How to improve shaving technique with straight?

[rb120134]

Hi, I am 20 years old
I got a Boker stainless steel olive straight razor, I sent it to a professional honer quite near me and he honed my Boker up and till 20k, he also reset the bevel. I also have some old safety razors here and some new Feather DE razor blades that I bought. Last time I put a Feather DE stainless steel platinum coated blade in my safety razor and I had an incredible smooth shave. Just going with the grain, there wasnt any hair or stubbles visible. A couple of days later I used the Boker that was professionally honed, I stropped it on the canvas side, then on the leather side. I shaved with the Boker, it was much sharper then when it came from the factory but still even with alot of stretching the skin and going with and then against the grain, it still doesnt give as smooth as shave as with the Safety razor with the double edges FEather blades wich are known to be really sharp. Especially the chin area there are still some hairs wich are not fully cut but I can go over them several times the Razor wont cut them. It is smooth but there are still some small hairs visible around my chin near the jaw line that are not cut smooth enough for my liking. I know the hairs around the chin are the thoughest but I wonder, what could I be doing wrong? Is the angle not right? Should I warm up my hairs more? The blade cannot be the probleme since it was honed till 20k so it should be sharp enough. I have performed about 14-15 shaves with the Boker straight razor, around 10-11 while factory honed, and about 3-4 while honed up till 20k with synthetic stones. What could I be doing wrong?

 

[Bbb34]

Those more experienced can maybe offer better advice, but, as someone who is still learning, only a year into straight razor shaving, I think that from what you're saying, there's nothing that you're doing wrong. Sounds like you might need to work on finding the right angle and right touch in that area. By the sounds of it, there don't seem to be anything wrong with your razor either. It's just that "goatee area" is in my experience toughest to master with straight. Check some videos, try to do a bit of skin stretching and find the best way to "make faces" that'll help you clean this area well. When I started, first 10 shaves or so, this was the only area I felt I needed to cleanup a bit with DE, so in a way, it's normal, I think you'll just have to work on it until you "get it".

Oh, and again, those more experienced can comment, but from what I read "factory honed" isn't always shave ready, not sure about Boker razors.

 

[rb120134]

Those more experienced can maybe offer better advice, but, as someone who is still learning, only a year into straight razor shaving, I think that from what you're saying, there's nothing that you're doing wrong. Sounds like you might need to work on finding the right angle and right touch in that area. By the sounds of it, there don't seem to be anything wrong with your razor either. It's just that "goatee area" is in my experience toughest to master with straight. Check some videos, try to do a bit of skin stretching and find the best way to "make faces" that'll help you clean this area well. When I started, first 10 shaves or so, this was the only area I felt I needed to cleanup a bit with DE, so in a way, it's normal, I think you'll just have to work on it until you "get it".

Oh, and again, those more experienced can comment, but from what I read "factory honed" isn't always shave ready, not sure about Boker razors.

I had my Boker professionally honed after 10-11 shaves. Now it should be truly shave ready

 

[Bbb34]

I had my Boker professionally honed after 10-11 shaves. Now it should be truly shave ready

Right, so assuming person who is honing it knows what they are doing, it's not the razor, and even if not insane sharp, you'd still be able to get good and close shave, and it sounds like you do, except in that one area.

In my experience, taking your time and getting right glide out of your soap should help (this is area most people shave last, so it's possible to be drying a bit by the time you reach it).

Of course I'm only guessing, but doesn't sound to me like you're doing anything horribly wrong, it's just "trial and error" I think.

 

[rb120134]

Right, so assuming person who is honing it knows what they are doing, it's not the razor, and even if not insane sharp, you'd still be able to get good and close shave, and it sounds like you do, except in that one area.

In my experience, taking your time and getting right glide out of your soap should help (this is area most people shave last, so it's possible to be drying a bit by the time you reach it).

Of course I'm only guessing, but doesn't sound to me like you're doing anything horribly wrong, it's just "trial and error" I think.

Thanks, I will keep trying and learning

 

[Bbb34]

This video has been around the forum for a bit now (I'd skip straight to 3 min mark), I think it's not bad to watch and maybe learn something, the area you're having problems with, he's making "faces" to get better angle, personally I don't do that but it might work for you.

Check few others as well, you will find these little details in some of them that will help you improve.

 

[Dzaw]

That is good advice -


Learning the right "touch" is super important - there is a combination of angle, pressure, and glide that is actually most easily described as the right touch, when you get it, it's a whole new ballgame.


Until then, it really is a matter of practice to develop that touch.

 

[MilkCrate]

This video has been around the forum for a bit now (I'd skip straight to 3 min mark), I think it's not bad to watch and maybe learn something, the area you're having problems with, he's making "faces" to get better angle, personally I don't do that but it might work for you.

Check few others as well, you will find these little details in some of them that will help you improve.

I hadn’t seen that video before, thanks. Anyone know what scuttle that is?

Sorry for the derail. I agree with @Dzaw, several things have to come together for an SR shave.

 

[Gamma]

As long as you're not bleeding out, and all your body parts are still attached - you're probably not doing a damn thing 'wrong'.

The best thing you can do is have patience.

You can also look into your lather, because that usually has a tremendous effect on shave quality. Too-thick lather can interfere more than a little bit.

Be mindful of your stropping, be sure you are getting 100% of the blade evenenly stropped.

Angles and pressure matter - everyone has difficult areas, some in the same place, others not - everyone is different. Don't worry if you are having issues with spots no one else does.

Confidence matters - it takes time to get 'there' - new users may hesitate during a pass and not even notice that they're doing it, and that can interfere with cutting efficiency and accuracy.

