Help!! Im a little overwhelmed. (And my first shave didnt go well at all)

HI Everyone,

There is so much to to know, and for some of it I have nothing to compare it to... No baseline. You know, what it should feel like, or look like, etc. So here was my first experience and some backround... Maybe somebody can tell me where I went wrong???

I have a gotee so I dont need to shave my chin. My stubble has always been stiff and wiry, as a result I was going through those fusion blades like crazy... And spending a fortune to boot (those blade are ridiculously expensive. One of the reasons I choose to switch to a straight razor was to save some $$$). Anyway, I bought on Ebay a new Zeek straight razor, 2 strops (one I coated with cromium oxide for future use).

Ok, so, I began thre shaving process by washing my face to soften my stubble. I then proceed to apply edge pro gel shaving cream to my face. I then washed the blade (with soap) to remove any residual oil. I then stroped it about a dozen times on the cloth side, and about the same on the leather side. I began shaving, keeping the blade at a 30 deg angle. It wasnt cutting, so I pressed down harder and it pulled and scratched, and at first didnt glide well, but began to remove the stubble amid some nicks. It wasnt until the blood really began to run that the razor seemed to glide somewhat better. In the end I had to finish up with the fusion razor (which now hurt with all the cuts), and I looked like I had been thrown through a plate glass window. Luckly it is Saturday and Im not of to work.

To add insult to injury I appearently dripped some blood onto my wifes Oscar de la Renta white velour $200.00 bath robe from saks... you can instantly tell how well she took that by how much detail I now know about the darn robe. It is quite amazing how much you retain after hearing the same thing over and over again for 45 min straight.

I tried to read everything I could first, but there is so much, and to be quite frank, I was kinda itchin' to get started once I got my razor. So fellas' where did I go wrong?

Thanks in advance,
Adam Song

Sorry to have to tell you this but Zeepk are not very highly regarded
Brands of Straight Razors to avoid - Straight Razor Place Wiki
Forget your traumatic first shave, throw away the junk razor or use it to open letters.

Read the Wiki. It has lots of good info regarding what to buy.
Also read Lynn's post here:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ead-first.html

Lynn also has a great DVD that helped me out a lot when I was starting out.

Hi Adam,

Welcome. Focus on getting the robe cleaned first. You might want a new/better razor.

You might need the razor honed prior to using it. They actually don't work too well until honed.

Alan

Well as a newbie take everything i say with a grain of salt, but first im sorry about that horrific shave sounded like a nightmare, now ive researched a lot and from what i can tell your first problem, is buying a zeepk razor, i made that same mistake before i found this site, check the wiki and look for straight razor brands to avoid and you will see zeepk on the top, the steel is inferior, and it will never keep an edge, also it is not shave ready, or honed by a pro, my advice is to go to straightrazordesigns, or vintage blades and buy a dovo starting razor like 70 or 80 bucks or go on the classifieds and buy one from the vendors here, because it will be good carbon steel and either honed by lynn, or someone who knows what there doing, and you will notice a HUGE difference, you should never half to force the blade to cut your beard, hope this helped:)

First, Let your face heal properly.
Get quality, shave ready razor (no ebay, too many duds)
Pay attention to prep (especially softening and lather) and technique (no pressure, correct angle, correct orientation to grain)
For future reference, if you have to force it or it doesn't feel good/right, don't do it. You were lucky the blade didn't snag any worse than that.
And read up the beginner guide in the wiki again few times to understand it all.

Straight Razor Place Wiki:Books/Beginners Guide - Straight Razor Place Wiki

I hope your face heals quickly and your next shave is a better one.

Aside from the low quality razor, you'll need to "can" the canned shaving cream. It does not work well at all. Check out the wiki on face preperation and lathering--

Beginner's guide to straight razor shaving - Straight Razor Place Wiki


Category:Straight Razor Shaving - Straight Razor Place Wiki


Also, I really liked this beginners guide from Christoper Moss:
http://www.shavemyface.com/downloads...azor-Shave.pdf

-Chief

It's amazing the number of new straight razor shavers who buy the Zeepk first, then execute a wretched shave, and thencome to a forum like this to ask what may have gone wrong.

As an aside, has anyone bought a Zeepk razor that could be sharpened to a shaving edge?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bruce

As an aside, has anyone bought a Zeepk razor that could be sharpened to a shaving edge?

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As far as I can tell, no one worth their salt in honing would even bother trying to hone a Zeepk - or most of the others listed on the "Do not buy" list.

Again: Shouldn't there be a PSA telling folks not to buy these crummy razors? :soapbox:

Adam,

First, welcome to SRP. We appreciate you sharing your experience with us.

Sounds like your first foray into str8 razor shaving didn't go well at all. Not to worry. To paraphrase the German philosopher Goethe, "It is out of life's turbulent first str8 razor shave that one's character is forged."

As already noted, read the SRP wiki. It will answer many, if not all, of the questions you have about str8 razor shaving. Next are the SRP forums. Finally, as you have already found out, SRP members are more than willing to help a str8 razor novice enter the world of str8 razor shaving.

The previous posts have noted the host of missteps that you took with your first str8 razor shave. IMHO the first misstep was using Edge Gel on your face. Edge is great when used with multi-blade razors, but I don't think it works that well with str8 razors. Can the canned goo and buy some shave cream in a tube or a good shave soap from an online merchant such as Straight Razor Designs, Vintage Blades, etc.

Second, as has been noted, purchase a quality str8 razor. Dovo, Boker, and Henckels are good quality brands. There are probably others, but I am a bit of a newbie at this myself. I am certain that other SRP members will chime in and provide you with additional brand names of quality str8 razor manufacturers.

You can get a Dovo "Best Quality" srtr8 razor at either Straight Razor Designs or Vintage Blades. Wherever you purchase your new str8 razor, though, make sure that it professionally honed prior to shipment. This is a service offered by both SRD and VB.

BTW...You may be able to find some effective home made concoctions to remove that blood from your wife's velour robe without doing much, if any, damage to the fabric online.

Take care...Remember, we're all pulling for you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BingoBango

As far as I can tell, no one worth their salt in honing would even bother trying to hone a Zeepk - or most of the others listed on the "Do not buy" list.

Again: Shouldn't there be a PSA telling folks not to buy these crummy razors? :soapbox:

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There is !!! the problem most of the time is people buy them then find SRP after the razor doesn't shave...

You also find many of the senior most members telling you to not shop E-Bay for at least 6 months or until you have honed your own razors multiple times...

Thanks for all the advice. I would have checked in sooner but I’ve been rather absorbed in "Wildcard Weekend."

Ok first on the list then is a quality razor. However, between Christmas, the new hardwood floor, and the mortgage payment, I'm a little light this month. Is it possible to get a used razor that is serviceable and easy on the wallet? If yes, can anyone tell me what I should look for, and what is ok and what is not (like pitting, etc.)?

Thanks again,

Adam Song

Hi Adam,

Check the classified section on the menu bar above. If you find something you like be quick as the razors seem to fly out the door there. Since this is a public forum it's not 100% but it is close. Be sure to check the members post count. If you check their profile you can see how long they have been a member and also how many thanks they received. You can always drop me a PM if you wish with any questions. You can use your Zeepk t practice stropping with for the interim and later for a box/letter opener. Good luck.