Discouragements

Not that I'm telling anyone NOT to shave with a straight, it's a far more enjoyable way to shave. I'm more trying to assure anyone else who feels discouraged on occasion that they are not the only ones.

I've been shaving with a straight for a few months, and I still have problems under the nose and with the chin. I actually caught myself thinking that I wasn't getting any better with practice. I've been reading on tips and putting them into practice but it just didn't seem to be helping at all.

So I told myself to take a step back and actually see what was wrong. The answer was nothing, I am getting better and better shaves. The actual problem was my expectations from myself were increasing without my ever bothering to realise I had passed the ones I set before.

So I said stopped to think to myself, wasn't there a time when I thought "if only I could get my cheeks nice and smooth, I'll know I'm making progress"?
Yes there was, and I am.

It wasn't that long ago I was saying, "If only I could manage my jawline"?
Wait, I can.

Can't have been so long ago I was saying "If only I didn't keep nicking my chin?"
I don't.

If you've been straight shaving for a few months, and start to feel frustrated, I suggest you look back and realise how much you HAVE learned. You may realise you are getting better and failing to realise.

It's said constantly on this forum, and it's true even if it's hard to see when the frustration bug is biting "It just keeps getting better."

Well put, and the truth is that the fact that you are constantly improving and getting better shaves can blind you to the fact that you've made great progress. I'm a year and a half in and find myself learning something with each and every shave. I shaved with a Gillette ProGlide this morning, got a fine shave too, but I didn't learn a thing.

We all face different challenges, too. I got to a point where I was consistently getting good shaves pretty early on, but I have a gotee. I don't have to worry about the same issues many of you do (though I have others - long blades are currently top of my list of annoyances each time the heel cuts a chunk out of my gotee as I pay too much attention to the toe).

I'm honestly wondering if I should go with a gotee for a month or so, come back when I KNOW I have the rest, and save a touch of frustration. Then I wonder if I'll ever manage to keep it even straightish, and if trying to get the gotee correct might frustrate me even more.

I just wish I could grow a goatee......:cry:

Excellent, reflective post. It's often said here, and I'll repeat it, that improvements are constant and add extra reward to this already pleasant pursuit. They make this special bit of our days that much richer. I hope your post will be widely read and will encourage beginners to stick with it. A couple of years ago we had a new member really throw himself into it, then decide it wasn't for him after all. I can't remember if we convinced him to keep at it, but a post like yours would have been a great help.

Thank you for sharing your experience, and very best wishes to you.