Thread: First shave in and many lessons learned.

First of all, I should change my name from jackson2711 to PATCHES. I started with a plan but by the time the blade touched my face, the plan went out the window. I did two full passes WTG. I have already realized that I have no idea what a proper blade angle and my lather sucked haha. I guess its back to trolling through the forums to learn from my mistakes until my shave tomorrow.

G'Day and welcome to SRP.

Look for Mantic59 on YouTube - he's got some good videos about lathering and shaving - and don't worry, it gets better...

Mantic59 as havachat suggested and lynn abrams have some of the best youtube vids for beginners. Lynn's beginning stropping videos were a huge help to me when I first started. Goodluck fella.

Time for some info. What are you using for brush? Do you have a bowl, scuttle? Strop? What kind of angle did you use?(how many spine widths?) Were you using any pressure on the skin with the blade?

This should help us help you along with those videos.

Oh and what soap?!

I purchased the 'Holiday' set through Classic Edge. So I used a C-mon razor, Col Conk soap, Classic Edge inhouse brand badger brush. I used a bowl but I think it may have been a little too small. I do have a strop. I think my angle was about three to four spine widths. On the second pass I made a conscious effort to decrease the angle to about 2 spine widths, this decreased the tugging severely. And I used feather light pressure. I believe this may have hindered me partially because focusing on light pressure and nerves would cause my hand to shake on the first pass. I had it under control much better on the second. Also, I think I hindered myself because with the light pressure there was stubble left so I would stroke over it a few times. Next time I have to make an effort to leave that stubble for the second pass.

Originally Posted by jackson2711

I purchased the 'Holiday' set through Classic Edge. So I used a C-mon razor, Col Conk soap, Classic Edge inhouse brand badger brush. I used a bowl but I think it may have been a little too small. I do have a strop. I think my angle was about three to four spine widths. On the second pass I made a conscious effort to decrease the angle to about 2 spine widths, this decreased the tugging severely. And I used feather light pressure. I believe this may have hindered me partially because focusing on light pressure and nerves would cause my hand to shake on the first pass. I had it under control much better on the second. Also, I think I hindered myself because with the light pressure there was stubble left so I would stroke over it a few times. Next time I have to make an effort to leave that stubble for the second pass.

Alright, now we can break it down and help some more.

I use VDH since I heard if you can make a decent lather with that you can rule any soap, never tried another yet but I have been very happy with it. I hear Conk is great too, just mentioning it for reference. Go ahead and feel free to over use soap as you learn. I was afraid I was loading the brush too much. Well I was loading to little and not whipping/pumping the brush enough. Load for a good 30 seconds if it is hard soap. Sometimes it may help to wet the soap for a few seconds before you load the brush.

Whip the thing until you see the lather explode...literally...As you go if this doesn't happen slowly add some water, bit by bit, whip more, add more water until you have lather shooting out of the bowl. The VDH bowl allows for the brush to sit in the middle and about two finger diameters to the edge all around. so bowls can be small, usually doesn't matter too much, however, one key thing FIND WHAT YOU LIKE! This is key, don't let me tell you what to do but rather what results you may want to look for. Figure out your process, everyone is different.

As for blade angle, a mentor on here told me to again find what is comfortable but usually to start with 2 spine widths or less away from the face, you can even go flat against the face and get some results that are good too. This will make no pressure shaving easier and should decrease tugging if angle is your problem. If it still tugs at that angle then the problem may lie in your strop method or the edge of your blade.

Also I use basically no pressure. Start here and if you need a closer shave use multiple passes but lather between each pass so you have a skin buffer. This will help save your face. Also remember what mentors always say here, shaving is about beard prep and reduction not elimination. So good prep with multiple passes will make the shaving experience far better.

I prefer badger brushes so you are good there, I have a good history with making good lather with badger and no lather with boar.

Hope this helps and keep us up to date. It also could help if you share pictures of your lather you make in bowl and on face if you would like!

The rule I use for correct angle:

. . . Start with the spine against your face, the blade flat.

. . . Start a shaving stroke, and lift the spine until the edge _just starts to cut hair_.

That's the right angle.

. Charles

So I just completed my second shave with my cmon. I did one pass wtg and one pass xtg. I used shave cream this time instead of shave soap. I feel my lather and stropping improved. I think the biggest difference was the increase in confidence and improved angle. The shave was much closer and I nicked myself about four times. Oddly I did much better with my non-dominant hand.

Keep at it sounds like you're getting the hang of it.

Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

The rule I use for correct angle:

. . . Start with the spine against your face, the blade flat.

. . . Start a shaving stroke, and lift the spine until the edge _just starts to cut hair_.

That's the right angle.

. Charles

This is great advice . Forget about the spine widths , and do it like Charles says .