First Shave. Pretty Rough....Help!

Hey everyone, I'm new to the straight razor shaving world and have some questions. I just bought a new Boker King Cutter and strop from SRD. I got the 3" red latigo. From what I understand, each blade that comes from SRD has been hand sharpened by either Lynn or Don and should come shave ready and razor sharp out of the box. Well, I watched a lot of videos on how to shave and got started. At first I only started shaving my sideburns and cheeks. Then I moved on to my upper lip and chin. I gotta say guys, so far it hasn't been very pleasant. When I'm shaving, it's very rough and the razor is tugging quite a bit on my whiskers. Very very sandpaper ish. I will say this, I am using barbosal right now as my shaving soap and badger brush are still on order. But i've read on other threads that that shouldn't make a whole ton of difference as far as shave quality goes. Am I doing something wrong? Shouldn't it be smoother cutting than a fusion cartridge? Cuz so far man, it's certainly not. I did feel like a badass though. :)

First shaves are never easy and usually not very good. You may have the angle too high, so you could vary that and see if it helps. Many will think the Barbasol was the problem although I've shaved fine with it. It may take a few shaves before you get even close to hitting your stride. Good shaves don't come quickly, and it all takes time. My first shave was no better than yours and probably quite a bit bloodier. If you survive the first shave and return to do it again you've been successful.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ead-first.html

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...icipation.html

Strop her back up and give it another go, but I would not go further than the sideburn to jaw until you get that down first.

Have fun

Thanks Ace! And thanks for the awesome razor and strop Lynn! I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Did you do prep 1st? If not that could lead to a bad rough shave, prep is vital for a great shave. Also Barbasol doesn't hold moisture very well if I remember right, dry lather and straights don't go well together.

Flaten the angle.

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Originally Posted by rodb

Did you do prep 1st? If not that could lead to a bad rough shave, prep is vital for a great shave. Also Barbasol doesn't hold moisture very well if I remember right, dry lather and straights don't go well together.

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Prep is a huge part of a good shave. Skin stretching, angle, and pressure also play into it. The days that I have skimped on prep have been the worst shaves though, I think it is one of the single most important parts to focus on.

It's going to take a lot of experimenting and attention to details before you get it down, so you're not seeing unusual results from when I started. I recommend taking a scientific approach and try to keep all the variables the same while you focus on changing one at a time. Your next shave, hit the side-burn pass with all the same lubricant, stretch, stroke length, and pass direction but modify the blade angle. Now move to the cheek and modify the angle again. Move to the other side-burn and cheek and do the same. I found that this allowed me to get experience what people mean by angles, sounds, feel, etc. Once you have an idea of the best angle for your face/hair and razor, use that angle and modify the degree of tension you put on your skin to stretch. Then move on to the length of your strokes, etc., etc. These aren't in any particular order, but I find that blade angle, blade pressure (only what's needed to keep the blade on the skin for me) and skin stretch make a huge difference.

I had rough shaves until I flattened angle, and reduced pressure greatly. Just enough to remove the lather. I'd get some good soap as well.

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Originally Posted by phoebeusfenix

I had rough shaves until I flattened angle, and reduced pressure greatly. Just enough to remove the lather. I'd get some good soap as well.

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Not to change the thread, but what soap would you suggest for the first time SR shaver? I will be making my third try with a Parker shavette tonight and have been using Edwin Jagger Aloe. That soap works great with my FatBoy. My SR technique is so primitive at this point, I want to rule out as many variables as possible.

Mitch

^^^ Mitch, You'd benefit from taking a gander at the "soaps and creams" forum for soap recommendations; there's a ton of information and opinions over there on the vast array that is shaving soaps.

Thanks for the tips everyone. I've really noticed a difference. Flattening the angle really made most of the difference. My angle was too wide when shaving around my chin. I'm also spending more time on beard prep and even though I'm still using barbasol (waiting on my brush and soaps still) it still makes a pretty big difference. I will say one thing though, I've recently discovered a way NOT to shave my mustache with a straight razor.....OUCH.lol :dropjaw:

Glad it's finally starting to come together for you mate. Most of us have had these little drama's when we started off. It takes time and practice.


Mick

Quicksilver; Post your location, there may be someone in your area that can give you one on one.

I've been shaving with a straight for half a year and still find the chin difficult sometimes! Like everything, practise practise practise! I have found good preparation and keeping my face wet/moist throughout invaluable when it comes to a good quality shave :)

I've used:
Vdh
Ogallla bay rum
Arko sensitive
Derby shave stick
Co bigelow

All are fantastic. I personally like Arko best as far as shavability...Derby for clean smell.

I want to try mwf and tobs as well.

I don't know if it will work for you but I sometimes watch the edge of the razor instead of the spine. I know the biggest problem I ran into when I first started was not getting a good lather, causing the razor to stick or "jump" on my neck, never cutting myself but left me with a fair amount of razor burn. Just don't give up. I was extremely lucky that my cousin had been using a straight for a few years before I started, so anytime I needed reassurance or had a question I had someone to talk to. The guys here on SRP are great for that as well!

I have yet to experience my first straight razor shave but have been wet shaving for over 2 years with a double edge safety razor...
I cut myself only 1 time in over two years and it was minimal...
I think that part of my success has been in the beard prep...
I shave directly after a hot shower...
That seems to moisten my beard considerably...
After drying off I moisten the beard and then apply the soap...
The razor glides through the beard...
I hope to have the same success with my straight razor...