Thread: First SR shave....almost

Super happy camper here!

Long day at work, got something in my eye and had to see the optometrist, got eye drops and had to switch to my glasses. This is where my story begins.

I knew my packages had already arrived (the wife was just as excited as I was and texted me right away). I had 3 presents waiting.

Package 1:
Dovo 100581 (personally honed to shave ready by TSS
Allies Seife sample pack of soap
TSS Boar brush
Straight Razor Base Kit (Herold strop, Herold white and yellow paste, alum block, stypictic pencil)

Package 2:
9 sheet variety pack AO film

Package 3:
MXG Gear deep carry pocket clip for my Spyderco PM2 (I know, not shave related...but it could be!)

I tried to adult and didn't rush home right away. Went to walmart for a cheap mug, then to Target to pick up the Van Der Hagen shave kit (for the bowl and the shaving stand), then onward to my local natural health food store for some local goats milk soap. Okay, headed home!

Come in, love the family, demand to know where my packages are being held captive...find out they are just sitting on the dining room table. I can feel the rush already. Just on the other side of a piece of tape my new adventure awaits. I slit the package open, empty the contents onto the table and just stand there in amazement. I have my first SR and strop! The excitement builds.

Out comes the blade, caredully flashing it for the whole family to see (cue the "ooh"s and "ahhh"s). "I'm gonna do it!" Oil carefully wiped off the blade, strip rubbed down with a little bit of elbow grease, and off I go! Strop. Strop. Strop. Slowly and deliberately rotating on the spine. Criss-cross, criss-cross.

I smile and the blade is smiling right back (just kidding, that's my reflection).

After several dozen stops I close the blade and whisper "oh dont you worry, I'm not done with you yet".

Hot water goes in my second bowl and the brush begins to soak.
5 minutes later and little bit of hot water in my soap and it, too, begins to soak.
2 minutes and the soap water is drained with only drops left behind.
Swirl swirl swirl goes the brush, starting a beautiful creamy lather (forgot to take a picture of that). After I get enough lather I slap it into my second bowl and go to town. Whoosh around I go. Where I'll stop, nobody knows!
But I knew. And I stopped. And my face was almost ready. Hot water wash and prep was complete.

I told myself I'd use some shave magic to aid in the first experience, but that thought went out the window minutes ago.

First mistake...
I should have showered. I have very course hair and sensitive skin. Hot water wash probably wasnt enough.

To my face the brush goes. Scrubby scrub scrub the lather builds and builds on my 5:00 shadow. I think I look pretty cool. That was the last moment of confidence I had, right there.

The blade comes out, my fingers are placed. Oh, wait no not like that. Ok, there, two fingers on the spine. One on the tail. Is this supposed to be comfortable? Flip flop back and forth I go until I decide.

Whoops! Need to re-lather (wondering if I chose the right soap).
Deep breath and here we go. Oh, shit. I cant grab my face because my glasses are in the way. Little bit of repositioning and struggle until I get a good grip under the temple of my specks. "30 degrees, what do you look like?". Tiny little strokes, WTG of course, as I feel my way down my face in a way I've never known.

THIS IS SERIOUSLY FUN!!!

Right cheek, done! Stretching up as high as I can go, my jaw is now my cheek and I chug right along. Now, from throat to ear, WTG on my neck. Oh my, this is a hard angle. Twisting my face and my glasses every which way to ensure I can see, and fit this terrifyingly sharp blade under my neck without bumping into myself. Okay, not figuring that out. Lets move to the left cheek.

What. The. Heck. Do. I. Do. With. My. Hands. Left hand no workey. Let's figure out a right hand attack option. Little bit of fussing and I think I go it. Oh damn, time to lather again. Same techniques, different cheek. Hey, this is working! I think I'm getting an even better shave over here. In no time flat the cheek is clear. Down to the neck, and just as easy! WTG again, slicing stubble from throat to ear (actually working ear to throat small bits at a time) I am seriously limited in arm and hand real estate here.

Ok, lower lip and chin to go. Clearing some space, I work from the middle of my chin and go down. Surprisingly finding that angle I need as I curve underneath. This is working! Then, my Adam's apple. I cant moved my skin enough to one side. I feel like I cant stretch it tight enough. Here goes nothing. It worked! My face (and my small moles) have been spared bloodshed and pain. Cant stop now!

Second mistake:
It's been a long afternoon, blood sugar starts to drop and my stomach is arguing with me. I should have eaten.

All lathered up again, ready for XTG (per my normal cartriage routine). Right side, easy. Left side easy. Chin easy... mostly. Under the lip, not happening. The frustration builds. Under the chin...nope. Cant see with my damn glasses falling off my face, arms won't bend that way, and I'm in my own way. "Grumble grumble grumble" my stomach and brain argue back and forth.

