well, round 1 went pretty well.
Round 1 with a straight
Parker SRW with Shark blade
Nivea shaving cream (1 of my 3 creams that get rotated)
Probably a few flaws in this, but this is only round 1.
I've been using cream or lotion on my face for close to a year, with a schick quattro. Just lather on my face, adding water as needed to keep everything moist. I get a pretty close shave, but I have to go against the grain to get anywhere... and usually only get 1 good shave out of a cartridge. Been looking at straight razors for a little over a year, since it's pricey to go through cartridges like that.
I've got 3 flea market razors soon going to Lynn to get ready for me. Ordered this Parker the same day as the flea market, figuring I can work on my technique before I have to worry about sharpening.
It came today, so I ran off to walmart for supplies.
The razor was easy to figure out getting a blade into (as is typical, the info sheet was ignored).
Out comes the coffee mug and the brush I picked up (Wilkinson, synthetic). Soaked the brush, squeezed out the same amount of Nivea shaving cream I use when I lather on my face directly. Lesson #1: the mug is too skinny, had no room for the brush to move... didn't get any lather going... have to look for a bowl at the dollar store tomorrow.
... so I lathered on the face. The system isn't broken, and has worked so far.
Went with the grain on both left and right cheeks, against the grain on right cheek and neck (couldn't get the angle figured out for the left side reaching across). Have to get some practice with my left hand. Lesson #2: stretch the skin, it takes fewer strokes (Found that one out quickly)
Cleaning up around the goatee didn't work too well... nicked myself due to the angle I was holding at (changed grip). Lesson #3: watch the angle
Switched back to the cartridge for the middle of my face after the nick. Did the against the grain pass on the left side, and the clean up work around the edges and tougher spots on my neck. Can definitely tell which side I used the straight on for the against the grain pass.
Cool water rinse, Nivea aftershave balm. Only a couple spots bleeding, but that's normal with my face (always in the goatee area on both sides of my mouth), which is why I shave at night and not first thing before work.
I've shaved with my EDC knife before, and constantly do touchups at work if I missed a spot... so this isn't the first time I've had a razor sharp edge on my throat (today's rotation is the Spyderco Calypso Jr in ZDP-189, sharp enough to fillet letters off of a phonebook page). Might try the Wilkinson puck soap I picked up when I go for round 2 on friday or saturday, if I don't find a bowl.
So, all told... the right side of my face is smoother than the left, only nicked myself once, and I need something better for lather. Not bad for a first time.
