Thread: Getting frustrated

I think your angle is off. If I have a sharp razor and the end result is some stubble it means I was a little off with my angle. Each person is different though, if my razor is dull I end up with razor burn every time. That's how I know to hit it with my barber's hone.

I just finished another round. This time, I swore I would not use any backup...no mach3 (I threw 'em away) and no DE/SE to cleanup the spots I missed. It would just be me and the straight...and I stuck to it.

Much the same as before, but definitely better. Perfectly smooth cheeks. Almost smooth neck. Stubbly (but significantly less so) everywhere else. But the most encouraging thing for me is this:

When I run my hand across my face WTG, I don't feel anything. Well, there are one or two very small spots where I do. But 95% of my face feels smooth with the grain. Against the grain is another story, as I get a sandpapery sensation when I rub my neck against the grain. I did three passes (WTG, XTG, ATG) and it shows in my cheeks for sure. I found myself using a scything motion on my neck that was very effective.

As for the edge, my plan is to send it to be re-honed just to be sure. I am waiting though, as a member of my family is donating me a razor. If I'm going to be sending two razors out for honing, I don't want to pay shipping twice. Plus, a week with no straights will let me really learn how to use my new DEs and SEs.

Quick note on stropping: When I was finished and did my post-shave strop, I threw all hell to the wind and stropped as quickly as I could without feeling like I was going to throw the razor into the wall. It was easier! I had significantly fewer problems maintaining decent razor-strop contact, and the edge looked really, really shiny. I feel like I finally stropped properly.