Thread: Some guidance please

Thanks again, I continue to read the forum until the wife complains and then I read some more. The above posts just make me more confident. Razor set arrives Monday or Tuesday. I had a great stroke of luck today. My local long, long time barber (Baxter) a legit cowboy and barber and generally great guy offered me as much time as I needed to drop in for lessons on all aspects and will start with having a look at my new set up
and "we will take it from there". His shop is full of collected shaving antique items and is a comfortable place.

I decided to have my first shave with the Artist RG with the guarded blade. I thought several shaves with this to reach a level of comfort and then I will be ready for the razor Lynn is sending me.
Slipped it gently through a cork twice. Did all the usual preparation work. Hesitated touching the sideburn and remembered the advice to keep moving. Observed constantly to keep the angle but did move it up and down on the cheek to feel the difference with angle (huge). Shaved entire right side of face, lip starting a touch low at the nostrils (nervous) and down and under the side of the chin on both sides. Slick nick at where left lip moves into cheek. Shaved neck up with the grain all around. Switched to left hand but could not seem to see what I was doing all that well trying to start at left sideburn, but went ahead anyway and shaved entire cheek area. Back to right hand, lathered, fininshed chin line all around up to ears. Had to use my DE under the nose and the prominent part of chin. But am amazed at the shave! Need to learn to get into the zen part, focus and relax but loved it, hands calmed quickly. Amazing shave, can't believe how close just going against the grain and partially across the grain afterwards.
Thanks for the world of knowledge your house brings, like a smithsonian library. It is all there, just read it and step up to the plate.
I figure 10 more shaves with this razor, 5 with the professional blade then I will pass the entire set to a friend who wants to buy it and try wet shaving as well.
Can't wait to try the razor from SRD and begin to master better shaving but the strop and honing as well (that's where my barber buddy comes in).
Thanks to all!

Way to go! Watch some of the videos and see if you can pick up some pointers on the harder spots on the face, and not everybody does it the same way. Watch several.

You will have to learn to change the angle of the blade as the angles on your face change. For example. When shaving the mustache area you want to place the blade flat against the nostrils, like you are trying to cut off the air supply with the blade. This angle is too great to come straight down, so you want to rotate the angle as you come down. As a matter of fact rotating the blade will start to shave the area before you start moving the razor down above your lip.

This is just one example, and the way I do it, but it sounds like you are off to a good start. That exposed blade is a little freaky.

Thanks for continuing the advice. I have the video coming with the razor. It is nice to have the first try out of the way so you can get on with learning the art. I am finding wet shaving very enjoyable, perhaps as a step back to a simple feeling of accomplishment and pride to some extent. Perhaps all those years watching my grandfather shave every morning somehow ingrained in my mind some procedural steps. I remember how perfectly steady he was and shaved exactly the same way every time and at the same speed everytime and it's been over 50 years since I saw him shave. The spash of aftershave is just the icing on the cake.

I've had fine motor tremor all my life. A couple of things you can try are 1) a heavier razor to load the muscles a little and 2) when I approach my face at an awkward angle, I'm not sure I'm seeing the depth right, I will lay the side of the spine against my skin first, then rotate to bring the edge to bear. Easier done than said. It is fun, once you get into it.

Wanted to give folks here an update about my progress and attachment to
straight razor shaving. Since my last post on this thread I have:
Had 3 of my grandfathers razors restored and honed. I have purchased a couple of NOS and a razor or 2 from our members sales. I dealy love them
all. I seem to be making great progress at stropping using the modular with the recently added bridle leather piece. I am getting 95% of my shaves complete with the straights and clean up with my DE's because I am still a little hesitant on the upper lip start and finishing the bottom of the chin. I am crazy about Trumpers sandalwood shave cream. I have tried honing once on a norton 4/8 and consequently mailed the razor off to Lynn for it's return to normal, hopefully. I will continue to educate myself to get the honing down. I have have the good fortune to meet some great folks because of this forum, Bob Keyes among them and continued my relationship with Jim at vintage as well as our hosts. I am visting my dear friend and cowboy barber for 20+ years this afternoon and taking a look at his collection. He has told me I am welcome to a couple of my choice...as he too is retiring soon and wanted to share the experience, so I am excited about that.
Most of all I wanted to say that while I don't post much I am thankful for the education available here from the membership, it is world class and there is nothing overlooked if you just poke around.
Be well folks and thanks for a pleasant place to visit and learn.
Bob

(This thread is reason #18182532 on why this is a great forum.)
Congratulations!


You wouldn't by any chance.....happen to have any pictures of your grandfathers newly honed family razors?