Thread: Another newbie nervious as heck!

Hello all; I'm ready to start shaving but I'm just a bit nervous.... sort of like the first time I learned to suture... except this is on me! I'm getting a professional shave in the morning to get the feel of a great shave and to take some notes! Good idea or bad? My razor's arriving Thursday! I went with a Dovo DV009 and had it pre-honed, got the strop, soap, and even raised my life insurance plan.

I've watched a ton of vids and feel ready to take on the challenge. The questions that remain are skin and hair prep and most important: blade care! I've read that the blade needs 24 hours to rest between shaves and there's really no set number of strokes with the strop.

Yes I focus on the details. I was very tempted to buy a 7 day set of razors but thought it better to get the feel and skill with just one and see if I need more at a later date. Then there's the stones; I have no clue! I'd probably get a longer lasting blade having it professionally sharpened as opposed to doing it myself, but, I'm completely in the dark on that one.

Well; I've no doubt this will prove an entertaining read for most; however, I hope one of you will offer guidance to another newbie.

Welcome to SRP!

blade care is as simple or elaborate as you wish. the most important thing is to make sure it is dry before you put it away.

rinse it with very hot water, dry it wit ha cloth or tissue leave it open, some place safe, for at least 15 minutes, overnight is good as well. as for letting it rest... i recommend only shaving once day so the the blade "rests" nearly 24 hours. the concept of resting a blade is a myth ... when barber's used straights regularly they would have used the same blade several times in one day. just remember to strop carefully before each shave.

face and beard prep simply need to be to use a decent shave soap or cream and a brush and take your time and stretch your face as you shave.

read through the wiki for shaving and it should be clear.

shaving should be a pleasure not a chore!

Welcome, The prep is really important & helpful. I wash my face & use a face scrub both by neutrogena. While I'm in a hot shower. When I get out I put pre shave oil on my face, & lather up. I would start with the blade close to your face like a 15 or 20 degree angel & take little slow strokes with hardly any presser. Let the blade do the work. Really take your time & don't rush. A lot of people just do the sides of there face to start with to get the hang of it for the first few shaves. There is a tun of great videos on you tube. These are just a few things that worked for me. Good luck & enjoy

Welcome to SRP. Lynn Abrams, the SRP founder and honemiester recommends starting off slow and just shaving with the grain WTG on the cheeks for the first few times to get the feel of the razor in your hand and the blade on you face. You may have seen his videos in the General section here.

I followed his advice and finished my shaves with my trusty Merkur slant. It took me 2 or 3 weeks to complete a shave with the straight alone. Once I did that I put the DE away and haven't seen it since.

I was nervous too but just follow the advice an old barber gave me in my sig below and you will be fine.

The thing that others have said to me that has helped me is that the straight's precived safty issues are simply are marketing ploy. When the double edge was first introduced approximatly a century ago there was a very cold reception to the double dge since it removed the capability to sharpen the blade. Makers had to find a way to sell their new product which was not really doing well since the straight had been doing an excellent job of shaving men for centruries and there was no precived need for anything additional. Makers needed a way to sell their products so one of the ways marketers, even today, have marked a product that there is no precived need for is to go on the attack. Attack your oponent in order to create a need for your product. The safety considerations are simply a biproduct of a century old method of replacing something tht already was great at its job with something that was not really needed by anyone for anything.

Well; it's more than obvious the blades are much stronger than I thought! I was given the impression that the edge was very fine and brittle. I have also focused too much attention on the safety issues. Looks like I just have to dive right in and get the feel for it.

My whole perception of the blade, itself, has changed significantly and I finally understand why people collect them; they are just magnificent in every way!

Originally Posted by jmueller8

My whole perception of the blade, itself, has changed significantly and I finally understand why people collect them; they are just magnificent in every way!

+1 on that ! The only caution I would give is beware of the RAD (razor acquisition disorder) it can slash your bank balance.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

+1 on that ! The only caution I would give is beware of the RAD (razor acquisition disorder) it can slash your bank balance.

I have a personal account manager for these sort of things! She manages every aspect of my life on the sub-micro level! Yes I'm over exaggerating a bit! She's a damn good woman and I thank God every day for her! If I begin to show symptoms of RAD I'm sure she'll rectify it with her foot.

Get it honed properly and invest in a barbers hone and you are set for life, unless of course you get caught up in this and find you need to do more. This should keep the personal account manager happy!

Welcome to SRP - you've gotten a ton of good advice from the guys (as always), and I've nothing to add except that there is no substitute for experience. Go easy, stretch the skin, use very light pressure, and have great fun! The fabulous shaves are on their way.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

Mark