First Straight Shave, Blind as a Bat

Well tonight was the first time using a straight, my goal was to do each cheek with 2 WTG passes and then if no bleed out occurred I would finish off with my EJ 89.

-Showered Up (Face scrub with Yardley)
-Proraso Pre-Shave Oatmeal/Green Tea
-Razorock Famiglia Green Tobacco
-Boker 5/8" "King Cutter"

Everything went ok...no nicks, no cuts, no bruises in the first inning, finished off with the DE and topped off the cream with Alt-Innsbruck


The issue I had was I felt like I was blind and I could not see clearly where I was laying the blade down as the scales or my "bug eyes" was giving me hell in locating a good position to watch exactly what I was doing. I felt extremely lucky I did not hack myself as I felt I was going in blind.

Any tips? is this normal (I do have a one very dominate eye) it can't be all that.

I try not to watch...

I just had my first shave tonight as well. The only place I really felt blind was on my neck under my ears.

Watch some vids :<0) It's all going to come to you in time.

it can be tricky seeing when you're going at your sideburns, but here are a couple of points:
1) don't think that getting closer to the mirror will give you a better view, it's quite the opposite when trying to see around your hand/scales
2) try tilting your head

Seeing is a little overrated, beyond checking for missed hairs and not gouging your ear with the spike point, you can go mostly by feel

Remove blade from face, step back from mirror, turn/tilt your head, then put the blade to your face.

Another option is to push the spine of the blade against your face to feel for position. Eventually you get to the point where it is more by feel, but try not go cross eyed in the mean time.

There are times when you just have to feel it. A wise man once told me, if it feels right, keep doing it. Just keep practicing while tilting your head at different angles, you'll become proficient eventually and find what works for you. This is coming from a fellow noob, congrats on the first shave though. :gl:

Is sort of like riding a bike,give it more time,about 6 mos. and you will be a pro.
I really do not watch what I am doing with the blade,I can feel what I am doing,is all about repitition.

I use one of those concave mirrors mounted on the wall with the movable arm.
So I take my glasses off but most of the time have to close one eye.
The magnification of the mirror negates the need for glasses, and I can tilt/angle the mirror to see what I'm doing.
Once you get the hang of it this gets much easier and traveling (and not having that mirror) is not that big of a deal.

The brave ones learn to shave without a mirror....

I find that switching hands is really essential for a clear view. That, and switching my grip around.

You just have to play around until you find what works for you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dzanda

I find that switching hands is really essential for a clear view. That, and switching my grip around.

You just have to play around until you find what works for you.

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You just have to play around until you find what works for you.[/QUOTE]

Shaving with my left hand is incredibly awkward right now. I know that the longer I go without doing it the tougher it will be when I try again. I'm getting better with the view, but with the skin tightening, the shaving and the angles I feel like it *would* be better if I bit the bullet and learned to shave ambidextrously.

Spencer

when i started i had the same issue .. i wear glasses and am actually legally blind ..lol..

as the above mentioned tricks and tips will help you , you will also learn just from doing it ...
i am completely blind in my right eye and have about 30% in my left , once i learned the proper angle of the blade to face it has been a lot of going at it "blind" and shaving by feel !! i feel like my hands never stop moving while stretching skin and getting my arm out of the way to see , ..lol.. .. but the more i shaved the more i figured out the best way for me and im sure with time you will develop a system of your own .. ...

+1 for ambidextrous shaving, the sooner you learn the easier it will get, having said that, whatever works for you. The only part I really pay attention to is the start on my side burns and that they line up nicely. The rest I sort of concentrate more on my stretching than anything else. I suppose I always have a clear line of site out of habit, except for under my neck because there I have to look up to get a flat surface and go by feel. Keep at it, like everything else it is just practice and finding out what works for you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by azpatriot66

Well tonight was the first time using a straight, my goal was to do each cheek with 2 WTG passes and then if no bleed out occurred I would finish off with my EJ 89.

-Showered Up (Face scrub with Yardley)
-Proraso Pre-Shave Oatmeal/Green Tea
-Razorock Famiglia Green Tobacco
-Boker 5/8" "King Cutter"

Everything went ok...no nicks, no cuts, no bruises in the first inning, finished off with the DE and topped off the cream with Alt-Innsbruck


The issue I had was I felt like I was blind and I could not see clearly where I was laying the blade down as the scales or my "bug eyes" was giving me hell in locating a good position to watch exactly what I was doing. I felt extremely lucky I did not hack myself as I felt I was going in blind.

Any tips? is this normal (I do have a one very dominate eye) it can't be all that.

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The tips are, your first shave was terrific and experience will address everything you're concerned about.

I didn't start out nearly as well as you did and the most helpful thing I did was watch videos of people shaving. Not barbers shaving others but people who are not barbers shaving themselves.

Also don't set a time limit to learn how to do it. Approach it with an attitude of "this is something I want to do" and both the learning and the mastery of this will be enjoyable.

I am SO GLAD that I became a straight razor shaver. This is the best site from a purist's perspective online. I don't sell razors myself but i have found the Classifieds here to be the best place to get a finely tuned instrument if you need one.

Like many others here I wear glasses but shave without. In the beginning I would lean in close to the mirror to get a closer view. I actually got so close that I would occasionally hit the mirror with the scales. Luckily I did not get any cuts because of this but it did help teach me to step back and go more by feel. I also learned that I could actually see better, even if a bit blurry, when I backed away a little. As others have also stated, it will come to you with time and experience. Just have to experiment and find what works for you.

Most people would say that sight is the most important of the traditional 5 senses. I am not going to disagree but touch is one that is often ignored. To me this sense is very important.

We could then get into proprioceptive senses.

It can be awkward at first, but after a while you will start to be able to work using the mirror less and less, we have a few members who really struggle to see without their glasses and haven't removed any body parts yet.
Shaving mirrors on arms (with a magnifying side) and good light will make the whole thing easier. My bathroom at home had awful lighting which I recently upgraded to only not great and it has made the whole experience a lot better, i am not sure where else I can go without getting an illuminated mirror :)

Taking things slow and steady is the best advice I can give, worry about one area at a time, and try to make your shaves as repeatable as possible, same razor, prep, soap etc then adjust one thing at a time.