First shave done and a long way to go

[RITCHIE1411]

Hi all

Finally recieved my shavette today and after about 20 mins finally managed to get the blade in without cutting myself. I prepped my face (or so i thought) and started my first ever SR shave.

To say this is going to be steep learning curve is a huge understatement, so many things that people have mentioned began to make sense! I lathered up and then soon found out that my lather wasn't wet enough or i was taking far to long, as it kept drying out which was then catching on the blade. I have spent quite a while reading up on how to shave and tried to keep everything in mind but boy did i struggle.
Blade angle was a huge struggle especially when i tried with my left hand, this i think will be the hardest thing to learn as i scared myself silly when i tried and ended up doing the whole shave right handed. I would like to ask if this will become a problem later down the line? or if it is acceptable to shave with one hand only?
Grip was ok whilst i was shaving WTG, when i tried ATG and the other side of my face i struggled slightly.
I kept forgetting to stretch the skin properly, probably because i also had problems in trying to see myself in the mirror. This i think will just come down to practice or at least i hope it will.

All in all it went quite well and i achieved by far the closest shave i have ever had, the wife seemed impressed with the shave although not so much with the blood loss. The few nicks i got were all my own fault and to be honest don't really hurt and managed to stop bleeding with a bit of cold water.

I moisturised afterwards but still seem to be experiencing a slight amount of pain on my upper neck, i must assume this is razor burn and is probably down to using a SR for the first time.

I can truly see how this can be classed as art form and will take years to master, it is an experince that i thoroughly enjoyed even though i was scared stiff at times. I will leave it a couple of days before i try again and let you all know how it goes.
In the meantime i shall re read all the basics and look forward to my next shave which will hopefully be a little better.

I would like to say thanks to all those who have helped me so far and those who will offer much needed advice now and in the future.

Best regards.

Ritchie.

[dave5225]

It sounds to me , like your first shave was awesomely good , congrats ! What are you doing , going ATG so soon ? On your first few shaves it's best to go WTG only .

[RITCHIE1411]

I know i went against all the advice but once i got started i just couldn't seem to stop.
Next time i will go easier on myself, promise.

[ee82]

That sounds like a perfect first attempt. So many are put off from their first straight shave. I know I nearly was. However yours sounds nothing but encouraging.

[Moosiker]

I wonder how many of us said "once I got started I just couldn't seem to stop..."? And another convert is complete.

Yes, it's a tough learning curve (I'm still climbing that curve!), but the results to date have been above any expectations. The people you will meet through here are top notch, and have a great amount of knowledge.

Welcome aboard and well done!

[TheFlare]

I'm new to straight razor shaving myself and it seems like we had a very similar first shaving experience. I've had several shaves with my razor now and I'm not looking back. Patience is the best virtue with straight shaving but you'll soon get a feel for the razor and the rest, you'll be having even more successful shaves as you go along! Like yourself, once I started I wanted to complete my first shave with my straight razor!

I hope you find the following experiences I've had so far, of use to you! I've found keeping my face wet and re-lathering my face throughout shaving has helped so much by preventing the razor dragging or digging in. My first couple shaves gave me razor burn but not anymore since keeping my face very moist. I also found letting the weight of the blade doing more of the cutting rather than my putting pressure on it, reduces the risk of the edge digging into/ nipping my skin. Also if your whiskers are particularly dry like mine often are; I have found drenching a towel with hot water, wringing it "dry" (but still moist and hot!) and laying it across my face for a minute or two helps soften whiskers.

Also, I'm right-handed and find using my left very difficult! I'm beginning to get used to using my left hand during shaving and it's actually easier for some parts. Granted sometimes I do find it easier to revert to my right hand for certain parts, I am in the main finding it advantageous being able switch hands and encourage with you to try switching hands too. Either way, I understand that some manage to shave one-handed so I suppose whatever works best for you is best overall!

I hope you find some of this helpful

[RITCHIE1411]

When i change the blade next, i think i will leave it empty for a few days just to try and practice the grip and going left handed knowing that i can't hurt myself. I would like to be able to use my left hand so think it is worth practicing and perseveering for.

Thanks for all the help

[SirStropalot]

Ritchie,

Sounds like you did pretty well for the first time! That left hand will come around. I remember wondering who my left hand was controlled by because it sure didn't seem to be listening to me. Half of it was everything in the mirror was backwards. In my brain, looking in that mirror, up was down, left was right, etc. etc.. Now my left hand is the more competent of the two. It's kind of like the old axiom that it's easier to teach someone to play golf than to try to help someone who knows how. The former doesn't have any bad habits to un-learn. That left hand will finally click. Razor burn is more often associated with too steep of an angle with the blade. Try to always stay under about a 30 deg. angle. I actually use 15 deg. to almost flat. Just take it slow and work on the wtg stroke on the cheeks and get the feel of the razor. I remember having trouble stretching the skin because of all the nervous perspiration rolling down my forehead and off my temples. Lol. I never remembered that bathroom being that hot!! Try rinsing your face off with a washcloth between lathers to remove the old sticky lather from the previous pass. That will help a lot and makes a great difference in getting a closer shave. Good Luck, and hang in there. You might want to watch an SRP shave video, here's a link , if interested.

Shaving videos - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Best Regards,

Howard