Thread: Patience is a Virtue

In the absence of a straight razor I turned on a little light music this evening and set about my face with my soap, brush, oil and a Gillette Fusion that I’ve used about 3 times - Got a towel under a hot tap and then across my face too. Damn! I’m in pain ! I used the razor to go against the grain about 2 days ago and it was pretty smooth - this time it took half my face with it!! all those blades and no indurence... i wonder how you strop a Gillette fusion I have been promiseda straight razor in shave readiness by a kind member here on SRP. I think I’ll just have to hold myself back until I have a REAL piece of hair removal tool in my possession. I can not wait!!

P.S. no one told me styptic pencils sting so much! Ouch!

Hi Nath. Welcome to SRP. One of the reasons I decided to go with a straight razor was that I was getting inconsistent results with the blades of my nice handled twin saftey. There was a lack of consistency in sharpness between new blades, and it weas random as to how long a blade would actually last.

That being said, don't toss your razor quite yet. When you get your finely honed razor start slowly. Just do the area between the sideburns and jawlines, and WTG only. Get comfortable with the blade in your hand. How it feels to manipulate it and the angles to the face. A lesser angle to start with is better than to great of an angle. Comfort first, then closeness. Fisnish your shave with your other razor. As you get more comfortable then move on to other areas of your face, and XG and ATG. Take your time, your face will appreciate it.

Thanks for the advice Dan! i'm itching to get started but i appreciate the learning curve I am about to enter. and i have a few never used replacement blades on standby for finishing up

Welcme to SRP!!!
I would suggest that you need to focus on technique and beard preparation. Any razor can tear you up given poor technique and poor preparation. Check out the stickies for additional information on these subjects.