A couple of quick questions.

[JayEddie]

If it feels like the razor is tugging, does that mean that I'm not stretching the skin enough? It's not shaving as easily or smoothly as I expected it to.
Also, does anybody lather and shave by sections, or does everybody lather the whole face right off the bat. I have to wear my glasses when I shave, so that really reduces the area that is available to grab and pull the skin tight. It's not an issue with a DE, as I can get the skin tight enough on most of my face just by contorting my face, but that doesn't seem to be working with the straight.

 

[Steadfast]

Which razor are you using? Do you know how it was honed up? How many shaves have you gotten out of it before it started tugging?

 

[Lmarkow]

Hard to say. Are you certain the razor was shave ready? If it was, did you strop it before shaving with it? It's not unheard of around here for new guys to pooch the edge on the strop before their first shaves. Stretching your skin is critical, as you suspect, so you'll need to figure out how to stretch with your glasses on until you're comfortable enough to shave without them.

 

[JayEddie]

It's a shave ready Gold Dollar from David, so it's good to go. I haven't stroped it yet. I've only gone at this a few times now, and not a full shave. I doubt that at any point I will be comfortable enough to shave without the glasses.

 

[seattleshaver]

If it's shave ready and you haven't stropped it and it's tugging you probably just don't have the angle right. You probably should be holding it closer to your face.

 

[JayEddie]

I will give that a try, thank you.

 

[Legion]

It's a shave ready Gold Dollar from David, so it's good to go. I haven't stroped it yet. I've only gone at this a few times now, and not a full shave. I doubt that at any point I will be comfortable enough to shave without the glasses.

Blade angle, beard prep, skin stretch... these could all be at fault. A SR does feel a bit different to a DE, but it should not feel like it is pulling, especially if you are not mowing through a long beard.

And yes, even after several years I still have to steady myself when I shave without my glasses or contacts. I ain't one of those stunt shavers. Truth be told though, I only usually mess up my sideburns.

 

[dmatcuk]

I agree shave angle might be your issue. Also maybe your lather is too dry. Most people seem to like a little more moisture in their lather for straight razors. As you asked, it is perfectly fine to shave in sections. It helps a lot when you are still learning and shaving slower to only lather sections of your face. That way it will not dry out on you. I still do that on my second pass. Are you using an alum block on your fingers to help with stretching your skin? The extra grip might help you get the skin tighter with the limited real estate.

You could always try a monocle. You don't need depth perception Just remember you went to far if you feel pain.

 

[JayEddie]

Thank you for all the input gentlemen, I appreciate the help. I'll be giving it another try this weekend. I will let you know how it goes.