Thread: Finally the day has come!

well the day has come. my razor came in today and i was pretty excited... well i was going to the mailbox every single day for the past week like a 5 year old waiting for birthday presents.. and my wife could tell because i never check the mail lol..

just finished my first shave and i must say..... wow... this will take some time to get good at. However aside from butchering my face pretty good for a newcomer i really enjoyed the time to myself. put on some music and went at it the best i could from the past two weeks of researching how to do this. very glad i got it and I'm looking very forward to more shaves to come.

the couple things i did find difficult were 1- getting a good lather on. i think because i was pretty slow at this process it felt like the lather would get dry on my face... any suggestions for this would be greatly appreciated.. I'm also wondering if its because i was too slow. 2- i found going with the grain pretty good seeings how I'm new at this. went pretty smooth however when i went against the grain it was a whole new ballgame.. thats when it got tricky and thats when the cuts began and i found myself with a face on fire lol.. anyway super pumped and super hooked i think. I have to shave every day or at least every other day with my occupation so this will be fun and ill get lots of practice.

If this was your first shave with a straight you may have attempted too much too soon First straight razor shave - Straight Razor Place Wiki . If your lather starts to dry out reapply more lather to the dry area.

Bob

+1 to Bob's advice.

Don't worry about going against or even across the grain at this point. Take your time to get used to handling the razor, angles, pressure, etc., and it will all come together. I know that's tough advice to heed when you have just received something you have been waiting for, but for most people, that's the best way to go.

Hang in there, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

I'm over a month in and only just starting to do ATG so I wouldn't rush it, you can get a great shave without it, like the others said don't go too fast it will take a while.

Being patient and having fun are key. No shame in finishing up with a DE or cart after the first pass.

Welcome to the fun!
dry lather can usually be addressed by adding a for more drops of water to your lather bowl or for the lather on your face a little water to the end of the brush and work it into the face. it is normal for your shaves to take a while when you are starting out, some people even find that it works to lather one side of their face, shave it then re-wet the other side, lather and shave that one.

usually, a daily single pass is enough for those with jobs that require being clean shaven (military) even though it is not a perfect shave it will be tidy. after a couple weeks you can try adding the cross grain pass and once you are getting good with that you can start working on the against the grain pass.

relax, enjoy, take you time, Rome was not burnt in a day !


jim

All my typing was for naught, I see.
Does any of this stuff sound familiar?

I'm glad your gear showed up and you enjoyed yourself. It will get better, I promise.

I'm pretty new to this myself, started December & I agree, don't worry about going ATG/XTG yet, try 2 or 3 gentle passes WTG, & if you have to finish off with your old cartridge razor it's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm only just starting to get to the point where I could actually go out in public without finishing off with my old mach 3 & it's far from a perfect shave. I say this because I tried ATG/XTG before I was ready & cut the crap out of my face. I've still got a slowly fading 1 inch scar on my left cheek to prove it.

You'll find it holding the blade feels quite alien for a few weeks, & then one day in a month or so (give or take) you'll pick the straight up & it'll feel natural in your hands. Even then you'll still have a ways to go but that's a day that will put a smile on your face, & you'll be more convinced that you made the right decision than ever.

And remember, the more you stretch the skin the better the shave will be. I have found that it is more important with tight skin than any pressure from the razor. Plus, don't get greedy and try to shave too much too soon. It literally comes back to bite you. Have a basic safety razor around the polishing initially. It can take a couple of months before the straight razor really comes naturally.

... and by all means, by a styptic stick and an alum block! Trust me on that one. A very minor expense and a major advantage to have around.

Oh, do take your time, but I suggest turning off the music, at least for now. I think it is very helpful to hear the razor. I like to see (mirror), feel and hear the shave.