First shave! and second and third...

[coreys]

Alrighty.
Hello everyone, as this is my first post i feel that should be said.

Today i had my third attempt with a straight razor. Last week when i received my first razor from the invisible edge, and also a razor i purchased off ebay as a muck around/practice blade, i was so excited having spent the previous few days scouring the web for as much info as i could. So of course i had a nice hot shower, then got out the canned shaving crap (still waiting on a brush and soap) and lathered up, with my vintage razor and worn cartridge razor to the side in case i need it, i started from my right side burn. After one stroke i was hooked and didnt touch my other razor. I went against the advice of many others here and went over my whole face, just leaving a couple areas that i couldnt get easily. I only got one nick and a lot of razorburn, but it was worth it, easily a better shave than the cartridge within reason. My second shave had slightly better results except i sliced the very bottom of my nose while trying to get my upper lip. Third shave has an area on each cheek that is smooth as with absolutely no stubble or bumps and i got no nicks or cuts this time, except a tiny spot under my ear where i had a lapse of concentration and i stabbed myself with the point. each shave i have noticed it is getting a bit smoother, which i think is possibly from me learning the angles that i have to use with the razor, but after the first shave i noticed a lot more pulling. I guess i have to work on my stropping more.

Im glad that i decided to try this out as i am looking forward to shaving next and hopefully the novelty wont wear off.

By the way i am well aware that i am no good at typing stuff up as it always comes out much different to what im thinking. So this post is mostly gibberish and i apologize.




Corey.

[Stubear]

Welcome Corey!

It sounds like you've jumped in with both feet, which is great..! A couple of questions though. What make is the razor you bought off eBay? And did it come shave ready?

Its been my experience that some sellers put the "shave ready" tag on a razor when it may not actually be shave ready. I would advise sending the razor to be honed if you have any doubts about the edge at all.

A rule of thumb is that if the razor is pulling a lot, or not removing hair, then it needs to be honed. You can get a bit of pulling when you're learning due to a lack of technique, but if its really uncomfortable it may be worth having the razor honed. Another sign of a blade that needs honing is having to use lots of pressure to get a good shave.

It sounds like you are getting the hang of things if the shaves are improving. If you want to practice stropping, use a butterknife to get the motion sorted and then try it with your razor. This will help you get your stropping down, and hopefully save you a few nicks in the strop as well..!

Just keep practicing the shaving, keep the pressure light and watch your angles. Remember; 30 degrees or less!

If you havent already, check the Wiki and other articles linked in my sig line below. Theres loads of useful information in there that should help you on your way!

Good luck and keep us posted!

[jhenry]

Hello Corey. Welcome to SRP. Glad to have you aboard.

As Stubear noted, it appears that you jumped in with both feet. Shaving your entire face with your straight razor the first time is not unheard of, though. It is rather exhillarating, isn't it?

+1 on Stubear's advice. Make certain that your razor is expertly honed before continuing. Additionally, focus on your beard/face prep, stropping and blade angle. Remember to use light pressure when applying the blade to your face and always keep your blade moving. That will reduce/prevent nicks and cuts.

Above all, be patient and proceed slowly. Rome was not built in a day and neither is the art of becoming proficient at the use of a straight razor. Be persistent. There will be days when things don't seem to go well, but there is always tomorrow.

As for your razor burn...Reduce the amount of presure of the blade against your face. Also apply some type of aftershave balm to your face after shaving. Those two things should reduce and soothe the irritation you are experiencing from the initial use of this old/new shaving technology on your face.

Take care--and smooth shaving.

[coreys]

Thanks for the replies. I have indeed read the wiki and i have spent a couple days going through previous posts on SRP. As i forgot to mention, my last shave had very little irritation, possibly because i wasnt repeatedly going over the same ares many times trying to figure out how to make the right pass. Even with a brand new cartridge i used to get incredible razor burn until i started using a moisturiser after, but i am currently out and have to get some more ASAP.

The ebay razor is unknown to me even after a fair bit of searching.
It does not have the original scales, rather some cheap wooden ones.
The front side of the tang has a platypus and 'solingen' '2503'.
Whilst the back side has 'little dorrit' and a worn image of a girls head in a circle.
The blade used to have etching but has mostly been buffed out. what i can make out though (barely) is 'goldene medaille' on the left side of an image, 2 circles, the left possibly has something with a wing, and the right appears to have a wreath around it and may be filled with writing, cant make any of the words out. to the right of the 2 circles it says '......dorf 1902' or '......dore 1902'.
All this etching is VERY hard to photograph as i was trying for nearly an hour with my DSLR. the best i could get were just a couple of the letters. Like i said it has mostly been buffed out and i didnt even notice it was there for a short while.
And yes it was shave ready, as the seller emailed me saying he had honed it himself, which i believe because it removes my whiskers fairly well.

[Morty]

Im glad that i decided to try this out as i am looking forward to shaving next and hopefully the novelty wont wear off.
Corey.

No Corey,
The novelty won't wear off. Never in my life have I had so much fun shaving. Never in my life have I felt so good about a new hobby. Never in my life have I felt so good about myself.

Go with the flow . . . this is life!
Namaste,
Morty -_-

[nun2sharp]

The novelty may wear down some over the years, the satisfaction of a great shave never dies! Congrats on your newly learned skill and welcome my brother to SRP!

[coreys]

Just thought id add a picture or 2
Top: eBay razor
Bottom: Cox & Son from The Invisible Edge