Thread: Frustrated Newbie Seeking Advice

Originally Posted by FeatherMan

YES! This has been a game changer for me; thanks for pointing this out. I know my posts are super long... I apologize about that. I'm a writer by trade, so my fingers and brain tend to be a bit more greased than they should be. But buried in one of my posts I mentioned that I switched to Feather Pro Softguard blades and, wow, what a difference! It's been a huge help!

Also, I totally listen to all of you guys. This is why I came here and have not given up trying to learn how to use an SR.



Excellent suggestion... How do I see who is in my area?

As an update, this weekend I felt comfortable enough to try doing a first and second pass with the SR, rather than do the second pass with the DE razor. It worked great! Fantastic shave! So happy!!!

Regarding the BBS, I'm into it simply because I absolutely love how it feels! The best shaves I've even had were at my local barber, before I lost all my hair. LOL! An amazing BBS shave using an SR. When I get that for my self, with the bay rum balm, man... the smell is great, and I'll often sit at the computer while working and when I'm just reading, I'll feel my cheeks and chin. Maybe I'm weird that way, but I just love it!

I'm happy to say, with yesterday's SR shave, doing both passes, I was able to get that BBS shave even with the Feather Softguard blade. Following the advice here, it took 40 minutes (YOW!), but I did it. Slow and steady... no rush. I need to learn and entirely new style of shaving. Great shave! As I get better at it, that time will decrease. It'll just takes time.

I am also new to straight razors and also started, and still occasionally use a Parker SRRW shavette. In my experience, putting a mild blade in the shavette, in my case a Lord Super Chrome, and using a pre-shave oil with a good soap or cream really makes the razor glide and speeds up the process of understanding the angle needed and the light touch required. Good luck in your adventure!

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

there are a few guys in your area, look them up and get soem face time, you will be miles ahead

Sometimes a Zoom meeting can help get the trick done, reducing the need for person to person contact and potential exposure. Zoom.com get a free account, invite one person or many.

I've just come back to shaving (was a beardo for a while) and I do remember needing that little extra slickness in my lather. A cheap, but effective way to up the slickness of any lather is to add a few drops of glycerin (can be bought at most stores), thereby, saving you some $$$ on premium soaps, croaps or creams... or is it saving you more money to buy other stuff, like strops, brushes, razors, hones, etc.

Cheers and welcome aboard!