Thread: My first week with the straight.

My first week has passed on this new adventure of learning how to shave with a straight razor.

My first shave, a week ago last Sunday, was anything but good. I pretty much butchered myself. Some good cuts and razor burn. I thought I knew what to do. I had read everyhing and watched the videos. But, I tried to do too much on the first try, also using too much pressure and not the best angle.

Went back to the drawing board and studied everything again - forum, videos, wiki. Did a lot of visualization of what I did wrong and what I needed to do to improve. As of today, after my 4th attempt, I can say that I'm getting there. I'm having success, and I can't be happier!

Thanks to everybody on this forum. There is so much great information here. The most valuable things I've learned so far: be patient, don't try to do too much at once, watch the pressure on the blade, and watch the angle. There's plenty of time to learn to do it right, for a skill that will last you the rest of your life.

I'm sure I'll have more questions for you guys in the future. In the meantime, I'm enjoying my new found success and reading your postings.

-matt

It sounds like you're well on the path of getting the hang of it. A little patience, along with some knowledge, goes a long way with this stuff.

Welcome to SRP, Matt,

You appear to be on a route to success - just keep going. Straight razor shaving is an acquired art, and its learning curve is steep, and long. On the upside, this means that even after a year or more, you will still have small successes, be it the discovery of a new soap, or the joys of mastering a new blade with unknown shaving features.

Since you have been to the Wiki already, you might find this article useful: The Zen of Straight Shaving - Straight Razor Place Wiki. It helped me a lot, because its approach is refreshingly different. Kudos to Sensei_Kyle. for writing it.

I remember my first shave.

I was 23 and in college. This board and other resources were few and far between. I shaved with an out of the box Dovo and quickly gave up after the razor became dull and I had no way of honing it.

I did put a nice cheek slice in my face from side burn to jaw line. My fiance was horrified. I thought it was cool.

The key is to take your time. No need to hurry. Stick with the basics. Good face prep. Good stropping. Angles and pressures.

Good going Matt. Only gets better.

Singlewedge, you had me laughing. Sorry pal. Did almost the same thing. Wife insists I'm crazy.

J