I've got a barber's textbook and it discusses that the object of shaving is to remove the visible portion of the hair of the face without irritation. Then, using a straight razor, it outlines the instructions that barbers are to use in shaving a patron. It implies that 1 pass with a 2nd touch-up pass is all that is needed. I can not remove all visible hair from my face with my straight in just 1 pass. I suppose this means my razor isn't sharp enough though it passes the tests listed in the barber textbook (so far as I can tell). Any thoughts or suggestions??
Is your face clean after the touch up or do you still have a lot of visible stubble? Some people find that they like to use a DE for touch ups on top of the str8.
Most of the hair is gone if I do 2 passes, one with and one across the grain. What would be left is felt running the hand against the grain and there remains a visible shadow (of course, I get this even when I have a BBS shave). What I gather from the textbook is that I should have no visible hair left after the first pass and I'm not there yet. Close but not quite.
I wouldn't take what I read in an old barber's manual as gospel for shaving yourself at home. Whilst they may prove to be an excellent source of information not readily availabe elsewhere, this information is designed for a barber who sees a high volume of customers. I think that speed (without slicing the customer to bits that is) is going to be a more important consideration for a barber than an individual at home. Case in point, barber manuals advise against horse hide strops because with heavy use they may "glaze" over, I doubt this is the case for somone who uses it merely once a day. As for the general principles of shaving, I think that reduction is an important consideration. Certainly with additional pressure a very close one pass shave is do-able but it increases the risk of irritation greatly. A series of gradual reduction passes allows one to use less pressure and get a better feel for their own beard. A more reliable indication of your razor not being sharp enough is if it is pulling when you shave. If you can acheive a smooth, comfortable shave with more passes I don't think that you have a problem, the manual is merely a framework as every individual is different. If you are experiencing pulling then there are other aspects to consider before assuming the edge is improperly sharpened to begin with. I am not aware of your experience thus far with a straight so please forgive me if any of this sounds too obvious or patronising. First I would look at your stropping technique, as this can ruin an edge very quickly if done incorrectly. Don't be afraid of a little pressure but make sure that the edge and the spine have equal contact with the strops surface. Secondly, when flipping the straight make sure to roll it over in your fingers (over the spine) you need to keep your wrist straight, otherwise you could be putting too much pressure on the edge when you turn the razor. Oftentimes, a good stropping is all that is required to take a razor from nearly there to scary sharp. Secondly, look at the angle you use to shave with. The standard is thirty degrees, but I find that holding the spine closer to my face is better for me personally. Try starting with the spine closer to your face and move out gradually to where the blade is just popping the hairs off. I also find that it helps if you try to visualise the angle at which the blade will contact the whiskers and cut them off at the base. If none of this helps I would try a pasted strop. If you're doing everything else right it may simply be that the edge needs a little refining. I noticed that you mention your razor passes the various tests mentioned in the manual and I assume you mean Hanging Hair and thumbnail. Whilst I find these to be useful indicators of how quickly I am able to bring an ebay razor up to code, they are not the best indicators of true shave ready status. The thumbnail test helps determine if you have a good even bevel, while I use HHT to make sure the whole edge is evenly honed. Off the 8k a razor should pass HHT (at least the way I do it) but when I move to a dry/ slightly moistened coticule it will often no longer pass HHT but after stropping will shave smoothly. I would suggest a magnifier to keep a closer eye on your edge as this may give you some more idea of what's going on and where your problem lies. In my early days I often overhoned the razors to a wire edge on the 8k, they would pass HHT but the edge would break down on my face and lead to rough shaves. If your edge still looks good after the shave then I would say it's a problem of technique. If the edge looks bad then you've either overhoned or you're not stropping correctly. I find the only true test of shave readiness is to actually shave with the razor, the other tests will only get you so far. If a razor shaves smoothly ATG, then I know I did a good job, if not then I re-examine the edge and try again. Sure this can lead to some miserable shaves if the razor's not quite there but it's the only way to know if the edge is really ready. As for not getting a one pass BBS shave this may also be due to your razor. I have some that are wonderfully smooth that simply will not shave that close in one go. Some others I have i.e Puma Gold and a 7/8 sheffield wedge (badly worn makers mark, Smith is the only word I can make out) that shave as close to BBS as is possible with one WTG pass (providing your technique is spot on.) I like all of my razors (after all a father can't choose between his children) but some are simply better than others in terms of the overall sharpness and consequently shave more closely. That being said I can get BBS with all of them, I just need to use different passes and numbers of passes with different razors. So in summary, examine your technique first off (stropping and blade angle in particular) to see if this helps get the quicker shave you want. But I would stress that if the razor is shaving smoothly and comfortably don't get too concerned with what you read in the barber's manual. If none of my suggestions work you will have to ask someone who actually knows what they are talikng about. Regards, Alex
Excellent response Alex. I get very close if not BBS with two passes and small touch ups due to the way hair grows on my neck. I would not put too much wait on the text as as Alex indicated they deal with volume. Raf
Whew! Deep breath, deep breath...OK, where to start??? 1. My barber manual says that while a horsehide strop isn't a good choice for the barber, it is fine for home use (I presume for the same reason you mention) 2. My straight shaving experience = all of 6 months so much still to learn 3. Stropping: I use just enough pressure to feel the razor draw and lighten up the pressure as I proceed with the stropping. I'll use approx. 30-45 strokes depending on how the razor is responding. 4. Shaving angle: I use approx. 30 degrees and shave with short, toe leading strokes 5. Tests: I use the thumbnail test and thumbpad test. However, they are just used as an indicator. My main test, and the only truly reliable test is the shave test. Basically, I use those tests to tell me when I'm ready for the next step and verify using the shave test. If it works, I have an indicator for the next time. Of course, the indicator changes as my skill in honing and stropping improve. 6. I have thought of the possibility of not being able to get BBS or near BBS in 1 pass. I certainly don't rule that out by any stretch. 7. Alex, many thanks for your detailed and thoughtful response. I'm going to mull it over some more.
How are you doing your second pass? With water only or with lather like the first pass? The barber's books I've read indicate that the second pass should be with water only. This would be a recipe for razor burn with a cartridge razor or a DE but it works well with a straight, giving you a comparable result as a 3-pass shave. If you still have a few areas that aren't perfect after these two passes then it may not be a big deal, just clean them up with a touch-up pass. Barber's don't have this problem to the same extent as we do because they can walk around the customer, tilt him back or up etc to get the angle they want, and they don't have to deal with the reversed perspective or hands getting in the way etc. But most of your face should be clean after a WTG lather pass and an XTG water pass. If not then it's likely the blade isn't sharp enough, or there's some problem with your technique.
2nd pass with lather, cross grain. However, I think some of it may have been my angle to the hair. I've re-read the guide authored by Dr. Chris Moss and mimicked his strokes and come out pretty well. Time and practice will tell.
There are two types of learners, those that learn best by reading boks and those that learn best by a live demonstration. Which are you?
Can I alter your statement? I fit into a 3rd type most of the time. I tend to learn best by a hands-on approach. I can read to get a real good understanding of something, I can understand it better, sometimes, if I see someone demonstrate it, but I usually don't really understand things until I've done them myself. This is true for most of the things I try to learn.
