My very first straight razor shave

Well, it was horrible. No, I didn't kill myself, but it wasn't great by a long shot. I shaved with my newly restored great grandfather's Morley Clover straight razor (http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...ey-clover.html). I think I was going too slow and the shaving cream in the areas I hadn't gotten to yet dried up and became impossible to shave! The areas I did get to went pretty smoothly! I did need to get used to hearing the razor cutting through the hair so efficiently! That was a bit weird at first. I did nick myself about 5 or 6 times (something I haven't done in years) but it wasn't bad at all and it all stopped bleeding on its own! I chose to finish up with my regular Schick razor as my face was very, very, very irritated from the new shaving cream, using the brush, and/or using the straight razor. Over time, I think learning to shave faster so that the cream doesn't dry will help a great deal! I'm not down and out yet! It was a fun experience.

If the lather dries on your face, just add some more lather (if you make lather in a bowl), or some more water (if you face-lather).

Use as much lather as you need, as often as you need it.

If you're nicking yourself with Glenn's edge, it's likely that you're using too much pressure. Or you could be moving the blade laterally ("slicing"), instead of moving it at right angles to the edge.

You'll work out the kinks . . .

Charles

Try re-lathering areas of your face that get dry as you go. If you're going to wait for that kind of speed it may be a while, depending on how fast you pick this up. I'm about 3 months into it now. I have some very good shave days and still some days that make me scratch my head and think that someone must have swapped my familiar razor (I've only shaved with one so far) for a rusty beer can or something. My speed has improved on my first WTG pass quite a bit now. However, my ATG and XTG passes still take lots more care and time. My consistency has improved, especially on that first pass. The other passes can be hit or miss still and there's no way I can shave fast enough that the lather won't dry before I get to my whole face. It takes some patience but I can see that I will eventually get to a point where all the passes go smooth and easy, as it is with my WTG pass.

I lather my face in sections as I go along after my initial full face lather to be sure it's well prepped for the blade.

agibby5,
Did you read the forum's Wiki on straight razor shaving before you started?

The Wiki for beginners was written to help new SR shavers ease into SR shaving and to help at least reduce the problems you described above.

Congrats on your first shave! I'm still under 10 shaves myself. I'll leave much of the advice to the pros around here, but I will say that I had the same problem as you with the lather drying before I had gotten to it. This problem persisted for several shaves before I finally discovered I wasn't including enough water in my lather... maybe this will work for you?

I also agree 100% with what's been said here about re-lathering your face. I find it helpful to divide me shave into two sections- the face and the throat. I lather up everything before I start, then shave my face. Before I start my throat I refresh it with another helping of lather. Since I've started doing this its already reduced the number of nicks I get by half, at least.

As as fellow new shaver, wishing you the best!

Good man, don't give up.


Mick

+1 on the previous advice--especially about rehydrating dry lather.

As for learning how to shave faster. Relax. That will come in time. But it should never take precedence over shaving closely, comfortably and above all safely.

Keep in mind too that the cause of lather drying out is not always because of the speed with which you shave. It can also be caused by low humidity in your house, especially during winter.

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Originally Posted by pmburk

agibby5,
Did you read the forum's Wiki on straight razor shaving before you started?

The Wiki for beginners was written to help new SR shavers ease into SR shaving and to help at least reduce the problems you described above.

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Yes, I read that and I also looked at Lynn's DVD tutorial... among many other Youtube videos. I think I had information overload and I was trying not to slit my throat at the same time. I'm sure I'll pick up the nuances as I go. I don't expect to get fast over night, I was just thinking out what the solution might be. One of the issues might be that my lather wasn't that great, and relathering didn't really seem to do anything... I have a lot to learn but just wanted to share what I went through.

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Originally Posted by agibby5

Yes, I read that and I also looked at Lynn's DVD tutorial... among many other Youtube videos. I think I had information overload and I was trying not to slit my throat at the same time. I'm sure I'll pick up the nuances as I go. I don't expect to get fast over night, I was just thinking out what the solution might be. One of the issues might be that my lather wasn't that great, and relathering didn't really seem to do anything... I have a lot to learn but just wanted to share what I went through.

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Just remember, take it slow and try not to take on too much too soon. Also, remember, what works for some people may not work for others. So it'll take time for you to get your own niche. As you say, you have a lot to learn and it's not going to happen overnight.

Also if another experienced member lives nearby you might ask him if you can watch him shave and give you advice while you shave, helped me a lot.

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

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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?

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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.

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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.