Fellow Straight Razor Enthusiasts,

I received my first straight razor yesterday from JoshEarl, and as luck would have it I received my strop the day before. I told myself I was going to wait until the weekend. But, well, that didn't work.

I was overdue for a shave this evening and figured I'd give a small area on one or both cheeks a try and do the rest with my DE. I've seen many folks recommend starting small and working one's way up. Well, before I knew it I'd shaved my whole face and neck.

I started on my cheeks. There was a bit of drag. Looking back I think my angle was a bit too shallow. Also I had about three days worth of growth and could have done a better job of prep. Except for my hand getting in the way so that I had trouble seeing exactly what I was doing in the mirror it went well. I've always been a member of the mirror impaired. It went so well, except for the minor drag, that I decided to try going a little further. Eventually I ended up shaving my whole face and neck. I had a couple of very minor nicks on my lower neck but came out unmarred otherwise. I decided to stop after the first pass. If I feel my face it not exceptionally close, but looks fine. I did end up touching up one small strip under my jawline where a little stubble was still visible with my DE. Because of the dragging, most likely due to my angle, there was a little minor irritation but after a little after shave and ten minutes or so it's hardly noticeable. All in all I'd classify my first attempt at straight shaving as a success.


Kevin