Thread: Just did my first shave

Ok did my first shave. Think it went pretty well, only one major nick and slight razor burn. Anyone have any tips.

I did the hot towel, think i might of not done it long enough (sat for about 3 minutes till it was cool)
Put plenty of shaving cream on (Should I use soap, or cream? Honestly I'm waiting for my brush and mug combo to come in so I can use my soap)
Did a little bit of reading but there was mixed techniques so I just picked the basics out of each (With grain, side, and against grain. Got a pretty smooth shave out of it but the cream ran out quick so think thats what gave me the burn)
Rinsed with hot towel as usual and put on aftershave lotion (Any suggestions on the lotions or are any pretty good? I have the Nivea for men post shave balm)

Oh and the razor I'm using is the Dovo shavette. I know it isn't a real straight razor, just one with disposable blades but I wanted to get a tad bit of practice before putting out the money for a good razor.

Kinda embarassing as I had a soulpatch goatee thing going but slipped and cut a bit so had to trim it up to just a soul patch

Is that blood? Your face looks a tad red. I think possibly we can improve on that.

I did the hot towel, think i might of not done it long enough (sat for about 3 minutes till it was cool)

You can shave quite well without the hot towel thing at all, so I think ANY time with a hot towel is beneficial.

Put plenty of shaving cream on (Should I use soap, or cream? Honestly I'm waiting for my brush and mug combo to come in so I can use my soap).

Either, it's all personal. Most people mix it up for fun (literally at times )

Did a little bit of reading but there was mixed techniques so I just picked the basics out of each (With grain, side, and against grain. Got a pretty smooth shave out of it but the cream ran out quick so think thats what gave me the burn)

Just go WTG for now.

Rinsed with hot towel as usual and put on aftershave lotion (Any suggestions on the lotions or are any pretty good? I have the Nivea for men post shave balm)

Proraso pre-shave (or any pre-shave) is beneficial. I love Pinaud Clubman and Lavanda. Also Floïd and Whisky.

Oh and the razor I'm using is the Dovo shavette. I know it isn't a real straight razor, just one with disposable blades but I wanted to get a tad bit of practice before putting out the money for a good razor.

I admit I've never used a Shavette, but I don't see the point. If you want to shave with a straight razor, shave with a straight razor; it's quite achievable...

Hope you have fun, it's an awesome art.

Carl

PS, I reckon you should go for like a French Pirate/Columbian drug dealer look with the goatee, soul patch, etc...

Try to use very little pressure, it will help with the razor burn. When I was starting out I was using way more pressure than I needed, because I had always used a fair amount with the disposables. That leads to cuts and razor burn.

You survived the first shave, they will get better and easier with practice.

If your brush hasn't arrived yet, you're also probably not shaving with the best lather. Shaving cream needs to be whipped up a bit with water to get a good lather, which should be thick enough to stay on your face long enough to do a complete pass without re-lathering, and wet enough to provide slide for the razor. If it's too dry you may get razor burn because the edge isn't properly lubricated.

Pretty sure Carl covered it all. I never used a shavette either, but I'm going to try one soon enough. It takes some time for the face to get used to the new type of razor so some irritation and burn is normal. You'll get a better shave as you learn.

Welcome aboard.

you have great advice here. what I would suggest now is to follow it! one thing I would like to express on is the whole shavette thing. If you want to use a real straight then get one! You can get great blades here on the classifieds for a very good deal. most are shave ready as well. gl.

Bravo Husky!

My first looked quite similar - maybe w/ more blood. The guys are telling you right about pressure when shaving. It took me months to learn what 'no pressure' meant, and that it was true w/ any size/grind/type of razor. Rather than think of taking the blade to the stubble, maybe think of making the stubble *available* to the blade by the way you stretch and stroke. The idea is to get the skin surface taught and flat enough so that pressure isn't needed.

Being in TX, you have ALOT of VERY skilled guys around. It would be really helpful to get together w/ one or more of them to get some tutoring help. 'Hard to convey how helpful it can be. You can post a thread asking if there are any experienced members near you that would be able to help. I did that last wk w/ a new shaver in the Portland, OR area.

Enjoy the ride. It gets an awful lot better.

Having never shaved with a shavette, I've heard they can be very unforgiving. Try using even less pressure and watch your angles closely, also as others have said, make sure the soap/cream isn't too dry, new users tend to go slowly, so maybe lather 1/2 of your face at a time to make sure it doesn't dry out.

from one newbie to another, here are two things i've learned so far that haven't already been mentioned:

1-use a cold towel after you shave. You can use a hot towel first(I think), but finish with cold . I use icewater and so do a lot of the members here. The cold helps close up the blood capillaries (vessels? capillaries? I'm not sure which) to stop any bleeding. The cold also helps the razor burn feel a little better.

2- a cheap straight razor is not as expensive as it seems. whippeddog.com can get one shipped to your door for $25 and it'll be properly sharp by this forum's standards.

also, whippeddog is in Arlington, TX. I'm not sure where you are, but maybe you can save even more by skipping shipping