Thread: New Ralf Aust from SRD

Originally Posted by Geezer

It is hard to remember to come to a full stop at the end of a stroke on the strop but it is very important.
Strop more slowly and maybe do a count until your muscle memory is trained properly to prevent the problem in the future.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...g-strokes.html
Have Fun!
~Richard

I believe my issue was from being too tentative and slow at the top of the turn when I had the razor flat but not moving. At that point any little wiggle in the wrong direction will catch the leather. Thanks for the pointers!

that was one of my first straights also. great razor

My second shave was magnificent! I took my time, almost an hour. I lathered each section individually, just before I shaved that area. I was able to get two passes on all areas, and three on the cheeks. I was not comfortable going ATG on my neck so I stopped at two passes. No razor burn, no nicks, just a clean smooth shave. I put much focus on technique: close angle, no pressure and just letting the razor glide and do its work. It was terribly satisfying. I can't tell you all how pleased I am with the results.

Thanks, to Lynn Abrams and all the folks here on SRP that are so willing to share their wisdom!

That is what it is all about. Congratulations. May all your future shaves be as good or better ( but they wont lol) Don't get discoraged when that ugly shave pops up

Originally Posted by cubancigar2000

That is what it is all about. Congratulations. May all your future shaves be as good or better ( but they wont lol) Don't get discoraged when that ugly shave pops up

Thanks for the jinx! lol

Shave #3 was terrible. I couldn't get past the cheeks. The razor felt awkward and I just couldn't get a good glide, so I put down the SR and finished with the plastic...

It's ok though. No worries. It'll take time to develop muscle training and memory.

Shave 4 and 5 went very well. So far the biggest struggle is to find a soap or cream that glides without drying out...

Shave 4 and 5 went very well. So far the biggest struggle is to find a soap or cream that glides without drying out...

What you are going through is normal. It is going to happen but you are learning on your new journey. Stay with it and it will get a lot better. Make sure to stay in touch with your fellow members and friends, they can and will help a lot

Shaving can be a very basic routine or a nuance filled ritual. Focus on muscle memory pressure angle and stropping. As you get more efficient the drying will be less but don't be afraid to add a bit more water. Adding water never made sense to me when I started , I always wanted to add more soap, but water should cure it a few drops at a time

Take your time, it's a marathon.
And it's ok to re-lather as you go.
The shaves start out taking 45-60 minutes starting out, that time is down to 10-15 minutes for many by the magic 100 shaves.
It is a fine motor skill (shaving and stropping) along with building a lather, a soap or cream that works for you etc. A lot to master, but stay with it and in 20 shaves you will be amazed at the progress.

Smooth Shaving...

The reason it's nice to shave right out of the box is because you've ordered it from a place that you KNOW it was honed and honed right. Meaning it is actually "shave ready." This way when you've shaved with it a couple times you can strop and notice the difference whether good or bad and know if you need to improve.

I don't know, I would probably strop it first.