OMG!!! I have got to get better at this!

My first SR shave was quite an episode Sunday evening. Felt like a I was using a paint brush comb. If you don't know what a paint brush comb is, it looks like a 6 inch long paint stirring stick with finishing nails in a single row.

I have a Dovo "Best Quality" 6/8 razor, using Proraso Green pre/post shave, Proraso Green soap, Omega 6223 badger brush. The razor is straight from Lynn's honing. I used my 3" Red Latigo SRD strop. At least 30 laps on the fabric webbing and at least 50 laps on the leather.

I did fairly well as far as the bloodletting is concerned...WTG - just a few nicks on each side of the face and neck. Whiskers were still evident visually. I should have stopped there and went back to the Merkur 23c DE. But nooooooo, I had to keep going. Re-lather and try again. More pain. More blood (but still not that bad). Then I stopped and picked up the DE. Raw faced and on fire.:banghead::mad:

My second SR shave was completed about 30 minutes ago. Light years better performance *pat myself on the back*. :beer1: First pass WTG went fairly well. Just took the heads off the bumps from the last effort. A little more blood, but removed a lot more whiskers, and hardly any burning. I took my strop beforehand and laid it on a table and took more time with the stropping. That was most likely the issue with the first shave, I may have curled the edge, or just not made good contact. I was able to go XTG this time which was very, very productive with the whisker removal. I then made an attempt at ATG. Not ready for that just yet evidently!! This is where I scored tonight's version of raw face and fire. :mad: I picked up the DE and finished off my chin and went ATG and cleaned myself up.

I am very pleased with this second attempt and expect I will really be enjoying my new shaving experience in the next several weeks. Thanks to all the people here on SRP. All the advice on what to do and stories about what not to do is really going to be my bible in the coming months. :bow

CHEERS MY FRIENDS!!
Steve

30 shaves from now, revisit this thread, it will amuse you how much you've improved. I wasn't ready for ATG till 20 shaves in YMMV. I started with 3 WTG passes just so I could have more practice, then a clean up with DE. Now my SR skills have surpassed my DE shaves. Make sure to use both hands from the start. My first 5 shaves were quite stressful. Most important thing for me was to take my time and enjoy it and relax or try to as I made less mistakes this way.

I ruined the edge pretty quickly with poor stropping in the beginning with my first few shaves.

I also had to slow down and give my face a chance to heal at first too.

Yep start both hands early.

Sorry to hear about the rough first shave experience. It does get better - especially after your stropping improves.

A couple of things to remember. Keep the angle low and shave the lather not the whiskers. Just wipe it off like you were trying to get it all without touching your skin. The other thing that is key, skin stretching and holding. I suspect it was with the DE too but keep on it.

I'm a few weeks ahead of you very much enjoying the morning shave. But that first shave was no joke! Using both hands is the right thing to do. It's better to get used to it now.

This is the way many of us start by ignoring the advice and pressing on with full passes as we are enjoying too much until later when we burn. Start slow and work your way up. You will get there just as quickly without the pain and waiting for your face to heal. +1 to the advice on pressure and angle these ate common to have problems with in the beginning. Good luck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkgFgFmDu3c
My first shave went simliar to this but with a feather DX and 2 cuts

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Originally Posted by jmercer

I ruined the edge pretty quickly with poor stropping in the beginning with my first few shaves.

I also had to slow down and give my face a chance to heal at first too.

Yep start both hands early.

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I like jmercer have ruined the edge on a new blade through bad stropping technique. I have to get the bevel re-set and razor re-sharpened. But like you, the OP, it will get better. I have noticed even with a compromised edge my steadiness and technique was better. I am now sitting on a razor waiting to get re-set to start again.

Good days, bad days doe not seem uncommon. I was trying to find the "cut of the day" thread because I sliced myself pretty good. Don't rush, and don't let it unnerve you.. calm and slow work best.

