From butcher to barber . . . stil need help with transition
I found that almost every question I posed online regarding straight razor shaving led me back to this forum. From searching a while I was convinced that EVERYTHING was my problem. Preparation, poor razor, poor strop, poor technique in both stropping and shaving, incorrect application of shaving cream, shaving with grain, against grain, and everything else I could find listed. So here's where I am now:
I have been shaving with a straight razor for about 2 months. Initially, I purchased something embarrassing for around 10 bucks before ever looking at this site. I don't buy anything else that way but the bug to shave with a straight razor struck my mind and I grabbed something that I thought looked cool. I took it to a knife shop to get it sharpened. When returned to me the clerk handed it to me with a warning that it was sharp. She had a few bandaids on that she claimed came from the blade. She cut herself again in front of me. Noticing that she had folded the blade in backwards with the edge out led me to worry about the sharpening but it didn't matter. My excitement was high. I went home and locked the bathroom with my new supplies. I don't remember how long I took initially but I KNOW the family was grateful that we have three bathrooms. Shaving was more difficult than I had imagined and I started checking the internet. I made some changes quickly.
I recognized that the wedge I was using really wasn't a bad pocket knife after all. I was never going to use it to shave with again. I bought a beginner razor sight unseen from whipped dog. It's an extra hollow that I cannot read any other specifics on it. Maybe I'll visit a glasses forum next. What a difference I felt!!! I was actually shaving rather than ripping out hair from my face. I also got a significantly better strop as the one in my kit I would see fit only as a children's toy. I was learning from the site here and started making more informed decisions. I bought a second razor on ebay (a twin duck dwarf) which I actually prefer over the unknown brand which I was also happy with. I found it easier to maneuver with the slightly smaller blade.
Progression:
1 My initial goal was to simply use a straight razor and abandon the disposables. That was done right from the start even with the difficult beginnings.
2 My next goal was to improve the quality of my tools and therefore my shave. I felt success in that arena.
3 Third goal was to NOT cut myself. It seemed like every shave encountered a moment of, "Great! I think I just cut myself" followed shortly after with some blood confirming my overreach with the blade. I eventually reduced this to nicks that would easily stop with the application of cold water.
4 As I noted tugging while shaving I worked harder on face preparation, stropping, and angles while I shaved. That leaves me where I am now.
Now:
I might nick myself every once in a while but it is a reasonable expectation to shave and have no blood. HUGE success for me. Now that I've moved there I have set my sights higher and want a better quality shave. Everything I read suggests that EVERYTHING will solve my problem. When I work on a car I don't replace every possible part trying to fix it and I suspect that is the same with shaving. My current problem is that I am getting an uneven shave. Hair under my chin and a couple of patches on my neck that grow sideways seem to always hang on no matter what angle I come from. I will find myself shaving and then taking those three areas and reapply shaving cream to try again. I have gone over it sometimes 4 or 5 times. I have also started a habit of completely shaving twice and the first shave often leaves me feeling like all I did was dirty the sink. I am still moving further and further away from butcher mode but I don't feel as though the barber in me is coming out. Rather than shave 5 times each morning I would like suggestions on where to start. Incidentally, the few nicks that I do get are almost always on a secondary effort rather than a first pass. Perhaps I get a little hasty after the same hairs hide from my razor when it passes.
I value this forum for everything I have learned prior to joining. I know this is long but it has been building along with my nerve to join and you just got my entire experience in one message. In spite of every struggle I find that I love the straight razor experience and have convinced one of my sons to follow suit. I find it as relaxing and satisfying as a nice hot bath. That's saying something because I admit I can lounge with the best of them. If you had the patience to read this I congratulate you. If you believe you can assist with direction I will absolutely applaud you.
New Member
Andy
