"Shave ready" razor pulling?

[thanks]

I recently received a Dovo 5/8 Special in faux tortoise from Vintage Blades. Since they claim all their straights come shave ready honed by Lynn Abrams, I figured I didn't even have to strop it (I've heard both ways). Went to shave with it yesterday, and it mostly just ripped hairs out of my face instead of cutting them! My first hone project was a Double Arrow about a month ago and it produced similar results when I was finished with it. Norton 4k, 8k, CO, then stropped.

Should I take it for a visit down 8k lane? I've already given it a good lap through CO and stropped it plenty so I'll see how it shaves today. I'm just a little worried here as I don't think this is normal. This could be my inexperience talking though, so who knows.

 

[leighton]

Lynn hones for vintage blades too!?

 

[thanks]

Lynn hones for vintage blades too!?

"Remember when comparing prices that all our straight razors have been professionally honed by one of the most experienced individuals in the world of straight razor shaving, Lynn Abrams. Lynn is the founder of Straight Razor Place, the "Original and Oldest Internet Straight Razor Forum" (http://www.straightrazorplace.com) and producer of the instructional DVD "World of Straight Razor Shaving". Lynn has honed literally thousands of razors. You can expect that every razor you receive from us is indeed "Shave Ready"."

The shave after the CO and stropping was slightly better, but still kinda rough. If I don't use excessive pressure it won't cut, and the excessive pressure of course leads to irritation.

 

[professorchaos]

If it pulls, it isn't shave ready. There are many, many ways to finish an edge and they provide different feels. But pulling isn't one of them. You can try the CrOx for 20 laps or so. If that doesn't work, I'd contact the vendor.

 

[SavantStrike]

I guess even the pro's might let one slip through the cracks here and there. It sounds like it's not shave ready to me. If the chromium oxide doesn't bring it right up, even if you decide to hone it yourself, you should definitely let the vendor know about it so they don't ship a blade out to someone less fortunate who can't hone it on their own.

 

[Bacchus]

Just saying... are you sure your technique is good?

 

[leighton]

Just saying... are you sure your technique is good?

Shave test is the ultimate test, but if the user doesn't know how to shave properly the shave test is useless.



re: Lynn honing for Vintage. You know, I heard that before, I just forgot. I'll probably forget again...

 

[thanks]

Just saying... are you sure your technique is good?

Shave test is the ultimate test, but if the user doesn't know how to shave properly the shave test is useless.



re: Lynn honing for Vintage. You know, I heard that before, I just forgot. I'll probably forget again...

Like I said it could be my inexperience talking, but I had assumed pulling almost always meant a dull blade? I'll have another go with it tomorrow. The shave today after 20 laps on chromox and 30 laps on my actual strop proved to be a smoother shave, so we'll see tomorrow.

 

[professorchaos]

As a rule, I like to limit myself to 30 laps total on any kind of paste. Much more than that and you risk creating a very fragile edge.

 

[gregs656]

What's your angle like?

Do you have this problem with other razors, apart from the DA?

 

[leighton]

Like I said it could be my inexperience talking, but I had assumed pulling almost always meant a dull blade? I'll have another go with it tomorrow. The shave today after 20 laps on chromox and 30 laps on my actual strop proved to be a smoother shave, so we'll see tomorrow.

Does it cut your arm hairs fine? If the razor does not cut arm hairs with no effort, it is the razor.

 

[gumbo]

Wow Lynn must spend literally all day honing

 

[SavantStrike]

Oh wait, I didn't catch the full meaning of the first post. I thought you were saying your DA doesn't pull but your shave ready Dovo 5/8 does. If you're saying both of them have pulled, then there is definitely nothing wrong with the blade honed by Lynn, it's technique.

My first straight shave felt terrible, but I was confident in it's shave ready status. Sure enough after a few days (and some extra stropping on leather), I realized that it was indeed wickedly sharp, and it was me that was dull .

What are you doing for prep? As a fellow newbie straight shaver, I can't even describe the difference good prep makes, but suffice it to say it is extremely important. I can't cut corners or I end up cutting something else (or at least getting razor burn) .

 

[thanks]

Oh wait, I didn't catch the full meaning of the first post. I thought you were saying your DA doesn't pull but your shave ready Dovo 5/8 does. If you're saying both of them have pulled, then there is definitely nothing wrong with the blade honed by Lynn, it's technique.

My first straight shave felt terrible, but I was confident in it's shave ready status. Sure enough after a few days (and some extra stropping on leather), I realized that it was indeed wickedly sharp, and it was me that was dull .

What are you doing for prep? As a fellow newbie straight shaver, I can't even describe the difference good prep makes, but suffice it to say it is extremely important. I can't cut corners or I end up cutting something else (or at least getting razor burn) .

I also forgot to mention that was when I was first done honing the DA. I've since gone back a few times to fix the bevel and actually sharpen it up. The first time I had tried to set the bevel I somehow made one side of it into a see-saw! After a few revisits though it's finally very sharp, and it shaves slightly smoother than the Dovo, but I now think that's simply because the blade is larger and therefore forces me into a more correct shaving angle.

