Thread: Straight shave #5 - Success! sorta

Good Morning everyone.

I thought my message was going to say that i am clearly a straight shaving prodigy and that i achieved BBS with no cuts, no dripping blood, nor errors.... but alas. reality set in.

Milestones for the day. Left earlobe NOT cut!!! ( I cut the right earlobe instead ( for varieties sake I guess ))
I did achieve BBS on my right side - even on the jawline - truly a miracle and no significant razor burn

Alas as victory was in sight, the enemy attacked and left 2 streams of blood running down my chin. it was a suprise attack... it happened so fast i am not even sure what happened.

I asked my wife - How do you like Goatee's? she said she didnt....doh I guess I am going to have to learn to shave my chin

Thanks for all the collected adviseI am really happy with how it is going

don

Reality is a lot nicer when you take the time and educate yourself and ask questions here first. I'm still bearing the scar of a really nasty cut on my lower lip from back in February when I first started. I tackled learning to SR shave with the grace of an epileptic shark in a greeting card store. It does get easier as you learn what works on your face! Thanks for sharing, and keep at it partner.

Originally Posted by vmathis12019

...I tackled learning to SR shave with the grace of an epileptic shark in a greeting card store. ...

I, as a beginner, don't know if I should be loudly guffawing or feeling a dreaded sense of impending doom....

Hey Don,

I'm called pinklather for a reason.

A few thoughts w/ benefit of hindsight:

Screw BBS. If its ever possible, it will come without you even trying - 'cause your skills will increase. Making that the goal now will produce lots of pinklather.

Nicks: if you keep shaving over them - they'll never heal. Give 'em a rest. If you can shave around them *successfully* - by all means do. If not, take a break & let your face heal. Also, as the honorable godfather once suggested - neosporin can cut a day or so off the healing time. Even the 'inactive ingredients' are great for skin.

A close, comfortable shave is a great thing. Let those who need to boast - crow about their pinnacles of ecstasy from having whatever the buzzword of the day is. You can enjoy a good shave.

BTW - no razor burn is significant - you're not using pressure. Keep that up.

Pink;ather - love the handle

BBS is always my goal, but it is not my obbsession. I accept every day i shave that i am not likely to completely reach my goal, but on the rare days i do - It makes me very happy. I have had not nicks bad enough to prevent me from shaving the next day, but if i do I have no problems with skipping a day ( or three )this is day six. Almost all of my decorations from days 1-3 have faded, the nick i got on day4........ that will be here a bit longer.

Right now my first goal is to avoid razor burn every single day, goal two get through a day with zero blood ( getting closer ) goal 3 closest shave possible in light of goals 1 & 2

My personality would NOT sustain taking 6 - 12 months to reach a close comfortable bloodless shave. I would quit before then
I am really liking the Straight razor and it will feel great to master the skill, but my number one goal is great shaves so i would go back to the DE if i had to to accomplish that

I am the kind of person who likes to laugh at my missteps and minor failures, so do not read too much into my post

I am ecstatic at my progress and i know that it is only because of the advise i have read on this forum that i have done so well. I know this because i tried a couple of years ago on my own and failed horribly, but with the help of this forum and a good razor from SRD. i am succeeding.

I think it will take months to really get to where i feel any level of mastery, but to have good to great shaves 5 days in ( albeit with blood - doh ) i am tickled pink ( pun intended )

Thanks to all for the encouragement and advise

Don

Seriously, can we stop using BBS already. Who goes around feeling babies bottoms anyway?

Originally Posted by pinklather

Hey Don,

I'm called pinklather for a reason.

A few thoughts w/ benefit of hindsight:

Screw BBS. If its ever possible, it will come without you even trying - 'cause your skills will increase. Making that the goal now will produce lots of pinklather.

Nicks: if you keep shaving over them - they'll never heal. Give 'em a rest. If you can shave around them *successfully* - by all means do. If not, take a break & let your face heal. Also, as the honorable godfather once suggested - neosporin can cut a day or so off the healing time. Even the 'inactive ingredients' are great for skin.

A close, comfortable shave is a great thing. Let those who need to boast - crow about their pinnacles of ecstasy from having whatever the buzzword of the day is. You can enjoy a good shave.

BTW - no razor burn is significant - you're not using pressure. Keep that up.

Great reply - very encouraging to me. When I started SR shaving in December I seemed to be pretty nick free. When I got to hankering a closer shave and started doing ATG passes I kept nicking myself, to the point I'd have to not use the SR for up to a week to let my face heal. Very frustrating. I have lately come to the conclusion that for me at least I need to just go very, very slow, keep working on very basic technique (light pressure, right angle, skin stretching) while just doing north-south passes for a while longer. I would like to get a closer shave at the jowl line and outside edges of my chin, but not at the expense of cutting my face to smithereens.

Originally Posted by 400E

Great reply - very encouraging to me. When I started SR shaving in December I seemed to be pretty nick free. When I got to hankering a closer shave and started doing ATG passes I kept nicking myself, to the point I'd have to not use the SR for up to a week to let my face heal. Very frustrating. I have lately come to the conclusion that for me at least I need to just go very, very slow, keep working on very basic technique (light pressure, right angle, skin stretching) while just doing north-south passes for a while longer. I would like to get a closer shave at the jowl line and outside edges of my chin, but not at the expense of cutting my face to smithereens.

One natural advantage I have is that .... We'll lets just say I ain't skinny. It really helps to have fewer acute angles

i think the best advise I have seen for ATG ( or WTG for that matter ) is short little strokes making sure the razor is moving BEFORE the blade touches my face I found that most of my nicks were trying ATG and having the razor hang up on A hair and end up going sideways

may just be me but this one really cut down on the blood

Originally Posted by pinklather

Hey Don,

I'm called pinklather for a reason.

A few thoughts w/ benefit of hindsight:

Screw BBS. If its ever possible, it will come without you even trying - 'cause your skills will increase. Making that the goal now will produce lots of pinklather.

Nicks: if you keep shaving over them - they'll never heal. Give 'em a rest. If you can shave around them *successfully* - by all means do. If not, take a break & let your face heal. Also, as the honorable godfather once suggested - neosporin can cut a day or so off the healing time. Even the 'inactive ingredients' are great for skin.

A close, comfortable shave is a great thing. Let those who need to boast - crow about their pinnacles of ecstasy from having whatever the buzzword of the day is. You can enjoy a good shave.

BTW - no razor burn is significant - you're not using pressure. Keep that up.

Don, Pink was around and giving me helpful advice when I first started as well. Always heed his counsel. As for the ear lob I'd suggest staying away from it or only shaving the area next to it with the edge facing away.

Originally Posted by DarthLord

I, as a beginner, don't know if I should be loudly guffawing or feeling a dreaded sense of impending doom....

You're here, so you're on a much better track than me. I bled for 3 hours on the day in question and do seriously still have the scar. That was the week I first started reading this site and learning the trade. It took another 8 months to finally be comfortable coming on here and telling the story. Don't be too proud to ask questions, and DO NOT force anything. Practice practice practice (with a butterknife or practice razor if you have one).