Thread: Journal of discovery, learning to use a straight razor

Hello all,

Like others in this section, I'm new to straight razors. I've enjoyed reading about other's learning experiences and want to document my own as well. Instead of posting a new thread with each insight, I figured I'd just keep a running mini blog of my learning experience in this thread. I hope this can eventually be of help to others looking to learn in the future, but I also want to document my own path of discovery and learning so that years down the road when I'm still using the cut throat I can look back with a smile and re-experience my learning process.

So here we are at the beginning. A bit of personal history to start off. I'm 32 years old, back in college studying to be a RN. I'm tired of spending an arm and a leg on disposable vibrating razors, and I've grown a disdain for disposable plastics. Its asinine to me to use a material that lasts forever in disposable products, but I've never really thought I had a choice in the matter when it came to razors.

That is, until I came across this thread in another forum I frequent. I learned that I don't have to use disposable plastics for shaving, and start looking into DEs. During my research, I come across badger and blade, and discover that people are still using straight razors! Now I start getting excited. Old school DEs are one thing, but straight razors had an instant allure for me.

I'm the kind of guy who likes learning as much as I can, so I start my research. What do I need, where do I get it for a good deal, what is the learning curve like, where do I get the knowledge I need before I put this blade to my face? BadgerandBlade is seemed to have more people using DEs, but from there I found SRP. So I think I have enough knowledge to make some decent purchasing decisions, and lastget the following:

From Lynn, a Dovo Prima and some bay rum.
From elsewhere, a twizzerman badger hair brush, Col Conk's soap, and a Fromm canvas/leather stropp. I decide to hold off on hone for a little while.

Now we come to today. I get my Dovo and Bay Rum in the mail from Lynn (including, thank god, a free honing certificate). A few minute later, my brush arrives! Oh its like Christmas! Unwrapping my new toys! Smelling the fragrant bay rum. Opening and closing the blade, getting the feel for it in my left hand (feels oh so clumsy), holding it up to my face making mock strokes (am I doing it right?!!?)

So now we come to it. I have a razor (sharpened by Lynn) and a brush and some aftershave. Col Conk's hasn't arrived yet, nor has the strop. I trust the razor is shave ready, but I'm not sure if my soap is up to the task. Oh decisions, decisions! I've put off buying a mug till my stuff came in, so I think I'll go down to the thrift store and see what they have mug wise.

Right now, I'm just basking in that feeling of a little kid on Christmas morning. I know this will pass, so I'm just enjoying it while it lasts.

Here are some of the resources I've found useful or interesting so far.

Knowledge
SRP's beginner's wiki page. This is the newb's one stop shop for the basic knowledge he needs. Good Brands, brands to avoid, essential shopping list, tips for first shave, common abbv, link to Lynn's DVD.
The wiki on face prep is must read as well.
Can't forget the section on stropping
Experiments on Knife Sharpening - John D. Verhoeven, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, September 2004
Popular Science, Razor Blades and Shaving, Oct 1931
Manic59's channel makes nice watching while waiting between shaves

Shopping
Whipped Dog Straight Razor - Site ran by Larry Andreassen geared toward providing quality low cost entry kits. Known on B&B as "The biggest enabler out there"
Mama Bear's Soaps

I wanted to get a mug for the longest time. But I decided to give up and just face lather instead. It feels much better for me.

Skip the mug and buy a scuttle. Much better. Here is where i got mine.

Dirty Bird Pottery - Wheel thrown and hand crafted home goods, kitchenware, gardenware, shaving pieces and more...

Ok, so I decided to give it a go, even though I'd have to wait for my strop for my 2nd shave.

My plan has been to follow the beginner's instructions stickied at the top of this forum and ease my way into straight shaving.

I took a hot shower, and really washed my face good. I also conditioned my growth and let that sit for a few minutes. The last thing I did was rinse my face off, then got out and started the lather letting my face stay wet. I used a KissMyFace shaving soap that I've had around, as I saw that recommended somewhere. Not using too much water at all, I thought it made a nice thick lather. Of course, this is my first time really lathering up properly, so it could have been horrible lather as far as I know. I spent about twice as long lathering up as I thought was appropriate, just to make sure I did a good job. After reading about how lathering with a brush differs from the normal finger lather (gentle exfoliation close to the hair) I tried to really work the tips of the hairs around instead of the sides of the hairs to get that close cleaning/exfoliation action going good.

I got my dovo out, got a good grip, and did a few mock passes an inch above my face just to get a feel for it. Then it was finally time to touch razor to skin.

