Just a neck shaver

I'm not sure if there is anything (products or advice) that could be recommended for me, but I just started with a straight a few days ago. However, I have a full beard and only shave my neck. One of the reasons I switched to a straight was the fact that, due to oxidation, I go through Mach 3's as quickly as anyone else, and it seems like a ridiculous waste of money for something I'm just going to throw away. I don't mind dropping money on something I can hang on to.

While I know it will take a while to get used to shaving like a man, I know I'm missing out on learning the feel for this by starting with the smoother, flatter parts of my face. Any suggestions (like I said, product suggestion or just advice)?

I have a full beard too,, I shave the cheeks to a perfect straight line and the neck the same way...

To be honest I started with a straight razor at the same time I grew my first beard almost 30 years ago.. My barber at that time made it very simple for me "Glen if you want straight lines use a straight edge"
I also can't handle anything but a SR on my skin, everything else causes a red mass of bumps...

The real problem is that our shaving angles basically suck :) it takes a ton of practice to figure it all out, also my recommendation is a stupid sharp, full singing hollow, 4/8-6/8 spike point, and the shorter blades are easier to handle.. A DD Dwarf comes to mind...

Welcome to SRP! My biggest suggestion is to read through the wiki and read as many posts on here as you can. There are tons of little tips you can pick up in the strangest of places on this forum, so I would highly recommend just browsing through threads. Just keep in mind that there is stuff ranging from beginner to advanced, and much of what you might read are things you wont need to learn or deal with for some time. If you have yet to buy a straight yet, I recommend checking out the classifieds here on the site. You can get a good deal on a razor that is ACTUALLY shave ready. I've only been at this a few months, but I'm loving every aspect of it. Take your time and be patient, it can take quite a while for a really good shave to come out of this.

I'm growing a beard at the moment too. Glen is right on with the scary sharp part-- the angle that you are forced to used going from beard towards the floor is pretty brutal for the first inch or so, the super sharpness will help you there. Be very cautious when stropping, and be sure to get a shave ready razor. If you are iffy on your stropping I would recommend stropping on 4-5 layers of colored newspaper for 100-200 laps on a flat surface to compare your stropping to or correct your edge.

Also, you may want to try shaving only in the 'up' direction for several shaves until you get the the lay of the land down pat. Make sure you are doing some sort of beard prep even if it's only your neck, it will make a BIG difference.

+ 1 on looking for a short ~5/8 blade. The Torrey "Little Shaver" would be another to look for. Good luck!

Welcome to the SRP!:)

You have company here, a bunch of guys have full beards and use a straight razor to keep it looking good. The advice to you is the same as for all others.

1. Have your razor honed by someone from here. A factory sharp edge simply is not adequate. Look in the classifieds (top of this page) under services and see who is offering honing.

2. Perform a good beard prep, it makes a world of difference.

3. Strop your razor 30-60 round trip laps just before each and every shave.

4. Read the Wiki, it has tons of useful info.

5. We are here to help so ask any questions you may have.

Hope this helps, :)

Merged Duplicate threads together in the Beginners forum...

that's interesting I did not know that there was anyone here sporting a full beard. Between the beard preparation, lather building, stropping, honing and post shave treatment that is a lot of effort for a 2 minute shave only on the neck. Maybe you should try like 15 passes to extend it out a little?

@volleykinginnc Since my neck hair grows down within 1/2" of my chest hair, I get plenty of area to shave

@gssixgun Thanks. I was trying to do that myself, but ran out of time.

Answering a question not asked:

. . . Have you considered a double-edge safety razor?

"Feather" blades are about $0.35 each, and last for 4-5 shaves. Other DE blades may be cheaper. And the blades might last longer shaving only your neck.

DE's don't have the panache of a straight razor, and you have to be more careful of angle and pressure than with a cartridge. But they're easier to get into tight spots than a straight razor (IMHO, of course!).

Charles

Unfortunately at the moment...how many jobs can you find that PREFER you to have a full beard, or something on the way there?!

But anyway, in reading the beginner's guide it says to start out on your cheeks with the dominant hand etc.

Are there any bits a novice SR shaver can start out on better than others on the neck?

For a WTG shave on my neck, it looks like the hairs point at sort of a 60% angle towards the floor, so I shave with the razor facing out a bit. And I was figuring stick with some other razor for the very prominent adam's apple to start with.

Comments?