It scares the sh*t out of me but I love this thing! (hello & thanks)

Hey fellas,

I had been mulling over the idea of using a straight for some time. I have pretty course stubble and I go through cartridges like there's no tomorrow. It always seemed rather wasteful, they are getting more and more expensive and quite frankly they irritate the shit out of my face. I get bad ingrown hairs on my neck and after reading a few articles here and there I eventually found my way over here to SRP... What an amazing resource! Lynn and everyone involved, I can't thank you enough!

I recently acquired a Tiers Issard from an Art of Shaving store and I'm a handful of shaves in. I took the advice from Lynn and gradually increased the amount of my face I shaved, starting from right jaw and expanding from there. I'm getting the hang of stropping (I think) and am slowly learning the angles. Some areas - particularly my chin - definitely need a lot more practice. And my left hand? We won't even go there - I gave myself a pretty nice cut with it on the shave before last! I attempted my first full face shave yesterday but definitely needed to finish off with the cartridge.

So, yeah, there you go. Hello! Thanks!


Rick

One great tip i found on the chin is to start low and make a 1/4" stroke, then 1/4" stroke above, and above. Like a ladder. Dont start high and move down, go low to high. Works like a charm for me.

Welcome to SRP! :)

Time, practice and patience are all you need. And motor control.

Persisting with your left hand will pay off in the long run, although many people can shave perfectly well with just their dominant hand so don't sweat it too much if it is just not working for you.

Good luck!

James.

Congrats on getting some shaves under your belt! You will reach a point where you don't even have to think about it much; your hand will just know what to do. Still, 2 years in, and every shave is still a very visceral, enjoyable experience for me.

Rick, You're on your way. You'll spend some time and 'color' learning a detailed topography of your face & beard, trying all kinds of strange & comic contortions to learn what combination of stretch and stroke cleans a particular area the best.

On the nicks & cuts - I seem to do most of mine when I test a new edge on a new razor and really enjoy it. I guess a bit of irrational exuberance or something. FWIW, on the nicks - don't shave over them until they heal - or they never will. Make a note of their location and shave around them. A nice tip Lynn shared a year or two back was neosporin. It really helps.

'Glad you're getting to know what quality and pleasre are like in a shave. Guys w/ the really coarse beards need great beard prep, alot of cusion and glide from their lather, and some find the heavier grinds a bit easier to learn with. I don't know members down in SB (lovely area - spent some yrs at Westmont there). If you find other members nearby, some time together can greatly accellerate your learning curve.

The best shaves you've ever had are very near by. Enjoy!