Almost one month in and all is great with the world!
Hey all!
So I am almost one full month in and I am happy to report that things are going awesome with SR shaving! I used to shave only once a week or so before, and since discovering straights, I am shaving almost every day and loving it!
To give a bit of a timeline, I started with finding an old vintage razor that I honed myself. Having all the honing supplies already for woodworking, I just decided to go for it and I have not been disappointed. It has been a bit of a learning curve no doubt, but I am keeping an edge now and getting the sharpness where it needs to be. I am sure that will improve even more with time and practice...
The first week started as expected with the typical issues trying to learn a good grip, proper angle, dealing with trouble spots, and simply not taking so long that all the lather dried on my face. I pretty much stuck to using my right hand and only did WTG passes too as I was not at all comfortable going ATG or trying to switch to my left. By the end of this first week and 3/4 shaves down, I was pleased to be able to shave my entire face and neck without feeling the need to really touch up any areas with my cartridge shaver.
Approaching the second week, I decided give ATG passes a try after doing a WTG pass first. This proved to be a bit challenging but I did overcome it and has now actually become almost easier for me in certain areas that a WTG pass for some reason. I am not complaining! So after two weeks, I definitely am getting a closer shave because of the ATG passes. Otherwise, it has just been pretty much improving on what I have been learning...
Sometime into my third week I have found myself shaving daily, and with my confidence growing (although still be attentive and careful!), I made up my mind to start practicing shaving with both hands, and I can happily report that this move alone seems to have elevated my shave to it's highest point yet! It was absolutely a little awkward at first but I became surprisingly confident quickly, and it has virtually eliminated all the problem areas I was still experiencing a bit by giving me completely different angles of attack, and now only a couple weeks in of shaving with both hands, it feels like second nature. I would definitely suggest trying it to any others who is maybe a bit worried. If I can do it, anyone can...
Anyways, I just wanted to thank everyone for all the help and advice here on this board! The information here is invaluable and the people are awesome. The best advice I can give other newbs like myself is to pay attention and listen to those that know. There is a wealth of info on these forums and with a bit of time and effort, you will become proficient and you will not regret getting on board with SR shaving!!!
Regards,
Bob
