First week completed

Well I survived my first week SR shaving and I'm enjoying the experience more and more with each shave. I'm having the same problems that I read some other new shavers have. I've managed to dull my first razor ( poor stropping ) I think, and I am not getting a very close shave yet on my neck with some irritation. I'm now using a Ralf Aust 7/8 that I got from heesphram and it's shaving great. I got a Savile Rowe 3824 and i'm loving the way that brush feels on my face. Are there any tricks to getting a better lather? I'm using Dr. Harris or Poraso and am mostly face lathering but my second & third passes seem weak. Prep is always a hot shower followed by hot wet towel soak and then lather and shave. One pass on cheeks, three on neck and I'm not getting a very close shave on my neck. I'm doing better with my left hand now, not so awkward. I have slowed down and am trying to get better at stropping so I hope to not dull another razor prematurely. Thank you all that have given such good advice,it really helps in building confidence. All the best Frank Cerniwey

Enjoy your journey Frank,,,,,,,,,,,

Glad you are enjoying the experience so far. I face lather and would suggest that if your second and third passes are a bit weak you may not have loaded enough soap in the first place. Try spending a little more time loading.

Bob

I would not worry about getting a super shave on your neck right away. it takes some years to get there, others are content with a good shave on the neck and never look for perfect. It seems to be the toughest place for most to master. Happy shaving!

Frank,
first off great start.
I would like to ask if you have mapped your beard?
It is hard to help you gage any type of potential method of attack on the neck without knowing direction of growth.
That is aside from the standard stretching, angle, time and patience, etc.

I have found slicker lather works better for me on the neck coupled with a combination scything/guillotine strokes.
My beard grows left to right across the middle third of my neck.

Pfries I have mapped my beard and it's pretty straight forward. The right side grows from center to the right west to east slightly down just in the transition zone going over the jawline. Just the opposite on the left side and I wear a stash and goatee so for now I don't have to deal with those challenging areas. So I get a BBS shave down to the jawline with WTG, XTG, ATG passes on my cheeks with no irritation. My problem starts just below the jawline on the neck. I get a close shave right in the middle of my throat and also under my ears but those two patches in between are being difficult. As always thank you for your suggestions. All the best FrankC.

Frank you are off to a great start SR shaving.
Just take each day as is comes - you are learning something every time you pick up a razor.
With time and patience comes the rewards
Enjoy it all

Im new too (4 weeks) and had / have the exact same problems as you are having. My stropping in the first week was poor and i had to refresh the blade on a 12k stone a couple of times to bring it back. I watched a few you tube vids from llynn and read a few posts on stropping and its much better than it was.

The neck is also the place im having difficulty in getting a really smooth shave, my hairs grow east and i just can't get the angle to perform an ATG stroke. I have started using a kind of upwards scything stroke but it scares the hell out of me, it does get closer to the result im after though.

Good luck and i hope you start to enjoy it as much as i am :)

Mike1011 Thanx for your post. Today I had my best shave ever #5. I took the advise of others hear and mapped my beard, that helped me figure out just which way to make the passes on my neck. Like you have discovered it takes a scary up and towards the middle stroke,ATG,very light pressure and near prefect blade angle. Made it through without mishap and the shave was so smooth, frightening the first time though. I also realized that beard prep is no joke, today I spent at least twice as much time on that and it payed off big. I think I can strop a razor now without making it LESS sharp. I'm going to a meet this weekend and I hope to learn how to refresh my blades as I love the feel of a sharp smooth edge, I will focus on stopping and honing at this get together. I hope that both of us will fine less fear and more confidence and success with that very tricky neck. All the best FrankC.