Thread: First shave done!!! With a bonus....

Well after placing my order over at SRD, the anticipation was over. A rectangular box showed up today and It felt like Christmas morning when I was 7 years old. Opened it up and here's what I found:


My first set and I'm happy as hell and ready to start! First thing I did was force myself to re - read and watch a few videos posted on SRP to refresh everything that I should and should not do. Stropped for the first time. All i can say is that it was not as difficult as i was making it out to be. Through time and experience, i will be able to do it faster. NOW...Experience today shows me why a 3inch strop is easier to work with lol.

Moving forward. Hot toweled my mug for a couple mintues, lathered, and began. Started with the upper jaw by the sideburns like most have suggested. After the butterflies wore off and I found out that I don't have to baby the razor with delicate strokes and I just let the razor work, it turned from a cautiously terrifying yet exciting experience, to good Lord why haven't I been straight shaving since I was 16????

what started out as just trying to complete the cheek, turned into shaving my whole face minus the area just under my chin. It was absolutely an awesome experience and going to be one of the most memorable in recent times! Once my fingers and wrist got in sync with each other, strokes became almost natural and the razor was doing it's work! Did I miss some spots? You bet! **BONUS**Did I cut myself? You bet! But I understand why I cut myself and what not to do in the future(don't have your first shave be one with a weeks growth of whiskers).

I guess if I could say anything to beginners from my experience today it would be a couple things.

1. Read and research and watch clips on SRP prior to your first shave. You'll get a good feel on what you should be doing and a ballpark idea on how to do it.

2. Don't have your first straight shave be one with a weeks growth. That's why I cut myself. Went for a stroke and the razor kind of snagged some whiskers and stopped on my upper chin. 2A) don't let the razor stop dead on your face.

3. Let the razor do its work. It's not going to scalp you. Trust your hand and after the first couple of minutes you'll be thinking how much more you can shave instead of just the cheeks. 30° angle and just let that thing shave and do it's thing.

4. If you shave with only 1 hand like I do, you will have some spots where vision may be impaired or it may feel like your hand is going one way and the razor is doing the opposite. Focus and slow down with some air strokes away from your face to get a feel for the strange motion and position your hand is it. Be patient and feel your fingers and wrist move the blade and get in there and shave.

The above was a reflection on my experience with my first shave with a straight. I'd like to thank all of you for making this forum and community so rich with information that a beginner like me can tap into a small fraction of it, and have a great first shave!

Congrats on your first SR shave! It gets better and better!

Brilliant job it definitely gets better with each shave. Not imperative, but I'd definitely recommend using both hands, it makes reaching certain parts of your face that much easier. Initially using your none dominant hand will feel a little weird, but again with practice it becomes second nature. A tip that worked for me was to buy a cheap shavette, not to actually shave with but to practice with each hand, trying different grips and approaches especially around the chin. Although the actual shaving angles need to be learned with a straight razor. Obviously when practicing with the shavette there is no blade in it.

Another tip for those trying to being their non-dominant hand into the game: for a week or two, start doing other stuff with it. Brush your teeth, comb your hair, pour the coffee, even button your shirt. Just more opportunities to wake up those neural pathways.

Bravo, Jefe. You've had a taste now. It keeps getting better. Enjoy!