After practicing with a butter knife over a week waiting on my package - I finally shaved!

I have been reading every inch, over and over, going over every small detail I might run into.

1:30 my package arrives - dammit, no time to get a shave in - have to leave this side of town by 2 to get the kids. Opening the package, pacing back and forth wanting to start but knowing better. Get the bathroom set up.

6:30 arrive home with the kids, call for pizza and leave money with daughter for pizza man, grab my son and head to the bathroom (looks horrible, but oh well). OH SHOOT, mad hunt for something to attach the strop to - house is a rental so I do not want to modify anything. Improvise and hang the strop a little high (real bad form). I need to figure out HOW to strop properly, might just have to do it at the table for a while. Rolling the blade is harder than it looks.....

The lather, I read somewhere about using conditioner in the beard first - so I conditioned it a little. I moistened the brush and got my lather on - nice and thick.

Now I look at my razor, much smaller than I expected - grab my side burn with my left hand look at my son and say - "here goes nothing," (BTW his first shave was a straight razor shave at Electric Haven Tattoo/Barber Shop - he is no stranger to the blade). I take it nice and slow, short strokes - real nice, rinsing every time I take the razor away from my face. Thankfully I am more or less ambidextrous so I put the razor in my left hand and do the same to my left side, etc. Under the nose took some work and manipulation - but I got it pretty good (the Mrs is whacking the goatee when I get moved in with her - 6 inches long and BUSHY). The throat was not as bad as I thought it would be.

I cleaned up the razor and attempted the strop again (I need to work on this weak point bad). No cuts or anything.

I only shaved WTG, I want to get a lot more proficient with the razor before doing too many stunts.

My son asked - "can I try?" I lathered him up and handed him the butter knife and watched him. Told him to slow down. He needs to work more on his weak hand - all in all maybe next visit if he can show me with the butter knife he is good I will let him take a swing at it (I was disappointed not to get a cut so he could see how to use the styptic pencil).

Off to the Stropping section and time to beat myself up