straight right under the nose.

Click to expand...

I'm in a similar situation; although I haven't as much experience as you, I have found that the only way for me to get a close enough shave under the lip is to use a careful ATG pass in that area. Something about those whiskers makes them particularly resistant to the blade. I haven't gone ATG anywhere else, since I don't have the need or the experience. I also can't imagine a set of circumstances that would tempt me to go ATG in the mustache area!

I don't have the patience to do an ATG under my lip. I do two WTG and a XTG or two and it seems to take care of it for my beard style. Some may not be able to get away with that - but I don't like doing micro-moves on my lips. It works but I don't have the patience and my other way will get me a BBS if my razor is sharp. ATG on the rest of my face is easy (of course).

If you want to just zing through it, then use a Feather AC. I can get near BBS with just WTG on my lips (still requires at least XTG in the other areas).

One thing I'm doing seems to help and that is to take a break from straights for a few days and just use a DE. Using some of the upper lip techniques that I've been trying with straights but using a DE is more successful. Maybe with more DE practice in that area it will be easier with a straight.