When I have let my beard grow out for a week, it is quite painful on the first pass with a straight. Lots of tugging and pulling. Is this normal? Would a preshave oil help or should I just not go a day without shaving? If I do should I mow the first pass down with my de razor so the pass with the straight is not so painful?
Painful first pass?
- Thread starter chef8489
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When I have let my beard grow out for a week, it is quite painful on the first pass with a straight. Lots of tugging and pulling. Is this normal? Would a preshave oil help or should I just not go a day without shaving? If I do should I mow the first pass down with my de razor so the pass with the straight is not so painful?
Are you sure your razor is properly prepared?
Do you do a proper prep on your beard before shaving?
- Thread starter
- #4
It is after a long shower with hot water. I dont have any preshave oil. I do strop the razor before and after the shave. I dont have stones any longer so I cant hone it myself.
Painful, as in :
a) the hairs are being pulled before being cut, or
b) your skin hurts post-shave.
From the tugging and pulling description, it sounds like (a). You'll need something to help keep you blade sharp. Stropping helps maintain an edge but it won't really recover a degraded edge. Either a pasted strop of some lapping film is an affordable way to go, but in the long term, unless you're willing to keep sending your straights out for honing, you are probably wise to invest into a small 6x2 stone like an arkansas or a 5x1.5 coti or pick up a barbers hone.
a) the hairs are being pulled before being cut, or
b) your skin hurts post-shave.
From the tugging and pulling description, it sounds like (a). You'll need something to help keep you blade sharp. Stropping helps maintain an edge but it won't really recover a degraded edge. Either a pasted strop of some lapping film is an affordable way to go, but in the long term, unless you're willing to keep sending your straights out for honing, you are probably wise to invest into a small 6x2 stone like an arkansas or a 5x1.5 coti or pick up a barbers hone.
- Thread starter
- #6
I need to get stones again for my chef knives and have always used Sharon pro stones up to 15k. Eventually I will get some again. It is pain as in tugging the hairs and this caused my skin to be red and blotchy after the shave.
Doesn't sound like your razor is sharp.
Make sure your not using too much strop pressure. It's not like stropping chefs knives. It's a common issue. I used to sharpen sushi knives for a living. The strop should be slightly slack and literally only the weight of the razor is needed. Do 20 on the back of the strip or on a canvas strop and 70 on the front of a leather one to get yourself back to where it should be. If it doesn't shave right after that it needs honing. Good luck 
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- Thread starter
- #9
Ok thanks. Probably using too much pressure on stroping.
If your razor will not pop (cut) arm or leg hair at mid length it's not honed properly. The edge isn't "shave ready"
Aye, sounds like it needs a touch up.
Until then, after the shower make up your lather and lather up your face - then strop and so on, relathering before you start to shave. Should help prepare the beard. That said, it will not help much when the blade is too blunt.
Until then, after the shower make up your lather and lather up your face - then strop and so on, relathering before you start to shave. Should help prepare the beard. That said, it will not help much when the blade is too blunt.
