Thread: First Straight Shave - Mr. Shaky Hands needs help!

*Don't shave angry or when distracted.
*Don't get discouraged by attemping too much at first.
*Don't think of ex-wifes, ex-girlfriends, ex-mistresses, etc while shaving.
*Don't shave commando style (expecially when thinking of Pamela Anderson) --you
might end up half the man you use to be.
*Don't shave on a slippery floor.
*Mind the rugrats and little pets
*Unless you're going for the "Schmiss look" --take your time.
*If you live in the southern states, check the bathroom for the 3" long flying
cockroaches ---they can scare the crap out of you --not good.
*Start off with about a 30 deg. angle --but change it as needed.
*Be kind to your razor.

Justin

Justin, I'm not even going to ask how many of those lessons came from personal experience...

Josh

Take your time, relax, go slow. Remember, they don't call shaving with a straight razor an "art" for nothing. There is a learning curve but 100 years ago everyone who want a shaved face used a straight razor.

So, if the whole world learned, you can to.

I was just wondering where Rich's scars are? On second thought, strike that...I really REALLY don't want to know.

Originally Posted by JoshEarl

Justin, I'm not even going to ask how many of those lessons came from personal experience...

Josh

Josh, it's really bad when you're shaving angry, thinking of your ex-girlfriend while little pets run around your feet which are slipping on wet tile, as a 3" tree roach flies and lands on your "little soldier" which is standing at attention due to images of Pamela Anderson bouncing around in your head. It makes keeping that 30 deg. angle of attack thing really difficult. But somehow I manage.


Justin

P.S. Everything's alright as long as you don't swat the roach off with your armed razor hand.

Originally Posted by Amyn

5. Any other tips for Mr Shaky Hands would be nice

From one shaky hands to another, here's some things I'm finding regarding my lifelong shaky hands and my recent affliction of str8 shaving. May or may not apply to you, but just in case, ...

1. Like Lynn said...have fun...like others have said, don't try for too much too fast. It's when I'm pressing for perfection instead of just enjoying the journey that I tend to shake more.
2. Breath...see #1.
3. If shaking too much I just stop and wait for another time. These times are much less frequent as my technique improves and my confidence builds.
4. When one hand starts to shake a bit, I switch to the other side. This helps. I can switch back and forth and keep things fresh and steady.
5. I am learning hand positions that work for steadying things. Experiment with that. One I recently discovered works well for the tricky parts around my mouth is to put my off hand on my chin, kind of in a pondering postion, thumb to one side, fingers to the other, palm down. Then my shave hand steadies against that. Since I'm stretching my lips and mouth with facial contortions, my off hand is free to act as a steady rest.
6. For working past mild tremors, say when doing something easier like the cheeks, I'll lay the side of the spine of the razor against my face first, then steadied by that, I can roll it up to the proper angle/pressure and shave. Sometimes the thing that makes 'em shake the most is trying to make them stop! This helps get over that...safely!
7. I tell myself I have worked around shakes before with other sharp objects (IV needles, carving chisels, lathe tools, etc.) to gain proficiencies with those and I can manage this as well. Still, I know when to lay the stratight razor down and pick up my DE safety razor. Fortunately this is more and more a rare occurance.

Enjoy!

- Dale

Obvious but noone mentioned it yet:
Don't shave after drinking alcohol or when hung over.

Originally Posted by ForestryProf

I was just wondering where Rich's scars are? On second thought, strike that...I really REALLY don't want to know.

I could send pictures