Who wants a straight razor, paddle strop, and 3 diamond hones?

[raccoonandbrush]

I have been shaving with a traditional straight razor for 5 days now. When I started, the blade cut hair pretty good. Now it doesn't cut hair at all because of my lack of sharpening technique. I don't have the money to buy an appropriate sharpening hone, and quite frankly all the costs of everything is too much. My disposable straight cuts my beard hair really well. There really isn't a downside to it. So why did I get a traditional straight in the first place? Well I guess it was because I felt my disposable straight wasn't a real straight, and that other people wouldn't consider it real either. But most of the barbers today use the disposable kinds, so why can't I? So this would fall under the category of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Does anyone want my Dovo Best Quality Straight Razor, paddle strop, and DMT coarse, fine, and extra fine diamond hones? The razor doesn't cut hair anymore, thanks to me. I just want some money out it, not a lot.

 

[jkh]

You really need to put up a for sale thread in the B/S/T. Also, you'll need to a set a price.

 

[joshmpdx]

you'll get a great price for it on the BST

 

[luvmysuper]

Seriously - Just hold on to the stuff for a while.
No harm in letting it set till you have the time patience or whatever to try it again, if you are so inclined.

It does take time and work, for sure, but when the shaves start getting really really good, there's no feeling like it.

It's part sense of accomplishment, part amazement, and all happy smoothness!

 

[raccoonandbrush]

What's the BST?

 

[shavewithbigelow]

Yeah man don't give up. Wait a while before you sell your stuff. looks like you already have most everything you need. Use the disposable if you like, but hang on to what you have until your really sure you have no interest in trying again. Just don't do anything rash!

 

[joshmpdx]

Buy/Sell/Trade

However, if you're inclinded i too would recommend sticking with the straight. it won't take much for that edge to come back to life.

 

[azmark]

What's the BST?

Just keep scrolling down a bit on the main page forum links and you'll see Buy/Sell/Trade (BST).

You'll sell that stuff pretty easy. Just post some pictures of the items and you may get your money back on the stones if you eat the shipping costs. The blade, may be a different story.

 

[JonnyAngel]

Hey hey hey!!

Bud, we can make it faster, sharper, and shiner than every before! Don't throw in the towel!!

 

[Disburden]

Straight razor shaving is an art form and takes several months if not a year to get even remotely good at it. It took me a year to analyze the flaws I was making and therefore make adjustments. If your razor got dull in 5 days then you probably stropped it poorly, which also takes months of muscle practice.


In the long run its more of an art form that using anything disposable and its more rewarding and self satisfying. I am just saying this for everyone that wants to learn straights, its really an art form that takes commitment, just like learning to draw. In art you need to study anatomy and color theory, lighting etc, to be even good. That takes a long time also. When your done though it feels great to draw like michelangelo.

 

[Drubbing]

5 days? Wow. You really hung in there.

My first attempts gave me a reality check on what I thought were fairly low expectations, so I gave it a break and came back when other distractions were less distracting.

But, by all means, you can have the badge if you want it...

 

[bluefoxicy]

You have a coarse, medium, and fine DMT and you can't put an edge on that razor with that?

What's the grit on these things again? I'm still learning to hone my razor, it's not quite sharp enough but it does a good job. Bad hone job though... must be sharper.

 

[Oglethorpe]

This might be one of the all time quickest "throw in the towel" moments in SR history.

In all honesty, if you read anything about straight razors before you took the plunge, then you must have realized you wouldn't get good at it after 5 shaves.

I wasn't even able to get a Mach 3 shave until about 3-4 months in. Hang on to your stuff, stick with it, and you'll get better. If you think your razor is dull, spend 15 bucks to get it honed. It's still cheaper than a package of fusion blades or whatever other medium you're going back to.

 

[DS/B MCS]

Hang on to your stuff, stick with it, and you'll get better. If you think your razor is dull, spend 15 bucks to get it honed. It's still cheaper than a package of fusion blades or whatever other medium you're going back to.