I am a few months in. My first 10 shaves were more like making a painting of my face with blood, scratches, and cuts. I always had a cut somewhere on my face, if not numerous ones. Once i got into a repetition of movement on my face, got use to the angles, paths, etc. I start doing pretty well. I now only cut my face if i am rushing, or trying a new technique.

Its normal. Keep shaving, improving your technique, improve stropping, etc. and soon you will not cut your face at all.

Welcome to the forum sgwalker! I've only been SR shaving for a few months but have always wet shaved. The straights take a little time to get used to but just enjoy the ride. It's important to relax. Don't stress about how good the shave is or you'll shred yourself. Concentrate on your technique, but importantly, relax and don't rush. Give yourself plenty of time for each shave. Your technique will improve and you'll gain confidence. You have everything to gain... Except money! Just wait for your RAD to kick in!

Although I had done some trials prior to my first shave to get the feel one thing I did not think through well was the potential for the leading square edge to cut me good. I had a nice momento on my face for about a week. My co-workers were really impressed with my new Razor!

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Originally Posted by RedGladiator

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkgFgFmDu3c
My first shave went simliar to this but with a feather DX and 2 cuts

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Outstanding!

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Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Outstanding!

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Here's part 2, this guy is brilliant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcPtyeLc1XM

For what it's worth, I have a fairly heavy (coarse) beard and have been shaving with a variety of tools for more than 50 years. I have never gone fully ATG with any of them. I do a variety of diagonal XTG and WTG and get almost every one of those pesky whiskers. No blood/no burn. I recommend that approach!

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Originally Posted by RedGladiator

Here's part 2, this guy is brilliant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcPtyeLc1XM

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The angles here are painful to watch. LOL

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OCDshaver

The angles here are painful to watch. LOL

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Did this poor, clueless man (with an R41 - hmmm) really get this razor from a "friend" or is he acting? I give his video points for terrifying. Friends don't lend straight razors to clueless friends. Did he "toss" that razor at the end of vid#1?

Good luck sg - just go slow and follow the yellow brick road.

Being as heavy handed as I am the 'Best' advice I have received is to 'Shave the Lather'. :bow

focus on your stropping technique. When you get good at that, it will make your shaving experience much more smoother and painless. really light strokes in the x motion do the trick. don't press hard to force that scratching sound that you hear in a lot of the youtube videos that teach you how to strop. that will damage your blade. that was my mistake. I didn't hear the same sound so I pressed harder and harder till I did. I ended up damaging my edge and needed it to be rehoned. I wouldn't have found out my stropping was that bad if i didn't chip my blade on the faucet. when I looked at the edge under the microscope, thats when I realized that my stropping was causing problems in other places of the edge.

probably shouldn't have stropped Lynn does tht before you get it, also way too much pressure and angle ,, don't scrape the whiskers off, itwill take time and if your looking for instant results , your going to be disappointed, it takes time to learn this particular skill ,, slow down and good luck tc

Stories like this make me cringe as a newbie just thinking about purchasing my first straight razor. However the support is amazing! This is a great forum to be a part of.

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Originally Posted by arbeaner

Stories like this make me cringe as a newbie just thinking about purchasing my first straight razor. However the support is amazing! This is a great forum to be a part of.

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You bet but the reward is immeasurable and far out weights the worry. Some get it quick others like myself take longer. Enjoy the journey to great results. :)

Not sure if anyone has mentioned but when you're starting off the lather tends to try up before you can finish the pass. Lather a section at a time, or keep relathering with a plenty wet brush. Also consider wiping off the razor onto a sponge or towel instead of rinsing in the sink. If you insist on rinsing in the sink try to find a rubber tap cover so you don't accidentaly hit it, this is a frequent accident. And needless to say, never attempt to catch a falling razor.

I will immediately stop washing my excess cream off and wipe it off from now on. That is a lesson I don't wish to learn the hard way.

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Originally Posted by Augustagj

I will immediately stop washing my excess cream off and wipe it off from now on. That is a lesson I don't wish to learn the hard way.

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Be sure to wipe it in a light stropping motion, you can easily roll the edge here too same as rolling the edge when stropping. That's why I use a sponge.