Newbie to the forum, couple of questions :-)

T

tok

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Great forum, have been scouring through a lot of useful info on here and great to have a UK forum which shows or talks about products more readily available in the UK. I have read through the stickys and watched a lot of youtube.

I switched to DE shaving a couple years ago and loved the transition to real shaving, and now have recently tried using a straight razor. I got one from billyji1 on ebay who seems to have a lot of good reviews. I started with the cheeks to get used to it (initially started with a shavette) and got the straight razor a week ago. I got used to the cheek area, and found it hard to get to the neck and chin. My hair is quite thick. Yesterday I stropped the razor for the first time and I am not sure if I did this wrong or my lather wasnt up to scratch but it wasnt a smooth experience. The razor felt like it kept getting caught on the hair. On the cheeks I thought I had the angle right and first few times I felt good like I was getting somewhere and today it just kept catching (on 2 days growth). I followed instructions on stropping and the Gold Dollar razor came in shave ready and out the box the first time was really smooth. This was the second shave with it so I assume I couldnt have messed the blade up that much from stropping. It is a good strop from a London shaving shop and I followed the videos on X pattern. The guy in the shop said to strop it after the shave once the blade is dry which I did. I have also read it should be done before a shave instead. I was actually looking forward to shaves to see how much further I can get each time as I am sue most beginners are. I am taking the experience with a slow and steady approach but definitely stumbling getting started on the neck and around the chin and today was a bit of a let down. Barely did any and went to the DE to carry on.
 
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Ive had no experience with gold dollar, i only use old Sheffield steel, joseph roogers, wade butcher. And the weight speeks for itself. The wapi i use on the odd occasion shave similar to how you discribe it and i find this is a weight issue. Read the Neil Miller posts he was a good man with lots to talk about.
 
Hard to compare the Chinese to the English and German. While the Gold Dollar will give a good shave, comparing it to the western blades a like comparing a pickup truck to a sports car. Both will get you there but with a different feel.


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Hi thank you so much for your input. When I purchased the Gold Dollar I read on a couple of forums that this guy really produces great shave ready razors and as I wasnt sure if straight razor shaving was going to be something I would do it wasnt a crazy cost to try it. The first shave (of the cheeks was really good). But Ben like you mention this time round I did try another cream. Tomorrow I am going to try stropping before the shave and going back to my original cream. This is really something I want to master and continue with so I have been reading through a few posts on bad razors and which ones to buy. Now I know I will continue with this I would invest in one of those razors. The learning experience alone of straight razor shaving is exciting :)
 
Lots of good advice ,seems all the razor forums have a love hate relationship with the gold dollar razors.Being a newbie to useing straights myself I was changing my razors and trying different things I'm about 14 shaves in so far.The worst shave I had was when I changed everything at once soap,brush ,razor think my little girl counted 14 little Nick's just on my neck area ,I think it was because my soap was drying and I was scraping my face rather than shaving it.Seems funny how different soaps work well with a De razor but aren't so good with a straight.sammy
 
Ok so I had my razor looked at and I had damaged it. Got it honed and shave ready and even after several shaves just on the cheek to the jaw (I am using both hands) and feel quite comfortable upto where a goatie beard would be. I can not seem to get beyond that. Just so much tugging. My hair is very hard there and it is just tugging and pulling to the point it gets frustrating and I finish off with a DE. The neck I am doing small parts every time but can not move on from the cheek to the chin. I appreciate people cant really give advice but is that a hard bit to learn?? The videos I watch just glide through the whole shave (of course explaining to do it slowly and a bit at a time) but a month in I can not move much beyond the cheeks and actually then enjoy happily finishing off easily with a DE. I have a wider strop and it is so much easier with that.
 
tok said:
Ok so I had my razor looked at and I had damaged it. Got it honed and shave ready and even after several shaves just on the cheek to the jaw (I am using both hands) and feel quite comfortable upto where a goatie beard would be. I can not seem to get beyond that. Just so much tugging. My hair is very hard there and it is just tugging and pulling to the point it gets frustrating and I finish off with a DE. The neck I am doing small parts every time but can not move on from the cheek to the chin. I appreciate people cant really give advice but is that a hard bit to learn?? The videos I watch just glide through the whole shave (of course explaining to do it slowly and a bit at a time) but a month in I can not move much beyond the cheeks and actually then enjoy happily finishing off easily with a DE. I have a wider strop and it is so much easier with that.
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A Few Things Going on there..1st Billies Gold Dollars are Great Shavers because I have One..Billy Reworks the Full Blades on these Gold Dollars if they Need it from the Factory..o_O

Billy Started Telling his Customer's to Shave from the Box without Stropping his Vintage or Chinese SRs because there were so Many Foks Messing them Up Stropping them before a 1st Shave..The Razor was Smooth On You're 1st Shave so You have Done the Edge Stropping it as You Said..You have had it Re Honed..These Gold Dollars are Robust..More Robust than some Vintage SRs because they are made of Very Hard Carbon Steel..:p

You Must have been Goin Some to Damage it..My Gold Dollar is a Darn Smooth Shaver..Billy Does a Good Job on them..They May need some Extra Stropping..If Its Tugging around the Chin Area & Not Elsewhere it Just a Technique thing is All..:eek:

If the Angle isn't Correct You are Up a Gum Tree & You have to make Constant Adjustments on the Move..You are Gonna have a Love Hate Relationship with any 1st SR when Learning..Oh Yeah..Try a Good Tallow Soap & Not MWF..:D

Billy
 
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Thank you for your reply. Yes I think I messed it up bad and mine was touching the scales when closing which didnt help. All good now and his razors seem really good. Very happy to buy from him.

I think it is well and truly technique on my part and just finding it especially hard around the chin area. The neck I am getting better at and am progressing well (slow and steady) but the chin to the lips its not happening. I will try changing angles around there. Its very frustrating when you can get certain bits of the face and then have to put the straight down not being able to do any more, but always anticipating the next shave to see if you can tackle any more :)
 
tok said:
Thank you for your reply. Yes I think I messed it up bad and mine was touching the scales when closing which didnt help. All good now and his razors seem really good. Very happy to buy from him.

I think it is well and truly technique on my part and just finding it especially hard around the chin area. The neck I am getting better at and am progressing well (slow and steady) but the chin to the lips its not happening. I will try changing angles around there. Its very frustrating when you can get certain bits of the face and then have to put the straight down not being able to do any more, but always anticipating the next shave to see if you can tackle any more :)
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Getting Frustrated is Daft..You are Only Pissed Off at Yourself...SR Shaving or Anything to Do with the Art because that's How I See it is Not for Many People..We are Brought Up in a Western Culture of Diluted Instant Learning Tick Box Packages..SRs are not for Most in this Day & Age because they Cant be Bothered with Something that they Cant Pick UP in an Instant with Instant Gratification or Learn out a Book or Vids..:eek:

Hell..You Only have to Look around the DE Threads..A Lot of Folks around here have got to Ask How to use a Darn DE..That's Just Too Much for Me.:D

Billy
 
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