The Pace of Learning

After a recent shave I realized that I've become proficient using a str8 razor. I know that sounds strange and a little boastful but it's true. The most noticeable proof has been a progression from 40 minute shaves with carefully thought out strokes, occasional irritation & touch ups to a 15 minute smooth, even, consistently good, irritation free shave with little to no supplementary thoughts. Almost automatic movements.


This realization got me thinking about the factors that contributed to my progress through the learning curve and what I found helped me go from unconscious incompetence (frustration) to unconscious competence (learned skill) as quickly as possible. I offer them below in hopes it may help others in their journey. Feel free to add your own.


After the obvious shave ready razor, proper kit, beard prep, understanding the angles & reviewing shave videos the difficult learning begins. That's where I found the following practices helped me.


1.) Time & Space. Allow for plenty of time and don't forget to shut and lock the door if necessary. Removing distractions will keep your concentration high, reducing the risk level allows you to relax and aides learning.


2.) Turn Fear into Respect. Although you're working with a very sharp blade exercising a basic respect for handling your razor will avoid serious injury. You would have to make a very big mistake to seriously cut yourself while shaving. The sooner you become comfortable with this the faster your learning will progress.


3.) Use the same razor. When learning a dexterity based skill it's advisable to eliminate any and all variables that may directly affect repeatably. Razors are like snowflakes. Each a little different. Feel, handling, size, weight & balance are all different. Regularly changing razors during early learning stages introduces variables that will lengthen your learning time. There's plenty of time later to add new razors plus you'll be able to adapt to them quicker with your newly learned skill.

All good advice.
Pay attention to what works and repeat repeat repeat till you do it without having to think about it. And pay attention.

Feels good doesn't it ?

Nice when you suddenly look back and realize your progress.

Lets tweak things a bit:

I would say replace Fear with respect. What we chose to use on our face is a finely crafted and precision honed delicate shaving instrument. It's much easier in my opinion to relax with respect in mind rather than fear. Fear tends to lead to mistakes or over compensation.

Whilst I still look forward to my shaves, they have become fairly automatic, around 15 minutes start to finish.

last week I had a visitor who came into the bathroom and chatted to me whilst I shaved. On a couple of occasions during the shave, she jogged my arm to emphasize a point and to get my attention. Neither of us gave a thought to the fact that I was shaving with a straight razor and it really didn't bother me at all.

It's only really reading this thread that I realize how comfortable I have become, shaving with a straight.

Clearly, now that I have voiced this confidence, I'm heading for a disaster.

I dunno, I think most people start out with some fear of a straight and that turns to respect when you get comfortable using them. The other side of the coin of being comfortable with using a straight is becoming too comfortable/complacent when using one. That is a recipe for disaster too. It really is a balancing act between being confident and over confident too.

Bob

Just curious Brenngun, approximately how many shaves do you think it took you from a nervous start to being comfortable?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mechromancer

Nice when you suddenly look back and realize your progress.

Lets tweak things a bit:

I would say replace Fear with respect. What we chose to use on our face is a finely crafted and precision honed delicate shaving instrument. It's much easier in my opinion to relax with respect in mind rather than fear. Fear tends to lead to mistakes or over compensation.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobH

I dunno, I think most people start out with some fear of a straight and that turns to respect when you get comfortable using them. The other side of the coin of being comfortable with using a straight is becoming too comfortable/complacent when using one. That is a recipe for disaster too. It really is a balancing act between being confident and over confident too.

Bob

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Thanks to both of you for your comments. I wasn't 100% happy with "Fear" only. I was trying to capture what I think is always an initial fear and suggest that the best way to allow learning to happen is to develop a rational approach to reduce it. My edit hopefully captures both ideas.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by easyace

Whilst I still look forward to my shaves, they have become fairly automatic, around 15 minutes start to finish.

last week I had a visitor who came into the bathroom and chatted to me whilst I shaved. On a couple of occasions during the shave, she jogged my arm to emphasize a point and to get my attention. Neither of us gave a thought to the fact that I was shaving with a straight razor and it really didn't bother me at all.

It's only really reading this thread that I realize how comfortable I have become, shaving with a straight.

Clearly, now that I have voiced this confidence, I'm heading for a disaster.

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My biggest fear in writing this thread to begin with.

p.s. Based on the picture I have in my mind of your recent shave I'm not sure you carefully read #1 above. Don't get me wrong. I completely understand why......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shooter74743

Just curious Brenngun, approximately how many shaves do you think it took you from a nervous start to being comfortable?

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I though about this while writing the thread but didn't put it in. I didn't keep track of the precise number but based on my normal frequency and approximate time my best guess would be around 25 to 30 shaves.

WRT item #1, near the very start of straight razor shaving I had the bathroom door open and SWMBO made an unexpected and loud appearance in the doorway. Startled me but I did not turn my head to the unexpected distraction with the razor mid tentative stroke on my face. Words were had and the door remained closed from then on till I became more comfortable with using the straight.

Seems she was used to seeing her grandfather shaving with a straight in the kitchen when she was young amid the usual goings on in a kitchen in the morning. The light came on when I told her to give me near a half century of shaving with a straight to get to that comfort level.

