I have a weird question. Using a variety of soaps I've noticed that after the soap has been on my face a bit my straight razor does not want to glide over it. It is like the razor wants to get stuck or stop or something. It acts like it is too dry, but adding fresh lather doesn't help. I don't have this problem with a DE safety razor. What is wrong and how do I cure it?
Soap question related to straight razor
- Thread starter Doc Dan
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--watching-- 
It sounds like two possibilities.
You touched on one and that is the lather is too dry. Add water, not more lather. Adding more lather is adding more soap. Not what you need. More Water!
The other is if you are shaving with a hollow ground blade and are shaving with too low of an angle the blade will stick to your skin. The belly/hollow of the blade will get full of lather and this will cause a suction when gliding it across your face. Be sure to raise the spine one thickness off of your skin. Or as much as two spine thicknesses. Keep your lather wet! No need to have a thick dense lather when you're using a good soap. Its not like a Safety razor. Lather needs to have as much water in it as possible. Some say that if you make lather and keep adding water until it's just about to have too much water and break down, that is when your lather has enough water. Just work it a bit more and it will be just right.
You touched on one and that is the lather is too dry. Add water, not more lather. Adding more lather is adding more soap. Not what you need. More Water!
The other is if you are shaving with a hollow ground blade and are shaving with too low of an angle the blade will stick to your skin. The belly/hollow of the blade will get full of lather and this will cause a suction when gliding it across your face. Be sure to raise the spine one thickness off of your skin. Or as much as two spine thicknesses. Keep your lather wet! No need to have a thick dense lather when you're using a good soap. Its not like a Safety razor. Lather needs to have as much water in it as possible. Some say that if you make lather and keep adding water until it's just about to have too much water and break down, that is when your lather has enough water. Just work it a bit more and it will be just right.
What soap? Have you tried adding water? I live in a desert, so every time, I have to add some water to my cheeks after I'm done with my neck. Drying happens really quickly here.
What soaps do you use? Does it only happen when using an extreme shallow angle?
Most of my slickest soaps, at least super slick for DE shaving standards, fail miserably for SR shaving, especially when using an extreme shallow angle. I like the spine touching when I shave my cheeks.
Most of my slickest soaps, at least super slick for DE shaving standards, fail miserably for SR shaving, especially when using an extreme shallow angle. I like the spine touching when I shave my cheeks.
When you move to straights from DEs, you don't have enough water in your lather. Add more. And more again. You want it to the point it is dripping. A good test is to do a couple of strokes and then hold the blade over the sink and give it a little flick, does the lather drop off, or does it sit there in a big, foamy clump like a meringue on a stick? If the latter, you want it wetter.
- Thread starter
- #7
Those are some good tips, folks. Thanks! Moving from DE to SR is a whole new world. It is either my angle is too low, as @HazMat Shaver suggested, or my soap is too thick and dry as all of you have suggested. It might be both on occasion.
As for soaps, I've tried Barrister and Mann Reserve Lavender, La Toja Sensitive Shave Cream, La Toja Shave Stick, and Edwin Jagger Lime and Pomegranate soap, so far. Those are what I have in my stable at the moment.
I'm six shaves into this and have gotten great shaves, no cuts, no weepers, and slight irritation only twice. But, the razor sticking and not wanting to move is dangerous, I feel!
As for soaps, I've tried Barrister and Mann Reserve Lavender, La Toja Sensitive Shave Cream, La Toja Shave Stick, and Edwin Jagger Lime and Pomegranate soap, so far. Those are what I have in my stable at the moment.
I'm six shaves into this and have gotten great shaves, no cuts, no weepers, and slight irritation only twice. But, the razor sticking and not wanting to move is dangerous, I feel!
You are correct when you say dangerous.
I know you don't want to go out and buy more soaps but I'd recommend MDC or SV. Then if you want to try out some artisans go with Grooming Dept., Declaration grooming, Oleo, Wholly Kaw, and Zingari Man.
These are a much different level when it comes to lather. So many choices to make when it comes to soaps. Price is a biggie. And if you look up the first two I mentioned you will not want to spend that. But when it's pennies per shave and a puck can last you a year, its worth it.
Keep at it. It's a fun trip learning the SR shave. Just be sure your razor is keen and learn to strop.
I know you don't want to go out and buy more soaps but I'd recommend MDC or SV. Then if you want to try out some artisans go with Grooming Dept., Declaration grooming, Oleo, Wholly Kaw, and Zingari Man.
These are a much different level when it comes to lather. So many choices to make when it comes to soaps. Price is a biggie. And if you look up the first two I mentioned you will not want to spend that. But when it's pennies per shave and a puck can last you a year, its worth it.
Keep at it. It's a fun trip learning the SR shave. Just be sure your razor is keen and learn to strop.
Good advice above. A couple things at play here: one, you'll probably need wetter lather than you're used to, but two, you're probably going to be going slower for now, since you're learning, and your lather may dry out a little on your face. Some soaps, if you get them wet enough for straight shaving, will actually dry out faster than they would with a thicker, less hydrated lather would.
