After using a "Shavette" for quite some time I finally got around to order a honed straight razor from Kenrup last week. Today it came in the mail, and since I had a suspicion it would arrive today, I didn't shave this morning!

The gear I was using was this:

* Double Arrow straight razor, honed and sold by Kenrup
* Strop supplied by Kenrup
* Pure badger brush from "VP"
*Taylors Sandalwood shaving cream (tube)
*Alum block from SaffronBar
*Lancome cleansing gel
*Lancome recharging moisturizer
* A big ceramic bowl I found in the kitchen



The biggest problem I had came before I even started shaving. I have never stropped a straight razor before, so it was quite a bit of struggle to do it properly, but I think I got it in the end.

Since I have used a shavette, the technique of how to use a straight wasn't totally unfamiliar. The biggest difference was the weight of the blade. The 6/8 double arrow is a monster in weight compared to a cheap and light shavette. This meant that I didn't have to use any pressure at all, the blade just flowed over my skin without any effort at all.

Normally I only do 2 passes when I shave (with and against), but today I decided to do 3 passes, just because it felt so god with the big blade in my hand. I managed to go the whole shave without drawing blood from my skin, I had one royal screwup, and that was when I managed to hit the nose right over my lip, I was going across the lip and had the blade just a little bit to high, so now I have a pretty little scar under/on my nose. But it didnt bleed to bad, and the alum block stopped it immediately.

All in all I am ecstatic about my first shave with a real straight. It got real close, I didn't draw blood from the places my shavette normally would, and my skin is a lot less irritated since I didn't have to use any pressure at all!

Arlendius