Thread: Still Confused

I'm a SR n00b as well, so take it with a grain of salt, but...

I used a $12 Parker shavette clone with 1/2 of a DE blade for a month before buying my first straights, and at first I was disappointed with the shave I was getting. I'm going on a month and a half with a straight and I am finally getting the kind of shaves I thought I should have.
to be honest, those first few shaves mad me regret spending that kind of money, but i'm really happy now.

Originally Posted by Nightfall

I'm a SR n00b as well, so take it with a grain of salt, but...

I used a $12 Parker shavette clone with 1/2 of a DE blade for a month before buying my first straights, and at first I was disappointed with the shave I was getting. I'm going on a month and a half with a straight and I am finally getting the kind of shaves I thought I should have.
to be honest, those first few shaves mad me regret spending that kind of money, but i'm really happy now.

Thanks for your input. That gives me some hope. What did you do differently with the SR that made it work?

I'd guess that this is an angle problem, and the way to solve it is experimentation. The geometry of a DE blade is radically different to that of a straight razor - the included angle of the former is about half that of the latter, making it seem subjectively sharper. What works with a Shavette therefore will not necessarily be optimal with an open razor.

Originally Posted by vikingfan

Actually, I live in New York. Never been to Minnesota.

where in NY are u from...im from Pa....if we are close maybe i can help

Practice, first and foremost.

Chances are the transition between the two shaving methods has started to round out the edge a little.

Strop diligently. Tighten up the strop. Try 200 passes with a touch of pressure followed by 200 passes with no pressure. Focus on using the same pressure on both sides, equally, and use a light touch overall. Your not trying to force the edge into compliance, your trying to gently erode the problem away.

When you shave, search for and diligently use the correct angle. Improper shaving angle combined with pressure will destroy a well honed edge.

Maybe the honer at SRD used paste to finish. I find paste-honed razors to be quite painful, and quickly send them to Sham, who finishes with natural stones. The difference, to me, is night and day: a miserable experience turns into an act of beauty. I think his userid is hi_bud_gl

He almost always has something for sale in the classifieds, often for $65. He usually quarantees you will like the blade or your money back. So either send him your straight or buy a used one from him. Trust me, you will soon see why straight shaving is awesome.

Jeff

Originally Posted by jpm7676

where in NY are u from...im from Pa....if we are close maybe i can help

Long Island.

Originally Posted by Arrowhead

I'd guess that this is an angle problem, and the way to solve it is experimentation. The geometry of a DE blade is radically different to that of a straight razor - the included angle of the former is about half that of the latter, making it seem subjectively sharper. What works with a Shavette therefore will not necessarily be optimal with an open razor.

Thanks. I will vary my angle and keep stretching my skin.

Originally Posted by jeffus

Maybe the honer at SRD used paste to finish. I find paste-honed razors to be quite painful, and quickly send them to Sham, who finishes with natural stones. The difference, to me, is night and day: a miserable experience turns into an act of beauty. I think his userid is hi_bud_gl

He almost always has something for sale in the classifieds, often for $65. He usually quarantees you will like the blade or your money back. So either send him your straight or buy a used one from him. Trust me, you will soon see why straight shaving is awesome.

Jeff

Thank you. I will look him up.

Originally Posted by vikingfan

Thanks for your input. That gives me some hope. What did you do differently with the SR that made it work?

Just keep at it, experiment with the angles, and don't give up. With my Parker, I had to stick with the standard 30 degrees. With the real straights, it goes between 10 and 40 depending on the pass, area I'm shaving (Ialso use it on my head), etc.

Also read, reread, and go back for another look at everything in the wiki. It really helped me.