Thread: I survived my first (partial) straight razor shave

Hi All -

First wanted to say thanks for this wonderful resource (been lurking for a while) and the opportunity to learn from all of you.

Got a Dovo 5/8 "Old West" as a gift recently and, after getting my Illinois strop & Mr. Abram's DVD (thanks, sir - your enthusiasm is infectious!) from ClassicShaving.com (Thanks, Will) I was ready to experiment.

I took my razor to the strop today (about 10 strokes on linen side and about 50 on the leather) - enjoyed the hot towel, lathering & went to work. I was a bit surprised how much the razor "grabbed" the hair - you really can hear/feel it cutting - compared to the classic disposable. I took my time, experimenting with the angle, grip & how much pressure to apply to let the razor to do the work.

You really do get that "learning to ride a bike" feeling! I only did the sides of the face & a bit of the neck, reapplying lather as things got dry. Seeing what you're doing in the mirror is a challenge when you're worried about skin stretching, angle, grip & everything else at the same time! I then finished up with my Mach 3 & came away from the whole thing with only one little nick.

A modest start, I know, but I think I'm going to enjoy this and look forward to honing my skills; now I just need another razor or two, right?

Musing over a couple of questions now, post-shave: how much stropping before the next shave (always 20-50) and what's the best way to keep the razor spot/rust free (I did towel dry all bu the edge after shaving)? Don't have any sewing machine oil, but could you touch up the razor with Tuf-glide, 3-in-1 or perhaps Witch Hazel? When touching up with a Q-tip, we should avoid the edge, right?

Anyway just glad to be here & looking forward to embarking on this great new adventure - Best, Martin