Thread: First Shave, OUCH, any advice?

Originally Posted by Stephen436

Now I don't know if the above statement "pre-sharpened" is true and it is sharp enough or maybe I was going too slow with the blade.
It seemed as the blade was pulling on the stubble rather than cutting it but keep in mind I was hesitant of going too fast. I had to dig in to get results but at the same time I was a little afraid to dig in and move the blade faster and end up with a nasty cut. When I tried it on a leg the hair came right off, no issue.
So my questions are:
Am I moving too slow?
Even though I drew blood is this blade sharp enough (because it was bought from a reputable company)?
Is this normal because perhaps my skin is not used to a blade?
What is the best degree to hold the blade?

It is true, these razors are probably very sharp. It seems more like an angle issue to me. Since you are asking about angles, permit me to recommend you the following illustrated page of what the experts recommend for angles in the different pases. As newbies goes, you should start by only shaving in the direction of the grain the easy parts of your face (your cheeks) with the straight at first and leave neck, etc for later when your technique improves. The wiki is an outstanding resource to answer question, have checked these:

Advanced shaving techniques for the straight razor - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Stropping before every shave is very important, particularly after your first shave. Since you likely would get there soon, let me point you in that direction:

Razor stropping - Straight Razor Place Wiki

In terms of preparation, the wiki has a great section about it I cannot stress the importance of bear preparation for good results. Also, using good quality products:

chaphttp://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwiki/index.php/Get_a_better_shaving_result_by_improving_your_prep arationter

The wiki also has good sections on building lather if you think that could be part of the problem, check these out:

Illustrated Guide to Making Basic Soap Lather - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Illustrated quide to making basic cream lather in three different ways - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Illustrated Guide to making Überlather - Straight Razor Place Wiki

http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...-homemade.html

http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...od-lather.html

Good luck the next time and please let us know how it goes.

Al raz.