I did it - well kind of

With my new razor (Lynn honed DOVO from Vintage) some Clubman cream, my old (yuck) Burts Bees brush & mug and an IRS strop I went - very tentatively - into the bathroom.

Washed my face with hot water/soap
Did 20 strops on the IRS
Ran hot water into the mug and put the brush in
(slightly shaking :) )
Did 10 more strops
Emptied the mug and shook out the brush
Tried to make some lather in the mug (didn't work TOO well, the mug isn't well shaped, I think)
Lathered up my face as best it would to soak and did 10 more strops (I DEFINITELY need to work on my stropping!)
Used a bit more cream and tried again to create lather (I'm assuming Giovanni's brush - incoming - will help with this)
Applied (very gingerly and shaking worse!) the razor to my cheek and made my first pass (no blood - that's a good thing!)
Made a second, and a third.... about twelve in all. No cuts. Some areas were shaved pretty well, most weren't but I was shaking so badly at this point I quit and finished with my Fusion (whew!) I'M SUCH A WIMP!

I think the razor needs some work (more/better stropping). It did pull a bit.

Overall not a bad first try but a LONG, LONG way to go.... I have bad eyesight and seeing what I was doing was a problem. Also a mole on my left cheek makes that area "more difficult"

Anyway, thought I'd post my first impressions. Any and all suggestions and comments welcome....

Thanks to all who are so very helpful here.

Ken

Congrats Ken! Take your time and go slow. It only gets better. Be careful stropping. You'll get there. :D

Jordan

Nice one Ken! You won't get your blade any sharper if it's honed by Lynn (unless you really messed up with the stropping and dulled the edge, but given the care you took that's unlikely). If it's pulling it's probably one of many other variables: angle of blade, skin stretching, technique, better beard prep, better lather, etc.

One by one you'll nail these variables as you keep at them. They all blur into a big mess right now, but you'll notice a step change in your shaves each time you improve on one or more skills.

Enjoy the journey (I still am!).

Careful stropping is desperately important and you could try for a few more laps. Keep breathing.

X

You'll get there! I remember my first couple of times. at first I was shaking due to nervousness and then it was sheer fatigue from having to hold my arm and hand differently than I was used to for a 45 min span. It now takes just under 15 minutes start to finish for a 2 pass shave! (no shaking)!

Thanks for the encouragement guys! It helps! Half way through I was really into that "What in the world am I doing?" place, if you know what I mean! I know it will come... Nothing worth doing is easy. I'll keep posting as things improve (they WILL improve!) I just need patience....

Blessings to all,

Ken

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by majurey

If it's pulling it's probably one of many other variables: angle of blade, skin stretching, technique, better beard prep, better lather, etc.

---

Thanks Mark, I need to work on all these things (of course!)

I had a lot of trouble with the blade angle. Not being able to see well only compounded that.

Haven't figured out skin stretching at all yet.....

Beard prep, IMO, was the best thing I did. Years wet shaving with things like the Fusion gave me some clue there.

And I really need to do better with the lather. Ditching the old Burts Bees stuff I had kicking around is a good first step there, I'm certain....

Ken

I remember on my first shave thinking the blade pulled a bit too. It is probably angle, but there may also be a bit of acclimatisation involved as well. I found that because the blade is much longer than the Mach3 type razors, and I was pushing the entire edge through my whiskers, there was more resistance. The more I used the straight, the less I noticed it.

Sounds like you had a succesful first shave - no blood is good :tu X's breathing suggestion is a good one - nice steady, deep breaths.

James.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Sounds like you had a succesful first shave - no blood is good :tu X's breathing suggestion is a good one - nice steady, deep breaths.

James.

---

Thanks James. I decided quiting while I was ahead was more sucessful than pushing to failure.... I mean finish;) Honestly I got the idea from a post here somewhere and it made good sense to me.

Yeah, X really nailed that one. I emailed him. Spot on!

in
out
in
out


'til tomorrow,

Ken

Bad vision will not be as much of a problem as you develop a feel for proper blade angle and positioning. Of course, you want to know where that edge is at all times, but I've found that you feel (and hear) your way through a good shave almost as much as seeing it.

Thanks Jim... I kinda figured that would be the case. It's just so new right now, I have no sense for what is happening at any given instant. If I thought my eyesight was going to be the determining factor I'd never have tried this! Good to know!

Ken

Well, I took yesterday off. Didn't have the time to do things "right" so I fell back to the Fusion (which did fine - it always does - pretty good for a cartridge).

But today I did my second straight. I think it went pretty well. Again, no cuts or nicks. Followed basically the same process but paid more attention to the stropping and blade angle. Results were a bit better but, again, I only did about 1/2 of a shave (2 passes one WG one XG) but was pretty happy with the results. Most noticably, no shaking:D By the end, I could feel the nerves building but it was really much better from that prespective...

Today I received my brush from Giovanni (it's a beauty!) so I'm gonna take that bad boy out for a spin tomorrow.

Thanks again for all the advice and support!

Ken

Hey congrats man! Got that shaking down to a minimum, that'll probably give you a much better shave rather than micro-bouncing off your skin all the time.

Great to hear that you're building up the nerve, and encouraging to other newb shavers such as myself!

btw I shave with my glasses on, they don't get in the way at all for me.

Well, a few more shaves under my belt. Getting better all the time. Now covering about 80% of my face with at least one pass and 80% of that with a second. Strokes are getting smoother and angles are getting better (by feel and results) and per Lynn's video, I've been working on using that previously useless left appendage:eek: . That really helps!

Still had the problem of "some" stubble pretty much everywhere after the second pass. When I first started with cartridge razors I read what I could find (no internet back then) and kept reading that you should shave WITH the grain, never against. I was never able to get a decent shave that way. Eventually I tried going 'against' (this was back with my first Bic disposable single blade) and never looked back. Always felt like I was doing it "wrong" but it worked. I guess my beard just doesn't shave well until I go that direction(?) So today I felt comfortable enough to try 'against' on a small area. Success! That area was now VERY smooth. Everywhere else was still lightly stubbled. I finished those areas with the Fusion.

Also today tried my first cream from Colleen. Desert Ironwood today. Awesome stuff. WOW! Smooth, rich, nice lather and well lubed, wonderfully scented and cleans up MUCH easier than the stuff I'd used on my first few shaves. You guys were so right about the quality of her stuff! Thanks!

Also, getting much better at stropping. I think "part" of my problem was this IRS strop was pretty rough. I took some 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper and lightly smoothed it off a bit. It sure SEEMS better now. Still need to get one of Tony's strops.....

Thanks folks! I'm getting there (and a bit more quickly than I'd feared after my first go!)

Ken

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bgertz

that'll probably give you a much better shave rather than micro-bouncing off your skin all the time.

---

You are so right. A smooth, steady stoke is critical IMO.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bgertz

btw I shave with my glasses on, they don't get in the way at all for me.

---

I tried that. They seemed to be more in the way than helpful so, for now, I'm doing the best I can without. Thanks for the input though. I may try it again but It's going better now as I get more "feel".

Ken