Thread: My First Couple of Attempts at Shaving with a Straight Razor.

This Friday, I finally received the last piece of the basic kit I needed to attempt a shave with a straight-razor. After getting my toddler to sleep, I locked myself in the bathroom, and started my usual pre-shave ritual. I began with a quick rinse with hot water, and an application of Proraso pre-shave cream. I then applied a hot-towel for two-minutes, while letting my brush soak. After removing said towel, I applied another dollop of the Proraso pre-shave, and began to work up a lather of MJ's Pina Colada soap upon my heavy stubble (knowing that I would get to play with a straight at some point kept me from shaving from Tuesday on).
Now, I intended to follow the advice proferred and repeated so often in the montly Beginner Tips and simply perform the first, simple WTG pass along the dominant (in my case, left) sideburn - but it went so smoothly I decided to attempt the next passes, on the cheek. Throwing caution into the wind, I then proceeded to attempt the WTG passes along my jaw-line - and then neck. Before I knew it, I was contorting myself into funny shapes, and attempting to shave the right side-burn and cheek - followed of course by the right side of my neck! Although it took me a full twenty minutes, I hadn't cut myself at this point simply by going slowly, and stopping if things didn't look or feel right/comfortable.



My confidence bolstered, I decided to lather up and attempt an XTG pass. Again, I spent a full twenty minutes on this pass, but found myself left with a much closer shave - I even ventured to clean-up the area around the goatee, although I do have to admit that was a real pain. Two extremely minor nicks, only revealing themselves with a tell-tale streak left in the cream on the blade, and I was feeling good - and fool-hearty.
So, I lathered up again. And very carefully, started an ATG pass. This time, I actually sped up, finishing in fifteen minutes (guess I'm getting better at the face stretching thing / finding comfortable grips). After a good rinse with hot water and a rub of the alum (still only the two bleeders!) and a splash of WH, I faceturbated for a few minutes, feeling the shave. I came out with baby-smooth cheeks, a very close shave on my jawline and *most* of my neck, and a decent shave around the adam's apple and where the goatee meets jawline. A little bit of irritation, particularly around the neck, but nothing I can't handle (and really, nothing worse than I get with the carts and Williams).



Today, I used the same pre-shave routine outlined above (it works for me, and I am comfortable with it) on my usual two-day growth, however prepared my lather this time in a bowl, rather than on the face. I felt that the lather I generated this way was slicker and offered more cushion - although that could also be due to my growing more familiar with the MJ's product.
Once again, I made three passes - WTG, XTG and ATG - and was rewarded with a solitary weeper. I did, however, end up with some pretty hardcore razor-burn and irritation...my neck was not a happy place immediately after the shave (although feels much better a few hours later). As for the shave, I ended up with baby-smooth cheeks again, and managed what I would consider a excellent shave along the jawline and neck; peppered with a couple of extremely smooth spots. To combat the irritation, I applied Nivea AS Balm (sensitive); I think with my next shave I'll actually try using the Pre-shave cream with each relather and see if that helps nip the problem before it arises.

Schmitz, Bravo!
I don't see such fine first shaves often. Mine was a bloody mess - which is why I'm called pinklather. I've only heard or seen one better, and I was there when it happened.

You're a gonner. If it went this well at first... Six mo. from now, I'll be amazed if you can bear to use any other method.

The razor burn is almost always from pressure while shaving. You mentioned all the funny-looking contortions to stretch the skin. It may take some time, but the stretches and strokes are what keeps you from needing to use pressure to get an area clear. If the stretch and stroke are good - contacting the skin with no pressure is all that's needed. Let me be the first to admit I wasn't capable of that when I started. The next six months was spent discovering what stretches and strokes worked best on a particular part of the face. With this good a start - it will probably come quickly for you.

It also says your razor was, indeed, very shave ready. 'Don't know where you got it, or who did the honing, but clearly, it was well done. 'Hope you keep enjoying. The shaves get better from here.

I appreciate your posting this. Keep up the great work.

Well you kept me on the edge of my computer . . . I kept waiting for the blood to flow. Nice job. You are now officially HOOKED!!

As Pinklather said, pressure and I would add stretching, get the neck area very taut and use very little angle and pressure

Well done. I have a goatee thing (a moustache, soul patch and goatee all separate 'islands') and I find using the heel of the razor very handy to cut in around that area. A razor with a nice big square heel helps; 5/8 at least.

Proraso pre-shave cream is excellent, I used to use it every single shave (I don't use any pre-shave cream or oil now). Even though I really liked Proraso pre-shave cream, can I suggest that rather than use it more, you cut it out altogether? Shave as you did before but with the pre-shave cream. If you get no razor burn, next shave, use the Proraso again. If you DO get razor burn then; you might say that it's the Proraso. It is a rather strong formula. If you DON'T get the burn, then maybe it's not the Proraso, so maybe try a nice light formula soap or cream. The razor burn could also be from too much pressure...

Carl

Thanks for all the tips - I just wish I didn't have to wait for my beard to grow out to attempt my next shave!

The razor I am using is a Greaves and Sons Stubby Wedge provided by forum compatriot Celestino. It is indeed ridiculously sharp; he tried a couple of passes before passing it my way to ensure I wouldn't be attempting to shave with an unworthy blade.




I suspect that it is an issue relating to too much pressure and not enough stretching - I have some very wierd growth patterns on my neck, and am having a fun time trying to figure out how best to get good passes. I also suspect that where the neck meets the jaw (vertical skin to horizontal), I am falling into a habit of scraping (way too much positive angle) rather than shaving. Perhaps it's back to the butterknife between shaves to play around with angles.
When I next shave (I will probably leave it an extra day to let the irritation calm right down), I'll also try skipping the Proraso pre-shave, and see if that changes anything.

Adam, congratulations on the success!

Schmitz - the area you describe as being a challenge is notorious for alot of us. 'Bizarre beard patterns, often a cow-lick (circular pattern). It remains the biggest challenge for me also. When I couldn't find a stretch and stroke to perfectly clean the area - I noticed I started using some pressure to try to complete the stroke. Just to save some flesh from carnage - don't let the holy grail of perfect baby-butt-smoothness be a monkey on your back. It'll save you some carnage.

So third times a charm, right?
On Wednesday, I made my third attempt at straight-razor shaving; and again had excellent results. This time, I lathered up with Col. Conk's Bay Rum - have to say I really like this soap; it made huge lather compared to the MJ's tallow based I had been using - but otherwise followed the same pre-shave procedure and post-shave procedure as before.
With the actual shave, rather than lathering up my entire face and taking twenty-minutes to complete the pass, I broke my face into four regions (left-cheek, right-cheek, left side of neck, right side of neck), applying creme and completing the pass in each region before moving onto the next. I also only performed two passes (WTG and ATG), then touched up anything that was still overly fuzzy/stubbley. Overall, I would rate this shave as Damn Fine, with a couple of patches of BBS along the cheeks and jawline. There was some irritiation, but less than I normally get with a cart system. Also, experienced my first cut - very minor (2/3") and not very deep, fortunately - but the alum sure let me know it was there!
Overall time: 40 minutes (faster yet!)

Extra lather; after shaving myself and lathering up my toddler to 'shave' with a plastic butterknife (he really wants to be like dad). This Col. Conk stuff loads up so nicely; need to remember not to use so much.


Post-shave (alum applied)