Thread: First Shave - Why so much stubble left?

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.

The best advice I have heard is that shaving with a straight or DE is more about preparation and more beard or stubble removal rather than shaving for clean face.

Keep it up, you will learn plenty, you know a lot from reading but now you have to learn your face the best. Find what is fun and comfortable then let it bring you to how it take more and more beard off.

My WTG passes leave quite a bit of stubble, but the XTG and ATG passes remove it rather quickly. I always start WTG to level the stubble out and make the XTG or ATG passes doable! Which direction were your original passes done?

There is a learning curve with using a straight razor. Have you read the beginner's guide in the SRP library here ? Read Lynn's "First Straight Razor Shave."

Originally Posted by carpedm

My WTG passes leave quite a bit of stubble, but the XTG and ATG passes remove it rather quickly. I always start WTG to level the stubble out and make the XTG or ATG passes doable! Which direction were your original passes done?

That is exactly what I am finding too. I think I do get more stubble removed with the first pass using a DE. At the end of 3 pass the result is very similar with a DE or straight though, a good close shave. The difference on the first pass is less now than when I started with straights so I am guessing as your technique improves you will also see less of a difference. Just switching to a straight won't guarantee an immediate better shave in the beginning if you are good with a DE in the first place.

Bob

Originally Posted by carpedm

My WTG passes leave quite a bit of stubble, but the XTG and ATG passes remove it rather quickly. I always start WTG to level the stubble out and make the XTG or ATG passes doable! Which direction were your original passes done?

Mostly WTG, some XTG on my neck. Thanks, it helps to have something specific to try or keep in mind when I try again tomorrow.

Keep at it. Using a straight takes a long time to adapt to. Angle, pressure, direction and even speed of travel play a big part. Beard prep is more important too.
I have been using the straight for close to a year and I still haven't had the "perfect" shave.

The first pass is kinda like clearing the brush, the second and third are like getting the stumps then roots... you know what I mean? Work on mapping your hair growth and go with that. I never go for complete BBS b/c it irritates my skin sometimes regardless of what I use to shave w/. Just focus on technique, comfort, and not looking like a battlefield casualty for now; the rest will just kind of come together w/ time and patience.

Thanks for all the replies. It's interesting, you can read all kinds of things, watch videos, etc. but you never get the full sense of something until you actually do it.

New to this, too, and insight seems to come from everywhere. Started with a Dovo stainless and now I just tried a C-MON Cadillac. Pretty significant difference - less irritation with the C-MON, but that could just be me getting better with each shave as well. Gotta go back to the Dovo now to confirm it. I only get one shot at this per day, so it's not like other pedagogical skills where you can double up and hit an acceptable plateau of results early. Everything in its due time...