3rd shave better than expected

Hi all,
had my 3rd. str8 shave this morning and was supprised by the results.
The first was OK but had pretty bad razor burn. The second was terrible, I cut my earlobe (BAD!) and had really bad burn on my neck that hurt all day. But i don't give up when I decide to do something. This morning I lathered up, stropped, and with styptic pencil at the ready, began to shave. When I finished I was astonished that I hadn't quenched my razors thirst for blood and had no razor burn at all. Now don't get me wrong, it wasn't perfect either, just not painful. I still had a few spots on my neck down low that were stubbley, but for the most part it was better than I expected it to be.
I am using an old Erusta #96 razor that I had honed at ruprazor.com, man that thing came back insanely sharp. So sharp I didn't even know it when I cut my earlobe untill it started bleeding like a stuck pig.
Anyway, If I continue to improve and manage not to draw anymore blood, I think this could be one of the most satisfying 'me' things I've ever undertaken.

As alotta experienced users always told me."takes time".."up to a year"..though once yer hands are "trained"...you can use anything!

pcdad

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Originally Posted by bnalley

Hi all,
had my 3rd. str8 shave this morning and was supprised by the results.
The first was OK but had pretty bad razor burn. The second was terrible, I cut my earlobe (BAD!) and had really bad burn on my neck that hurt all day. But i don't give up when I decide to do something. This morning I lathered up, stropped, and with styptic pencil at the ready, began to shave. When I finished I was astonished that I hadn't quenched my razors thirst for blood and had no razor burn at all. Now don't get me wrong, it wasn't perfect either, just not painful. I still had a few spots on my neck down low that were stubbley, but for the most part it was better than I expected it to be.
I am using an old Erusta #96 razor that I had honed at ruprazor.com, man that thing came back insanely sharp. So sharp I didn't even know it when I cut my earlobe untill it started bleeding like a stuck pig.
Anyway, If I continue to improve and manage not to draw anymore blood, I think this could be one of the most satisfying 'me' things I've ever undertaken.

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Sounds like you're on the right track! Just stay relaxed and remember that off days will be off days, with time consistency will come. :D

Cheers! :beer2:

I cut my earlobes twice in my first month but I never did experience razor burn. I think razor burn is the most posted thread that I read from newbies. Make sure your lather remains very moist on your face while shaving. When I first started, I would notice that the soap lather would begin drying out by the time I got to my neck but I always re-lathered before I would proceed. If the lather appears as a paste on the blade after a stroke and is hard to rinse off, it's a good indication it's way too dry. I have a feeling that may be a big culprit in most cases of razor burn. That and using too much pressure.

+1 to it taking time to develope technique and skills. I've been at it about a year and am still learning new things. Learning the contours of your face and grain of your whiskers alone takes some time.

BTW...Watch out for your fingers and hands especially when raising and lowering the blade to and from your face. I think it's easy to cut your fingers because of concentrating so heavily on the face.

With all that siad, it sounds like you are still off to a great start! Welcome to the world of str8 razor shaving and keep us posted on your progress. Happy shaving!

I think thats my advantage of having come from Double Edge shaving, I learned early on not to use pressure to shave. If you still have hair, use more light strokes. If your razor is sharp, they will come off.:beer2:

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Originally Posted by bnalley

... So sharp I didn't even know it when I cut my earlobe untill it started bleeding ...

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heh, Yeah, I've gotten to recognise that I've nicked myself by the give and take of the razor in my hand because I can't really feel it happen on my skin.

This is the kind of progress most guys express, a couple of challenging starts, but quickly some very satisfying results. Congrats!

After reading quite a bit I realize now that my razor burn probably stemmed from using way to much pressure. my 3rd shave I was letting the razor do the work and lo-and-behold, no burn. we will see how my luck holds in the morning though!

I suffered through 15 years of trial and error with the DE. This site is great!!!!:beer2: