Another SR Journey

Note: for anyone else learning and reading through others posts, if you want skip to the bottom where I've made the real observations, the rest it twat waffle of my journey so far.

I've posted a few times about my initial experience with a disposable style SR and the subsequent libations made to gods as I learnt how to handle it.

I've built up all the necessary items, an old battered mug will serve as my scuttle, the shave soap, aftershave and boar bristle brush bought from Ogallala Bay Rum. But for some reason I've been hesitant to buy a strop. No idea why, but until I had a strop I was refusing to use the razors I'd bought.

Finally I got fed up of longingly caressing the two blades and remembering advice from people on the site I visited Whipped Dog and I've ordered the strop. With that done my hesitancy to use the blades has passed, I figured as they had both been honed and sent shave ready I could afford a couple of passes whilst I waited for my strop to arrive in the post.

The experience of doing my own 1st straight razor shave was certainly memorable. I've been using the shave soap and brush for a while with my safety razor so I was able to get a good lather up and applied it to my stubble, that done it was time to start. And with the first pass I knew this was right for me. Why? I'll be the first to admit it's not logical, but I love sound. I love the way certain things will make a noise. Remember the original Star Wars, with R2D2 passing through a canyon soon after the start of the film, there's a little rock fall when one of the little fella's nudges the rocks by accident? I gave my parents nightmares as everytime I saw a cliff as a child I'd run up to it to shove rocks off trying to make that noise... anyway... that first pass in the silence of my own house I could hear that beautiful zinging butter on toast sound. I loved it.

The down side was that the first shave wasn't anywhere near as close as I am used to getting with my safety razor, but with the exception of one small knick, I had successfully made a first pass over my entire face. I've since shaved twice more, each time the shave is of a better quality as my technique improves.

So the 'useful' notes:
1) Bad habits from safety razors if I lose focus
a) I bring the razor to my face far to rapidly, the dimensions of a SR are very, very different
b) Safety razors are very forgiving, I shave very fast, I have to consciously dial the speed down
2) Don't be frustrated if the shave is rough in your first few attempts, it will improve and whilst you are learning you can always tidy up with your familiar method
3) Go back and re-watch the videos, now you have tried it you can apply your experience of what you did versus what you are watching and how it differs

There you have it. My experience thus far.

My areas of difficulty at the moment are the underside of the chin and the dip in my top lip, I'm gradually getting better at working around that area, but I find I'm making to many passes, it is getting better but an area I have to be very cautious of to a) not cut myself and b) not make sore.

Though today was the by far the best shave and another cut free one.

Thank you to all of you who have contributed to the knowledge base here.