I know when shaving with a de you can get a better or worse shave depending on the blade brand that you use. My question is,is there that much of a difference between say a dovo compared to Sheffield steel? I ask this because no matter what I try my straight just isn't smooth I'm watching videos and I've had it honed and no matter the angle It just doesn't move through the hair like I see and hear in the videos. It's pretty brutal And I've really given it a go but it might not last for me. Thanks for any info.
Question about steel
- Thread starter Aaron W.
- Start date
Is this your first straight razor shave?
There's two kinds of steel used in straights. Stainless steel and carbon steel.
Older straights typically use carbon steel while more modern razors use stainless. There are benefits and shortcomings to both, but they should both provide an excellent shave. Have you stropped your razor thoroughly? The edge is not going to cut hair if it's all curled up like a swiss roll on the end of your blade.
Older straights typically use carbon steel while more modern razors use stainless. There are benefits and shortcomings to both, but they should both provide an excellent shave. Have you stropped your razor thoroughly? The edge is not going to cut hair if it's all curled up like a swiss roll on the end of your blade.
If you've had it honed by someone that knows what they are doing then your razor would have been sharp. So either you've rolled the edge when stropping or it's your shaving technique or perhaps a bit of both. Don't expect miracles for the first few weeks of using a straight. It will feel awkward and you will struggle to cut the whiskers for a while.
I used to have a lot of tugging on my first pass. It was quite discouraging. Turns out it was two things. First, I just assumed to go North -> South which for most is WTG. Subsequent passes were mostly smooth after that. After really looking at my hair after a few days of growth, I found that a true WTG pass should go diagonal from the center of my face near my nose to the back of my jaw. Once I started doing this I found the first pass much much smoother, and the subsequent passes even smoother. I also though that was going to be as good as it gets, that is until...
I bought a different size of razor. A 8/8 Revisor, man this made a real big difference from my smaller 5/8 blades I had. My first pass is about 50x better with the Revisor and almost feels like a hot knife through butter in comparison to the other blades (Which are also properly honed by reputable honemeisters).
Assuming your technique is perfect, your prep is outstanding different razors will probably give you a different shave. You just need to find the one that compliments your technique, skin, hair type; be that a preferred size, maker or type of steel.
Also what the others have posted before, incorrect stropping and shaving technique can also create issues, but this is expected for anyone new to straight shaving. But once you find your rhythm and the right razor it just gets better and better.
I bought a different size of razor. A 8/8 Revisor, man this made a real big difference from my smaller 5/8 blades I had. My first pass is about 50x better with the Revisor and almost feels like a hot knife through butter in comparison to the other blades (Which are also properly honed by reputable honemeisters).
Assuming your technique is perfect, your prep is outstanding different razors will probably give you a different shave. You just need to find the one that compliments your technique, skin, hair type; be that a preferred size, maker or type of steel.
Also what the others have posted before, incorrect stropping and shaving technique can also create issues, but this is expected for anyone new to straight shaving. But once you find your rhythm and the right razor it just gets better and better.
- Thread starter
- #6
As long as it's quality steel you can get a great shave no matter the variety period. It's hard to give advice to guys starting out because it can be the razor not being shave ready or your technique or both. It's a skill that has to be learned. Some pick it up fast and some slow.
Normally, your first shave should be smooth when you get the straight back from the honemeister.
For the stropping, if you have a linen bit, I would suggest doing 30-60 laps and for the leather bit, 60 laps.
Your angle might be too high, I shave with the blade almost flat on my skin.
- Thread starter
- #9
luc I'm sure you are correct. The last two days I've been using it and I've been getting good shave not bbs but good. I've been doing more laps about 60 on the filly. I don't have any linen. I thought I was keeping the razor flat enough but I don't think i was. I still have top do two passes wtg before I can go xtg. But things are better now. I do one pass flat just to where it catches the beard then raise the blade up a little on the next pass both wtg and it's been a lot better. Thanks for the advice
luc I'm sure you are correct. The last two days I've been using it and I've been getting good shave not bbs but good. I've been doing more laps about 60 on the filly. I don't have any linen. I thought I was keeping the razor flat enough but I don't think i was. I still have top do two passes wtg before I can go xtg. But things are better now. I do one pass flat just to where it catches the beard then raise the blade up a little on the next pass both wtg and it's been a lot better. Thanks for the advice
No worries, take it slow and it will get better. Do not aim for a BBS shave, it will come to you.
I started shaving with a Dovo #41 inox 30 years ago. It gave me a good shave but the stainless steel it is made of was so soft that I needed to touch it up before every shave. In the last two and a half years, I tried about 15 different quality razors, Filarmonica, Friodur, Mastro Livi, etc. and none of them gave me the shave I was looking for until I tried a TI Le Grelot 3/4 to full hollow. I liked it so much, I ordered a 7-day set made of them and that's all I use now. Although you can get a decent shave with any quality razor, there are differences between them and some will shave you better than others. In my case, it's probably the heavier grind that I like because I also like the original Wapis, too.
A tip I read was to envisage the angle of the blade as being twice the width of the spine. When I tried that I was at first worried just how flat the blade was to my face, but it worked.
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