Thread: First Shave with pics

OK, So i finally got my razor the other day and could not wit any longer. I Have not shaven in almost a year because I have really coarse hair and get ingrowns very easily. Once I get one, it seems to never go away, or will leave a black/red spot for months. If I havent repulsed you yet then read on. I couldn't wait to stockpile all my accessories so I went to Walgreen's and bought a boar brush, shaving soap, and aqua velva. This was the cheapest way I ws suggested to get started. I am going to order a strop from Tony today because I can't wait for my second shave. I normally only use (head) hair clippers to trim my facial hair to hide ingrowns. I still get them , but less often now. My girlfriend prefers me clean shaven, but I really don't have a preference.
OK, I went for a jog to get all sweaty and hot, then i got home and used a huge mug to get a nice foamy lather. I was surprised how much the soap bubbles up and became more creamy. I then set it in the sink with HOT water and took a HOT HOT HOT shower. I scrubbed my face and tried to rough it up as much as possible. Then I got out and got started. I was scared to death to take the first swipe, but I couldnt believe how easily it took the hair off. I took my time spent about 20 minutes shaving. I kept having to apply more foam and think I would like to try a cream instead of the cheap soap as soon as possible. The chin was last, and was the only difficult part. I finally nicked myself trying to get it all. I didn't even realize until afterI was completely done. I know I am not sharing a lot of detal, but I wanted to keep it short. I loved every stroke, was less afraid by the end and I am sure it will get easier every time. I am now going to blow todays paycheck on strop and cream. It is actually smoother than the picture looks, but I only did one pass because I don't have a strop, and I do not want to irritate my face. I shaved last night and so far, no irritation. In the pics, you can see i hadn't trimmed in a few days, but didnt want to trim before shaving either. I am going to order the pre shave oil and I cant wait for a strop to build up to 2 or 3 passes. Wish me luck!!!






you can see the nick in the last pic and the spots dont really look that bad in person either, but they are there. I hope a straight razor will help with this in time as well. Thanks for all the help and advice!

Great job! Keep at it.

Jordan

I like to tell my friends that shaving technology reached its peak of technology when the straight razor reached its current state of design. Everything beyond the straight has been a combination of smoke and mirrors, including safety razors, electric and most definetly the cartridge razor.

Congrats on the first shave! It will only get better from here. Just wait till you've finished your 3rd or 4th shave and your face is BBS!!

On the soap/cream issue, a lot of it is simply personal preference. Last night, using some advice from the SRP experts, I made a fantastic lather with my soap. If you haven't already visited TGQ, do so! Coleen makes wonderful soaps.

I'll be trying some other creams soon, just to see what all is out there.

Until you get a cream, you might practice your lather skills. What works best for many is to have a separate mug for soap and a bowl for lather. You just take your wet brush (squeeze out excess water though) and load up the brush with soap by swirling and mashing it down on your soap. After you've loaded it up, take a bit of that hot water and put it in the bowl. Start out with a tablespoon or so. Whip the hell out of the water, mashing the brush down to get the soap out. Whip whip whip and you should get some lather going. If it seems too dry, add a little more water (a little goes a long way). If it's too runny, keep whipping. If need be, add more soap. It should get to the consistency of being really creamy with matte finish but not runny at all. In other words, you should be able to hold the bowl upside down and have the soap stay there. You'll be surprised what a quality lather can do for you. Just that one thing alone can help those of us with sensitive skin go from an ok shave to a great one.

Anyway, good luck and congratulations!

I also, for the first time, used warm lather last night. Amazing what a difference that will do for you. If you don't have a scuttle or some contraption to keep the mug warm, try filling the sink partway with HOT water. Then put your lather-filled mug down in the sink while you strop up. The lather stayed warm for my entire shave.

Thanks for the great advice already, I thought I had read a lot, but I didn't ring the water out of the brush before beating up the soap with is. I stirred repidly for a while but it never got to a point that i could flip the bowl over. In fact, a lot ran down my face and neck to my chest . I knew this wasnt right, but thought it might have been cheap soap. I am ordering leatherneck cream from TGQ and a strop from Tony. He said in a post once he likes the 2.5" the most, I thought the 3" would be best. I don't waht to change this to a strop thread, but does anyone have any input on this? Ill be ordering within the next hour, so the first few to advise will probably steer me into one or the other. Thanks again!!!

Great job!! Keep at it, there sure is a lot to learn.

- Scott

I am still a newbie myself, but I have heard that the 3" is a bit easier on beginners because it covers more of the blade and helps keep the blade flat.

Someone else with more experience please confirm this...

Looks like you are off to a good start...i find that for me pressure and angle really are the biggest variables because they are so hard to keep constant over the changing contours of the face. Just used a french point a few minutes ago for the first time and found i to be excellent at getting tough areas on the neck.

I am a newbie myself but from what Tony and other experienced users have told me is that size really is just personal preference. I too was pressed to decide on 2.5 or 3 inch but i went with the 2.5 inch out of recommendations. I couldnt be happier....the 3 inch I imagine would be slightly easier to use but when it comes down to it you need to test it in person.


One tip that I do not see talked about much is using a canned gel....if you are new to making lather on your own this will be a TREMENDOUS help....I myself can make great lather by hand using a soap or cream but I find that the lather from a modern gel is FAR slicker and provides a better cushion.