Thread: The Frustrations of a new Straight shaver

I should also mention that stropping correctly is a very important deal when shaving with a straight razor. A perfectly honed razor that comes in the mail shave ready can be screwed up in minutes by someone that is new to straights and doesn't know what the stropping sensation should feel like, thus dulling the edge on their first shave. That's why a lot of guys say not to strop on the first shave when your razor comes. There is very good info in the Wiki about stropping as well as audio clips to show you what the sound of stropping should be like compared to what you may be hearing at home.

Hope that was a helpful point.

It's like learning to ride a unicycle - you get better with practice. After my first few shaves my face looked like it had been caught in a cat fight and I, too, had doubts about the wisdom of the venture. Personally, I think you should just go for a full shave every time rather than starting with the easy parts. You gotta do it some time and there's no since in drawing out the learning curve. Don't try for a perfect shave, though. Do the best you can with care, then touch up with your old razor if need be. Pretty soon you won't need the touch-up. Persevere.