I don't think the idea of isolating yourself from distractions at the beginning stages should be under estimated.

Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobH

I dunno, I think most people start out with some fear of a straight and that turns to respect when you get comfortable using them. The other side of the coin of being comfortable with using a straight is becoming too comfortable/complacent when using one. That is a recipe for disaster too. It really is a balancing act between being confident and over confident too.

Bob

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Some great advice from Bob, couldn't have said it any better myself :D

You were right on target with the normal 30 shaves for it all to come together. Now that you are hooked for life, just pay it forward on what you have learned...just as you have with this thread. Good show my friend, good show.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brenngun

After a recent shave I realized that I've become proficient using a str8 razor. I know that sounds strange and a little boastful but it's true. The most noticeable proof has been a progression from 40 minute shaves with carefully thought out strokes, occasional irritation & touch ups to a 15 minute smooth, even, consistently good, irritation free shave with little to no supplementary thoughts. Almost automatic movements.


This realization got me thinking about the factors that contributed to my progress through the learning curve and what I found helped me go from unconscious incompetence (frustration) to unconscious competence (learned skill) as quickly as possible. I offer them below in hopes it may help others in their journey. Feel free to add your own.


After the obvious shave ready razor, proper kit, beard prep, understanding the angles & reviewing shave videos the difficult learning begins. That's where I found the following practices helped me.


1.) Time & Space. Allow for plenty of time and don't forget to shut and lock the door if necessary. Removing distractions will keep your concentration high, reducing the risk level allows you to relax and aides learning.


2.) Turn Fear into Respect. Although you're working with a very sharp blade exercising a basic respect for handling your razor will avoid serious injury. You would have to make a very big mistake to seriously cut yourself while shaving. The sooner you become comfortable with this the faster your learning will progress.


3.) Use the same razor. When learning a dexterity based skill it's advisable to eliminate any and all variables that may directly affect repeatably. Razors are like snowflakes. Each a little different. Feel, handling, size, weight & balance are all different. Regularly changing razors during early learning stages introduces variables that will lengthen your learning time. There's plenty of time later to add new razors plus you'll be able to adapt to them quicker with your newly learned skill.

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Whilst all points are good ones I'll agree on point 1 for sure. Early on with my exploration of straights the wife came into the bathroom and said my name, I turned my head while the razor was on my upper lip. Slice and canny little scar on top lip. 2 weeks later, same again. I now look 'WELL HARD' with my scars, I feel it's an icebreaker at the very least :)

I now lock the door, even with a safety razor and get me some tunes on the go.

So I've got some 20 shaves left to feel comfortable... Must persevere! :)

I must admit that it didn't go that quickly for me. It took me a month to get to the point that the shaves were good shaves. It took me two more months before I was getting the great shaves I was looking for. It wasn't until perhaps the six months point when I felt like I was really accomplished at what I was doing. Now, coming up on three years, I still find ways to improve with each shave, always trying something different with each shave. It does take time, practice and plenty of patience, but now I can get a fine shave in five to seven minutes if I want to get it done quickly and never over ten minutes.

Great tips! And I like the title of the thread too - it really is all about learning, and it is interesting to talk about the speed that it happens for different people, and within yourself.

Although I am not an old and grizzled straight razor user from decades past, I've been at it a little while and I can say that for me the learning never stops (or it at least hasn't stopped yet). Probably the pace of learning has dropped as the years have gone by from that initial frenzy of the first few months, but there is still a pace of learning, or maybe now you'd call it a "shuffle" of learning :)

That's in no way meant to take anything away from the OP and the mastery he has achieved so far. But if your experiences are anything like mine, there's more learning and mastery to come and to continue to come! It's quite exciting actually, knowing there's always things to learn.

James.

I am about 3 weeks in and am just starting to feel like this is going to be worth it.

I had a good shave this morning, no nicks and pretty close (no BBS for me). Last week I was ready to give up. My wife was noticing the redness and nicks on my face, and it was just plain frustrating. :aargh: Not so much now.

I strop the blade(s) alot, and make sure it passes the HHT before I shave. I try to concentrate on NO PRESSURE, just letting the weight of the blade do the work. That, and stretching the skin, makes all the difference. Carry on!

+1 Brenngunn. I'm right there with you.

Albeit, #3 is completely out the window for me. I find it sinful not to shave with the blades I acquire. It isn't without peril, mind you. I most recently made a classic newbie mistake which partly involved the point of a heeled out razor(shorter than my usual 3") and a foolish mistake in technique. Pissed me off pretty good. I'm still pissed about it and it has been 2 days. :argue: <--this is me chewing myself out for the mistake.

I agree,
Point 1, I work away so I had as much time and space as I wanted in my own bathroom, I now am comfortable shaving at the sink while my littleun has a bath and asks me all sorts of questions.
Point 2, fear and over caution are a recipie for disaster, careful but confident is better, as long as you are mindful of the careful part, otherwise it's.complacency, and stitches. :)
Point 3, I only owned 2 razors for the first few months, and only really used one of them, when I did change it was like taking a few steps backwards.