First shave - WOW

I just had my first shave with a straight razor this morning. I feel like a new man. I walk differently now. I speak differently. My interactions with other people are different. I owned every conversation I had today. Throughout the day as I ran errands, met some friends for lunch etc. I kept saying to myself, "I shaved with a straight razor today. Wow." This is how a man shaves. This is why I got myself a straight.

Now, I will not describe my first shave with a straight as spectacular or anywhere near BBS for that matter. And I didn't expect anything of the sort. However, contrary to sound advice, I did manage to do 2 full passes wtg for some descent results. I've been wet shaving with a Mach 3 for years now, so I know my face well. I shaved my sideburn and just could not stop there, so I just decided to go for it.

Don't get me wrong, there was a couple of moments where I had to pause and take a deep breath, and I took it slow. I spent the better part of half an hour (maybe longer!) to finish my entire face. But I never stopped respecting the razor and was always aware of what the blade could do if I got careless. So I am relieved to say that I finished with only 2 small nicks, which stopped bleeding on their own very soon after my shave.

Anyhow, here are my humble beginnings:

SRD Vetiver Soap
Dovo Silver Steel - Ebony
EJ BBB in faux horn
Filly Strop

I want to thank this forum for being such a great source of information. I never thought I would say this, but I can't wait until it all grows back so I can do it all over again. :cool:

Congrats on the first shave!

It only gets better as your technique improves over time. Thanks for sharing reminds me of my first shave with a straight:-)

Reminds me of my first shave too. Congratulation!

Hello, LeBuzz:

Congratulations on your first shave with the straight razor. Much pleasure awaits you from here on as you hone your skills. Welcome.

Regards,
Obie

Congrats!! Welcome to the right way to shave...

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Originally Posted by LeBuzz

I just had my first shave with a straight razor this morning. I feel like a new man. I walk differently now. I speak differently. My interactions with other people are different. I owned every conversation I had today. Throughout the day as I ran errands, met some friends for lunch etc. I kept saying to myself, "I shaved with a straight razor today. Wow." This is how a man shaves. This is why I got myself a straight.

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:roflmao

OMG is that funny - I did the very same thing.

Congratulations and good luck to you - post lots.

David

Slow and steady wins the race!

Congratulations! Don't worry, you have years to master this stuff. Enjoy the ride. :rock:

'Was a bloody mess. 'Was really 'iffy' about the whole idea, and tried w/ a beauty store hair trimming straight. It worked. 3 cuts, but the important thing was that I could tell w/ good tools, I could get interested enough to develop some skills. I hope I DO some day :)

It won't be an unbroken success, but going back to anything else would be awful hard now.

Welcome, and I hope the path is kind to you.

Well done LeBuzz and welcome to the brotherhood of men! :beer1:

Thanks to all for the great response. Like I said this forum rocks.

I had my second shave last night... slightly better results this time around. I did 1 wtg pass with good results, except for my upper lip and chin. Those are spots that I will need some time to learn, but I do not mind because I am really enjoying learning this new skill.

I am still very handicapped at making great lather as well, but I think my stropping technique is pretty good. My shave ready Dovo from SRD is still cutting like a laser.

That's all for now!

CONGRATS !! :mexwave:

For your chin & upper lip, when you feel ready go for it, but don't be afraid to stop if your comfort/confidence level goes down. The first times will be tough, you'll probably need to finish with you mach3, but then all of a sudden you'll get it. Your hands will just know what to do with the razor, all by themselves.

LeBuzz--you can try a method I use to get some nice lather. For thick creamy lather I use about a teaspoonful of shave cream and add about a pea size bit of liquid glycerin or a hair more which thickens the lather.I dip my brush in warm water and start working it in my mug. Just keep that up and you'll have a creamy lather in no time. You can get a bottle of Glycerin at most drug stores and it's cheap. The Glycerin also gives a smoother shave. Something to try anyway:-)

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Originally Posted by Gunner777

LeBuzz--you can try a method I use to get some nice lather. For thick creamy lather I use about a teaspoonful of shave cream and add about a pea size bit of liquid glycerin or a hair more which thickens the lather.I dip my brush in warm water and start working it in my mug. Just keep that up and you'll have a creamy lather in no time. You can get a bottle of Glycerin at most drug stores and it's cheap. The Glycerin also gives a smoother shave. Something to try anyway:-)

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I am currently using soap samples from SRD as I didn't really know what would work for me. I do think the cream might be the way to go from what I've been reading, so I'll have to pick some up. Also, thanks for the tip about the glycerin... I will try it out!

