Thread: First shaves

Hello all, thought I might as well share my first straight shave story.

Last Thursday I received my 4/8 Rothschild in the mail. That evening I took a long hot shower with lots of washing & soaking my face; I thought it best to give it a go in the evening so any mishaps would have time to heal before work. I picked up a free AOS starter kit a few weeks ago, which came with a little brush and some shaving cream, so I used that and built a nice warm lather in an old mug. If nothing else, I'm delighted by this part of the experience -- no more $2 cans of Barbasol for me, thank you!

The first stroke was a bit nerve-wracking. I ended up using too small of an angle, and didn't do anything but wipe the lather off my face. Put some more on, and got it right the second time; it felt great! After doing the right side of my face, I switched hands for the left side. That wasn't nearly as comfortable, and I ended up with a pretty tender cheek. Discretion being the better part of valor, I brought out the Mach 3 for the rest of that shave.

Since that evening I've been slowly increasing how much I shave, venturing on to my neck and lip. The chin continues to elude me, but I imagine that will come in time. I've been stropping on an old leather belt hanging from a towel rack -- not ideal, I suppose, but the razor passes the HHT every time. It has been truly rewarding to learn this new skill, and I find myself more comfortable each time.

I'd like to extend my deep thanks to everyone on this forum for your insights, tips, and general support of us beginners. This website really is like none other on the internet. Bravo!

Sounds like your doing great! I agree this is a great forum. Good shavings to you.

You are of to a good start. Take it slow and easy, the BBS will come with time and practice. (And there is a lot of good pointers in the Wiki.)

Welcome aboard mate! :beer:

You're doing well. Check out the shaving passes in wiki. This helped me a lot. It entails skin stretching techniques as well as shaving techniques. The scything motion works well for me.

Sounds like your doing fine,patience is key,the chin and neck comes with time because of the many angles/grips involved and skin stretching,keep us posted

Welcome and yes, you are off to a good start. Take your time the more you shave the better you will become. Ask questions and don't forget the WIKI it is a very valuable source of information. You will become more accustom to using your off hand as you progress it may just take a while longer. Glad to have you with us and Good Luck.