Thread: Jeff's Video Journal: A Beginner Learns Straight Razor Shaving

Nice job.
Even with the cut you are making great progress!!!
I'm proud to be your friend.
Glad you did not bleed out since I'm still in Miami and could not rush you to the ER!

I appreciate the fact that this video stuff takes guts. I think you did a fine job for a first moustache and chin area approach, certainly better than my first shot at it. Please keep the videos coming, all very educational. Don't worry about the cuts. They are part of the learning experience.

Thanks guys! It really doesn't take much guts to film, unless you're really self conscious I suppose. The real guts is just hoping that you don't do something totally stupid and scar yourself while tons of people replay it over and over again!

Anyway, like I mentioned in the video, I did feel a little rushed in filming, so normally, I would probably go slower and take more time. Now that I am clean shaven, I will practice the whole face for a few weeks. The final video I will post in this thread will (hopefully) be more doing a perfect, blood free shave with ease and agility. That would be the best way to end this beginner thread!

Thanks for watching, reading, and commenting as usual!

Nice video, I use mustache section only the tip of the razor. (as you did in the second pass). so you do not have all the razor to your face.(it is easier)
(mustache area) In the second pass to stretch your skin to your ear, you have less chance of cuts.
(jaw area) stretch / lift your skin up. so you can shave the jaw area on your cheek.
So you get smoother.
Further. fun to watch. we all go through this road.
continue on this way, I would say

Jeff- Just wanted you to know a couple of things. First, I just had my first attempt at a shave and at stropping last night, and I think I went through the exact same feelings of apprehension and of being "lost" as you did, and in the same order as you! My stropping attempt was hilarious in its ineptitude and I held my razor so tight that I too got a cramp in my hand. So much to learn about techniques that at first glance seem so simple. Secondly, you showed a lot of cojones putting yourself out there on video in a forum like this-no way I would have had the guts to post video of my three ring circus last night! Thanks so much for reminding me that we newbies are all in relatively the same boat.

Originally Posted by kalerolf

Nice video, I use mustache section only the tip of the razor. (as you did in the second pass). so you do not have all the razor to your face.(it is easier)
(mustache area) In the second pass to stretch your skin to your ear, you have less chance of cuts.
(jaw area) stretch / lift your skin up. so you can shave the jaw area on your cheek.
So you get smoother.
Further. fun to watch. we all go through this road.
continue on this way, I would say

All good suggestions! I can't wait to try them out. On the mustache area, when you say to pull towards your ear on the second pass, is that only when the razor is going XTG when the razor is going West to East / East to West?

I think almost as a general rule of thumb I'm discovering, it seems you almost always pull OPPOSITE the direction you're shaving. So when shaving DOWN the cheek, you pull UP above it. When shaving UP the neck, you can pull DOWN below it, etc.

So I assume that when shaving the mustache (from lip towards ear), you pull the opposite way to make it more tight, right?

Originally Posted by SpicyJem

All good suggestions!
So I assume that when shaving the mustache (from lip towards ear), you pull the opposite way to make it more tight, right?

I was not sure anymore, it's such a common gesture for me that I no longer think after.
So I just went to a mirror, from lip Towards ear I make with my mouth a big O so that the skin above my upper lip stretch.
The other side to stretch my skin through the skin pulling towards the ear, so you have a tight skin.