Thread: first shave...no good

ive been shaving a while now im a sort of advanced beginer and if i dont pay attention my great shaving razors can pull like im using a rusty breadkife to shave with what i do in that situation is lay the razor on the bit im shaving edge and spine resting on the skin then lift then spine a bit and start again

give it time iam sure your blade is sharp and you creame Proraso is a good one. it take a bit of time to get it all togeather. frist, face prep i found useing a bit of hair conditioner rubbed into your beard really helps. next is the lather, as i said proaso is good stuff and is very slick when made right. when you are shaveing the lather should rince off your blade instantly if you have a line of soap on you edge your lather is too dry and your razor will stick. the hardest thing to learn IMO is the touch, that is the pressure of the razor on your face. up to a point the lighter the better , you still must have frim control of the razor or she will bite you. get your sideburns down to a point where you can feel the difference between where you shaved with the straight and where you went to the m3 then move on to the more challanging parts of you face.this (straight razor shaveing ) is abought the journey slow down relax and enjoy it

Like some have said, it's a newbie thing. Many, including myself, were disappointed in our first shaves. The true cost of membership involves the expenditure of time and patience. Just keep after it and make some minor changes with each shave and after even your first week of straight shaving you'll notice marked improvement. You've moved from having a chaufer drive you around in a Hyundai (your mach3) to driving yourself around in a stick shift Lamborghini...it ain't easy.

Originally Posted by anjp

I'm trying to keep 15 degrees between the blade and the skin....What am I doing wrong?

Actually, this is a natural and very mature attitude you're taking. Increase your angle to what you BELIEVE to be 45 degrees on the skin. When I started, I thought I was using the proper 30 degree angle, but it's tough for me to get that angle while viewing through a mirror, but when I adjusted to what my mind say as 45 degrees, I was actually on my 30 degree angle...overnight my shaves improved ten-fold.

I'm also happy to see that you're taking responsibility for your learning curve rather than posting a 'this razor isn't shave ready' threads. when I started, I felt the same way that the razor wasn't shave ready when it actually was...after a week I had come to the realization that it was ME and not the razor.

just stay with it thats how i felt the first time...on the up side be happy you didnt paint your sink red

My first shave wasnt anything to write home about, it still isnt, but its getting better. There's no rush to get it right is there i still finish off with the old mach 3 i'm not ashamed to say so long as you keep trying and dont get discouraged there's nothing to worry about

ian

Hi, anjp;

My first shave was rather poor, and left me with a bad razor burn. However, I was just happy that I didn't nick or cut myself. I ended up reshaving with a disposable after my first half-dozen SR shaves. Sham did a great job honing my razor and it was very sharp, until I dulled it by cutting up my new strop with my newbie attempts at stropping!

Obie is right on with all of his advice (as usual!). Take your time, and just remember that you aren't going to be a pro at anything the first time you try.

BTW, get yourself an alum block if you don't already have one. It's magic on razor burn!

Good luck!

Larry

Originally Posted by cutalot

when you are shaveing the lather should rince off your blade instantly if you have a line of soap on you edge your lather is too dry and your razor will stick.

There's always so much to learn... Thanks, cutalot. I've been having an issue with this lately, and I've wondered why I've been nicking myself more often.

anjp,

You've done your homework and read up on the stuff newbies are always advised to read, so there isn't much if anything I can add to what the sages have written other than one thing that may get me shot: not all shave ready razors are shave ready for faces other than that of the shave readier (honer/tester). I have purchased a few razors which were "shave ready", but didn't shave my face easily or smoothly. I've also purchased razors (NOS stock in original packaging) which have shaved like a dream. There are, of course, a lot of factors here, but if you are already a wet shaver, most of the prep issues are something with which you are familiar and use before shaving. So it may be that the edge may need some customizing for your face and whiskers.

Mind over mechanics: You threw your lawnmower away to cut grass with a scythe. You mind has to make up the unknown mechanics that it didn't know before, it does take practice there are a lot of factors involved I cant remember if anyone mentioned to keep you face lubricated other wise your blade has to go through that layer of dried soap. Just keep at it you'll be fine, soon you will notice the best shaves you've ever had.

Hi all,

A big thank you to everyone who replied to this thread and offered advice. Today was my 2nd shave and it did feel better. I tried playing with the blade angle and increasing it a bit did help. I found that closing my eyes for a few seconds and adjusting the angle to what "felt" right was often better than looking in the mirror. Also, as per your suggestions I found that shorter strokes helped quite a bit... I was trying long, smooth strokes because that's what I saw Lynn doing in one of his videos.

I think that with practice it will get better, and I'll keep at it!

BUT, it still feels very dry at times. I think that this dry-ness may contribute to the feeling of scraping rather than gliding. My lather feels GREAT when I run my fingers over the cheek and when I switch back to my safety razor it glides effortlessly over the face. But with the straight everything feels very dry. Is this normal?