Thread: Razor already tugging after about 4 shaves

Originally Posted by criswilson10

You've rolled the edge of the blade.
Looks like it starts at the g in King and runs all the way to the second t in Cutter. It might be rolled somewhere else as well, that was the only part I could clearly see in the video.
Sprays and pastes aren't going to fix that. It will need a hone.

Rolling the edge is a typical beginner mistake, I think we have all done it, so don't be upset. That's why SRD gives you a free honing with purchase.

Crikey cris, eyes of an eagle right there...

As a fellow newbie reading this, I wonder if I may have rolled my edge as well. Is there a way to tell visually? Like the OP, I enjoyed a few great shave, and then started feeling it pull or jump. I have been blaming my lather, but maybe I've done this.

If you are rolling the razor on the leather pad, when you use the chromium oxide and diamond sprays your really going to create a problem with the edge. I have a paddle strop and it should be easier to use then a regular strop for a beginner. If Lynn sold you the razor it was honed and ready to go. You should not have to use chromium oxide or diamond spray for weeks unless the edge is rounded in stropping. I would suggest you watch Lynn's video on stropping using the modular strop. You will notice he angles the paddle a little toward him. I find that really helps to keep the blade flat on the paddle. I also find that stropping with the razor angled, heal first at about a 30 degree angle also helps keep the blade flat. Try stropping using a butter knife and watch to see the best way to keep the blade flat then try with your razor. It's amazing how fast you can take an edge off by just a little lifting or rolling the blade.

Originally Posted by Grazor

Crikey cris, eyes of an eagle right there...

Not eagle eyes, just a really big high definition 55" monitor with video running on full screen.

I think apart from what the others have noticed about lifting the razor a bit, you need to have consistent grip on the tang.
On the stroke towards you you are holding by the tang , fingers on the tang stamps. On the away stroke you are holding by the jimps. The correct grip should be a pinch grip by the jimps. When holding the razor by the tang you are creating more downward force and torque that can cause incorrect technique and consequent rolling of the edge.

I repeatedly have made the same offer to members in Hawaii...

I'm willing to come to your place for a week or two for one on one help, as long as you have a spare bedroom for my wife and me! She needs a vacation.

Yes, I too thought you lifted the spine at one point. A cure for bad stropping is a lot of good stropping. That is, you MAY be able to fix a mildly rolled edge with more stropping. If the edge does not improve, then you will need to have it re-honed.

Thanks again for all the responses.

Today, I decided that if I'm going to learn the art of Straight Razor shaving, I'm going to learn it all. So I went and bought a Norton 4k/8k stone and carefully watched Lynn's video on refreshing a razor. After a few passes on the stone, then through all my strops, I have a razor that will cut hair again. It's probably not perfect, but at least usable. I also ordered a 12k finishing stone online, and when that gets here, I'll do the refresh again adding that to the sequence.

This is turning into an expensive hobby.

I agre with jkatzman - your newly honed razors from Srd shouldn't need any abrasive pastes for quite a while. I worried about pastes and fabrics for a long time until I realized I just need to get the stropping on leather right. When it clicks it's a great feeling and I now touch up on a natural stone only when I feel a bad shave, no pastes for me but I am not an expert. I found so many comments about the pastes in crox and diamond only to be confused or think of all the time and steel I will spend on getting those right when I wanted the razor for shaving, not testing pastes. I am still learning of course but slow careful stropping is where I got the biggest gains - not trying new stones or pastes.
If I can suggest - keep one of the newly honed razors by Lynn as a control. Use it to compare the edge of the razors you strop and shave with ( just a couple of strokes will compare). You can judge your progress and although razors and steel will differ - it should be enough to give you some feedback.
Enjoy the process

This also may help you with your stropping. I had a barber friend tell me when stropping, angle the blade with the heel of the spine leading. He said a 30-45 degree angle will be fine. It alleviates rolling the razor onto the edge at the end of the stroke and it also kept me from getting cut marks at the end of the strop. You will find you don't put as much pressure on the blade and the blade stays flatter. I noticed Mastro Livi uses an angle when honing and stropping. I also noticed Lynn also has a slight angle as well. When starting, go slow and watch the razor to see if it is flat throughout the lap. At the end of the lap, slowly roll the blade on it's spine and look to make sure it is flat before the next lap. If you go to fast, there is a tendency to do a rolling takeoff when you end the lap which will round the blade. Remember, practice makes perfect and sharper edges.

It's not uncommon it takes a few months to actually improve your edge from stropping. Also I know you think you need to learn to hone, but you can't even shave yet much less strop.

All you need right now is a decent finisher(naniwa 12k and 4-5 laps on it when your razor starts to tug. Or just do it every 10 shaves or so to maintain. You can go months r even years between honing with nothing but leather and the naniwa. These guys you see that are honing all the time are restoring and selling or doing it for other people. Realistically if your blade needs honed all the time your doing something wrong. So get hones f you want but you need to learn how to SHAVE, AND STROP. And you need to be more patient cause it don't happen over night. Plus sow down stropping till you can really strop well, it's not a race. Tc