Thread: First Straigh Razor Shave

Yeah, having other people around can be dangerous. It simply takes away from your attention. It does for me anyway, maybe not so much other.

Whenever I've shaved while someone was sitting there watching, I get a bit self conscious and no longer have 100% attention on the shave. I found this especially true when I was shaving as a demonstration. Sometimes swmbo will watch me shave, and its a little distracting, but not too bad, but when I shaved in front of my Dad because he wanted to watch, I ended up with a very sub par shave.

I'll try to be quick and to the point with my post today as it's been real busy...shaves getting incrementally better. Stropping seems to be getting better too. The whole experience is getting better bit by bit. Funny thing...one of my co-workers came in while I was shaving and took notice of me with the str8. It should be noted that in his day, I'd bet he was likely a rough and tumble hard a$$...retired Army 1stSgt when that was a tough job...been retired 20-25 years now...an ex trucker after he retired...probably a hard dude back when. Anyway...he's walking past me and does a double take and a loud "woah man" while I was shaving. Then he said "I've always been too scared to even TRY (his emphasis) that"...it was all I could do from not cutting him...lol. He has a deep, radio broadcaster voice that can really get attention but...in the end, I maintained control of the str8 (literally and figuratively...lol) and kept shaving as he and my boss watched.
I'm really digging the str8 razor shave since it's a real throwback for me to do what my grand daddy did until he got too old to control the blade. I remember him showing me his mismatched set (he was real proud of them) but by then, he was too unsteady to use them and had gone to a DE safety razor..."don't like it as much as my blades but I hate the plastic crap" was what he'd say even back in the early 80's. His daddy showed him how to shave before the accident that put him out of work (long story) and put my granddaddy in the orphanage. He spoke fondly of his dad and the memories of watching him shave with HIS straight razor before going to work in the rail yard. So, this really kind of ties me to my granddaddy to some degree.
Anyway...so much for the quickie...not that I've ever been too quick anyway . Thanks for the encouragement, the support and letting me bend your ear. Rich.

I love your first experience stories.

Tell us a little more about your job. Military?

Hi y'all. Good morning. The shave this morning went exceedingly well. The only minor "bump in the road" was that the lather dried out on my left cheek when I was doing my XTG shave but it was a bit "runny" at the same time...go figure. Not quite the "whipped cream/beaten egg white" consistency that I strive to attain. Nothing that a quick dab won't take care of though huh. Do I dare say that I came very close to a BBS on my cheeks and jaw? I wear a goatee so the chin and lip are a moot point right now. Can't get complacent for sure though...gotta maintain respect for the blade. The same trouble spots are proving themselves with the str8 as with the DE however. The areas between the windpipe and neck muscles are a bit of a trick since 1. the whiskers are in that "hollow" and 2. the whiskers grow in more of a downward orientation from front to back at close to a 45 degree angle. Right now, ATG on this area is beyond my scope of ability but...not for long. This is the most fun I've ever had with shaving and like I've seen, heard and posted, it seems to set the day off on a more relaxed note, with a definite positive feeling of accomplishment. Then again, I'd guess that shaving with an exposed balde that could just as easily lop off your head and coming out unscathed is always a positive...lol. Once again though, I had some bonehead come in and almost cause me to do something stoopid - misspelling intentional to emphasize the point. He comes in and says "it's like de ja vu, we're even at the same sinks again today" then goes "oops" while feigning almost bumping into me, kind of like grab a$$ing except that I have an exposed blade in my hand. What IS it with these clowns? It was all I could do was keep a steady hand and remind him that "this straight razor can cut me or you just as easily"...kind of put a chill in the air. I had a funny feeling right before he did it and it seemed to happen in slow motion too so I was a bit lucky and able to keep steady. THIS is one big aspect of being stateside that I miss the most...my privacy...that and being able to cook my own supper in my own kitchen. The point though is that I'm having a blast learing to use the srt8 and at the same time (when I have stuff like this happens) come out sometimes thinking the lyrics to that old Rolling Stones song..."hey, you, get offa my cloud"...some folks seem to work real hard at being a buzzkill or a killjoy but I cannot and will not be swayed. This is the coolest thing I've started since I began my weightlifting days many, many years ago...lol. That plus the obvious connections I've alluded to in previous posts just adds to the sense and feeling of really doing something unique, something special that not too may preple have the balls to try, much less actually follow through with. We should embrace our uniqueness and this is one way I do so...no sense trying to fit in the "plastic mold" of disposable razor shavers for sure. The DE is a trusted friend that I will continue to keep for "quickie shaves" or on those days when the str8 just aint workin but...certainly, definitely, the plastic is gone. Like I've said, "plastic is for toys for boys, steel is for men and their tools" and the str8 is an ultimate manly tool. aaahhhhhrrrrrrrr aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... lol. Have a great day and start it with a great str8 shave. Rich.

