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Thanks to the generosity of chay2k and his loaner blade I got my first taste of the straight tonight.
I've been using a brush and VDH soap for awhile, so I got a pretty decent lather.
The shave was decent at best. I just did the cheeks WTG and all went well, no nicks or cuts. Even tried some XTG. It didn't come out very close, but I didn't expect it to be.
I can't wait to take another stab (pun intended) at it. Thanks to everyone on SRP this is a great resource for the new cutthroat shaver!
Congrats! keep up the good work.
Hi Korben88,
Just FYI I've been doing this since late September and my shaves aren't perfect yet. I tell you what though, every day they do get better and better. They say it takes about 100 shaves to get very good. I think that's probably an accurate assessment.
My advice to you as a fellow newbie is to review the wiki on shaving passes at least once a week. Pay special attention to blade angle vs. the pass you are doing. For instance, WTG go 30 degrees (or less)... but going ATG you'll want to go 10 degrees or less. At least in my experience, this has been very helpful.
Also be sure to map out your face and the way the hair grows. WTG may be up on one side of your face, down on the other, or you may have cowlicks, etc. in your beard you'll have to manage at some point.
And key for me was to use very little to no pressure. Let the blade do the work. When I finally figured this out, things got a lot better for me.
I wouldn't go for the perfect shave. Just work on your technique and over time things will just come to you. Once again, though, just review the wiki articles, especially on shaving technique.
By the way, be sure to strop every shave and never skimp on prepping your beard. AFDavis11 has two videos right at the site portal for stropping; very useful. And good luck to you.
-Mark
Congratulations on you first steps down the road of straight shaving (what I like to call The Straight Road :) )
I'm only about a third of the way through my first century and I can attest to what markdfhr said about things getting better. Stick with it and be patient and you will be rewarded. At first the rewards are small and the patience required is great, but with time, that balances out. Good luck and enjoy!
"Shave number one under my belt....."
And don't ever attempt this!
Too late (for some):Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...lsewheres.html
http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...hie-razor.html
http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ones-nads.html
http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...njuries-2.html
Congratulations on your first SE shave. I started straight edge shaving about 2 weeks ago. I am no where close to perfect with straights. I usually do a 2 pass shave with it. First pass WTG, second XTG. After this I usually finish up with my DE razors (I have been DE shaving for ages) to get the perfect shave. Keep practicing and your shaves will get better. I am looking forward to the day when my SE shaves will be as good as my DE shaves.
Thanks to everyone for all the encouragement.