Thread: Hi Everyone

Hi Everyone!

Over the weekend a good friend of mine convinced me (it honestly didnt take much) to look into straight razor shaving. He purchased a safety razor that arrived on Thursday and he did a first pass on Friday. I was very impressed with the quality of his shave and decided right then and there I must get into this too, perhaps I am easily persuaded by peer pressure? no matter!

So I picked up a Dovo shavette after reading though this forum a lot and figured it would be good for my learning since the learning curve is steeper and the razor is a suggested addition whilst travelling.

I already have a slight case of RAD and figure 3 straights will do me well - Hart Steel "Not A Replica", Thiers Issard "Sparticus (dreadnought blade)", and Dovo "flutter". All are 6/8 but have 1/4, 1/2, & full hollow respectively. I have no clue how well they will agree with me but I think they look absolutely badass and they seem to have strong reviews from the forum. Time to start saving my pennies!

I think the grind makes more difference than size anyways, so these should give you a very good idea what sort of razor your face prefers

Welcome! Straight shaving is a luxury for sure! In our busy, post modern lives, most have forgotten past means. Straight shaving may take longer, may be more expensive, may be more dangerous, but it still works well, and is a plesurable reward for learning a new skill set. Enjoy the journey!

G'Day and welcome.
Photos - we need photos

Originally Posted by xplodngKeys

Hi Everyone!

Over the weekend a good friend of mine convinced me (it honestly didnt take much) to look into straight razor shaving. He purchased a safety razor that arrived on Thursday and he did a first pass on Friday. I was very impressed with the quality of his shave and decided right then and there I must get into this too, perhaps I am easily persuaded by peer pressure? no matter!

So I picked up a Dovo shavette after reading though this forum a lot and figured it would be good for my learning since the learning curve is steeper and the razor is a suggested addition whilst travelling.

I already have a slight case of RAD and figure 3 straights will do me well - Hart Steel "Not A Replica", Thiers Issard "Sparticus (dreadnought blade)", and Dovo "flutter". All are 6/8 but have 1/4, 1/2, & full hollow respectively. I have no clue how well they will agree with me but I think they look absolutely badass and they seem to have strong reviews from the forum. Time to start saving my pennies!

The important thing to remember is to start slowly. Don't be one of those guys who gets a razor and first time out does his whole face and multiple passes and then can't understand why he has razor burn and nicks. Start slowly with the easier areas first and slowly progress to more difficult areas. It can take a month easily to get good shaves and many months to master the instrument.

Other than that it's just practice. Make sure you get a strop to go with the straights that's a mandatory accessory.

A lot of us began with the venerable shavette and slowly got in to the straight razor shaving routine. You will find the straights give a much smoother shave than the shavette and you won't need to keep changing blades. The only challenge is learning to strop and to hone (although someone can do the honing for you). I would also get a few nicks and cuts from the shavette, owing to the sharp edges, but you can forget that if you get in to the straight properly.

Welcome and good luck. You won't ever look back!!

Thanks for all the feedback and support!

I was chatting with a friend and both of us were amazed with how supportive the shaving community is; a refreshing change from other forums! (The shaving subReddit is noticeable void of the usual Reddit denizens as well).

I'll post some photos and some updates on how the shaving experience goes. I'm anticipating picking up that hart razor later in September or into October depending on cash on hand so I'll be into "real shaving" soon!

Don't be one of those guys who gets a razor and first time out does his whole face and multiple passes and then can't understand why he has razor burn and nicks.

I'm definitely going for a whole face right out of the gate, I havn't shaved for 5 days so I have a nice beard going at the moment. I figure I might as well jump in feet first! I do have an Alum block coming to help with the expected razor burn and nicks.... at least I'll know where the damage is coming from though, so I'll only partly be like the guy you profiled

Originally Posted by xplodngKeys

I'm anticipating picking up that hart razor later in September or into October depending on cash on hand so I'll be into "real shaving" soon!

That's not true! By using the shavette you will learn to hold the razor properly and some other techniques like skin stretching is also something you'll need to get used to. It's going to help you out along the way more than you think!

Originally Posted by xplodngKeys

I'm definitely going for a whole face right out of the gate, I havn't shaved for 5 days so I have a nice beard going at the moment. I figure I might as well jump in feet first! I do have an Alum block coming to help with the expected razor burn and nicks.... at least I'll know where the damage is coming from though, so I'll only partly be like the guy you profiled

If your prep and skin stretching is good you won't get razor burn. Your face might feel odd after the first shave, so a good moisturiser or after shave balm is going to come in handy. For the prep I recommend hot water. If you think you've wet your face enough, add more water just to be on the safe side. Also make sure you work your lather into your face with your brush for a few minutes at least.

Originally Posted by rum

That's not true! By using the shavette you will learn to hold the razor properly and some other techniques like skin stretching is also something you'll need to get used to. It's going to help you out along the way more than you think!

Ah that all makes sense. I read that the shavette has a bit steeper of a learning curve than the straights but figured since I like to shape my beard from time to time having the ability to adjust blade length for tighter sections appealed to me as well. It's nice to know that I can stick with the shavette a little longer though and the skills will be transferable.

Originally Posted by rum

If your prep and skin stretching is good you won't get razor burn. Your face might feel odd after the first shave, so a good moisturiser or after shave balm is going to come in handy. For the prep I recommend hot water. If you think you've wet your face enough, add more water just to be on the safe side. Also make sure you work your lather into your face with your brush for a few minutes at least.

Hopefully tonight I'll have my stuff and then I'll let you guys know how it turned out, complete with photos!

When you guys get ready in the mornings I'm guessing you all shave after you shower, but do you shave before or after you style your hair?

I find that my hair likes to become unruly rather quickly so I need to be quick with the hair dryer and the gel/pommade? (I have no clue what its called but its not really gel) to make everything look professional and stay for the rest of the day; although, I'm wondering if this would impact the quality of my shave since my face would completely dry up in the meantime. For some background I routinely just shaved in the shower with my cartridge disposable since the steam produced a nicer shave.

Hello and I wish you the best. All those razors mentioned will agree with you. I have seven straights and the Dovo shavette, with which I started back in December. Now I use the shavette to clean up the back of my neck one a week in between visits to the barber. Anyway, the straights I have range from a near wedge to a singing hollow. My 1/4 hollow is a 6/8 Hart, BTW. All seven are excellent shavers, and I don't really prefer one over the other. Each give a different experience, which adds to the fun. Good luck!