Thread: My very first straight razor shave

Well, my second shave went much, much better. I spent more time with the preshave process and this time I only lathered my face by section. I didn't worry about speed and took my time. It took me about 35 minutes in total, but I'm taking my time! I still got a few nicks, but I think I'm still getting used to the proper angle. My face is slim and when I pull my skin tight, it creates hills and valleys so one part of the razor touches while the middle doesn't touch and the other edge seems to catch another area on the wrong angle, which makes it difficult to shave certain areas. I'm sure it's just my technique as many other people possibly have this problem too. I got a much closer shave this time around and didn't use my old Schick razor to finish up. I did get to a second pass in some areas where I felt confident enough to do so.

One thing that annoys me is that my beard seems a bit thick and the hairs feel almost like they're being pulled while shaving. I've always had this problem with non-straight razor shaving too. It could be my poor preshave routine.

A second thing that annoys me is that my skin is very sensitive. Using the brush too much begins to irritate my skin. Also, leaving the shaving cream on too long also seems to irritate me as well. Any ideas on this? This is particularly the case on my neck, but affects my whole shaving area.

My preshave preperation was to apply a hot towel, scrub the lather into the skin, apply a hot towel, clean the lather off, apply presave oil, apply lather again, let sit for about 30 seconds, begin shaving. Any ideas of what I could do more/less for the preshave prep?

EDIT: Forgot to mention that the first time I couldn't hold the razor in my off-hand for the LIFE of me... but this time it was much, much easier to do so! Looking forward to getting that down more as well as becoming more comfortable with the various ways to hold the razor depending on the different parts of the shave.

It gets better with time and patience. I've been at it for a year and a half. I am a one handed shaver (shave using only one hand) and do well enough. I do remember the awkwardness of beginning with a straight...

Keep at it, its worth the pain when it all comes together

One thing that annoys me is that my beard seems a bit thick and the hairs feel almost like they're being pulled while shaving. I've always had this problem with non-straight razor shaving too. It could be my poor preshave routine.

A second thing that annoys me is that my skin is very sensitive. Using the brush too much begins to irritate my skin. Also, leaving the shaving cream on too long also seems to irritate me as well. Any ideas on this? This is particularly the case on my neck, but affects my whole shaving area.

Your pre-shave routine sounds pretty thorough. The pulling could be caused by bad (too steep) angle of the blade. Try holding the razor a little flatter against your skin. And, if you're shaving against the grain, _don't_.

A straight razor can be noticeably dulled by a single shave.

. . . How much are you stropping between shaves, and on what?

There have been several threads recently on "organic" and "natural" shaving soaps and creams. Might be worth reading. Between the soap and oil you're using, there are lots of possible irritants. If you have a face soap that doesn't irritate your skin, you could try using it as a shaving soap. Doesn't cost anything to experiment.

The learning curve is really steep at the beginning. As long as your shaves are getting better, you're moving in the right direction.

Charles

relather. rewet the brush. relater.

I started wet shaving again in August after a near-thirty year break, using a straight razor about six weeks.

There are a lot of "rules" you'll discover you can break with impunity, others, like the law of gravity and very sharp things, must be obeyed.

Have fun. Take your time. Shave lightly. Relather. It gets better and more satisfying.

Originally Posted by agibby5

[...]A second thing that annoys me is that my skin is very sensitive.[...] My preshave preperation was to apply a hot towel, scrub the lather into the skin, apply a hot towel, clean the lather off, apply presave oil, apply lather again, let sit for about 30 seconds, begin shaving. Any ideas of what I could do more/less for the preshave prep?

Do you really need the pre-shave oil? If you feel you do let it go once you're achieving good shaves and then re-evaluate. Back to your current preparation: are you only applying and cleaning off the lather once, between two hot towel treatments? How long are those?

Originally Posted by agibby5

EDIT: Forgot to mention that the first time I couldn't hold the razor in my off-hand for the LIFE of me... but this time it was much, much easier to do so! Looking forward to getting that down more as well as becoming more comfortable with the various ways to hold the razor depending on the different parts of the shave.

