Thread: First Shave Tomorrow - Suggestions?

So my razor arrived on Friday but the mail room closes early Fridays and is closed all weekend at my school....rather frustrating knowing the razor is just sitting there!

However, I get to play with my shiny new toy tomorrow. Should be interesting

Does anyone have any suggestions for the first shave (besides go slow )

Also, should I strop it before I shave for the first time? I'm kinda worried I'm going to ruin the edge before I even get a chance to use the thing

The suggestion that I have seen in the past is to be sure to take several close-up photos of your face so that the plastic surgeon has good reference material.

I suppose what you do with the razor depends on how the razor has been prepared. Has it been honed by someone or is it a brand new razor? If it has been honed, then it is likely that it has also been stropped, in which case it is not necessarily critical for you to strop it first. On the other hand, you are going to have to get your stropping technique worked out sooner or later so you might as well give it a shot. Just be careful, start out slowly, and keep pressure absolutely minimal. If the razor is brand new, then it is unlikely that razor is shave ready and stropping is not going to change that.

As far as other advice, read the forum stickies!

I bought the razor shave ready from one of the fine members for SRP, so yes it should be sharp.

Maybe I'll start out not stropping and if I need to I can always strop...easier to go that route than the other way I suppose

Welcome and good luck on that first shave!

Glad to hear that the razor was honed by one of us, ( I hope).

The general practice is to strop for 30-50 round trip laps just before each shave, not the night before. There are a numbers of reason for doing so and your face will thank you for it.
For your own education try shaving 1/2 of you beard without stropping the razor and the other half after you have stropped the razor. You will notice the difference.

Just wanted to say thanks as I have been stroping in advance and after reading this I probably willnot do that again. Thanks If I may ask just for curiousity sake what are some of the reasons?

DGalt, good luck and go easy!
KBS_74

What kind of shaving products do you have? I would suggest taking the time to enjoy the pre-shave/lathering process, and really treat your face well. In my experience, this can make or break a shave just as much as a properly stopped razor.

Work up a good, creamy lather, use some steam towels, and be sure to concentrate on your hand motions. Remember to lift the razor straight up while finishing a stroke...this way you're sure not to cut yourself.

I like what Randy said about shaving half with unstropped, half with stropped.

~Chris

Originally Posted by kbs_74

Just wanted to say thanks as I have been stroping in advance and after reading this I probably willnot do that again. Thanks If I may ask just for curiousity sake what are some of the reasons?

DGalt, good luck and go easy!
KBS_74

One reason has to do with the oxidation of the edge. The air we breathe has water and oxygen in it . Those two plus steel and time equals rust. We need to have that removed from the edge.

The other major reason is to "align" the edge, get it as straight as possible. If you accept the argument, I do, that steel has a bit of built in directional memory from its forging
that shows itself at the very thin edge of the razor. Not all parts of the edge want to go the same direction. Think of a steel spring, it wants to return to a specific position.