Thread: WOOHOO!

"This is new to me I have never been intimidated by a blade before."

But:

1) how many of your knives are as "sharp as a razor" (great pun ;-)).

2) how many of them do you rub against your throat/face?

Although I started shaving with a straight in my teenage years, I had not use one for a long time. So, effectively, I am back to being a newbie. Having said that, I will add to the already given advice what worked for me when I restarted:

Strop your razor first (Chris L).

1) First, make this a private moment, girlfriends, wives, children, etc.., around your first shave would make it more difficult.

Bear prep (jjpharris).

2) Do not cover your whole face with soap. It will dry and make it more difficult.

3) Find a grip that fits comfortable. I posted about that recently. Before you start shaving, play with the razor for awhile trying to find how to shave different parts of your face. Unless you are ambidextrous, you will find that shaving the opposite side to your dominant hand seems harder at first.

4) Hold the blade securely. This should hold forever but you will find that your wrist becomes a bit loser after a few shaves. Having a good grip on the razor but a lose wrist works for me.

Angle considerations (Chris L)

5) Take baby steps in your first shave. As your technique improves, and unless you have facial hair, you may want to go in a smooth continuous motion in longer strokes.

Do not add pressure to the blade (Chris L)

6) I keep a small towel nearby to wipe the blade and my fingers after I remove soap from it.

7) Unless your face is different to mine, start with the cheeks. That is the easier part to shave.They should serve as calibration of your technique.

8) Do not pay extra attention to missed or difficult spots. You will get them as your technique improves. Do not be afraid of using your previous razor (electric, safety, etc..) to polish your first shave.

9) If you want to go against the grain, you should remember that it is a bit harder. I did not try it in my first shave.

10) Do not become overconfident or careless, that is when accidents happen. It was mentioned before but I will repeat it here.

11) Apply lots of aftershave and showoff your new shaved face ;-).


One thing that I have found is the with the proper amount of respect for the blade and your face, the number of accidents can be kept to a minimum. Am I missing anything here?

Al raz.