Nice tale.

Personally, whenever anyone gets close to me when I'm shaving, I just pull the razor away. My bathroom is cramped, and I dont' need any kind of bumping when I have such a sharp tool over my jugular.

That said, at the very least you are learning to concentrate better. Its just too bad you ahve people who dont' seem to get that you need to concentrate, and feel like they need to mess with you.

Originally Posted by markevens

Nice tale.

Personally, whenever anyone gets close to me when I'm shaving, I just pull the razor away. My bathroom is cramped, and I dont' need any kind of bumping when I have such a sharp tool over my jugular.

That said, at the very least you are learning to concentrate better. Its just too bad you ahve people who dont' seem to get that you need to concentrate, and feel like they need to mess with you.

...yeah, it IS a pain to have to deal with folks like that but...to find a positive in a situation, I agree that the "learnig to concentrate" is a positive benefit. The negative in it would be cutting myself or the "offending party"...lol. But realistically, I just try to block it out and keep trucking. Today's shave was even better. The results seem to be taking a hyperbolic slope upwards along with the enjoyment factor. My shaving and stropping technique is getting better it seems as is my comfort level with the blade. With the shaving, I'm learing how much pressure that I "can" apply and with the stropping, I'm learing that less is more. The respect FOR the blade will only increase too. The more proficient I get with it, the more I realize the respect that should be extended. The only part that I seem to be having any issue/difficulty with is the area between the trachea and neck muscles...as I've already covered. Even that is getting a bit easier to manage. I figured out why my lather is drying out...I'm taking a wee bit of a long time shaving...lol. I'd rather take longer and get it right than to hurry and get sloppy. Besides, I can always re-lather. Anyway...I don't dare say that I'm getting the BBS so...I'll just say that the results are rrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllll
...ssssssssssmmmmmmmmmmmmoooooooooooootttttttthhhh hhh. I'm digging this process that at one time was like credit...a necessary evil. Now, shaving is fun...go figure that huh. Thanks y'all. Have a great day and start it off with a great shave. Rich.

Originally Posted by markevens

I dont' need any kind of bumping when I have such a sharp tool over my jugular.

Really how hard would you have to cut to open up your jugular? It seems like you would need to seriously be trying to cut into your neck to kill yourself. Most nicks and cuts seem to be superficial.

Originally Posted by markevens

Nice tale.

Personally, whenever anyone gets close to me when I'm shaving, I just pull the razor away. My bathroom is cramped, and I dont' need any kind of bumping when I have such a sharp tool over my jugular.

That said, at the very least you are learning to concentrate better. Its just too bad you ahve people who dont' seem to get that you need to concentrate, and feel like they need to mess with you.

Originally Posted by Shoki

Really how hard would you have to cut to open up your jugular? It seems like you would need to seriously be trying to cut into your neck to kill yourself. Most nicks and cuts seem to be superficial.

...to cut the jugular wouldn't be all that difficult with the correct knowledge, which I won't address. Very little pressure is used when making an incision during surgery in order to keep the edges of the incision clean and facilitate the proper healing with minimal scarring. A dull bade or crappy steel will tear as well as cut and results in more scarring as well. Therefore, the scalpel must be sharp and the steel must be of high quality. That's why so many doctors specify no Pakistani medical instruments...especially scalpel blades. As this relates to our str8's...the steel that comprises our razors is a high quality steel, much akin to the scalpel, and as such, shouldn't need much pressure to make an incision if the desire is there. The difficulty comes in from the fact that to get to the jugular, most people think "across" and in doing that you have to go across and through both the neck muscles and the trachea to hit the jugular vein. Same as when someone goes across the wrist trying to slash the wrist...they have to get through the tendons first, which is more problematic because it is much tougher and dense tissue. Not to cause a fight here but this is my take...

Originally Posted by Shoki

Really how hard would you have to cut to open up your jugular? It seems like you would need to seriously be trying to cut into your neck to kill yourself. Most nicks and cuts seem to be superficial.

There are actually 2 jugulars per side, and internal and an external one. The internal is a massive pipe and deep down, the external is quite close to the surface though.

If someone hit your hand/elbow at just the right time, you could conceivably cut into that vein. Likely? No, not really. But I don't want to risk the nicks or shallower cuts either.