Thread: My first straight razor shave (or attempt anyway)

Hmm well I nicked myself for the first time, very slight didn't even drip blood, just a little embarrassing red-line.

I had this weird sensation while shaving, I'm not sure if it was my grip, but it seemed like the blade was sharper facing one way than the other. I hope I havent dulled the blade with my lousy stropping technique already! It did not seem to cut hair above the arm very well. I wish I had done that test when I first got the blade for comparison.

I did notice while stropping I got a really nice sound out of one side, but I was having trouble producing the the same sound on the other side. Maybe my grip is off.

I guess I'll try to be cautious about today or tomorrow, maybe try to get in a good 50 or 100 laps? Or go linen? I do have a bid on a Swatty Hone, although I'm worried if I cant strop right I just might do more damage.

-Mike

A different feel and sound from one side while shaving and stropping. Do you have a wire edge on the blade? I would hold it under a bright light and rotate it and move it trying to detect a visual difference. Also, if you have a microscope (Radio Shack 100x $12), visually inspect it. That just doesn't sound right.

So I have bids out on a swatty and I'm ordering chromium oxide for finishing.

Meanwhile I was so obsessed with correcting the lifting of the spine from the strop, I accidentally stropped edge first and 'skinned' a few millimeters of latigo off. How embarrassing. I hope the edge is ok, I'm not sure but I think I see a slight mar, I wish I had a jewlers loop! I stropped a bunch more times...I guess my face will find out tomorrow. My poor strop looks like it's been in a knife fight

I'm not sure if Mike is still checking this page, but here goes. As a newbie I was luckily enough to find a veteran that lived 10 minutes from me. He came over for about an hour and a half on Saturday and really helped me out. I had the same stropping problem, sound only on the backhand stroke. He pointed out that I was rotating the razor using my wrist, not my fingers. Now, when I focus on rotating only with my fingers, the sound comes on both strokes.

I hope this helps.
-Tyler