Pressure?

[dsfo]

I've been intrigued by straights ever since I got the bug to get back into wet shaving. Getting up the courage to make the leap from DE, on the other hand, is likely going to take a while to muster. However, until the day approaches, one question I have is this: What about pressure? With DE shaving, we are to let the weight of the razor itself provide all (or just about all) of the pressure needed. In other words, we don't apply pressure ourselves. Having never held a straight, I have no knowledge of its weight. Does it compare more to the heft of a DE or to the lack thereof found in a multiblade? Does shaving with a straight require pressure from the user to get a decent shave?

Thanks for your responses.

David

 

[Bacchus]

Only enough pressure, or lack thereof (wedges), to make contact with the whiskers

 

[AceBuckeye]

The less pressure the better. Angle is much more important, if you find your whiskers are not getting slcied it is more often the angle the blade is being presented at.

 

[Buck47]

I'm a rank amateur using a straight blade so take what I say with a bit of skepticism. That being said, I have found I get a better shave when I lower the angle of the blade (closer to my skin)

When I look in the mirror and try to duplicate the angle shown in the Videos on YouTube the razor pulls and give a harsh shave. However when I run the blade closer or flatter to my face the shave improves. I also notice it takes less pressure to cut the whiskers. It takes some playing around with ... adjusting the way I hold the razor but for now it is a an improvement.

Can I get a BBS first pass? No way ... not yet. It takes me three passes - One WTG second pass ATG and the touch up in a few places to get a fairly good daily shave.

The one thing that has stayed consistent has been the enjoyment and satisfaction of using a straight razor. From that standpoint, my first shave two months ago was as good as my shave this morning.

Hope this helps. Regards

 

[colin39]

I'm a rank amateur using a straight blade so take what I say with a bit of skepticism. That being said, I have found I get a better shave when I lower the angle of the blade (closer to my skin)

When I look in the mirror and try to duplicate the angle shown in the Videos on YouTube the razor pulls and give a harsh shave. However when I run the blade closer or flatter to my face the shave improves. I also notice it takes less pressure to cut the whiskers. It takes some playing around with ... adjusting the way I hold the razor but for now it is a an improvement.

Can I get a BBS first pass? No way ... not yet. It takes me three passes - One WTG second pass ATG and the touch up in a few places to get a fairly good daily shave.

The one thing that has stayed consistent has been the enjoyment and satisfaction of using a straight razor. From that standpoint, my first shave two months ago was as good as my shave this morning.

Hope this helps. Regards

yes but its also alot todo with what you feel comfotable with

 

[leighton]

I've been intrigued by straights ever since I got the bug to get back into wet shaving. Getting up the courage to make the leap from DE, on the other hand, is likely going to take a while to muster. However, until the day approaches, one question I have is this: What about pressure? With DE shaving, we are to let the weight of the razor itself provide all (or just about all) of the pressure needed. In other words, we don't apply pressure ourselves. Having never held a straight, I have no knowledge of its weight. Does it compare more to the heft of a DE or to the lack thereof found in a multiblade? Does shaving with a straight require pressure from the user to get a decent shave?

Thanks for your responses.

David

If your feeling you need to add more pressure than is necessary to keep the razor edge contacted with your face, the razor is probably not sharp enough. keyword: probably. Could also be your technique and could also be not enough pressure.

In the words of Seraphim, quoting myself, "it should be like a hovercraft floating over your face." Not sure if he posted a thread here about pressure, but there is one over at SRP covering the topic.

That said, in my own experience, adding pressure = soreness and irritation. Just enough to contact the face = great shave.

 

[krevo]

Personally, I don't buy the "let the weight of the razor be all the pressure you need" idea. If I do that, I end up having to go over spots more often.

The amount of pressure I put on my razor is enough to where I can feel and hear the blade cutting my whiskers. As far as straights go, I often tell people it's very similar to taking a sharp knife and doing a quick stroke on a patch of hair on your arm, hand, etc to test its sharpness.

I find that if I apply the same principles to my face that I do when I'm testing my knife, it makes it much easier to understand the angle at which I should be cutting. There really isn't a pressure with a straight. There's your angle and stroke. Get both of them about right and the hair jumps off the blade.