Thread: First shave... FAIL!!

Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

Some suggest you strop whilst others don't. If your a newbie and you strop, you may roll the edge which will produce a crappy shave. However if you don't strop, depending on how many days it is in transit the edge may oxidize slightly thus also producing a crappy shave. 6 of one or 1/2 dozen of the other.

The reason I ask is after reading through some of the manuals in the Documents area, stropping is a must after honing a razor. Then, after seeing posts saying "don't strop your freshly honed razor before shaving so that you don't roll the edge", I'm assuming they have been stropped by the honemiester and this is okay.

Aram,

As a fellow newbie, I have to say that your experience sounds exactly like my own. I've now shaved three times with my new razor (no cuts yet!), and I'm getting the swing of things.

One thing that really helped me was to remember that, unlike with cartridge razors, straight razor shaving is a two-handed operation. Remember to stretch the skin a bit with one hand while you have with the other.

That has made a world of a difference. This morning's shave wasn't perfect, but I didn't have to finish off with a cartridge razor for the first time.

if it came shave ready as stated, then I would say try easier areas, go slow, and give it a chance. I really can't advise you on use of japanese straights, but persistence is key.
If you have another shave ready straight on the way, you will soon be able to compare and decide for yourself.

best of luck!

Originally Posted by Aram

I dont know why, but I was terrified of the blade cutting up my face, so I did not put any pressure on the blade AT ALL.

It wakes you up better then coffee. Congrats on taking the plunge.

When I first started I shaved every other day (razor burn needs to heal). It took me about 10 shaves to figure things out. YMMV but don't expect a lot at first.

Super Ultra Shave'O'Matic Disposables are very forgiving and require little to no skill. Basically a 13 year old doing his first shave can figure things out on his own with no trouble and expect good results. Going from disposables to straits requires skill and experience, a couple of things that you can't buy off the shelf. Thats the love.

When you get that first great shave you will never want to go back. If you haven't done it yet, find an old barber that still does shaves and get yourself one. It may just be the treat/experience to put you on the right track. Thats the best advice I ever got.

Don't feel bad about the hesitation. When I first put a blade to my throat, I had the definite feeling that Bela Lugosi was standing behind me, waiting to jumt at that first drop. It made it all the worse to know I couldn't see hm in my mirror! (The crucifix helped.) But I've very rarely in the three months since I started, gotten more than a minor nick. It's hard to fault anyone for being cautious.

I can relate to first shave fear . The hardest thing about my first shave , was getting up the balls to run that insanely sharp blade , down my face ! I got a few nicks (nothing serious) on my first few shaves . But I didn't get cut good , until I thought I had mastered the basic technique (I think it was my 16th shave) .