Thread: First str8 shave

Howdy, y'all

I've been lurking around SRP for awhile, and just received a razor (Dovo "Best Quality") from Vintage Blades LLC, expertly honed by Lynn. Despite a little trepidation, things went pretty darned well: no cuts, no nicks, no errors. Well, one eensy-beensy nick, but I won't count that , since it didn't bleed.

I found stropping (I did about 20 laps, assuming [perhaps unrealistically] that Lynn had done some stropping after his honing) to be easy enough, but I see that I will have plenty of opportunity to practice. Good thing, since it's a motion that took some attention to keep the blade in correct position.

I'm supposing my pre-str8 practice at developing a light touch was key to my virtually nick-free result: I have been using an adjustable safety razor set at 9, its widest setting, with the top just set closed --i.e., not screwed down tight, just enough so the blade didn't wobble. (BTW, if you want lots of nicks from a safety razor, that'll do the trick unless you're pretty careful). That way, I got lots of exposure of the blade and learned how the bare blade felt without all that protective metal surrounding it. I developed that technique in order to get some way to trim the upper edge of my moustache and the miscellaneous whiskers that occupy the lower lip but don't want to join the beard in any tidy fashion.

Well, it worked for me; the shave was a close approximation to the best I've been able to get with the "wide-open" safety razor, and based on the reports I've been reading, I have some degree of improvement to look forward to. Now, all I have to do is get the awkward "round the adam's apple" maneuver understood, and perfect my ATG stroke under my chin.

That's the report from this newby, and you're all free to return to the forum which is already in progress.

Dale

Congrats! Close up your DE a little or I'll start worrying all night. Welcome to the forum.

Way to go and welcome.