Thread: Made the Cut (Figuratively Speaking!!)

My name is Ed and today I took the first step in my journey to become a straight razor shaver. After reading tons of articles and posts on SRP, I purchased a shave-ready Joseph Allen & Sons NON-XXL from the classifieds here and took it for a test shave today. As Lynn instructed in his post/article "First Straight Razor shave", I only shaved on the right side of my face, from the sideburns down to the jaw. That first blade to face contact was a bit nerve wracking, but upon no sensation of pain and no visible blood, I began to make the short strokes required for facial hair reduction. Once finished, I dried off the razor and finished shaving the rest my face with my trusty DE safety razor.

The advice by Lynn in his article was spot on. Because of the difference in instruments between the DE razor and straight razor, it was smart to instruct newbies like myself to take it easy and start with a small section of the face (although in all honesty, I did the right cheek as well). The angles used to shave and the way to hold the straight razor are very difference from a DE safety razor. It feels good to have that first attempt under my belt and I can't wait to try again tomorrow.

In case anyone is curious, the complete list of gear used today is:

1. Proraso Pre-Shave Cream
2. Proraso Sandalwood Shave Soap
3. Semogue 1305 Boar Bristle Brush
4. Joseph Allen & Sons Non-XXL 5/8 Razor (Medium Hollow Ground)
5. Merkur 33C DE Safety Razor w/Open Comb (Used to finish shaving per Lynn's advice)
5. Proraso Aftershave Lotion - Great cooling feeling immediately after the shave
6. Proraso Aftershave Balm - Keeps the face nice and moisturized/applied about 5 min after aftershave lotion
(Usually when I am done cleaning up my brush/bath countertop)

No, I am not a Proraso distributor or sales guy nor do I get a commission from them, but when I undertook the endeavor of DE shaving about two years ago, I figured I would use products from one company to start and as it turns out, I have really liked their products. I do have some other products on my shopping list I will be trying, but I will get them as I use up my current supplies. Any suggestions are always welcome.

I'm glad I found this site and thanks to all the moderators and senior members for your advice and guidance. Perhaps one day, I will be in that category!