Got a Package in the Mail Today

Got a Package in the Mail Today.

The Mail Man rang the bell at 0900 and told me he had a package for me to sign for.

It seems that Straight Razor Designs got my box out quick. Unpacked a 5/8 Dovo Black Star with Red Pakka. Opened up the package that contained the 3 inch red latigo leather strop and hung it on the door. After removing the oil off the blade I ran 20 laps on the canvas and followed up with 50 on the leather.

Opened up the brush and cleaned it with shampoo then set it in the cup to soak in hot water while I showered.

After a good shower I mixed up some Sandalwood lather and applied to face after about 2 minutes of mixing it was good, however need to work on it some.

Following what I have been reading for the last several weeks and applying what I have watched on video's I started on the right side and squared the sideburns then worked on the cheek and trimmed up to the mustache. Followed up by doing the left just the same.

After about 10 minutes I decided that since that went so good I moved onto the neck and jaw with no problems to note. The hard part was the chin. Had to lather a few times to get the angles right and shave to a respectable feel.

After two passes with the grain and across I had a shave that was far better than my electric has ever giving me. I had only one nick on the right side which surprised me seeing I am right handed.

Followed up with a I water soaked cloth for cleanup and cooling. Applied some Nivea after brushing my teeth.

Ran the razor on the canvas for 20 laps.

About 35 Minutes instead of 10 to get ready (not counting the razor prep which took some time), not bad.

Small bit of razor burn on the chin all else was good.

:gwh:

Congratulations .

I agree! Huge Kudos on your first shave! It sounds like you are out to a great start.

Since you have a brand new razor, I hope you take heed to some very important advice. You said you stropped after your shave, which is very good. Did you make an extra special effort to dry it as well? Right after your shave, make sure to run the blade under the hottest tap water possible and gently dry it well with a towel (the heated steel helps evaporate left over moisture). Make sure to wipe inside the scale using the edge or corner of the towel. Left over water droplets inside the scale is what can give you those pesky, surprise water spots on the blade when you open it the next morning. Finally, just as you have already done, strop a few times as the friction aids even more in removing any left over moisture. If you follow the above steps, you should be able to keep your razor in mint condition for a lifetime of enjoyment.

The best of luck to you and we hope to hear from you with updates on your progression. Keep with it and soon you will find yourself actually wanting to shave. With such a succesfull first shave, you may already be there. Oh yea! It's a great conversational piece too!

Kcarlisle


Rinsed with hottest water I could get, and wiped (carefully). I like steel to last.

Thanks for the advice.

:gwh:

It sounds like you really did your homework! Good going.

The chin was my toughest area to master. Definately take your time here. My best advice is to use little, short strokes, changing the blade angle as you progress around the curve of your chin. Don't expect to be able to shave this with long strokes as you can with a disposable razor.

You're doing a lot better than I did on my first try. I didn't have the nerve to do a complete shave my first time, so, I think it's awesome you did as well as you did. You can expect to get a little faster and a little faster as time goes by. It was taking me quite a while in my first month or so. BTW...Whatch out for your ear lobes and the corners of your mouth! Those are the two areas I nicked a couple of times in my first two months.

LongRange,

Well done :)

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

I just bought that same razor a few days ago, but I got mine with the (Spartan) green scales. Great purchase. My only problem is that now I want to buy a whole lot more stuff off of that site, lol.
The shipping from SRD is crazy fast. I'm pretty sure that I had the new razor in my possession in about 36 hours. it was great because I reeeeeeally didn't feel like waiting for my razor!

Well done! :)

My first razor was a Dovo Black Star as well, and they really are great little shavers. It sounds like you had a very successful shave, so congrats!

Glad you're enjoying it and you'll be pleased to hear that it just gets better from here. :D

Good luck and keep us posted!

Congrats and welcome to the club..

Longrange,

Congratulations on what sounds like a very successful first shave! The guys on here are incredibly helpful. As you are learning, don't be afraid to ask anything. Keep us informed how the learning curve goes, and welcome to the brotherhood!

Beginners luck! It sounds like you did very well. You've got the resources for having a great shave from SRD and the basis for good technique right here.

After my first straight shave I looked like I had gone through a car windscreen. Either that, or I really annoyed a cat! It didn't help that my shop bought Dovo was far from shave ready and I didn't know about SRP or have anyone to show me how to shave with a straight!

You're well on your way to success.

Scipio

Man you jinxed it all.

This morning cut mark right jaw not the bad though.

Cut inside left ear again not bad.

Mixed the lather in a bowl this morning and got much better results than with the cup. Going by Cabellas in the morning and maybe find a cast iron bowl and give it a try. Seems others have had results with it keeping it warm.

Great on the neck and chin this time, will be better next time. Need to find some good with-hazel locally, if not will order some since I missed that on my razor order.

Will do it again tomorrow very early at 0500. Got a plane to catch with a flight student (lesson).

:gwh:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Longrange

Scipio

Man you jinxed it all.

This morning cut mark right jaw not the bad though.

Cut inside left ear again not bad.

Mixed the lather in a bowl this morning and got much better results than with the cup. Going by Cabellas in the morning and maybe find a cast iron bowl and give it a try. Seems others have had results with it keeping it warm.

Great on the neck and chin this time, will be better next time. Need to find some good with-hazel locally, if not will order some since I missed that on my razor order.

Will do it again tomorrow very early at 0500. Got a plane to catch with a flight student (lesson).

:gwh:

---

Sorry to hear that! So, was it beginner's luck after all?
Every 5 months or so I get a little nick, particularly with a spike point :)

Remember to stretch properly and use a light enough touch so that the razor does the work, not you!

It get better with time. Wait till you learn to scythe and buff!

By the way what soap/cream are you using - you mentioned sandalwood?

Decent shave this morning no extra nicks or cuts. Two passes with grain still smoother after 11 hours than if electric were used so I consider it pretty good. Still having problems with the chin so I will take it easy and work with it.

:gwh: