Hello, everyone!

I made this past weekend my entry into the world of straight razor shaving and while I have a long way to go, I am pleased with how everything is going. I received my new DOVO Bismarck that had been honed by Lynn not too long ago and wanted to make sure I had plenty of time, no distractions, etc.

For my first shave, I decided to shave just my cheeks and the sides of my neck. I was very nervous, though, and realized I'd let my trepidation get the better of me. Following the initial shave, I then decided to go whole hog and shave my entire face--very slowly and easily, mind you, but how else would I ever learn, right?

While my results thus far are hardly BBS, I do like how everything is going. It's amazing how much a superb razor and a light touch can do. I love how the more relaxed I am and the easiler I go the better I do. It's almost Zen-like: the less I try, the more I accomplish. I was especially nervous about switching hands but after trying to shave the left side of my face with my right hand (I'm right handed), I just couldn't do it. Much too awkward. Shaving with my left hand will take some getting used to but for whatever reason it felt okay, not nearly as bad as I thought. (If anything, shaving with my left hand makes me go easier and more slowly.)

The only problem is when I begin at the sideburns. Much of this, I'm sure, is my nervousness and being such a newbie. It's a bit awkward trying to see exactly where the razor is and what I'm doing in the mirror. I got a very slight (didn't even need my styptic pencil) nick on my ear from where the toe of the razor passed by my ear during the initial downward shave at my right sideburn. Any advice, anything I'm doing wrong, or is it just a matter of continued practice?

Thus far I've been using Proraso before lathering up. I like the way it feels and smells but am unsure what it's really "doing" for my beard. Post-shave is a cold-water rinse, alum block, more cold-water, witch hazel, and then after shave before I leave for the day. All in all, perhaps the best way to start the day and something I shall continue to relish and look forward to.

While shaving with a straight is something I do want to perfect, I figure I have the next fifty or so years in which to do so. If straight shaving doesn't teach one patience, I don't know what will...

Have a great day, everyone, and thanks for allowing me to share my initial success.

Cheers,
Constantine