Thread: A Bad Beginner

That is a great learning technique. Ultimately you need to learn how to mow down lots of hair and how to get super, super close with no irritation. There is a subtle difference in both tactics.

It’s interesting to me that many of us are sharing very similar experiences with our initial shaves. I've been lurking around this site for about three weeks now and today I decided to actually join. I purchased a set that included a DOVO Ebony stainless steel razor from Vintage Blades (after much reading on this forum) and I'm now into my 5th shave.

I think its indeed true that the formula for success here is patients. I’ve shaven every day since receiving the razor and got my first nick just yesterday. It’s quite true that familiarity breeds contempt and yesterday I found myself shaving mostly off of muscle memory. As a result, I got a slight nick. So, to all who might feel disheartened with their initial experience - Stick with it! (but go slow). My shaves have gotten easier and closer with every attempt.

Curious- what led you guys to go the straight razor route? With me it was a friend who was going to barber college and asked if I would volunteer as a subject during his lessons. I said yes (but only after I saw him practice on my brother first!). He gave me a shave with a disposable straight razor and it brought back memories of watching my grandfather shave. Googleing the subject, I found this thriving community of straight razor users. And the rest, as it were, is history.

Curious- what led you guys to go the straight razor route?

For me, an article in the Wall Street Journal about people who were fed up with the cost of cartridges, and were returning to basics.

Then, of course, I got hooked on straight razor lore, honing, and so on.

Charles

I had a few days without kids and wife while they went to the dreaded in-laws.

I put the DE away for a few days and used only the straight. The first all-straight shave was terrible as far as a shave goes. I had a beard that showed I hadn't shaved in a day. Just couldn't get it any closer, as after the 5th pass the razor burn was getting uncomfortable. I was not using any pressure, as advised by all. My skin was tight and I got one large scrape (not a nick) on my chin.

Second time (two days later) I got a much better shave with my dominate hand but not really good with my left. I finished only my chin with a DE.

Third time I NEEDED a shave. The stubble was driving me crazy! I started with my right hand and found I have not been stopping the toe of the blade very good, so re-stropped and was happier. The heel shave was nice. I used my left for a "pass" that did little, but was happy with the other side. I then finished my whole face with a DE to BBS and felt good.

IOf course while stropping after the shave, I nicked my Engles blade on the toe on the fabric strop. I can see where it caught the fabric on the blade. It is my first major gaff of stropping.

My progress to date:
-Learned that I need to strop on the toe better.
-Learned that my right hand is getting better.
-Learned my left hand is unskilled at this in any way right now.

I'm glad to hear you are sticking with it, despite the difficulties.

I think one of the things with straight razor is that, because it exfoliates the skin so well, doing lots of passes will always result in irritation.

Also, what are you doing in the way of beard prep? I remember when I was starting I went totally overboard to make sure my hairs were as soaked and soft as possible to make up for my beginner's technique.

One other thing I found that makes a shave much smoother was using a guillatine stroke instead of moving the blade completely perpendicular to the edge. Adding a slight horizontal movement to the strokes, with the razor angled a bit so the toe is lower than the heal. See my profile pic for illustration.

Anyway, I hope some of this helps and again, good job for sticking with it.

Also, along the lines of a pre-shave prep... Do you use a pre-shave oil? I purchased one from The Shaving Company (here in New York). While I admit that it smells like Castor oil, it’s very viscous. I've shaved with and without it, and I find that I get less resistance from the blade when I use it.

Pre-shave:
1) Soak brush in hot water.
2) Have hot shower with soap and sometimes conditioner (conditioner or not has not made a difference to much, either with SR or DE) in beard
3) Get out and splash water as hot as my hands will stand
4) T&H Pre-shave oil
5) T&H Cream (usually) or SRD West Indies Bay Soap on badger brush in scuttle
6) Let soak while I strop
7) Apply a touch more lather if it has thinned
8) Shave

Post shave:
1) Cold water rinse
2) Thayers Witch Hazel
3) T&H Balm
4) Aftershave or Cologne

Originally Posted by markevens

One other thing I found that makes a shave much smoother was using a guillatine stroke instead of moving the blade completely perpendicular to the edge. Adding a slight horizontal movement to the strokes, with the razor angled a bit so the toe is lower than the heal. See my profile pic for illustration.

Anyway, I hope some of this helps and again, good job for sticking with it.

I would highly recommend that you think twice before adherring to this advice. Use slightly too much pressure and you'll peel your face like a banana. This is an advanced technique that you will regret if done improperely. I say stay with the basics until you've mastered them.