Thread: First Shave - Why so much stubble left?

It takes time (to get the technique) but pretty soon your cheeks will get pretty smooth on the first pass with a straight.

That's generally the first sign of improvement. Nothing (in my limited experience) is going to be as close as a DE on the first pass.

It shouldn't feel like you haven't shaved however

I will say that the MAIN thing that helped me to get a really smooth feeling face (on side burns and cheeks anyway, chin is still a bit of a hard spot i sliced it a bit there) is getting the ANGLE correct. 30 degree's or less when doing a WTG pass and if im not mistaken even less angle when doing Across the Grain and Against the Grain. (pls correct me if I'm wrong veterans =]). Also adding that slight slicing or scything, or diagonal push whatever you want to call it seemed to help me a lot too. I'm using a shavette which is apparently less forgiving on the face as I'm still waiting for my straight to arrive from whippeddog dot com. hope this helps

EDIT: Also correct prep seemed to help alot too, I think one of Lynn's post's or videos where he uses a hot towel on the face before lathering, and then after lathering using a hot towel again to let the lather really soak in to the face. then lathering up again and just taking the time to give yourself all that extra special treatments. I think face prep has been a big factor in the success of my shaves. Although if you're already shaving with a DE before this you may know face prep already I was only using electric clippers for my head to shave before this.

Interestingly, I find the more stubble I have the smoother the first pass is.

When I removed the Movember growth with one WTG pass it was really smooth - of course it got smoother with the other directions.

I used Uberlather for prep, which I haven't used in a long time, so it may have helped too.

Are you stretching your skin? If you watch some of the videos posted in this forum, notice how the person shaving stretches his skin to really nail those whiskers. This is all going to take some time and practice so be patient. I have been SR shaving a year and a half and recently I have gotten to the point where I pretty much nail everything, but now and then I'll have some stubble, but I don't get wrapped around the axel about it. SR shaving is a lifelong learning process.

Originally Posted by mderenal

Should there be a tremendous difference between how much a single pass with a straight removes and how much a DE removes? I did my first shave with a straight this morning. Last shaved yesterday so a normal amount of stubble. Shave ready vintage straight from a well regarded source. Followed instructions and did not strop it prior to first shave. First pass removed very little stubble, nowhere near what I'm accustomed to. Second pass similar. Finished with a DE. I tried to keep the proper angle, could it have been too shallow? Or too great an angle? I thought I was being pretty good with the angle although I was a little less cautious on the second pass, one weeper just below my lower lip. Any suggestions as to what I'm doing wrong? Thanks.