Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
Strop your razor 30-50 strokes and then practice for a few days just shaving from one sideburn down to the jaw on that side of your face. The angle should be 30 degrees or less. Get the feel of the razor and it's cutting angle. Get used to very little pressure on the razor. As you become comfortable add the cheek on the same side of the face for a couple days. If comfy with that side, do the same on the other side of the face and practice with your non-dominant hand. Sideburn to jaw and then cheek. If you are feeling pretty good after a week or so, then do a with the grain stroke on both sides of the neck. Now to the chin. The chin shape for some reason naturally flattens out the angle of your razor. Make sure you keep the 30 degrees or less. Take on the chin over a couple days starting under the lip then the sides of the chin and then the chin itself. Remember, light touch. I usually only shave with the grain on the chin, but you can go cross grain once you have the hang of it. Mustache the same. Last, you can try across the grain on both sides of the face and against the grain on the neck and under the chin. Don't be in a hurry.

Depending on your face shape, you may find advantages in stretching the skin around on your face and neck. Watch some of the shaving videos in the forum.

Remember to to make sure you are doing good prep work on the beard and have a really nice lather.

The couple weeks you spend learning here will be lessons that will last a lifetime.
Glenn mentioned the same thing last week. That's how I learned, and am thankful for this sage advice. However, I can understand the strong desire to just keep going on your first shave. Sometimes the temptation can be so overwhelming...