I just started shaving with my straight this morning, but the above advice is sound.

 

[ouch]

I have been shaving with a traditional straight razor for 5 days now. When I started, the blade cut hair pretty good. Now it doesn't cut hair at all because of my lack of sharpening technique. I don't have the money to buy an appropriate sharpening hone, and quite frankly all the costs of everything is too much. My disposable straight cuts my beard hair really well. There really isn't a downside to it. So why did I get a traditional straight in the first place? Well I guess it was because I felt my disposable straight wasn't a real straight, and that other people wouldn't consider it real either. But most of the barbers today use the disposable kinds, so why can't I? So this would fall under the category of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Does anyone want my Dovo Best Quality Straight Razor, paddle strop, and DMT coarse, fine, and extra fine diamond hones? The razor doesn't cut hair anymore, thanks to me. I just want some money out it, not a lot.

I can assure you that you'll have no trouble selling those items here, especially if you split them up, but you'd be doing yourself a disservice by giving up so soon.

I'm not telling you what to do- if you want to sell them all, that's fine. You can shave any way you want. But five days doesn't begin to scratch the surface.

 

[Chimensch]

If you're still looking for advice, I can tell you that I shave ATG 14 times a week without irritation (WTG, XTG, ATG, XTG, ATG).

It seems counter-intuitive but doing more passes results in less irritation. Why? Because I'm not trying so hard to get perfection. I let the razor glide lightly over my face and what doesn't get cut will get cut on the 2nd pass.

Problems of irritation always have the same cause:

Here are some things to consider:

The razor needs to be sharp.
You need to stretch skin.
Keep a very flat angle.
Start the razor moving before it touches your face.
No pressure whatsoever, just let it lightly touch the skin, moving quickly in short strokes. Never press the razor against your skin.

From what you said in your other thread, your razor is not sharp. That's where I would start and the rest will follow with practice.

 

[raccoonandbrush]

If you're still looking for advice, I can tell you that I shave ATG 14 times a week without irritation (WTG, XTG, ATG, XTG, ATG).

It seems counter-intuitive but doing more passes results in less irritation. Why? Because I'm not trying so hard to get perfection. I let the razor glide lightly over my face and what doesn't get cut will get cut on the 2nd pass.

Problems of irritation always have the same cause:

Here are some things to consider:

The razor needs to be sharp.
You need to stretch skin.
Keep a very flat angle.
Start the razor moving before it touches your face.
No pressure whatsoever, just let it lightly touch the skin, moving quickly in short strokes. Never press the razor against your skin.

From what you said in your other thread, your razor is not sharp. That's where I would start and the rest will follow with practice.

I decided not to give up. Someone on this forum offered to hone it for me, so I will take him up on it.

 

[Seraphim]

Also be aware that DMT fine and extra fine are not so fine and extra fine when it comes to straights.

I use an extra fine as my workhorse bevel setter, and only have used the fine for Ebay restores back from the dead, getting rid of major chips, etc...

If you have tried to use these as your very first hones, it would not be surprising that the razor may have gone from shave ready, to being in need of first aid.

No worries. Get it honed up, then use it. Don't worry about trying to hone it again for a very long time. The edge should last for weeks, if not months with daily stropping.

Honing gets discussed alot but thAt does not mean that it needs to be done alot.

 

[Luc]

I decided not to give up. Someone on this forum offered to hone it for me, so I will take him up on it.

Yay! A straight razor is not for everyone but I agree with the other, give it a fair chance. It takes quite a bit to get used to it and get decent shaves! Good luck!

 

[Huxley]

Diamond stones ime are only used for bevel setting, too coarse to produce a nice shave ready edge, a coticule would be a much better choice.

Like many others have said give it time you will find yourself slowly getting there think baby steps, now i can take the easy route give up and use a de which im damn good at but i really want to master the straight because well not everyone can and plus it's nice to use, if i have a bad shave it's all down to me.

Having it sent off is the best decision you have made, that way you will know what a sharp razor should feel like.

Just give it time eh.