Thread: First real shave

Taking a cue from another set of posts I hope to someday take part in:

First "real" shave of my life 05/04/10

Pre-shave prep: Hot shower
Brush: Simpsons "Wee Scot"
Blade: 5/8 M. Jung "Our Special"
Soap: SRD Opus X
Aftershave: Origins - Firefighter balm
Nicks: 1
Post-shave beverage: Double cappuccino
Result: As good as any cartridge shave, I'll take that as success for my 1st time

The rundown: Oh boy do I have a lot to learn, from lather to angles to stropping and everything in between. I've got a beard, so I tried both cheeks to make up for the large portion of flesh I wouldn't get to shave since it's covered by beard I want to keep. I didn't think switching hands was as difficult as moving from the side of the cheek to the front of the cheek near the nose. I need to watch more videos to see how that's done again. Shaving with glasses on will take some getting used to as well. All in all though, an amazing experience, I'm looking forward to many, many years of straights. Thanks everyone for such a great resource, I'm here to stay!

Greg

Greg,

Glad you had a great str8 shave! I'm assuming that the badger was able to scratch that tickle in your throat. Did the fact that the badger is the smaller-than-expected create a problem?

I share in your frustration with the glasses. Tonight I had an epiphany - if I bend the scales of the razor down instead of up, I can hold my face closer to the mirror so I can see. With the scales turned up, if I lean forward until I can see in the mirror the end of the scale hits the mirror - not a good thing. I'm going to try turning the scales down tomorrow when I shave. I "mock" shaved this way tonight and think it will work. I'll probably still use my glasses and the scales bent upward to do my neck.

Maybe a seasoned shaver who wears glasses can share their wisdom with us.

Again, congrats on the first shave.

Greg

P.S. - Why didn't I think of having a latte afterwards?

Thanks Greg,

The wee scot was actually kinda fun to lather with, but will soon be relegated to travel brush. I need to experiment with angles tonight, and which hand feels right on which side of my face. Chimensch's 30th anniversary video gave me a lot to think about, so I'll watch that a few more times tonight and get ready for my second attempt tomorrow.

I absolutely recommend a nice beverage after the shave though...it kept the experience going a bit longer.

Best,
Greg

Congratulations on a very good experience! Much better than my first straight shave!

Pabster

Greg,

That is what is going to happen to my first strop. It is 40 x 400 mm. Especially since I'm 6' tall and have long arms, I feel like I'm stropping with something designed for a dwarf. I'm ordering a SRD English Bridle today - the long one. The 40 x 400 will become my travel strop.

Please read my post today in "Getting to Know My Face". Glasses are no longer an issue for me. What I suggested to you last night worked!

Just out of curiosity, what type of beard to you have, as you mentioned only shaving part of your face?

Greg

Originally Posted by csudvm2003

Thanks Greg,

The wee scot was actually kinda fun to lather with, but will soon be relegated to travel brush. I need to experiment with angles tonight, and which hand feels right on which side of my face. Chimensch's 30th anniversary video gave me a lot to think about, so I'll watch that a few more times tonight and get ready for my second attempt tomorrow.

I absolutely recommend a nice beverage after the shave though...it kept the experience going a bit longer.

Best,
Greg

Congrats on your 1st shave. I haven't done it yet and to tell the truth I'm a little nervous. Hmm, I didn't think about the hand switch. Going to have to watch more videos and gleam some techniques. Hope I can find one with a left-handed shaver.

Cheers,
Jim

Welcome to SRP, Jim. I'd definitely recommend watching all the videos you can. And even then, once you get cold steel in hand, you'll realize (at least I did) that it's entirely different for you. And then it's back for more video research searching for good ideas to tackle the trickier spots on your particular face.

That being said though, with my vast 1/2 shave's worth of experience, as long as you're cautious there isn't TOO much to worry about. JimmyHAD's signature line "An old barber told me to hold the razor securely but lightly enough so that is if it pulls the razor will flex in your fingers and be less likely to nick. He also told me to never force it if it does pull. Following that advice I have rarely gotten a nick." is right on, I avoided more than one nick I'm sure because I could feel something was about to go wrong if I kept pushing the blade. Just pause, reassess, and start over.

Greg - I'm glad your suggestion panned out! I posted over there too. I've got something approximating a full beard, with the cheeks sculpted clean. Although the bare patches on the cheek are wider now, to match the length of my blade! I've decided I'm going to switch hands on both sides for my next shave, so that I can keep the toe of the blade pointed at the beard/mustache line, rather than trying to shave part with the toe and part with the heel. *Crosses my fingers*

Best,
Greg

****JimmyHAD's signature line "An old barber told me to hold the razor securely but lightly enough so that is if it pulls the razor will flex in your fingers and be less likely to nick. He also told me to never force it if it does pull. Following that advice I have rarely gotten a nick."*****

Greg, great advice. I reread this several times to let it sink in.

Jim,

I know how you feel. I'm only 3 shaves in, but each day it keeps getting better! The first time I saw the edge Lynn put on my DOVO Bismarck I got that going-over-the-big hill-on-the-roller-coaster feeling. That being said, just relax, breathe in, breath out, pick out some of your favorite relaxing music, take your time. As Obie told me, "embrace the experience" and "piece o' cake". Once you actually put the razor to your skin an make that first pass, you'll wonder why you were so apprehensive - I know I did.

Let us know how the first shave goes.

Greg A.

Originally Posted by wirehog

Congrats on your 1st shave. I haven't done it yet and to tell the truth I'm a little nervous. Hmm, I didn't think about the hand switch. Going to have to watch more videos and gleam some techniques. Hope I can find one with a left-handed shaver.

Cheers,
Jim

Congrats on your first shave with a straight razor. Believe me, it will only get better with time and experience.

You can expect some bumps in the road when you don't achieve the shave you desired or nick yourself a bit more than expected. Don't worry too much about that, though. Just go slow, focus and take care around those areas of your face that you have identified as difficult to shave.

Take care--and smooth shaving.