Quote Originally Posted by cel View Post
Just completed my first str8 razor shave. Wow. There's a big difference between a str8 and my mach3 turbo. I used my new DA str8 & filly stop from Kenrup and orange bay rum soap by Colleen. It took about 30 minutes - and not a drop of blood. I had to cheat with my old razor in a couple of spots. End result is one of the closest shaves i've ever had.

I didn't really have any problems, but i do have two issues i'd like some advice on - when I was done, my face felt like it was on fire and while shaving areas with dense hair it felt like i was pulling the hairs out instead of cutting them off.

The razor is brand new. Prior to using it i stropped it about 20 laps on the green side and about 50 on the smooth. To get my face smooth, in most areas I had to go WTG, ATG, & XTG. Afterwards i rinsed with cold water, splashed on some dickensons witch hazel & finished with Nivea shaving balm.

Keep at it man. My face was on fire after my first two shaves, and my technique alone was to blame. I was also a M3 user, and I was definitely using too much pressure. I was doing it to remove the hair, but soon discovered that I was shaving at far too low of an angle (I just couldn't get a clear view to tell, but I was shaving at maybe 10-15 degrees). When I got the angle right, the hair came off in two passes, and I didn't need the pressure.

Now I only get razor burn if I get too hasty (as I still do often only having maybe 20 shaves' experience) and press too hard. Furthermore, a large patch of irritation that I've had on my neck since I started shaving is almost gone.

Also, I found the Dickensons' witch hazel to be a bit harsh, and I hated the smell, so I cut it with some distilled water (until it felt better on the skin) and mixed it with a little of an old cologne that I didn't use much. I've been really happy with the result, it now tones with no burn, no filmy feeling on the skin, and no stink.