Thread: Got my razors back and first shaves done

I got my razors back from being honed and restored. My G.Johnson looks great all nice and shiny with the rust spots removed. So I got myself a nice silver tip brush and some shave cream and started my first straight razor shave yesterday. I only got as far as shaving from my sideburns down yesterday but it worked pretty good. Today I tried again but this time my full face. Only came out with a tiny nick.

My Noob questions are I am feeling a fair amount of razor burn. Is this normal or just a noob thing? I thought I would have trouble with the left hand shaving thing but not so far. I think I did a decent job after watching a number of "how to's " and reading through this site but I still have some "stubble" Is a 2nd pass required? I don't want to feel like I need to pull out my Mac 5 and finish my shave off.

Tips would be great..

I plan to head into town tomorrow and pick up a strop and maybe some shave soap as my wife isn't crazy about the smell of the cream I picked up.

The old razor she looks pretty good. Feeling a fair amount of razor burn could have a few contributing factors. Wrong angle when using the blade is one of them. Try about 2 spine widths gap face to spine. Another is using too much pressure on the blade while shaving. It takes an amazing light touch to to shave with a straight especially compared to a cart razor if that is what you are used to. Also how good your soap is and how well you can make good lather with it. It could be a combination of those three things. With time and practice improving your shaving and lathering technique should greatly reduce the amount of razor burn you feel.

I still do a full 3 pass shave so if you are feeling razor burn with just one pass I would wait to add passes till my technique improves. If you try to remove all stubble in one pass you are asking for razor burn.

Bob

Your face still needs to adjust to this new style of shaving, so it is not unusual for beginners to get razor burn in the beginning.

It is important to prep your beard adequately, and that means spending enough time to produce a good thick and moist lather on your face.

When I first started, I remember leaving stubble behind after the first pass and needing a second or third pass to get a close shave. Your technique will improve in time and you will be able to get better shaves after each pass.

Originally Posted by jamaf

I got my razors back from being honed and restored. My G.Johnson looks great all nice and shiny with the rust spots removed. So I got myself a nice silver tip brush and some shave cream and started my first straight razor shave yesterday. I only got as far as shaving from my sideburns down yesterday but it worked pretty good. Today I tried again but this time my full face. Only came out with a tiny nick.

My Noob questions are I am feeling a fair amount of razor burn. Is this normal or just a noob thing? I thought I would have trouble with the left hand shaving thing but not so far. I think I did a decent job after watching a number of "how to's " and reading through this site but I still have some "stubble" Is a 2nd pass required? I don't want to feel like I need to pull out my Mac 5 and finish my shave off.

Tips would be great..

I plan to head into town tomorrow and pick up a strop and maybe some shave soap as my wife isn't crazy about the smell of the cream I picked up.

I gave myself razor burn all over my first shave - mostly due to too much pressure and going back over areas more than I should have. Since, I've improved and get little to know razor burn. I just got better at straight shaving, which seems common enough.

Some advise you to cut out other shavers cold turkey but I think it depends on your preference and if you need to look good for your job while you're still learning. 30 shaves in and I still touch up with my DE, mostly around my chin now. Either method would work for me - the trade offf being learning faster vs. looking better at the beginning. I'm just about there and shouldn't need to use the DE to finish much longer and have already had a couple of nice shaves without it, but none quite as good as with the DE so far.

You'll get a lot better. Whether or not you want to go back over the stubble for now is up to your preference. Nothing wrong with wearing a bit of a rough shave for awhile while you improve.

Watch a bunch of videos. In this one, notice how Lynn doesn't doesn't do a lot of passes. Your technique will get closer to that with practice or you may find a different style that works better for you with more passes.