Thread: Any Advice will be gratefully received

Glad to see you are using both hands, I definitely would stick to it and you will get the hang of it in no time. If that edge is extremely sharp I recommend getting a second razor with a coticule edge. IMO coticule edges don't last as long but I feel like they are very friendly edges/harder to cut yourself with. If you do get a coticule edge though I wouldn't recommend shaving with it if you have over 3-5 days of growth as it might struggle more than a sharper edge ( great friendly daily shaving edge though ).

Also, your shaving angle got a bit steep sometimes. I would try to lower that angle and watch videos of what angle others are using. (I use about the width of the spine but sort of varies)

Steve, that reminds me of how nervous I was when I started to teach myself how to shave with a straight razor. That is all perfectly normal too. You will eventually get more comfortable with it just don't try to push it too hard for now.

We all shave slow at the start so you might want to just lather on section at a time to keep the lather from drying out on you. Regarding the lather, you may want to add a bit of water slowly to make it less dry and slicker too.

Try puffing your cheeks out and really stretching your neck by looking up and jutting your chin out.

Hard to tell if you had much of a gap between the spine and you cheeks. Around 1 to 2 spine widths should do for starters. I thought going against the grain on your neck you had a bit much of a gap. That is when a smaller gap could be helpful.

All in all you are doing better than I did at the point in my straight razor shaving career. It takes about 100 shaves/3 months to get comfortable and decent at it. Slow and easy does it.

Bob

I think Bob has said about what i would say. More water, lather less of the areas to keep it from drying and relax. You act so nervous it made me nervous to watch you. Lol.

Fantastic, bringing back some great memories on how fun it was to climb that curve, to turn a task into an experience, and one I still absolutely enjoy almost 7 years later.

Great job, 20 shaves is a definite benchmark, then it becomes easier and easier and you start to further refine your technique to your face, the spots that are trouble, and your own method.

Has RAD consumed your life yet? :-)

Originally Posted by Phrank

Has RAD consumed your life yet? :-)

I’ve got a feeling I am going to catch RAD from you guy’s, I'm already in the forum most of the day.

Steve

Originally Posted by STF

I’ve got a feeling I am going to catch RAD from you guy’s, I'm already in the forum most of the day.

Steve

How many razors do you have at this point?

Originally Posted by Phrank

How many razors do you have at this point?

As of right now I have Just one and a shavette for emergencies but Outback has been so amazingly generous and has 2 smilers and a square point in the post to me.

I will honour his incredible generosity by paying it forward to another beginner as soon as I get a few more of my own.

Steve

The first time I tried to shave with my left hand (I'm right handed) I cut the crap out of my finger on the hand I was using to stretch the skin, got the scar to prove it...........

Originally Posted by Christian1

Glad to see you are using both hands, I definitely would stick to it and you will get the hang of it in no time. If that edge is extremely sharp I recommend getting a second razor with a coticule edge. IMO coticule edges don't last as long but I feel like they are very friendly edges/harder to cut yourself with. If you do get a coticule edge though I wouldn't recommend shaving with it if you have over 3-5 days of growth as it might struggle more than a sharper edge ( great friendly daily shaving edge though ).

What’s a coticule edge?

Steve

A Coticule is a specific type of hone referred to as a Belgian Coticule. They are quarried in Belgium and have been used since Roman times.
They leave a rather comfortable edge on the razor but take some practice to get the most out of them.
Be aware that all Coticules are not the same.

This should give you an idea what they look like ....

https://sharprazorpalace.com/hones/1...-coticule.html