Thread: I did it!

Well, I got my razor in the mail today from Lynn, and just got done with my first ever straight razor shave.

All I can say is WOO HOO! I did two passes, one with, one across/against in some spots, and the only cut I got was one I was expecting - right near a 2+ inch scar on my neck that is concave. I felt the corner of the blade catch a little, and it bled just a bit, but by the time I finished the second pass, that had stopped. No, it's not quite BBS, but it's damn nice! I think once I can figure out how to position my giant meathook hands so that I can see better, I'll get better angles for my shave. No irritation, either!

Stropping, on the other hand, was a little trickier. It's a lot harder than it looks! I nicked my strop just a little (very small surface scratch). I'm gonna need practice on that! I have a feeling I'm going to be one of those guys that needs to strop in between passes. the razor didn't cut quite as nicely on the second pass, but was still A LOT better than a cartridge. Never tried a DE, so I can't comment there.

Well guys, it's official - I'm a straight razor convert! I love it, and I'll never go back! For the first time in my life, I really did enjoy shaving!

Joe

Congrats! you make it look easy

Congrats on finding your Mojo, Mojo!
It does feel good and will only feel better from now on! I love to hear that a newbie straight out of the gates will actually do a full shave.
Great job

Congrats Mojo.

I hope you kept the foo manchu, looks pretty badass from your avatar pic.

Keep enjoying the shaves, and you will wish your hair grew faster. Though I don't know why people find shaving such a hassle, I guess they have not been 'unplugged from the matrix yet'

If you think you feel good about your skills now just wait untill you've done your first succesfull honing job...you're feel 10 feet tall then!!

Great news Mojo. That is exactly how I felt after I had my first sucesful shave.

Keep up the good work.

Congrats Mojo! Keep up the good work and have fun!

Jordan

Thanks guys, I'm really glad to be part of this club! I think I'm even starting to convert my father. I let him use my scuttle, brush, and shaving cream last weekend. He got a great shave, (with a cartridge, no less!) and after he was done, he jumped online to look into buying the stuff! Now I'll have to tell him about my straight razor experience. Maybe he'll get into that, too!

I have to say, it was easier than I thought it would be, no doubt thanks to the info on this forum, and Lynn's EXCELLENT DVD. It should be required for anyone wanting to use straights! I have soft, sensitive skin that gets irritated easily, but it's hard to cut. When I used the cartridge razors, I got all sorts of irritated, but didn't get too many nicks.

As far as doing a full shave, I couldn't see doing it any other way. Then again, I tend to plunge head first into a challenge. Like when I wanted to learn to drive with a manual transmission, I replaced my car with one that was manual (the old car needed to be replaced anyway, I just thought it was a good opportunity to make that transition).

Yes, I kept the 'stache and goatee! I made my avatar to be the South Park representation of me, so I had to keep it! That was the one part of the shave I thought would be really tricky, but it wasn't that bad. I just had to use the end of the razor to get the tight spots!

I'm probably going to have to learn how to hone sooner rather than later. Like I said, I think I'm one of those guys that has to strop in between passes, due to my super-thick beard. I'll probably need honing more often, too, and seeing as how this is the only razor I have, I won't want to send it out and be without it for a couple of weeks at a time! I've got a 4-sided pasted paddle strop on the way from Tony, so that should buy me some time. I am looking into hones though!

All in all, I'm beyond pleased with the experience. And yeah, I was wishing my beard would grow faster so I could shave again right away! Based on last night's shave, I know my next razor will be at least a 6/8, possibly a 7/8, and I still want to get a wedge! I actually had to use a little bit of pressure, most likely because I had about a week's worth of growth, but I still feel that a heavier blade will probably work better for me. Who knows, maybe when I shave with less growth, I'll change my mind!

That's the way I like to hear it. You're a man now my son.

X

Originally Posted by xman

That's the way I like to hear it. You're a man now my son.

X

Hes already got a Pops! Didn't you read his post X?


Congrats! I struggled quite awhile before I started getting good shaves. I'm glad to see someone having an easier time in the beginning than I did!!