It must be technique then if you've had similar problems. I wanted to make sure it was me and not the blade, because I had a hard time understanding how a sharp blade could cause pulling? The blade cuts arm hairs just fine, and it is sharp when I check the edge. My angle isn't too steep, although for some parts of my face (chin) it sometimes gets too steep. I've found the best passes are usually when the blade almost makes a suction against my face due to the grind, and feels a lot smoother.

My prep is fine as I've been DE shaving for a little while and I've been doing Kyle's prep for the past three months or so. I'm super glad I DE shaved before jumping into straights though as I think it makes the transition a lot smoother.

 

[gregs656]

I'm super glad I DE shaved before jumping into straights though as I think it makes the transition a lot smoother.

clearly

Sounds like you're heading up the right boulevard, just keep at it really.

 

[laconic1]

I bought a Dovo 6/8" Best Quality from Vintage Blades and had the same problem. Ripping and pulling, not cutting. I felt the pulling in the first 1/2" of the first stroke on the first shave. My strop arrived the next day and it still did not improve after stropping. I tried shaving some leg hair, even that didn't shave cleanly. I got a Spyderco fine and ultra fine hone, honed it the best that my n00b abilities allow for and got quite a bit of improvement. Now body hair shaves off cleanly and smoothly with no pulling at all, and I don't get pulling on my beard. I still don't get good shaves on my beard but that is mainly my straight technique still needing work. My prep is good, I have been DE shaving for a year now and get great results with that, so I don't think prep is a variable.

But back to the blade, obviously a total n00b to straights like me should not be able to get a better edge on a blade than a guy with over 35 years experience. I'm wondering if some razors are slipping through the cracks over there? I don't want to be a jerk about it, but I debated with myself for days when I first got the razor about what was wrong. I kept thinking the blade just didn't feel sharp but it had to be since it was honed by Lynn. Now I'm realizing I still don't know what a true shave ready straight is. I guess that is what I am most disappointed by.

 

[leighton]

I bought a Dovo 6/8" Best Quality from Vintage Blades and had the same problem. Ripping and pulling, not cutting. I felt the pulling in the first 1/2" of the first stroke on the first shave. My strop arrived the next day and it still did not improve after stropping. I tried shaving some leg hair, even that didn't shave cleanly. I got a Spyderco fine and ultra fine hone, honed it the best that my n00b abilities allow for and got quite a bit of improvement. Now body hair shaves off cleanly and smoothly with no pulling at all, and I don't get pulling on my beard. I still don't get good shaves on my beard but that is mainly my straight technique still needing work. My prep is good, I have been DE shaving for a year now and get great results with that, so I don't think prep is a variable.

But back to the blade, obviously a total n00b to straights like me should not be able to get a better edge on a blade than a guy with over 35 years experience. I'm wondering if some razors are slipping through the cracks over there? I don't want to be a jerk about it, but I debated with myself for days when I first got the razor about what was wrong. I kept thinking the blade just didn't feel sharp but it had to be since it was honed by Lynn. Now I'm realizing I still don't know what a true shave ready straight is. I guess that is what I am most disappointed by.

That doesn't sound like Lynn's honing. It sounds like Vintage let it fall through the cracks. Sounds like it was factory honed. IMHO

Lynn makes his razors scary sharp.

 

[netsurfr]

Hi Thanks,
Glad to see you giving the straight razor a try.
There are so many variables in this endeavor that it is difficult to nail things down sometimes.
Since you had a razor honed by Lynn, my first suggestion would be to focus on preparation of the beard for shaving. You can find lots of stickies and references to that area on the forum so I will not reiterate.
In another area, you might want to do some reading up on stropping technique. It is very easy to roll the edge with improper technique on an otherwise shave-ready razor when first starting out. Not saying you did this but I will say that I did it on one of my first razors.
If you are just not getting what you expect, then it is not out of the question for a razor not to come from one of our very experienced honemeisters that is not quite what it should be. You will find that Lynn is very easy to talk to. I would just write to him on the Straight Razor Design site or the Straight Razor Place forum.

Contact me directly if I can be of any further assistance.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[laconic1]

That doesn't sound like Lynn's honing. It sounds like Vintage let it fall through the cracks. Sounds like it was factory honed. IMHO

Lynn makes his razors scary sharp.

That's pretty much what I was thinking. I ordered Lynn's DVD at the same time and watching it the symptoms I was experiencing was what Lynn was describing as a razor that isn't quite sharp. I probably should have contacted Vintage before buying hones and honing it myself but I guess I figured I am going to have to learn honing sooner or later, why not now.

 

[Seraphim]

If you have too steep of an angle, the shave will feel rough, no matter how keen the edge.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again right here & now:

KEEP THE RAZOR SPINE CLOSE TO YOUR FACE!

Don't try and triangulate the mystical "30 degree" angle often refered to in beginner guides, more likely than not that will get you too steep. Trust me, I've been down that road.....

Instead, keep it simple--keep the razor's spine off of your face by only the width of the spine, no more. Really, keep it pretty flat against your face.

The shave will feel much nicer, it will reduce the chance of cuts, and your edge will last much longer as well.

And the tighter and tauter you can stretch your skin, the easier the razor can glide along.


---And don't nobody be saying nuthin bad about dem DAs!