A slightly irritating shave this morning!

[Eastcoast30]

Well, I suspect it was a combination of newbie technique and not enough stropping and prep. I've only had a few shaves with a straight. My previous shaves were with shavettes, like the Feather. So straights are a whole new ballgame for me. I'm using a new and freshly honed Wacker, so i can't blame the blade. And the previous shave was fine. I have a stubble beard, so I only shave my neck line and cheek lines and that makes for limited experience. I have been watching videos here and that is helpful.

So after this morning's shave, I did a touch up with balsa and 0.1µ diamond paste (Slash method). I rinsed the razor and then stropped on plain leather. After that, i was able to treetop standing hair on my forearm. So I now know that the razor is sharp. We'll see what the next shave brings.

I do have one question: When tree topping the hair on my arm, the blade got some hairs but not all. Should I be striving to get them all?

 

[ajduplessis]

Forget how many hairs. What does it feel like on the skin, nothing else matter.

 

[Slash McCoy]

When treetopping, If it gets them all at 1/4", depending on variables like hair texture and stroke technique, I would say you have a VERY sharp edge. VERY sharp. Sharper than I usually get with the average razor. Just getting a couple of hairs per pass is pretty darn sharp, sharper than most professional edges, TBH. If you are getting more than a couple, be happy. Very happy. Your razor is definitely sharp enough to shave well. Continually striving for better results is good, and keeps your game hot, but realistically you aren't going to get it much better any time soon. You are nearly at the upper limit. Generally, when you get every hair and the cut is silent, without even disturbing the hair shaft, you can proclaim yourself a Honing God. Get out your camera and mini table tripod, stand the razor edge up, and do the dropped hair trick. I have never succeeded so far, though TBH I have only tried a couple of times, when I had managed to create an edge that treetops perfectly and silently, mowing down every hair. Doesn't happen often, no matter how hard you try. It is the dragon you can chase your whole life but never get more than the faintest touch. Anyway, your razor is most definitely sharp enough if you get even just a couple of hairs per pass. Are you stripping the edge with pull strokes when you strop on the balsa, and then peaking it back up with short strokes? This improves smoothness and comfort on the balsa, just like it does on stone or film. Also try increasing your lap count on the hanging leather strop. Usually 40 to 60 is plenty but some guys like more. Some razors seem to like more.

Concentrate on your shave angle, pressure, and skin stretching. Don't get complacent. Lower that shave angle until the spine is nearly dragging on your face. Think about your lather, too. It should be nice and wet, not dry and foamy. Let it stand a few minutes on your face, and then re-lather if necessary. If you are using a boar or a black badger, your brush might be the cause.

Basically, go through your checklist and analyze everything you do that is connected with edge maintenance, prep, shave, and post-shave. If you WERE getting comfortable shaves, something has changed. Try to isolate the problem. If it is your Wacker, likely something is different with the edge. Do you have a USB microscope? Can you post a pic or two of your edge? And was that the first shave with the Wacker? Don't do anything radical. Stay away from the stones and the film until you have given the razor a chance to shine. A lot of new guys are too eager to take it to the hones, and end up taking two steps forward and three steps back.

Remember, a pull stroke should only move about 3/4". Next time you hit the balsa, if your shave hasn't improved, try finishing the post-shave balsa session with about 30 pull strokes and 30 short x stroke laps. Lightest possible pressure. You don't want to do this all the time, just this once. See if it doesn't clean up your edge and make it smoother. Normally a half dozen pull strokes, no more than a dozen, is plenty, and a like number of short x stroke laps.

 

[Eastcoast30]

I don't have a USB microscope; likely I should get one. But after the balsa and looking with a loupe, the blade was closer to a mirror finish than before. It had been honed by Matt (Griffith) so I'm thinking the edge is okay.

"Are you stripping the edge with pull strokes when you strop on the balsa, and then peaking it back up with short strokes?"

I'm not sure what you mean here. I am following your video and doing long strokes while holding the balsa close to vertical. Some are straight long strokes and some are long X strokes. So I don't know what you mean by a 3/4" pull stroke. Do you have a video for that?

 

[Slash McCoy]

I don't have a USB microscope; likely I should get one. But after the balsa and looking with a loupe, the blade was closer to a mirror finish than before. It had been honed by Matt (Griffith) so I'm thinking the edge is okay.

"Are you stripping the edge with pull strokes when you strop on the balsa, and then peaking it back up with short strokes?"

I'm not sure what you mean here. I am following your video and doing long strokes while holding the balsa close to vertical. Some are straight long strokes and some are long X strokes. So I don't know what you mean by a 3/4" pull stroke. Do you have a video for that?

Hmmmm.... I will have to look. Got my hands full right now.

 

[trentr]

As a relative newbie myself, I wanna share. Addressing your 1st post what first jumps to my mind is this experience:

Sometimes I get thinking "I got this" I whip the strop with lightening confidence. I shave like I am in a hurry. And after a few shaves, I notice my shaves being less "enjoyable". Little tuggy and rougb. I think perhaps my razor is not sharp anymore. Do I need to hone? Let me check it out. Methodical strop and tree top a few hairs. Hmmm. Seems sharp. So I back up, slow down (mostly on the stropping and paying attention to the details there) and shave like I have a goal to achieve and not a time limit to meet. What do ya know, the shave quality comes back. For me, it is attention to detail. I will say it again.....for me it is mostly on the stropping. A bad strop seems to be able to make a bad shave, but can be resurected without a rehone....just a restrop. By bad strop I do not mean quality of the tool but of the monkey running it.

 

[Eastcoast30]

As a relative newbie myself, I wanna share. Addressing your 1st post what first jumps to my mind is this experience:

Sometimes I get thinking "I got this" I whip the strop with lightening confidence. I shave like I am in a hurry. And after a few shaves, I notice my shaves being less "enjoyable". Little tuggy and rougb. I think perhaps my razor is not sharp anymore. Do I need to hone? Let me check it out. Methodical strop and tree top a few hairs. Hmmm. Seems sharp. So I back up, slow down (mostly on the stropping and paying attention to the details there) and shave like I have a goal to achieve and not a time limit to meet. What do ya know, the shave quality comes back. For me, it is attention to detail. I will say it again.....for me it is mostly on the stropping. A bad strop seems to be able to make a bad shave, but can be resurected without a rehone....just a restrop. By bad strop I do not mean quality of the tool but of the monkey running it.

Yes, agreed!