"Okay, fine! I'll try some ATG and see how this goes."

Lather, and begin. Right side breezes by. Left side, oh this is weird. Holding the blade upside down is a little confusing now. Up is down and down is up in the mirror. The panic starts to set in. This is when I knew my insides would leak out. I was sure of it. Scrape, scrape, stop! The blade catches. The skin wasnt right enough. I knew it would happen. But what's this? I see no red! I just barely "scraped by. To the lower lip I go. Hey, not too bad. And then came the chin.

This just isn't working. I cant glide across anything. My angles are all wrong, my skin won't stretch tight, and I'm annoyed. This, ladies and gentlemen, is where the story ends. I did not finish my shave on this night. I called it quits and cleaned myself up, for the sake of my sanity and my safety. Second attempt tomorrow morning. Mid sentence blackout. It's all the rage these days.

Thank you for accompanying me on my rambling journey. Feeling full, dumb, and happy. My new goat milk soap just finished melting into my cup, and I'm ready for bed.

Thank you all for your continuous support and contributions. I already have a second hand Kropp on the way for some extra practice, and my local antique mall has my number. Just waiting on the call.

Congrats! It’s a rewarding pastime! Go slow, switch hands, try different approaches. Ask questions, read and shave on!

U look young, keep at it, it'll all become as easy as breathing air.

I wear glasses too, you get used to it. Don’t be afraid to use the wife’s butter knife to practice, or pick up a vintage and use that to practice in between shaves, once the muscle memory is established it’s all down hill from there.

If you don’t have a styptic pencil get one, you can rub your fingers on it while you’re shaving and it will give way better grip on your skin while stretching.

I wouldn’t bother with atg pass for a while. The closer shave limits the amount of times you can shave as well as adds too much chance for serious razor burn which will also limit the amount of times you can shave a week. You may also find you don’t need it as the shave is much closer than a cartridge to begin with.

Looks like you had fun. I went too far on my first shave, also decided that shaving a months old beard was a good idea while trying my first straight razor shave.

If you need a practice blade that you can later learn to hone with send me a pm. I can make it shave ready too if you would like.

My kit came with the styptic pencil and an alum block. I rubbed my fingers on the block a few times and was honestly blown away at how much extra spidey grip it gave me!

Almost a full shave right off, you did well. By the looks of your skin I would guess you could easy up on the pressure. My personal choice for preshave is Noxema. It is not rocket science but it takes a wee bit of practice. Looks like you are off and running. It sounds like you have the skin stretching concept down, which is good because it’s very important.

Good job on your first SR shave. Looks better than I do with a shavette. Keep at it.

Well done. The goal of your first straight shave should not be getting a perfect BBS shave. It should be simply surviving the shave with minimal blood loss and irritation. You could probably just do two WTG passes for your first few shaves. Two good passes WTG will give you a decent shave if you do your part and the razor is reasonably sharp. Of course due to facial topography very few shavers can go exactly WTG everywhere, but it isn't critical. Just go as close to it as you can. ATG can definitely wait.

Me, I do a single WTG pass. Okay, that isn't exactly true. If the edge is up to it I often end up going exactly ATG from mid neck up to the jaw line just as a continuation of the WTG S-N pass on the lower neck, where my whiskers grow almost straight upward. And I do the point of my chin in the E-W direction just because for me it is so much easier than downward, WTG. Everything else WTG. I only do a double or triple pass shave for weddings, funerals, or TV appearances and so far nobody has invited me on their TV show and I don't go to very many weddings or funerals either, now that I think of it.

Fewer passes equals less irritation. No ATG equals less irritation and fewer cuts, especially for beginners. But if you just can't help yourself and you are helplessly compelled to do the ATG, try lowering your shave angle so that the spine of the razor is nearly dragging on the face during your ATG pass. And of course stretch your skin very tight. You will probably find, if you razor is very sharp, that an ATG pass is a lot more face friendly that way.

Good job.
Really good that you knew when to stop.

You did not say which soap you used. Be sure to use the samples. Van der Haven is pretty good.

It generally takes about 100 shaves to start getting comfortable with a straight.
Don't try anything you are not comfortable doing.


First rule of learning to straight shave
Go slow

Second rule of learning to straight shave
Go slower

I think you are going to have a lot of fun in this hobby.

Congratulations on some minor blood letting, and an entertaining narrative of that “first shave”experience..
As others have stated, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and the muscle memory does take some time to learn.
I too wear glasses, but not when I shave. That’s almost a “by feel” kinda thing these days, once you know your face contours and trouble spots.
Your face stretching, with such wrinkle free skin, could be accomplished by some smiles and grimaces really.
You are on a fun road, enjoy and take your time.