Thread: First shave... Ouch

I finally had my first shave.

Despite being a somewhat painful experience it was a lot of fun. Especially finding which grip best suits me and learning how to approach the different parts of my face.

Unfortunately I ended up having to go over my face a second time with a cartridge razor to get a decent shave. I'm not 100% sure what I did wrong, but I think it may have been an inferior lather.

I had watched the video by mantic on youtube about proper lathering technique, as well as read the section of the wiki about soap lather. But I just couldn't get a decent lather going. I started with my brush loaded and almost no water in the mug. While working up the lather I would add a few drops of warm water every once in a while to build up the volume. When i was about half way through my shave I noticed the lather had almost entirely disappeared. Could this be from too much water?

Any tips would be appreciated.

What gear are you using? Having to finish with a DE after your first straight shave is perfectly normal, no worries.

Originally Posted by Blix

What gear are you using? Having to finish with a DE after your first straight shave is perfectly normal, no worries.

Thanks for the reassurance.

I used Mamabear's almond shave soap. I also have some TOBS sandalwood shave soap going as well. I had better luck with the Taylor soap.

Fairly new to str8s myself, but remember to work slowly and in small areas at first. Don't rush to make use of the lather before it deminishes.
Have to ask, are you using any oils or preshave products before the lather? If you use too much oil beforehand, or use scolding hot water to make your lather, both could hurt your lather results.
As for the pain, try to remember not to use pressure. Keep the spine close to your face at all times until you really know the direction the grain grows. You may want to stick to a few full WTG shaves until you're comfortable with the grip and feel of the art.
Last but not least.. Don't forget to stretch the skin.
Good luck, friend. -Dan

Originally Posted by FacialDirt

Fairly new to str8s myself, but remember to work slowly and in small areas at first. Don't rush to make use of the lather before it deminishes.
Have to ask, are you using any oils or preshave products before the lather? If you use too much oil beforehand, or use scolding hot water to make your lather, both could hurt your lather results.

Thanks for the tips.

I don't use any preshave products or oils. To prep for a shave I lather my face then place a hot towel over it for 2-3 minutes.

The water I use is pretty hot, but not scalding.

Personally, I have better results when I use a little more prep. It actually helps me to use a bit of hair conditioner on my face in the shower. When done with the shower, don't dry your face with a towel. Leave it wet.
As for the lather, i find using a bit of glycerin in the lather seems to help. Its cheap, too. Over the counter at Walgreens for a few bucks.
-Dan

I don't shave after showering unfortunately. So any prep has to be done sans shower.

I will look into picking up some glycerin next time I'm out. Thanks

[QUOTE=HCarleton;833276]Unfortunately I ended up having to go over my face a second time with a cartridge razor to get a decent shave. I'm not 100% sure what I did wrong, but I think it may have been an inferior lather.QUOTE]

A couple of thoughts:

--Technique, technique, technique. If this was your first straight shave, I'd say you did well. As your technique and knowledge of appropriate angles for YOUR razor on YOUR face improve, you'll need to rely on that DE less and less

--You might try lathering on your face, instead of in the bowl. Make sure your brush is wet enough first. I really drown mine under the water for about 20-30 seconds, then give it one good squeeze. Wet your face well, then load the brush up with soap and make the lather directly on your face. Depending on how efficient your brush is, you may find it helpful to rinse this first lather off and re-lather. For instance, when I use my best badger brush, I usually have to do this. But when I use my pure badger, because it's stiffer it loads better and that first lather is ready to go in about 30-45 seconds of working the brush on my face.

Good luck and have fun!

Try the shave after a shower. I like it a lot better than the hot towel. Lather making and shaving take practice. Keep with it and you will get there. Happy shaving

A tip on the lather: Load the brush, scrap the soap off the edge of the mug and then reload the brush. Gives you twice as much soap to work with, and the lather will come much easier. When you get the hang on it, you can reduce the soap - or not. I also use Mama Bear, and I am very satisfied.