A Newb after 4 shaves. ":-Dx

Some of you may remember Utopian's generous gift of lending me, a stranger and newb here if you can imagine, several of his collection through the mail. I just wanted to say after having them 13 days I'm only on a 5th shave. One, on a Sunday morning, I backslid to the "bag 'O razors" type. Didn't want to risk going to church with blood and cuts on my face on Halloween weekend. :) I could shave everyday but choose only to shave every other. I've always been like this. Even with the "bag 'O razors" I used before it was an every other day event. Sometimes I'd press 3 days if I didn't have a need to shave. Fortunately I'm not one with a dark 5 o'clock shadow. I doubt there's anyone newbier but if there is there's a lot of good advice here from the folks. Listen and take it all in. Several thoughts at this point.

* It's a challenge and that makes it interesting. My worse cut, a deep one, happened in the first 5 minutes and that was on my index finger when I was re-positioning the SR it caught it right between the tip and the first joint. An hour after staunching the bleeding I got back on the horse and proceeded. It might have been a blessing in that it gave me more respect for the edge. So far I've only had small nicks here and there which for the most part stopped bleeding before I was done.

* It's not really fun yet. :) I suspect it will become more pleasurable. It's taking me near an hour. I can't always afford that time but as you say it gets faster. But I'm holding myself back at a respectable newb trot.

* I still have thoughts, as I mentioned in another post, of using a combination of the SR and the modern style multi blade. Others say if I hang in there I'll get more comfortable and feel just as much at ease as with the SR as with the "bag" type. I suspect there's real truth to that. Just not there yet.

* I watched a video on stropping. I respect the information but frankly it seems like it so complicated to do it right. Angles, type directions, pastes, no pastes, grits and on and on!! My gosh I felt like I needed a BS in stropping just to attempt it without ruining an edge. I got to thinking I can still remember that old piece of strap leather Mr. Pond, the old fashioned barber of my youth, 1950's, (first haircuts 50cents) that he'd just slap that razor back and forth maybe 10 times. I'd look at that leather and it looked like an old piece of grizzled bacon but when he put that hot cream on the back of my young neck to cut a straight line I knew that razor was sharp. And I didn't squirm an iota! I didn't realize he was putting so much thought into it. Or was he? He just seemed to be slapping it like he was playing an old upright bass. lol

So that's where I am. All your good advice was read carefully and taken to point. Thanks. I'll check in from time to time just to let you know I've not dropped out of school.

All the best to all that advised me! Jack ":-Dx

Steady the course.

I predict you will start to develop a feel and things will speed up. It will become enjoyable. I used the old cartridge to do touch-ups on the difficult spots until my proficiency was up to the task.

You know the saying about how do you eat an elephant? Very slowly in bite sized chunks!

SR shaving is pretty much the same, try not to rush, stretch your skin and be patient. Yes, you are going to nick yourself but that's par for the course and many more experienced shavers still do.

You'll get the hang of it but persevere.

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Originally Posted by Leatherstockiings

Steady the course.

I predict you will start to develop a feel and things will speed up. It will become enjoyable.
I used the old cartridge to do touch-ups on the difficult spots
until my proficiency was up to the task.

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I've gone away from Mach3, thru shavettes, into straights, and got my first DE a couple days ago. As I try new shapes of blades, types of soaps, and aftershaves I try to limit my variables. If you use the same razor/soap combo, the thing that can be blamed is your still developing skill.

How long it takes to get a socially acceptable shave depends on;

- you learning how to do what you want to do. It's just a skill, right?
- you figuring out what not to do. Here there be dragons, and blood.

Keep with it, a month from today you will have improved! I did.
And I still keep the Mach3 handy, just for touchups.

A little but often remember. Your shave takes you an hour you say. Welcome aboard my friend. I have mine down to 45 min now. But I am getting a nice shave, finally after 3 months. After awhile you get the eye , hand muscle coordination down along with the attitude and confidence. Repetition creates speed which leads to all.

Tell us in 3 months how you are doing I bet you will be amazed how far you have went.

Have fun.

As far as stropping goes it can be a bit daunting at first. Try practicing stropping using a butter knife to learn technique, angles, pressure and develop muscle memory. This will help prevent ruining the razor's edge and cutting your strop. In the mean time lay your strop on a counter top until you do learn to strop properly.

Straight razor shaving and stropping is something that is not learned over night. It is a journey that takes time, patience and practice, practice, practice............Good Luck & Happy Shaving!

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Originally Posted by pathology101

A little but often remember. Your shave takes you an hour you say. Welcome aboard my friend. I have mine down to 45 min now. But I am getting a nice shave, finally after 3 months. After awhile you get the eye , hand muscle coordination down along with the attitude and confidence. Repetition creates speed which leads to all.

Tell us in 3 months how you are doing I bet you will be amazed how far you have went.

Have fun.

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Yasssur! I like the results too. The shave seems to last longer. :chapeau

As already stated, slow and steady wins this race. There is no pressure on you to improve quicker, other than the pressure you place on yourself. Relax, concentrate and enjoy. It'll all come together and you'll be glad you kept at it. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by wayne394

As already stated, slow and steady wins this race. There is no pressure on you to improve quicker, other than the pressure you place on yourself. Relax, concentrate and enjoy. It'll all come together and you'll be glad you kept at it. Good luck.

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wayne394 (I wonder if you are anything like my brother Wayne? lol) appreciate your advice from the beginning several times. I sure hope your profile avatar is not what you look like after many shaves! ahaha! :rofl2:

jackdashack, I may be just like your brother, assuming that is, he's nearly 50, overweight, bald, extensively tattooed, bad tempered, irritable, but loves a Guinness or two! I'm always in a good mood when I'm shaving though!

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Originally Posted by wayne394

jackdashack, I may be just like your brother, assuming that is, he's nearly 50, overweight, bald, extensively tattooed, bad tempered, irritable, but loves a Guinness or two! I'm always in a good mood when I'm shaving though!

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ha! Brother Wayne just over 60. Retired USPS, very very thin on top, (I've tried to give him pointers to slow it down but he won't listen) no tats, a bear in the morning and a fart sometimes during the day. lol (stepping on eggshells) loves his beer and always in a good mood when fishing. So not too far off! lol All over though he's a good guy and always well liked. A top rated and popular musician all his life on the bass. There is a real notion out there among psychologists that people of the same name can share many attributes. Having studied people the better part of my life I often find this notion plays out ... too often to be happenstance but not able to explain it. A real extreme example. A kid named Butch is generally going to be of a rough nature. On the other hand if you name your kid Jeeve's (as Seinfeld put's it) you've pretty much mapped out your kid to be a valet! hahaha! ":-Dx

The internet can be a very dangerous place. So much information. And so much of it conflicting.

My suggestion to you is to take all of the info you have gathered, and work with what seems to be the most accepted. Toss out fhe rest for now, but keep it in the back of your head for later.

Lets take stopping, as an example... forget the videos. Just practice.. back and forth, at a slow pace, making sure the blade is flat on the stop, and little to no pressure. That's all you need for now. Dont worry about the subtleties. You can worry about that later. Get the basics down first.

Keep at it... before you know it, you will indeed be having fun!

Now that I can bite on. Thanks! Jack ":-Dx