LeBuzz,

Check this out:

Making Überlather - Straight Razor Place Wiki

It works like a dream.

Great job,welcome to straight razor shaving.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LeBuzz

Thanks to all for the great response. Like I said this forum rocks.

I had my second shave last night... slightly better results this time around. I did 1 wtg pass with good results, except for my upper lip and chin. Those are spots that I will need some time to learn, but I do not mind because I am really enjoying learning this new skill.

I am still very handicapped at making great lather as well, but I think my stropping technique is pretty good. My shave ready Dovo from SRD is still cutting like a laser.

That's all for now!

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You are in luck! In order to practice shaving, you have to shave. But you can practice building lather and stropping anytime and several times a day.

Get a puck of Williams for about $2.00 and practice. You should be able to build good lather out of any shave soap, including Williams. There are guys here using Williams as their only shave soap. Toss it and build another batch.

Practice stropping several times a day. You can't overstrop a razor - you can ruin an edge by poorly stropping. This is an activity that requires muscle memory. There is only one way to develop that.

The upper lip and chin are the white whales of shaving for every new guy, so just take it slow and it will come.

Congrats.

We are all different as far as preference for soaps or creams. Many of us use both but I pretty much settled on creams for the most part.
This website, Superlather.com has a lot of the very best shave creams like LaToja. https://www.superlather.com/LaToja.htm
They also have sample aftershave decants so you can try various aftershaves etc for a couple of bucks each.

Linacman I didn't even know we had that Wiki on lather making and he is using Glycerin as well.Thanks for posting that link. Another reason I like cream is it takes some of the steps out of getting good lather. Soap takes a bit more time.

Decants at Superlather:
https://www.superlather.com/FloidDEC.htm

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Originally Posted by Gunner777

Linacman I didn't even know we had that Wiki on lather making and he is using Glycerin as well.Thanks for posting that link. Another reason I like cream is it takes some of the steps out of getting good lather. Soap takes a bit more time.

Decants at Superlather:
https://www.superlather.com/FloidDEC.htm

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You're welcome Gunner. There's also a Jockey's video where he makes Uberlather, but I always have trouble finding it.

Creams do make a big difference. That being said, I wet shaved for years without the benefit of the wealth of info on SRP. I taught myself with brute force and ignorance using good soap (C&E) and a $12 synthetic brush from Sally's Beauty supply. I managed to get good lather - not as good as with glycerin & cream, but it was still good.

Congrats and welcome from another Newbie :beer2:

[QUOTE=LeBuzz;659188]I just had my first shave with a straight razor this morning. I feel like a new man. I walk differently now. I speak differently. My interactions with other people are different. I owned every conversation I had today. Throughout the day as I ran errands, met some friends for lunch etc. I kept saying to myself, "I shaved with a straight razor today. Wow." This is how a man shaves. This is why I got myself a straight.

Separates the men from the boys...Makes you feel like the only guys to make the kill on a hunt; the only true gentleman of old class in the room, and just that wee bit of a edge makes you more of a man than they of weaker spirit...:tameshigiri:

I was going to post how I thought you a loser if a method of shaving increased your self confidence by so much. Then I had to be honest and realized that I too am walking around with a certain swagger that I didn't have before. I dress nicer, feel more professional and....ashamed to admit... am a lot more critical of other people's grooming.

Maybe we're all losers.

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Originally Posted by Wintchase

and just that wee bit of a edge makes you more of a man than they of weaker spirit...:tameshigiri:

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Wintchase, I'll have to admit that I got great enjoyment when one of my buddies asked to watch me shave, and he visibly winced when I went ATG on my neck. Definitely felt a testosterone surge over that:)

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Originally Posted by Wintchase

Separates the men from the boys...Makes you feel like the only guys to make the kill on a hunt; the only true gentleman of old class in the room, and just that wee bit of a edge makes you more of a man than they of weaker spirit...:tameshigiri:

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Absolutely. And I don't think using a straight makes you a man or completes you, but it is a reflection of your character. It is how men such as ourselves have chosen to shave based on who we are and what we value.

Picking up a mach 3 every morning, flicking the dull cartridge in the trash and popping in a new one, using that blue gel from an aerosol can to lather my face... just did not feel right.

Men should have skills. Men should own things that will last a lifetime and can be handed down for generations.