Thread: Newb's second shave, Caught on Camera !!!!

Originally Posted by The0ctopus

im still waiting for my strops, it seemed pretty sharp, but i think a little more could have made a difference
i suppose id better get into that whole stropping mess, i just know ill be destroying freshly honed razors for a while with it

it could be sharper (couldn't they all )

but I think I only did like 20 laps after shaving
that isn't enough for another shave

NOT AFTER MY BEARD !!

Get a strop
I'll bet that was brutal

Originally Posted by The0ctopus

strop on the stick?

YES

if you go edge FIRST it will be your LAST edge !!

try to find some info on pasted paddles
apply that to the stick

I wouldn't shave fresh off the diamond cause it HURTS !!
it needs stropped first
HEAVILY (this means laps, not pressure)

why don't you go look at the thread about a strop from a car seat belt?
it's in the strop section

actually, even though I have like 6 strops hanging in the bathroom, I'm going to try the seat belt idea myself

no honestly! comapared to a mach 5 or quattro it was very pleasant, no razor burn which is really my only motivation for straights
yea ive already been trying to locate a seatbelt, no luck yet, the only place is cutting one from a strangers car or the junkyard

Originally Posted by The0ctopus

no honestly! comapared to a mach 5 or quattro it was very pleasant, no razor burn which is really my only motivation for straights
yea ive already been trying to locate a seatbelt, no luck yet, the only place is cutting one from a strangers car or the junkyard

PARKING LOT BABY YEAH !!!!

ok

Originally Posted by The0ctopus

when you say "the stick" are you talking about the shim you packaged with the razor? i can strop on that?

stropping on a pasted paddle (yes it is a shim and it was my shim that is why it's black it was heavily used)

it is the same motion as stropping on a leather or paddle strop
BUT
the paste = sharpening
the leather = smoothing

the purpose of the leather/linen is to stand up and align the micro teeth on the edge for fresh and keen edge

the purpose of a pasted paddle is to sharpen or smooth the edge
BUT it isn't the kind of smooth you want on your face !

I'm going to go look for an old old thread about edges under a microscope after/before honing, stropping, etc

EDIT
well it looks like people here say "microscope" more than I say ****
I gave up on that old thread

try wrapping newspaper around something square and stropping on that
the Free Press has to be good for something right?
and don't knock the shim dude
if you looked under a microscope and saw what 10 laps did, you would be amazed

oh no i wasnt knocking, just kinda surprised, i had no idea that was for stropping, i almost threw it out, i only saved it cuz it smelled so good i wanted to find out what wood it was

thanks alot man

Originally Posted by The0ctopus

oh no i wasnt knocking, just kinda surprised, i had no idea that was for stropping, i almost threw it out, i only saved it cuz it smelled so good i wanted to find out what wood it was

thanks alot man

HAHA that's funny

just remember that it is for sharpening, not general stropping
but you do use a stropping motion (as opposed to a honing motion)

I've tried several different woods and most are too hard or coarse grained
cedar is nice (and cheap)
I developed that to give to newbs until they could get a hone and learn to use it
they manage to be almost free, yet priceless at the same time!

did a new post to avoid this getting lost

go here and you will get a better idea of pastes
Finishing Pastes - Straight Razor Place Wiki

That looked ok to me, you're taking it nice and slow. Maybe too much pressure and I agree with bud about the movement. I think you could add some more fluidity to your shave, make it a more logical progression - but if you know where you are with your passes then that's all that matters I guess.

If you're going to keep at the one handed thing, I highly recommend xmans video, it's a fine demonstration of the technique. I am a one handed shaver also.

the next shave ill add it too, ill do it ambidextrously.

my first shave was a full 7 minutes faster, i think the camera, and the way i was crammed in the corner to accomodate the camera, kinda hindered my thinking
also, my lather for this was horrible, i had to remix lather like 6 times

Thanks for posting this!

It was already mentioned, but stretching the
skin is important to get a good shave without
nicks. I recommend stretching from a dry
part of your face, above where you are shaving.
This could be your sideburn area first, then
moving downwards as your blade clears away
the lather.

This keeps your hand dry and makes for much
more effective stretching.



- Scott