Thread: Yet another noob

Hello all,

Just want to say hello and I've been reading this forum for some time. I got the de shaving bug a few months ago and have already gave 4 de's a new home I'm 38 and have worn a beard for most of my adult life because I started with diposable razors and liked the beard better then nicks and burn.

I've always been interested in the straight razor but always very leary of it. I've really enjoyed shaving with my de razors and am thinking of crossing over to the other side You have alot of good information here and i've been reading as much as i can and when Tony Miller opens back up, I'll be taking the plunge. Well thats enough long winded intro for now. just wanted to say hi to all and look forward to getting to know all of ya.

best regards

Welcome, enjoy the learning curve . . .

There's plenty to read alright. Make sure you spend time in the Permanent Archives section of the Help Files. That's where the ancient wisdom lives.

X

Take the plunge and don't worry. I did it without the benefit of this forum over 7 years ago and have never looked back. It's not nearly as difficult as you may think it is. Just remember though, it IS razor sharp, so use caution.

Buy a shave ready razor with confidence from one of the members of this forum. That, along with a strop and whatever shaving cream or soap you've been using for your DE shaving and you'll be on the road to Straights-ville.

Welcome to the world of your great-grandfather.

Originally Posted by bry69

Just want to say hello and I've been reading this forum for some time. I got the de shaving bug a few months ago and have already gave 4 de's a new home

Welcome, you're where I was a few weeks ago. I'm really enjoying shaving with a straight and I'll bet you will too. There's a steep learning curve over your first few shaves, then a long, but much less steep curve, so stick with it, even if you get a few cuts and mediocre shaves at first.

Boy, all these new straight razor users are really swarming out of the woodwork, aren't they?

Welcome to the Straight Razor Place! I have been at this for a couple of months and here are some of my tried-and-true observations for newbies like us:

1. Lynn, on his super DVD, suggests more than once that new straight razor users try one section of the face at a time and slowly expand to include different areas. This was exactly what I needed to get over the "Oh-My-God!" phase. (Like "Oh my God, I'm gonna kill myself/need to go to the hospital!) I worked on the cheeks and then shaved the rest with a DE. It gave me practice on a lot of other things too including face prep and stropping. I'm just about covering the whole face now with just a little of the chin needing a DE touchup. I'm also attempting different angles in areas that have a little less smoothness than I want -- good results coming there.

2. This is something that should not be rushed! If you can't relax and shave, skip it that time and try to shift to a different part of your schedule, or when you have more (or less) coffee in your system, more hot water in the heater tank, etc. This should be fun, and will be more fun when it's a good time to take your time.

3. Have your first razor honed by someone who really knows what they are doing (like Lynn through ClassicShaving.com)! You then have something "known" to start with. Take your stropping slow and carefully and don't be afraid to spend time on stropping. Typical number of round-trips on a hanging strop is 30. Sometimes you need more. I needed to rub my Tony Miller latigo strop with my hands about 10 round-trips each to "warm it up" before I started stropping to get a great edge.

4. HOLD ON TO THE RAZOR! I was so afraid my first couple of shaves that I caused cuts and nicks by letting the blade rotate a bit in my grip. I'm very lucky that I didn't drop the thing and really get hurt!

5. A little plug: Colleen Hurley <[email protected]>puts out some fantastic shave soaps that are all natural and are very, very diverse and "real". She offers 1oz cakes that will last you a couple of weeks. This stuff melts in 10-15 seconds in a microwave and you can pour it into a mug or cup.

Anyway, keep posting here. These are a wonderful group of supportive, convivial guys and women. They have good cheer and good ideas!

http://straightrazorpalace.com/image...es/nicejob.gif

--Paul