First shave...led to questions...

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04-04-2010, 01:35 PM
timolocus

First shave...led to questions...

So, I completed my first straight razor shave yesterday, and did pretty well. I successfully didn't nick myself at all, and my right cheek was BBS.

For those that saw my "Inheritance" post I used the red handled razor.

I went to a local gentleman's store where they sell everything from hats to canes to straight razors (they only sell Shavettes and Dovo...I think I need a second job...man those are nice). I picked up some Almond aftershave (the scent having been approved by my wife over the Bay Rum) and asked about honing. They actually said that some of them take their straight razors to a local outdoor store and have them hone them in the knife section.

I followed suit, and had them honed there. (This may have been a mistake, but the razors came out sharp, and the one that was chipped was rounded out).

I went to Walgreens and purchased some mineral oil, got home and coated each of the razors with said mineral oil using a cotton square, and then used rubbing alcohol to take off the excess oil.

I let the razors sit open for about 10 minutes to let all of the alcohol evaporate.

I jumped in the shower, and then prepped for my first shave.

I used Williams shave soap (I've used it for years even with cartridge razors) kept in a Gentleman's Regiment mug (a ceramic shave mug) and what I believe to be a boar brush...I inherited it from my mom's bathroom closet a few years after my parents divorce (I think it was my dad's).

I stropped the razor (after reading Lynn's post about first shave, not nearly enough) and lathered up.

My first issue is that I need to work on my stropping technique, I keep the spine leading, it's getting the turn natural that will take practice. Currently I complete a pass, stop all motion, lift the razor several inches off of the strop, turn, place down spine first, then let the blade touch, repeat.

I found (what I believe is called) the Japanese grip most comfortable, and allowed me to see the most clearly. The angle wasn't as hard to maintain as I thought it would be after all the reading about how important angle is to proper shaving.

I was by no means a pro but one trick that may help other newbies, I kept telling myself to think about how the cartridge would sit against my skin (or literally pick up my Mach 3, and press the cartridge to my skin), and do my best to match the straight razor to the angle of the blades in the cartridge.

I went super slow (maybe an eighth of an inch at a time) and anytime I felt the slightest tug or scrape I would stop, check my angle, and re-lather as needed (I am pretty certain this is why I didn't nick myself).

I successfully finished under my right sideburn, and was feeling pretty good so I continued to the right cheek. That was a little more difficult, but no major issues. I got to my jaw line, and realized I was quite stuck. (I have always shaved my right side, then my chin and neck, then my left, then my lip with cartridges, so it is a bit strange to go in a different order).

I fought with the angle/vision/hand use/grip for a while on the left, and finally resigned to Lynn's wisdom (big surprise right?) and switched to my non-dominant hand (which I am assuming is why my left cheek did not come out BBS).

I finished my left sideburn and cheek after what felt like a decade of shaving (I would rather go too slowly than need a blood transfusion).

I was going to start on my chin, but could feel myself losing patience, and could not for the life of me find a comfortable grip/vision angle in order to shave.

I looked at myself in the mirror, and judged my work. Right side: B+ pretty smooth, minimal redness, no cuts. Left side: C No cuts, a moderate redness, pretty patchy.

Here is where I need advice:

1) Was taking my razors to the outdoor store a huge mistake? If so, will it have a huge effect on my razors from here on out, or will I be able to chalk it up to being a dumb new guy, and just get them honed PROPERLY from now on?

2) On a related question, I definitely know that I want to be able to hone my own razors eventually. Is there anything comparable to a Watson 4k/8k stone that is lower in price, or should I just expect to spend the $80-$100 on a quality hone?

3) Cleaning: Was the mineral oil/rubbing alcohol combo the right thing to do? (I received a previous response about using mineral oil to take fingerprints off) How can I go about getting the black spots off? (They are very tiny, and not rust...I think technically it would be tarnish).

4) Lather: My lather was good, but seemed to evaporate pretty quickly, causing me to need to re-lather pretty often. Is there any way to remedy this, or is it a result of sub-par soap?

5) Rinsing: My wife has taken me to get a professional straight razor shave in the past, so I kind of knew what to expect concerning the sound/feel of the shave compared to a cartridge shave. I recalled the barber using a hot damp towel do wipe the foam and hair from the blade as the shave went on, so I opted for this technique, but found it a bit unnatural. I also don't want to waste water by having to run water over the blade every 15 seconds between passes. What method works for you in keeping the razor free of lather and hair during the shave?

6) Concerning angle and grip in order to shave the jaw line, chin, neck and lip. Will the Japanese grip work (I felt like my sight line was obstructed), or do I need to switch grip styles and simply practice more?

