Thread: Total Newb Question on Technique

I said in another thread that I was hesitantly considering getting into straight razor shaving. Now I've begun trying it with a cheapo disposable-blade straight razor (like a Shavette, but with extra crappy) that I had lying around for touching up the edges of my moustache but had never really shaved with. It's not lovely, but it is shaped like a straight razor and the broken-in-half DE blades it uses are as sharp as you could ask for. The problem is, I don't actually know how to use it. I've read the guides on blade angle and types of strokes and all that, but my questions are so basic that they aren't even covered there.

One incredibly ignorant question: do you use "both sides" of the blade? That is, I feel like it's obviously easier to turn the razor around to shave the opposite sides of my face - so that the side of the blade closest to the skin while shaving one cheek would be away from the skin on the other cheek. But I also somehow got the impression that real straight razors had a preferred "side" for shaving, and that one side should always be against the skin and one side away, no matter where on the face you were shaving. Is that right? If so, how do you hold the razor on the off-hand side?

Another problem: the edge of the blade is flat, but my neck isn't! I find that the blade only touches my skin on the rounded parts of the face at a very narrow fraction of the length of the blade (where it lies tangent to the curve of my neck). Even with the short DE blade, the straight edge of the blade is too long to follow the curve of the surface of the skin. I'm shaving a path only a few millimeters wide with every stroke, and irritating the skin with many repeated strokes. How do you handle this?

A worse problem: I can't seem to do XTG on my neck at all. My neck beard grows straight down the length of my neck. With DE shaving, WTG simply means straight downward, and XTG means straight across - not a problem, especially with a safety razor. But I can't find a way to hold the straight razor comfortably and keep it in contact with the surface of my skin as I go across - particularly in and out of the hollow between my sterno-cleido-mastoid muscle and the trachea. Ideas on that?

I know all this is solvable - you guys are all doing it, and millions of men before me shaved every day in just this way - but I simply can't seem to get the razor to my face in a way that allows a shave! What's the secret?

Thanks.

Welcome
at first yes you can and need to use both side of the blade. changing hands.
second please in that spot you don't have to use full length of the blade use tip of the blade and shave hallow places.
Lastly at first try to learn shave WTG after your skin get used to it then you can go head and go XTG or AGT.GL
HAVE FUN and Enjoy

Both sides

Stretch the skin as best you can to get into the hollows

No ATG on the neck, just up or down.

Opinions very greatly on this, but IMO, learning to use a replaceable blade straight razor before using a genuine straight will make using a real straight seem much easier. A couple reasons for this...

1. Using a factory sharpened replaceable blade will show you (in no uncertain, very unforgiving terms) the definition of what a sharp blade feels like. These blades will cover the "use very little pressure" theory very thoroughly, and you'll bleed if you don't.

2. The smaller surface area of a replaceable blade concentrates what pressure you *do* apply to a smaller area, thereby again increasing your concentration on using very little pressure; just enough to cleanly cut through the whisker. Any more than that, and you'll get weepers or irritation/burn. Most all irritation/weepers/burn is caused by using more pressure than needed to get the job done, IMO.

3. For some reason, you're more apt to see a HUGE difference when you practice good skin stretching technique with a replaceable blade than a real straight. I don't have any idea why, but IME, skin stretching is *way* more important with a replaceable blade. You'll get a more comfy shave, fewer weepers, less irritation.

A few tips... keep the blade angle low, stretch the skin *every time*, USE VERY VERY LIGHT PRESSURE, and dull the very tips (the heel and toe) of the replaceable blade before you shave. Like, completely round them off. If you don't, using a replaceable blade with a sharp toe and heel is like using a straight razor that is double-spike pointed. Ouch.

Edit: one last tip... Don't "over shave". What I mean is only do one pass through fresh cream; don't go back through that same swath you just cleared of cream until you put fresh cream on it. I know it's tempting ( I do it all the time) to immediately go back over where you just shaved, cause there's still stuff there, but *don't* do it until you've put down a fresh layer of lube. *ONE* pass through fresh cream, and that's it.

OK - I see that I should have waited for replies to this post before plunging in again. Thanks everyone, for the info above. I'm thinking my technique still needs some work.



Thanks anyway.

F@%k that! .... lol
I totally understand the Shavette before i take the plunge with a straight bit, jeez I did it myself and found it a very good experience
Would I use a straight if my face looked that butchered afterwards?
NO WAY

TBH I dont know if I should applaud you or be disturbed?

Get a decent straight dude, get it pro honed, read the wiki on here, then read the wiki again
Baby steps my friend baby steps, and as one very respected member here once said
"A bbs shave is not my objective, NOT hurting myself is"
Ya Dig??

Seriously though, IMHO doing it right will ultimately give you a lidetime of injury free shaving (lidetime! tut!)

Shavettes are difficult to use and unforgiving. Most of us don't like the Shavette and argue against it. Most of us argue against a lot of things. I think you'll join the bandwagon of those easier to convince.

I would move on to a traditional straight, to include the challenges of honing it now . . . after all it's not Disposable Straight Razor Place.

I feel your pain. I started with (and still do occassionally use) a shavette back around the begining of march this year. I have/had a mole on the left side of my face and the first time I came across that thing, @#$%%^&* took it pretty much clean off. I'm still on the learing curve and still get the minor nicks here and there but things are getting progressively better. Hey at least you found the site. I had been fumbling with the shavette for a couple months befrore I found out about the SRP. Like the other guys have stated Keep it soft and take your time, it's not a race.

Best of luck in your shaving adventure

kt keith, I can see by your pic that you have ultra sensitive, baby butt soft skin. And a thick, bristly beard. The combination (which is what I have, too) makes it tough to get a good, smooth shave under even the most ideal conditions. Even when I'm using my best cream and my best safely razor, I have to really work at it to get zero burn, zero bumps, zero irritation, and a BBS shave. I'm just now to the point where I can get an even more close, comfy shave with a straight than I can with *any* other razor type, even an electric. Yup, it's true... once you get the combination of razor, cream, and technique down, you can *shave closer and more comfy with a straight* than any other way. It's just an investment of time/money.

Your face actually doesn't look bad at all for just starting out, especially when you throw the shavette into the mix. Personally, I think you're off to a great start.

I do agree with AFDavis; using a shavette is *much* more difficult than using a real straight. If you do decide to immediately switch to a real straight, I can't tell ya how important it is to *not* use it until it's been properly sharpened by a reputable honemeister. After it's been sharpened, don't even strop it. Take it *right* to your face so you can feel and experience what a proper edge should feel like. That way, you can concentrate on proper technique instead of wondering if you're torn up because your blade isn't sharp enough. Honestly, I think you can go up to five shaves on a freshly honemeistered blade before you have to worry about stropping it. Stropping a blade is the main cause of blade dulling by newbs, so read up on it and be careful.

Don't give up, man. Take it from another soft skin/thick beard guy: it's worth the time and effort.