Righty who's used to using left-handed str8 for 2/3rds of the shave, including the most aggressive final pass on the majority of the truly bearded areas. I have sensitive skin, to abrasion, not chemicals (chemicals only make my skin grow stronger). I have keratosis pilarus, most evident on parts of my body, not face. However, my skin reacts to any detritus that could clog my pores and I get pseudo folliculitis barbae easily. Mostly my skin gets pink/red in a hurry with abrasion. Of course, a properly used smooth edge (disposable, cartridge, open razor) does not cause the reddening, which only makes pogonometry even more interesting for hideous freaks like myself. You really need good shave prep. I firmly believe the "hydrating" qualities of super-fatted or extra-glycerin soaps causes the skin to suck in more water than usual, causing a dehydrating effect over time with absorbtion. Leaving a glycerin-rich lather on the skin a while longer, not wiping it off completely, as in your pre-shave prep (what I can make of it, anyway) is counter-intuitive to what I'm implying because that enables more glycerin to soak into your skin. However, since the stuff is scheduled to sit on your face for the entirety of the shave I believe that hydrating the hairs (along with the skin) entails pumping your cells so full of water before hand that your skin isn't still absorbing more water during the shave, thus prematurely dehydrating the lather in direct contact with the skin.

I like to use a good shaving lather as pre-shave prep, it's a dual-purpose product in that respect. If I'm shaving after a shower I'm not not softening the hairs so much as ensuring the skin is acclimated (i.e. super-hydrated) to the lather and not working against me. I also allow the lather's collapsing into a liquid (or thin gel) on the skin and re-lather without reservation because that's just building a solid slick and cushiony layer below the layer of lather on top... kind of like a... pre-shave oil, in theory.

P.S. agibby5: I also have a tendency to do upwards (for me not truly ATG) swipes with an open razor under the chin, along the sideburn and the right side of my chin with the left hand, and no similar strokes with the right. I'm literally more comfortable with the most aggressive movements lefty. I still use my right hand more proficiently and efficiently on the hairs around the mouth, the only valid proof that I haven't turned to the other side!

Sounds like you're on the right track. Here's a couple of my own experiences:

Don't be afraid to 'section lather' for a while. I did for a little over a month before could shave my whole face before the lather dried. Some days I still can't.

Here's my biggest mistake: after a little over 6 weeks (shaving twice a week) I finally got to the point where I was getting comfortable with the razor and correct shaving angles and propper stropping technique. I still was getting a bit of pulling and burn though. It was only after I purchased a second razor (after nicking my first one against the faucet. Doh!) and shaved with a freshly honed edge that I realized how destroyed my first razors edge had been from my too steep of shaving angles starting out and my newbile stropping techniques. I highly recommend sending it back to Glen for a touchup after ten or 12 shaves. I found out early how easy it is to dull the blade with bad technique! Best of luck and enjoy the journey!

Well, I've been at it for about a month, shaving twice a week. I've been getting much better. As my progress with my right hand is far faster than my left, I'm starting to feel retarded trying to shave with my left... but I want to keep it up. One thing I've seen from glancing through a bunch of other threads and may be a little controversial as to the necessity... I stropped on leather halfway through my last shave just as I started getting a few nicks and the second half of the shave went much better than anytime before! I'm not sure if I'm not stropping right so that it lasts the entire way through the shave or what.

As far as the lather drying, I've begun only lathering as I go and this way it doesn't get as difficult to shave or "pastey", so to speak.

I haven't done any ATG passes except on my neck where the hairs aren't a thick/dense. It goes well but my skin does get a bit irritated. I regularly do WTG and XTG passes and find that the closeness of the shave is amazing. My girlfriend says that it's way closer than when I shave with a Gillette with 5 blades! I tried doing a ATG pass but it felt horrible and I got scared so I stopped!

My trouble area is around my mouth area. I have trouble doing under the nose and on the goatee area mostly. I just start going down from the nose then out in either direction from the center under the nose. Under my mouth, I go down, and then I go outward in either direction... very similar to under the nose. I feel like I'm doing it right, but not sure why it's so touchy for me. I should probably find some good videos showing how to shave this area... I generally just take my time and struggle with it.