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Advice for a SR Newb

Over the last couple of weeks I've been shaving with a couple of recently acquired Straights. A new Boker Classic and a J.A. Henkels '970'. I purchased from Maggard Razors as 'shave-ready', and they do a good job shaving my head. My face is a different story. I've tried all the advice I've seen given here...wetter lather, better use of the shoulder in tougher spots, etc. Still not a great shave, and the other day my face was on fire most of the day.

So my questions are, do I send them back to Maggard asking for another rehone?
 
Firstly i will say a razor from Maggard's was most likely delivered with a good edge. If the blade is shaving your head well then the edge if probably ok.

Has the shave gotten progressively worse over time? If so it could be an issue with stropping technique.

Are you pulling your skin to tighten as you shave? Using an alum block on the pulling hand can help you grip soapy skin better.

You could try a shallower angle with the razor (spine closer to skin) and shorter, lighter strokes.
 
Firstly i will say a razor from Maggard's was most likely delivered with a good edge. If the blade is shaving your head well then the edge if probably ok.

Has the shave gotten progressively worse over time? If so it could be an issue with stropping technique.

Are you pulling your skin to tighten as you shave? Using an alum block on the pulling hand can help you grip soapy skin better.

You could try a shallower angle with the razor (spine closer to skin) and shorter, lighter strokes.

I slowed down my stropping and increased to about 60 passes the last couple of shaves and had a little better experience. I'll definitely pay more attention to my angles.
 
So there is a big number of variables to SR shaving, mostly pressure, angle and stropping. You told in other posts that you are wet shaving with a DE for about ten years, so I assume that you know the angles pretty well and have no problem with pressure. Coming from safety razors to straight razors there are two main new things: stropping and the use of the left hand. If you feel the burn on both sides your left hand is OK, so there seems to be a problem with your stropping technique. What kind of strop do you use? Do you use pastes?
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
Read the Newbie Honing Compendium. It is the first sticky in the Hones and Honing sub forum in the Straight Razor section. You will learn a lot and have a quick simple pathway to honing your own razor to an unbelievable edge quickly and inexpensively.
 
So there is a big number of variables to SR shaving, mostly pressure, angle and stropping. You told in other posts that you are wet shaving with a DE for about ten years, so I assume that you know the angles pretty well and have no problem with pressure. Coming from safety razors to straight razors there are two main new things: stropping and the use of the left hand. If you feel the burn on both sides your left hand is OK, so there seems to be a problem with your stropping technique. What kind of strop do you use? Do you use pastes?

I don't use any pastes yet. I'm deployed in the Middle East so I'm really trying to minimize my foot print. Although between pipes, tobacco, shaving creams and aftershaves I'm failing miserably!

My strop is this one from Maggard. 3″ English Bridle Leather Strop, Brown, Cotton Webbing, D Rings, Handmade in USA by Mountain Mike | Maggard Razors Traditional Wet Shaving Products - https://www.maggardrazors.com/product/3-english-bridle-leather-strop-brown-cotton-webbing-d-rings-handmade-in-usa-by-mountain-mike/

I go slow, lead with the spine, and always turn on it. Light pressure, 25 passes on canvas, and 50 on leather.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
Assuming that your raszor edge is correct, try leaving out the canvas passes and increasing the leather passes to about 75 for a while. See if you get any improvement. If you do get improvement, you can then reduce the leather passes to about 50 or 60 per shave.

When stropping, hold your strop as loosely as you can but so that it is straight. Then when you strop your razor, the stropping presure should be so light as to not "bend" the strop, that is the strop remains straight without you pulling any harder on it.

The Newbie Honing Compendium is a long read but highly recommended. I am warning you now, it is important to take detailed notes as you read. The Method is refined over time and your notes will be amended as you go.
 
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Read the Newbie Honing Compendium. It is the first sticky in the Hones and Honing sub forum in the Straight Razor section. You will learn a lot and have a quick simple pathway to honing your own razor to an unbelievable edge quickly and inexpensively.

+1! Great advice! I would also check in with the guys on the straights forums who are the real experts.
 
keep low blade angle on the face, stropping is king, face prep is queen, and have fun. I now get the face burn using anything other than straights (I have not used DE though)
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
A tight shave angle and tight skin stretching will help. Only go WTG (With The Grain) for now. Two complete passes should give you an acceptable shave.

Generally, the ideal shave angle will be found by laying the razor flat against the face, then tilting the spine out away from your face so that the gap between your face and the spine equals the thickness of the spine. Only with a marginal edge should you ever need to go wider. Beyond one and a half spine thicknesses, you are not shaving; you are scraping. Scraping is hard on the face and hard on your razor's edge. With an extremely sharp razor, you will have best results at a closer angle, maybe half a spine thickness. Maybe even less.
 
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