Thread: a first straight shave

so I just got my new dovo 6/8 best quality and a 2" Latigo strop from srd today. as I mentioned before I've been shaving with my grandfather's Gillette slim adjustable for a while now, so I've got a brush and a mug and all the rest already. decided to try as recommended to start with WTG pass only, just to see how it goes, and finish up with my DE afterwords...

so 3 straight razor passes (WTG, XTG,ATG) later (DE looking at me in accusation all the while), I can say this:

1. What I'm gonna say here will probably bite me in the behind in the near future (see 2).
2. for a first shave, I came out nick free and almost as smooth as my regular DE shaves.
3. I now have to relearn all I figured out about directions and holds from my DE technique.
4. until I get some more practice, it's still slower than the DE. the good part is that it's not by much! if I get up even slightly earlier than i do today I can straight shave and still be at work as usual
5. my guess, my straight razor is here to stay

now for the big question: how come while DE shaving I can not shave with my off hand, with the straight I not only can but might quietly murmur something like it came out better on that side?

anyway, after about 4 months of lurking about and reading like crazy (even posting here and there), I can now claim with a clear conscience to be a striaght razor place member with an actual straight razor!

Sounds like you were off to a just amazing start! Congrats.

Originally Posted by grizli

so I just got my new dovo 6/8 best quality and a 2" Latigo strop from srd today. as I mentioned before I've been shaving with my grandfather's Gillette slim adjustable for a while now, so I've got a brush and a mug and all the rest already. decided to try as recommended to start with WTG pass only, just to see how it goes, and finish up with my DE afterwords...

so 3 straight razor passes (WTG, XTG,ATG) later (DE looking at me in accusation all the while), I can say this:

1. What I'm gonna say here will probably bite me in the behind in the near future (see 2).
2. for a first shave, I came out nick free and almost as smooth as my regular DE shaves.
3. I now have to relearn all I figured out about directions and holds from my DE technique.
4. until I get some more practice, it's still slower than the DE. the good part is that it's not by much! if I get up even slightly earlier than i do today I can straight shave and still be at work as usual
5. my guess, my straight razor is here to stay

now for the big question: how come while DE shaving I can not shave with my off hand, with the straight I not only can but might quietly murmur something like it came out better on that side?

anyway, after about 4 months of lurking about and reading like crazy (even posting here and there), I can now claim with a clear conscience to be a striaght razor place member with an actual straight razor!

First off, welcome to the forum! Glad to have you aboard!!

I have tried numerous times to shave with my non-dominant hand and I could not get comfortable. Being left handed, I use it for both sides of my face and I come away with a great shave! I admire the folks who can use both hands and if a person can do it, great! The whole idea is for you to go with what is comfortable to you.

Have you checked out the Wiki on straight razor shaving? It has some excellent information to will be of great help to you. Plus there are some great folks in this forum ready to help.
Happy shaving!
Patrick

thanks for the welcome
being a lefty myself, I've learned over the years to use many tools in both the left and the right hand as needed, since most are right hand oriented. What i keep wondering is how come i can do it with a straight razor while failing to do so with a DE. It might be that a straight razor grip is totally different, while a DE is similar enough to mach XXX to collide with muscle memory from days best left unmentioned (half a year ago).

I've browsed extensively through the wiki, though I guess now that I can actually practice what I read it'll be put to better use...

thanks
grizli

Originally Posted by grizli

1. What I'm gonna say here will probably bite me in the behind in the near future (see 2).
2. for a first shave, I came out nick free and almost as smooth as my regular DE shaves.

Great start! But you're right about #'s 1 and 2. I had a similar experience with my first shave with a real straight (not the Magic Shaver I used as a tester/train-up). In my case, after several weeks of nick-free shaving, familiarity bred contempt (or at least inattention), which my razors apparently resented

Originally Posted by grizli

now for the big question: how come while DE shaving I can not shave with my off hand, with the straight I not only can but might quietly murmur something like it came out better on that side?

Again, I had the same experience with my non-dominant hand, still not sure why. Maybe it's that since we're not used initially to using that hand for much, we're hyperattentive to what we're doing and how we're doing it.

Anyway, congrats and welcome aboard!

Originally Posted by grizli

thanks for the welcome
being a lefty myself, I've learned over the years to use many tools in both the left and the right hand as needed, since most are right hand oriented. What i keep wondering is how come i can do it with a straight razor while failing to do so with a DE. It might be that a straight razor grip is totally different, while a DE is similar enough to mach XXX to collide with muscle memory from days best left unmentioned (half a year ago).

I've browsed extensively through the wiki, though I guess now that I can actually practice what I read it'll be put to better use...

thanks
grizli

You're welcome.
Just relax, use slow and short strokes, enjoy the experience! I do every morning! It's amazing how straight razor shaving has taken a mundane chore and turn it into a pleasureable daily ritual.