Thread: Beginner in need of some advice/input

Has anyone contemplated that heat can be a factor in not achieving a 'happy' shave? Since switching to lukewarm or cold water shaving I have had almost nil irritation (unless I forget about pressure) and closer shaves after the first pass. Am also learning to withstand a cool water rinse at the end of my hot shower to cool my face down.

I have not tried the cold water to date. I only use lukewarm water for the lather and I am a face latherer, so there is no problem with things being overly hot. I do use cold water for my alum block and the rinse that follows. May be somehting to play with though.

You guys rock. After reading the comments and watching some lathering videos I realized my lather was way off. Additionally, I'm sure my razor angle, technique and all of the other variables mentioned here also added to that. I'm going to keep at it and rely on you guys to pave the way.

PS. I only have the 1 blade mentioned above, from what I'm reading I'll need another while I'm sending out the first to get honed. Any suggestions on a place to get some fair priced shavers? or is there a link to a past post? Vintage or Restored preferred

Larry at Whipped Dog for sight unseen, workable razors. Just shaved with one - a pass and a half! and done for the day. Classifieds also will list reasonable price razors here and there. Big Easy Tools for a medium and up price. etc....

I'm still a newbie but I had a hard time at first deciphering terms like 'glide' and 'no pressure'. You're going to have resistance from the whiskers no matter what, so the trick is to figure out how to plow through the whiskers without putting too much pressure on your skin. All the other things like lather, beard prep, sharpness, blade angle, etc affect the ratio of pressure to whiskers vs. pressure to face. It's something I wish I understood better right up front.