Thanks for all the feedback.
04-04-2010, 01:58 PM
JimmyHAD

Congrats on your first straight razor shave. On the stropping there is a tutorial here from a 1961 barber manual excerpt on honing and on stropping from the SRP Wiki help files. Note that they recommend practicing flipping the razor without doing the stroke. When you feel you've gotten proficient with the flip begin doing the stroke. Never take the spine of the razor off of the strop ..... once you have the flip learned it won't be necessary. I've found that holding the tang between the tips of the thumb and forefinger allow for better control of the blade as well as tactile feedback for the amount of pressure I choose to apply to the edge. YMMV.

Hard to say whether your razors were honed equal to what a 'pro' SRP honemeister would have achieved without seeing and feeling the edge. If it shaves well that is all that matters. IMO the Norton set of combo stones with the 220/1000, 4/8 and lapping plate is a good way to start out and really all you'll ever need to have. You might want to add a 12k naniwa or an alternative finishing stone down the road but that is not essential.

As far as your lather drying up .... when I first started shaving with a straight I had that problem too. It took me so long to shave one side that by the time I went to the other side I had to re-lather. It had dried up. Needless to say as I became more proficient the problem went away.

I shave with my dominant right hand but did learn to use both awhile back. I got a tip from a forum member that helped me to shave with the left hand and would work for either as well as take care of the grip issues. If you have a dull razor practice manipulating it on your face while you are watching TV or at the PC. IOW, not looking in the mirror while shaving. This worked really well for me. If you think about it if you only practice while actually shaving that isn't very much time devoted to it. The comfortable manipulation and grip will come much faster with more practice IME. So doing the practice as suggested above .... carefully.... should yield good results.

I rinse my razor under the tap between passes but if you don't want to waste water a towel or , as I've seen another member do, a wet sponge is an alternative to wipe of the lather between passes. I always rinse the razor with hot water following the shave. Dry it with a tissue and strop on leather for 20 or so passes. Then I wipe it with a silicone gun cloth impregnated with a rust preventative. For the black spots a metal polish such as semichrome or flitz on a paper towel is your best bet.
04-04-2010, 02:00 PM
CarrieM

Hi timolocus, sounds like you did a good job on your first shave. Congrats!

Let me see if I help out on some of your questions

Quote:

Originally Posted by timolocus

1) Was taking my razors to the outdoor store a huge mistake? If so, will it have a huge effect on my razors from here on out, or will I be able to chalk it up to being a dumb new guy, and just get them honed PROPERLY from now on?

Straight razors should not be hones like knives, if someone at the store was experienced with straight razors that is fine, but most are not. I would suggest you send your razor out to be honed by one of the honemeisters listed in the Member Services section of the classifieds to be sure you have a shave ready razor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by timolocus

2) On a related question, I definitely know that I want to be able to hone my own razors eventually. Is there anything comparable to a Watson 4k/8k stone that is lower in price, or should I just expect to spend the $80-$100 on a quality hone?

It's recommended that you wait a bit before learning to hone and have your first couple of blades done by a professional. This is to make sure you know what a true shave ready blade really it. It's hard to know how well you are doing if you do not have something to bench mark it against. That being said the Norton 4/8 waterstones are what many people learning to hone choose.

Quote:

Originally Posted by timolocus

3) Cleaning: Was the mineral oil/rubbing alcohol combo the right thing to do? (I received a previous response about using mineral oil to take fingerprints off) How can I go about getting the black spots off? (They are very tiny, and not rust...I think technically it would be tarnish).

If we are cleaning blades between use we normally just use hot water to rinse all the later off, dry with a soft cloth and let sit out to air dry completely before putting away. Mineral oil comes in handy if you live in a very humid area, or are storing them for a long period of time a light coating of mineral oil is good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by timolocus

4) Lather: My lather was good, but seemed to evaporate pretty quickly, causing me to need to re-lather pretty often. Is there any way to remedy this, or is it a result of sub-par soap?

Williams should work fine for you. Did you have a problem with it drying out when you used the cartridge razor? I think this may be just an issue with the time it takes to shaves while you are learning. Sometimes is helps if you just lather the area that you are shaving. Rinsing off and lathering the next section. Otherwise just dipping the brush lightly in some warm water and reworking the lather like you have been works fine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by timolocus

5) Rinsing: My wife has taken me to get a professional straight razor shave in the past, so I kind of knew what to expect concerning the sound/feel of the shave compared to a cartridge shave. I recalled the barber using a hot damp towel do wipe the foam and hair from the blade as the shave went on, so I opted for this technique, but found it a bit unnatural. I also don't want to waste water by having to run water over the blade every 15 seconds between passes. What method works for you in keeping the razor free of lather and hair during the shave?

we use a washcloth or a papertowel to carefully wipe the blade off in between passes. You just have to be careful that you aren't coming in contact with the blade edge as that will dull it over time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by timolocus

6) Concerning angle and grip in order to shave the jaw line, chin, neck and lip. Will the Japanese grip work (I felt like my sight line was obstructed), or do I need to switch grip styles and simply practice more?

This one I can't help you on as I don't shave my face, but I am sure others will chime in shortly that can help you out.

Hope things continue to go well for you and if you have any questions let us know.