Thread: new straight shaver

Hello all,
I have been attempting to start shaving with a straight. I have 2 shave ready razors. I have had one nick free shave> I have read the many post of starting slow with the cheeks, but its hard to stop once I get started. My chin can't get free of stubble. I have been doing all the recommend thinks pre shave, hot facecloth, hair conditioner, and stretching the skin.
I am hoping I can get the learning curve down soon. How close of a shave should I be expecting. I must say I am getting better, but still need a way to go. I will keep you up to date and hope to tell you that I am a skilled shaver in the next month or so.


Crom

Don't speed up the learning curve to much!!!. But, you should get a nice close shave on the chin and neck with some practice. Technique is part of it and patience the other. I certainly would not recommend more than three passes during a shave to avoid irritation. Try different angles of attack.

I think as a new straight shaver you shouldn't expect BBS, but if you can get all the visible signs of a beard swept away you're doing well enough.

X

Keep at it. Remember, Rome was not built in one day.

Al raz.

Hi Crom, welcome to SRP. Here is a good read to get started. Also go to the Wiki at the toolbar above for many tutorials. Here are some videos that may help to get you started as well. It took me a few weeks to begin to be able to shave my whole face and neck successfully. The chin and the mustache were the hardest for me.

Don't worry about getting too close to start with. You can try shaving the chin sideways too, not just vertically.

Try all sorts of different stuff to find out what works the best for you.

Welcome to straight shaving and enjoy.

I would not recommend speeding the learning curve you will cut yourself a lot if you move to far too fast. Here is what a felow newbie is doing in the time that he is learning the proceess. Keep one of the razors that you used before going to a striaght around in the corner and use it for two things - cleanup after you work with the straight and aftwards to ensure that you look presentable. I have had a lot of sucess lately becuase I came to striaght shaving via double edge razors and let me tell you double edges require a lot of the same things that the striaght does, the angle is important with the double edge as it is with the straight. The downward pressure is also critical with the double edge as it is with the straight. So don't speed things take your time to get it right and it will come.