I did my dominant side sideburn and cheek, paying close attention to angle, the feel of the cut, and trying to stretch my lathered skin. I found myself constantly flattening out the razor against my skin and having to readjust the angle. I cleared that side of my face using 1 inch strokes. I initially thought that the whole of the blade swept the side of the face when shaving, but I found with my facial contours I only used 1/4 to 1/3 of the blade most of the time. I'm not concerned with a close shave at this stage in the game, just completing a single pass WTG, getting my face adjusted to the straight, and building proper technique.

Well, it didn't take too long for me to finish that side of the cheek, so thought, "What the hell, lets keep going." My left hand was horribly uncoordinated with the razor, so I reached around to the other side with my right. This side went a bit faster since I had a better feel of what I was doing (although I was definitely taking my time). I did get one nick near the bottom of my ear though. I had finished a stroke, and at the very end I slid the blade sideways as I lifted it up. Got a nice clean cut about 1/4 of an inch long. Amazingly, the cut was so clean it closed right up in about a minute, even though my face was still pretty wet. (I've always healed cuts fast).

Ok, so both cheeks done, and I wanted to go on. So down to the neck I went. This area proved much more difficult, since my neck hair grows horizontally, away from my Adam's Apple. I've always shaved XTG N-S here, never WTG, so it was very awkward. Eventually I just cut XTG and it seemed to work well. No cuts.

Next I went under the chin. This went very well as I was able to pull it nice and tight and I was really focusing on my angles. No cuts This is where I really noticed the difference that good angle + tight skin makes.

At this point I was left with a goatee, and decided to attack the upper lip. Short strokes here, very tight skin and really really focusing on angle and not cutting my lip off. It was slow going, as the hairs really seemed to want to grab the razor, but I got it done with no cuts.

Finally the chin was all that was left. I've always hated shaving the chin, very curvy. I found pulling the skin to flatter parts helped a lot, but there were still areas that were on the rounded part of my chin no matter what. I just had to let them be. I simply don't have the skill to take on the chin yet, no matter how cautious.

I rinsed with cold water and splashed on the bay rum, OUCH!!! I dried my razor off, paying close attention not to hurt the cutting edge. To dry the edge, I did a gentle stropping motion on my towel which dried it nicely.

I should say that I was constantly re-lathering so that I wasn't shaving over skin that was simply wet. The KissMyFace stuff is supposed to be a moisturizing soap as well, and I think my face feels softer than after my normal skin wash, but I could just be imagining it. The lather was getting a little cold near the end though, so I just made a fresh batch with warm water (I was running out of hot at this point).

So anyway, that's my first shave. A little over excited, but I think everyone is that way their first time. I was really focusing on getting the skin tight, holding the razor at the proper angle, and the feeling that tight skin and proper angle gives me. I don't have a close shave, but I don't expect that with a simple WTG pass.

Oh, and my face smells WONDERFUL!

Hi markevens,
Nice posts!
Congrats on your first shave with a straight-seems like everything went ok.Not too many cuts either.
Hope this is the first of many!
Kind regards

Noggs

Good story, congrats on your first shave!!
Yes, I was very overexcited for my first, but I still am now and am at my 9th.

I found your story very enjoyable and loved the little details.

I think one of the reasons I am mainly in this subforum is not because I am a beginning str8 shaver too, but because the feeling and enjoyment of beginners' stories are definitely not found elsewhere. The emotion and joy of anticipation really radiates from many stories found here.

thanks for sharing and keep it up!

Thank you guys for the comments and encouragement. My strop still hasn't arrived yet, and I don't want to do a second shave without it. I forgot to say I didn't get a mug before my first shave, I just used a small bowl. It seemed to work nice, and that is pretty much what the scuttles are, so I'll probably stick with it.

I've been spending some of my free time going over the grips section of the wiki, getting comfortable with holding and moving the razor in different ways.

I know its pretty newbish, but I'm really enjoying learning how to do all this. I like learning new things anyway, but there is something more personal about learning to use a straight razor as opposed to learning other skills.

Great reading! I hope you have a wonderful journey, I look forward to following your progress...

I got my second razor today, a John Williams Damascus Sheffield. It came pretty sharp. Passed the arm hair test at least, but I don't want to shave with it until I strop it.

Its been a few days and I really need a shave, let alone want one. Problem is my strop still hasn't arrived, and even though its only 100 miles away, tracking says it won't get here for another 10 days.

I thought I remember reading somewhere about people using yellow legal pads to strop. Not elegant nor something you want to do forever, but would this work?