First Shave this Morning....

Well my strops from Tony arrived this morning... wow 4 days from the US superb :)

Ok so I have my wapi.. 2 strops (one practice and a paragon) and my usual shaving stuff.

I did 20 or so laps on the practive strop.. though its hard to say whether I was doing it that correctly as I do not have any experience yet to draw on.

I showered and used hot towels to soak my beard. Now I have a very tough stubble.. I usually use a DE with feathers blades to get a nice clean close shave.

So once I had toweled and lathered I was finally ready.

TBH is was very slow progress and I seemed to be all arms. My initial stroke down from my sideburns was almost blind as the blade/arm got in the way. There was a huge amount of tugging from my 3 days of growth.. it did not feel at all smooth so I moved ahead with very small strokes.

I have a goaty style beard which just seemed to get in the way (and how anyone uses huge blades I'm not sure :) )

I struggled on.. I found the neck region easier to access and so it seemed a smoother process. I also tried swapping hands and found I was better using my left (though I am naturally right handed).

Finally the first pass was complete.. now it was not that close.. I still felt spiky though it looked presentable. (and I had managed to not cut myself !)

So I went for a second pass (top to bottom) now it was alot easier as there was not much left to shave. The neck was still spiky so I can see the need for a S-N pass at a later date (as I would do with my DE). But there was hardly any irritation (as the alum block is quick to tell me about) in comparison to when I have overdone it with the feather DE.

First shave is over.. took over an hour from stepping out of the shower to finishing up. (hoorah for the weekend).

So what now... theres a few reasons why possibyly felt like cutting down trees..

1. My prep was not long enough and more time needed to soften my wire beard?
2. Not enough stropping (or incorrectly done stropping?).. what should I do next time ? 50 laps and then which "test " to see how the blade is ?
3. Lack of experience of a Straight. It may be my angle with the blade.. or maybe my stubble is tough and therefore the tugging is normal (as the skin was not irritated nor cut after the shave :y)

I just hope that I have not done anything wrong which may have ruined the edge of the blade and would then need re-honing ? Could one stropping session do this ?

Opinions/advice would be great fully received :)

Maybe I'll try again in the morning....

Cheers

Matt

It takes time Matt, I suspect that having three days growth didn't help much either. When I first started, what I'd do was shave my first pass with a DE razor to remove most of the stubble, then use a straight on the next pass (still with the grain though) which would be much easier with less stubble in the way.

The aim should be to gradually build up muscle memory over time, concentrate on short strokes trying to keep the razor quite flat to your face, i.e. a shallow angle. Maybe just do your cheeks with the straight for the first week.

You do start picking it up quite quickly, you'll start to recognise and automatically use the correct angle for different parts of your face. It's gradual though, like learning to ski or ride a bike.

Having said that, if you looked presentable and didn't cut yourself, that's pretty good for a first go! When I started I looked like I went through a car windscreen for about 3 weeks. :eek:

So what now... theres a few reasons why possibyly felt like cutting down trees..

1. My prep was not long enough and more time needed to soften my wire beard?
2. Not enough stropping (or incorrectly done stropping?).. what should I do next time ? 50 laps and then which "test " to see how the blade is ?
3. Lack of experience of a Straight. It may be my angle with the blade.. or maybe my stubble is tough and therefore the tugging is normal (as the skin was not irritated nor cut after the shave :y)

I just hope that I have not done anything wrong which may have ruined the edge of the blade and would then need re-honing ? Could one stropping session do this ?

Opinions/advice would be great fully received :)

Maybe I'll try again in the morning....

Cheers

Matt[/quote]


Well you are off to a good start. Remember when shaving with a straight, each pass aims for a reduction in the stubble, not a complete elimination the first time around. That is among the 5,836 other things you are required to remember when shaving. But don't think about them WHEN you are shaving, because this is a zen thing and you might cut yourself.

For softening up the wiry beard, try some shampoo and possibly even some conditioner, 5 minutes soak while in the shower. If the simple stuff doesn't work, then move on the more complicated pre-shave oils, etc.

Learning how to strop properly will take time. If I can't see what you're doing, I won't comment on it, maybe someone else can fill that gap.

