The ford and medley straight razor

S

Spitfire

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18
Well I have been trying to shave with my first straight razor a Ford and Medley from The Invisible Edge. I managed to only get a few cuts today after about 6 shaves so far and each time I am getting better but have a few mishaps. Although I somehow look forward to it each morning, but havent quite managed to tame the dragon. :icon_razz:
 
The way it generally goes is that the first shave isn't too bad - a bit cor blimey but not much if any blood. Some time during the first week or so the razor will give you a little warning not to get cocky, and it'll do that every once in a while whenever you need it. It's part of the deal and nothing to worry about because you'll soon get the hang of stopping the razor dead when something is going wrong. The one to watch out for is the slicing action - save that for later.

Give it a month, maybe two, and your efforts will start to pay off; after a year you'll impress yourself.
 
Arrowhead said:
The way it generally goes is that the first shave isn't too bad - a bit cor blimey but not much if any blood. Some time during the first week or so the razor will give you a little warning not to get cocky, and it'll do that every once in a while whenever you need it. It's part of the deal and nothing to worry about because you'll soon get the hang of stopping the razor dead when something is going wrong. The one to watch out for is the slicing action - save that for later.

Give it a month, maybe two, and your efforts will start to pay off; after a year you'll impress yourself.
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yeah, you get that little pull that says "watch what you are doing" but luckly dosnt cut
 
Sounds like you're off for a smashing start :D What Arrowhead wrote, just hang in there and you'll get rewarded with very nice shaves, it'll take a month or two before you get good shaves and after a year you'll have mad skills :D
 
Hi gentlemen. I got a straight from Taz (Solingen Silberstahl), but can't quite get on with it - it just seems to be not sharp enough to handle the stubble - ok job on the cheeks and most of the neck, but really gets stuck on the chin :( That compared to an effortless glide of my NEW (and currently slant) doesn't add any enthusiasm. Any suggestions?

P.S. no cuts, no irritation either. Maybe it is just a bit blunt?
 
Helveticum said:
Hi gentlemen. I got a straight from Taz (Solingen Silberstahl), but can't quite get on with it - it just seems to be not sharp enough to handle the stubble - ok job on the cheeks and most of the neck, but really gets stuck on the chin :( That compared to an effortless glide of my NEW (and currently slant) doesn't add any enthusiasm. Any suggestions?

P.S. no cuts, no irritation either. Maybe it is just a bit blunt?
Click to expand...

Silver steel blades can be hard to hone, so it could be it never was sharp enough ...
 
Mikael said:
Helveticum said:
Hi gentlemen. I got a straight from Taz (Solingen Silberstahl), but can't quite get on with it - it just seems to be not sharp enough to handle the stubble - ok job on the cheeks and most of the neck, but really gets stuck on the chin :( That compared to an effortless glide of my NEW (and currently slant) doesn't add any enthusiasm. Any suggestions?

P.S. no cuts, no irritation either. Maybe it is just a bit blunt?
Click to expand...

Silver steel blades can be hard to hone, so it could be it never was sharp enough ...
Click to expand...

might be an idea to get it honed, i was like that with my razor till i sent it off to someone at coticule.be to be honed and its really nice shave now


send it to either neil miller (stropshop.co.uk) or arrowhead (i believe they are regarded as the best honers here
 
Helveticum said:
Hi gentlemen. I got a straight from Taz (Solingen Silberstahl), but can't quite get on with it - it just seems to be not sharp enough to handle the stubble - ok job on the cheeks and most of the neck, but really gets stuck on the chin :( That compared to an effortless glide of my NEW (and currently slant) doesn't add any enthusiasm. Any suggestions?

P.S. no cuts, no irritation either. Maybe it is just a bit blunt?
Click to expand...

Have you tried any other straights?

If you look through the posts of novice straight users on SRP many of them think their blade isn't sharp enough. Generally its a combination of poor blade angle and appropriate skin stretching.
 
Helveticum said:
Hi gentlemen. I got a straight from Taz (Solingen Silberstahl), but can't quite get on with it - it just seems to be not sharp enough to handle the stubble - ok job on the cheeks and most of the neck, but really gets stuck on the chin :( That compared to an effortless glide of my NEW (and currently slant) doesn't add any enthusiasm. Any suggestions?

P.S. no cuts, no irritation either. Maybe it is just a bit blunt?
Click to expand...

hello mate sorry to hear yer having problems with that razor been a while from when i sold you it if am right it was 22nd of September i sold you it and yer having problems now with it 3month down the line as off sharpness thats a razor i got of neil shave ready and with no problems so it could be maybe you could have dulled the edge with poor stropping as you was learning if am right thats the straight with the spine work..
 
The chin is a tricky place to shave. It takes some time to get used to keeping a decent blade angle as you move it round the curve of the chin. If you're not getting cut that's a good start, and given time you should find you get there. So the problem could be technique, or a dulled blade, or both.
 
Pig Cat said:
The chin is a tricky place to shave. It takes some time to get used to keeping a decent blade angle as you move it round the curve of the chin. If you're not getting cut that's a good start, and given time you should find you get there. So the problem could be technique, or a dulled blade, or both.
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Hi mate, to put it into perspective - it's probably of the same level of sharpness than the one I got from you back then, maybe just a tad sharper (maybe not). But I don't know about the angle - kinda tried a few :)
 
Helveticum said:
Pig Cat said:
The chin is a tricky place to shave. It takes some time to get used to keeping a decent blade angle as you move it round the curve of the chin. If you're not getting cut that's a good start, and given time you should find you get there. So the problem could be technique, or a dulled blade, or both.
Click to expand...

Hi mate, to put it into perspective - it's probably of the same level of sharpness than the one I got from you back then, maybe just a tad sharper (maybe not). But I don't know about the angle - kinda tried a few :)
Click to expand...

if you have a strop or some balsa wood with crox on it give it a few light passes on it try 5 or so and go from there or some light passes on some news paper it all ways brings my edges back to par with a wicked edge
 
Helveticum said:
Pig Cat said:
The chin is a tricky place to shave. It takes some time to get used to keeping a decent blade angle as you move it round the curve of the chin. If you're not getting cut that's a good start, and given time you should find you get there. So the problem could be technique, or a dulled blade, or both.
Click to expand...

Hi mate, to put it into perspective - it's probably of the same level of sharpness than the one I got from you back then, maybe just a tad sharper (maybe not). But I don't know about the angle - kinda tried a few :)
Click to expand...

Well good enough for me then, and I'm no Sweeney Todd by any means.

Though I am a mass murderer and a sucker for a good meat pie! :blush:
 
tazz said:
if you have a strop or some balsa wood with crox on it give it a few light passes on it try 5 or so and go from there or some light passes on some news paper it all ways brings my edges back to par with a wicked edge
Click to expand...

I'll try a newspaper! In fact that was the only thing I had while playing with Adam's straight, and it surprisingly delivered.
 
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