 

[Twelvefret]

Hi, I am 20 years old
I got a Boker stainless steel olive straight razor, I sent it to a professional honer quite near me and he honed my Boker up and till 20k, he also reset the bevel. I also have some old safety razors here and some new Feather DE razor blades that I bought. Last time I put a Feather DE stainless steel platinum coated blade in my safety razor and I had an incredible smooth shave. Just going with the grain, there wasnt any hair or stubbles visible. A couple of days later I used the Boker that was professionally honed, I stropped it on the canvas side, then on the leather side. I shaved with the Boker, it was much sharper then when it came from the factory but still even with alot of stretching the skin and going with and then against the grain, it still doesnt give as smooth as shave as with the Safety razor with the double edges FEather blades wich are known to be really sharp. Especially the chin area there are still some hairs wich are not fully cut but I can go over them several times the Razor wont cut them. It is smooth but there are still some small hairs visible around my chin near the jaw line that are not cut smooth enough for my liking. I know the hairs around the chin are the thoughest but I wonder, what could I be doing wrong? Is the angle not right? Should I warm up my hairs more? The blade cannot be the probleme since it was honed till 20k so it should be sharp enough. I have performed about 14-15 shaves with the Boker straight razor, around 10-11 while factory honed, and about 3-4 while honed up till 20k with synthetic stones. What could I be doing wrong?

I am not going against the grain, mostly with the grain and some cross the grain. I do against the grain occasionally on my neck. I've mapped my beard enough to know where I need special attention and for me it is on the area below my jaw, both sides.

For me to get an excellent shave I do three passes with each subsequent pass taking down the growth. This allows me no to get to carried away with the first two passes.

I re-lather often, even mid pass. I prefer the lather to be well hydrated and slick. I use both hands so when I switch I use the accumulated lather to shave. I learned this on an Italian Barber video.

 

[Bbb34]

I hadn’t seen that video before, thanks. Anyone know what scuttle that is?

Don't quote me on this, but I think it's the person in the video who makes and sells them, I seem to recall reading that somewhere, but really am not sure on this.

 

[MilkCrate]

Don't quote me on this, but I think it's the person in the video who makes and sells them, I seem to recall reading that somewhere, but really am not sure on this.

I tried what he did for the neck hollows and it worked great. Thanks again!

 

[Bbb34]

I tried what he did for the neck hollows and it worked great. Thanks again!

Well glad it helped, I find that low on his neck, his angles are very different from mine. I feel I'd be scrapping a lot more than cutting with those angles, and when you start scraping if your beard is tough, you could potentially be skipping, and that's not fun.

Also, I switch hands so some of the stuff he does on the left side of his face is a bit... unusual from my point of view

But yeah, he's got skills (and plenty of confidence), no doubt, far from me to criticize.

 

[MilkCrate]

Well glad it helped, I find that low on his neck, his angles are very different from mine. I feel I'd be scrapping a lot more than cutting with those angles, and when you start scraping if your beard is tough, you could potentially be skipping, and that's not fun.

Also, I switch hands so some of the stuff he does on the left side of his face is a bit... unusual from my point of view

But yeah, he's got skills (and plenty of confidence), no doubt, far from me to criticize.

His angle is steeper than I use also.

I use two hands and some of his stretching can be adapted. I realized I wasn’t using enough stretching.

 

[rudyt]

A couple of days later I used the Boker that was professionally honed, I stropped it on the canvas side, then on the leather side. I shaved with the Boker, it was much sharper then when it came from the factory but still even with alot of stretching the skin and going with and then against the grain, it still doesnt give as smooth as shave as with the Safety razor

It doesn't take much to screw up an edge by improper stropping. The only time you get a true "professionally honed" experience is the first shave out of the package *before* you strop it.

 

[steveclarkus]

All of the above. However, the only way to actually learn to shave is to shave. A few siimple “rules” to consider but ultimately it is the feel of what you do rather than thinking about it. You will end up shaving the way you shave not the way others shave.

 

[Twelvefret]

All of the above. However, the only way to actually learn to shave is to shave. A few siimple “rules” to consider but ultimately it is the feel of what you do rather than thinking about it. You will end up shaving the way you shave not the way others shave.

Well stated!

 

[azwetshaver]

Just a matter of more experience. My SR shaves didn't surpass my DE shaves until about 200 shaves in. I had been using DEs for years before switching to SRs, so I had my DE dialed in.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I'm a pretty skilled safety razor shaver but I have only about twenty SR shaves under my belt.

Of those probably two (Saturday's and Sunday's) were really pretty darn good. So, since it's Tuesday I can tell you that two or three or four days ago I thought I was getting somewhere with the SR. Monday and today I went backwards.

My point is it's not easy and it takes time, patience, and practice.

Maybe my lather was better over the weekend? I'll revisit the soaps I used Saturday and Sunday. Mostly though I think it takes some doing. Don't they say it takes a hundred SR shaves to get good at it? Today I'm thinking two hundred, but hope I'm wrong.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Slash McCoy]

Usually, a straight razor edge will not have the cutting power of a fresh DE blade. It is difficult to achieve that level of sharpness and most guys don't really try to do so. Good enough is good enough for them, or for some, a gentle, kind to the face shave is more important, and hypersharp can seem, or be, very unforgiving. The good news is even a rather average edge can give you a decent shave. It will come with experience. Just keep at it for a while and your shaves will get better. Maybe in a couple of weeks I will share an advanced tip with you but for now just keep the skin stretched, keep the angle low-ish and pressure reasonably low, work on a good slick wet lather, and keep at it. Maybe a little later you can try taking your edge to a new level with The Method, but your shaves will overall be better in the long run if you can shave well with an ordinary edge first. It is a partnership. The shaver, and the razor.

Does your razor treetop arm hair at all? If it treetops at 1/8" above the skin, even a little, then it is certainly capable of shaving. At 1/4", it is quite good.