It does not sound as if through you ruined your blade, it takes a little more concerted effort or carelessness to ruin it than what you described. So far it seems that your prior experiences may have just prepared you for this day. Rock On!

Thanks for the comments... as my skin is so un-irritated :tuI think I'll have another go in the morning... I'll take my time stopping on my practice strop and see how it goes....

Cheers

Matt

Matt, it doesn't sound like you've messed up the blade. But when stropping, remember: never lift the spine from the strop and use light pressure -- little more than what is required to keep the spine and edge in contact with the strop. A little pulling is normal, but try using a flatter blade angle to see if it helps. Keep the pressure light. You're not trying for a totally clean shave on the first pass. It is natural to feel stubble when you rinse after the first pass. As you shower, hold a hot, wet washcloth to your face several times for 10 seconds or so. When you dry off, never let your face become dry -- keep that moisture going until you're ready to lather up. Try about 40 laps on the strop next time and different blade angles with light pressure. Your technique will improve as you go. It sounds to me like things went pretty well overall. Nice job! :tu

Matt,
Glad they got there so quickly. This is usually NOT the case with International shipping....you were lucky. Seven to ten days is more the norm.

It does sound like you made a typical beginner mistake that I hear all the time. So many newbies call me ordering a strop or set and mention "saving up their whiskers" for that first shave. A 2 or 3 day beard is not the way to begin. I'd go for the least amount as possible, no more than a days growth if you have a typical beard, if fast growning shave in the afternoon the day before so it's light the next morning then give it the first try.

The rest is all prep and shave angle.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Tony

Hello.. me again... well last night I thought I would have another go...

I'm clearly enjoying it too much as again it took about an hour....

Plenty of hot towels. and 40 laps on the strop beforehand.

I actually felt a bit more in control holding the razor this time.. and I was quite pleased with the results.

I did overdo it slightly on my neck (did 2 n/s passes and then one ATG) so using the alum block was invigorating...

Amazingly again I managed to not nick my self though the shave is not very close around my beard as I have not worked out the best way to work those areas.

The ATG pass went pretty well. though funnily enough for that pass I prefered to keep the razor in one hand for both sides of my face.. using my left just felt totally wrong (and out of control).

On the whole quite a relaxing smooth shave.. I still have missed bits so may need to work on a ATG pass to catch those.

Looks like for the current time I'll be sticking to weekends until I am a bit quicker and confident... but so far so good :)

Cheers

Matt

Keep at it, Matt. Working around a beard is something with which I have no experience. However, I encourage you to not get too dependent on one hand. Your off hand will feel awkward at first, but you'll be better off using both from the beginning. Good luck!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kyle76

Keep at it, Matt. Working around a beard is something with which I have no experience. However, I encourage you to not get too dependent on one hand. Your off hand will feel awkward at first, but you'll be better off using both from the beginning. Good luck!

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Yes, use both hands. I learned the hard way. At any rate, practice with the heel and toe of the blade to work around the beard. That is what I have developed. I also use a steeper angle to trim up my beard line. When I keep one. I don't keep one too much now as I just enjoy shaving, I can't let part of my face not experience the joy!:)

I'd consider these two shaves very successful - and things will be better, I'm sure!

It seems that your prep is more than enough; most likely your improvements will come from getting more comfortable with the angles you use with the straight.

Good luck
Ivo

Sounding good Matt, though I wouldn't rush to start doing against the grain passes quite yet. You need to have reduced the stubble to virtually nothing before doing against the grain passes, otherwise the razor will have a tendancy to 'grab' and dig in. Also, you have to let your skin get used to the different feel of the straight.

I'd just work on the with the grain passes for the first week or to, maybe finish off with a DE razor afterwards if you need to. You'll slowly be building up a feel for the right angle and pressure, and you'll notice your shaves getting closer and closer even though you're doing the same passes.

Oh, and I'd definately echo the above in trying to use both hands from the outset. You actually pick it up really fast (within a week) and you'll thank yourself later, it's much easier to see what you're doing if you can switch hands. I actually found my non dominant hand shaved better at first as I tended to use less pressure.