So, what I do, depending on the soap, is dip my brush tips in water (give it a a flick to get rid of the excess) and rehydrate--OR-- again, depending on the soap, only lather half or a third of my face at a time. That last one can be useful in dry climates too.
So, what I do, depending on the soap, is dip my brush tips in water (give it a a flick to get rid of the excess) and rehydrate--OR-- again, depending on the soap, only lather half or a third of my face at a time. That last one can be useful in dry climates too.
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- #10
MDC? Martin de Candre?
Yes, And Saponificio Varesino. I had to get down a tin to figure out how the spell it. 
Some folks don't like MDC because they haven't figured out how to load it. It doesn't take much. I find most people who don't get along with MDC say it's like a paste. I can do 8 to 10 wet brush swirls on a puck and have more lather than needed for two men's shaves.
Some folks don't like MDC because they haven't figured out how to load it. It doesn't take much. I find most people who don't get along with MDC say it's like a paste. I can do 8 to 10 wet brush swirls on a puck and have more lather than needed for two men's shaves.
I prefer a thinner, wetter lather for my SR shaves.
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- #13
I've been making my lather like I do for my DE shaves...like fluffy yogurt. I see that is the wrong thing to do, regardless of what you find on YouTube.
Make it as wet as possible. But IMO not to the point of running down your face. Just before that. And when it's just right you can still put a lather on your face that is about a 1/8" thick or more. One other thing I do is wet my face before the second lathering/second pass. This gets more water into the lather as you work it on your face. I always make sure my face is wet before putting lather on my face.
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
@Doc Dan have you read the instructions that includes how to lather for SR shaving?
www.badgerandblade.com
@Darth Scandalous has it well covered in post #9.
I don't agree with the hollow grind shaving angle thing. I shave with hollow grinds and about just a ¼ spine thickness off the skin without any problems.
There are soaps that work well with "safety" razors but not SRs. The only one of yours that I have tried is the La Toja stick face lathered. That works well with SRs.
Traditional SR Shaving Instructions for Beginners - Rev. F
Attached is a copy of the latest revision of Traditional SR Shaving Instructions For Beginners (Rev. F). It now includes all sections; Shaving Instructions, Pasted Balsa Strops and Lapping Films Honing From Bevel Set to Shave-Ready. It's a big file but a wealth of knowledge.
www.badgerandblade.com
@Darth Scandalous has it well covered in post #9.
I don't agree with the hollow grind shaving angle thing. I shave with hollow grinds and about just a ¼ spine thickness off the skin without any problems.
There are soaps that work well with "safety" razors but not SRs. The only one of yours that I have tried is the La Toja stick face lathered. That works well with SRs.
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When lather is too thick I have expierienced a sucction feeling. Blade glues or sucks to my face. Need to add water to my lather. But recently with new to me cream I experienced a contrary feelig. Even the lather looked good almost runny (as it should, with my other lathers) blade starts jumping. This cream should be more thick to glide!
I think everyone is in the right track here - wetter lather.
But, I want to add that when starting with straights your passes tend to each take longer and lather can dry on your face. Don't be afraid to dribble water on your brush and then work it directly on your face (instead of re-wetting the whole bowl).
But, I want to add that when starting with straights your passes tend to each take longer and lather can dry on your face. Don't be afraid to dribble water on your brush and then work it directly on your face (instead of re-wetting the whole bowl).
Yep, I agree with the above, wetter lather. I changed down to a watery lather when I went over to straights.
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- #19
Today, I used some Arko stick and made the lather wetter. A couple of times I had to add water to the tips of the brush and paint my face, but things did seem to go better, overall.
BTW, Arko doesn't stink. It is old fashioned smelling, like from the 1940's or something. What bothers me is that the soapy smell lasts a long time.
I got some Arko cream, Cool. I don't know why it's called that. I will try it out tomorrow, most likely. I wonder how Cella shaving soap is? Anyone know?
BTW, Arko doesn't stink. It is old fashioned smelling, like from the 1940's or something. What bothers me is that the soapy smell lasts a long time.
I got some Arko cream, Cool. I don't know why it's called that. I will try it out tomorrow, most likely. I wonder how Cella shaving soap is? Anyone know?
I want to touch on another point made in here - yes about wetter, but the suction mentioned!
I gave it a little thought as to why I don't know about this suction while I use a very low angle too and realized what causes this!
Suction, if you experience this, indicates you're shaving with too much of the blade! When you first start, this is as expected, using less and less of the blade comes with experience and practice.
I just want to say, if you experience this and have been using a straight for a while, start shaving smaller swathes - heel, toe, middle, whatever & just not all of the blade. This is less obvious when you start, but if you have this happen try to aim like you're wiping off a smaller section of the cream
I gave it a little thought as to why I don't know about this suction while I use a very low angle too and realized what causes this!
Suction, if you experience this, indicates you're shaving with too much of the blade! When you first start, this is as expected, using less and less of the blade comes with experience and practice.
I just want to say, if you experience this and have been using a straight for a while, start shaving smaller swathes - heel, toe, middle, whatever & just not all of the blade. This is less obvious when you start, but if you have this happen try to aim like you're wiping off a smaller section of the cream
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