Maybe I already wrecked my blade?

Tried my first 2 straight razor shaves, and unfortunately my 2nd one was a lot worse than my very first one. My first one was a test run, only planned on doing my cheeks, but it felt great! I was able to shave my entire face and most of my neck. Even did a 2nd pass on my checks. Cleaned up a little stubble under my chin and adam's apple with a DE. I was so stoked until...

My second shave I couldn't even finish because of tugging, it was a really rough shave. Cheeks and sideburn area was not so bad, but it was rough everywhere else. I did everything the same, I believe, as I did my first shave. I don't believe I stropped so poorly I ruined the edge, or my technique could ruin it that quickly. Right now the blade will somewhat "treetop" my arm hair, but I just have a feeling I might have done something wrong.

Any ideas? I'd hate to have to send it back to SRD for it's first free complimentary honing so soon! At this rate I'll have to buy wetstones and learn how to hone in a month! I'll DE shave for a couple days, then try again I guess.

When your new razor arrived from SRD did you strop it before your shave? There's a good chance you dulled the edge through improper stropping.

If you followed directions by not stropping the razor before your first shave, then stropped your razor before your second shave, the only conclusion you could possibly come to was that your stropping was not done correctly. Watching videos of proper stropping techniques and practicing with a butter knife may help. Using proper pressure (light but just enough) is also necessary. You can do it but it takes a bit of practice that all new shavers have to go through. You will get better, and most straight razor users eventually learn to hone their razors. Smooth shaves to you.

Mike

steelhound:
Don't feel bad, allot of us dull our first edge the very first time we strop it, I know I did. I found it hard to believe also but stropping was harder than it looked for me. I was heavy handed in just about everything related to shaving with a str8 and stropping was no exception.
If you send your razor back to be re-honed use the time it's away to practice with a butter knife. It's a skill well worth developing.

Thanks for the help guys. I stropped before my first and second shaves. I just took a look at my strop and now I see I've nicked it a couple places on the edge of the leather side away from me, where I roll over on the spine and bring it back to me. Maybe I rolled the edge before my second shave? Bummer. Didn't even realize I was doing it at the time. I try to be diligent learning new things, but looks like I stropped it poorly. Probably got to get it re-honed already, feeling stupid.

Hi Steelhound. Welcome! Is you razor able to (carefully) cut arm or leg hair above your arm/leg (e.g, not shaving against your skin, but hovering above)? If so, the razor is likely still sharp enough to shave. Don't forget to stretch your skin with your off hand and keep the spine of the razor as close as you can to your face. Wetter lather is also very helpful.

If the razor won't cut hairs above your skin, then it may very well need to be touched up or re-honed. FYI, that's why many of us who don't hone their razor own 2 or more razors.

Good luck!

lmarkow said:

Hi Steelhound. Welcome! Is you razor able to (carefully) cut arm or leg hair above your arm/leg (e.g, not shaving against your skin, but hovering above)? If so, the razor is likely still sharp enough to shave. Don't forget to stretch your skin with your off hand and keep the spine of the razor as close as you can to your face. Wetter lather is also very helpful.

If the razor won't cut hairs above your skin, then it may very well need to be touched up or re-honed. FYI, that's why many of us who don't hone their razor own 2 or more razors.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

Thanks bro. My blade seems to easily still chop arm hair above the skin from about the 1/2 way point on the blade to the tip. From there back towards the the tang(?) end, won't cut hair off at all. I guess, that makes sense as that is the part of the blade that would be where I nicked the strop. I watched straight razor videos for hours too to make sure I was ready. Oh well, lesson learned. I planned on getting a second straight before too long as well. My first shave had me hooked, I'm not giving up, I like it too much!

Lakebound said:

I did even worse my first go around. I too bought my new Straight from SRD and had to send it back on the voucher because I dinged it on the faucet.

Send it back to the experts and DE for a while, we've all been there.

Frank

Click to expand...

Thanks LB. I will be doing that this week. Not that it's that pressing, but do you happen to know the turn-around on a razor honing from them? They must do a ton of razors there.

steelhound: If the turn around time is longer than you want to wait sent it out to me I will hone it for you and have it in the mail the next day. Just pay postage the honing will be free.

steelhound;

Take C FrankC up on his offer. I've shaved off of his edges and their great!

I dulled the edge of my razor over the course of my first half-dozen or so shaves too. I had the same issue, where it just started to grab and tug horribly, wouldn't cut hair from over the arm and even had a tiny visible roll at the tip. I felt a bit sheepish getting it re-honed so early on, but now it's shaving great again (I'm 10 straight shaves in now) and I'm much more careful when I strop it!

steelhound said:

Thanks for the help guys. I stropped before my first and second shaves. I just took a look at my strop and now I see I've nicked it a couple places on the edge of the leather side away from me, where I roll over on the spine and bring it back to me. Maybe I rolled the edge before my second shave? Bummer. Didn't even realize I was doing it at the time. I try to be diligent learning new things, but looks like I stropped it poorly. Probably got to get it re-honed already, feeling stupid.

Click to expand...

YouTube has videos on all you need to learn on stropping.

Don't have first hand experience with SRD but I have not heard bad things about them, I would think that you would get more than one shave from the razor unless you rolled the edge during stropping, it really that difficult to do, if it's tugging hair you might be able to refresh it with some CrOX if you have it, the good news is it's not ruined it just needs some attention, you might consider sending it off to a member here to have it addressed most all would do it free of charge you just cover shopping, I would offer but there are better Honemeisters than me out there but if none offer I would be glad to do it from bevel to 16k if necessary