Thread: Anatomy of my first str8 razor shave

Started working on this 2 months ago. First a list of must haves. Topping the list a razor & strop. After a lot of research I ordered 2 strops from Tony @ the Heirloom Razor Strop company. One was a 3" plan vanilla "D" ring I bought for practice and later paste, the other a 3" artisan steer hide strop with handles and linen second strap (thanks Tony you were a big help and a pleasure to deal with). Next the razor. Checking the classifieds here twice a day. Bingo! Contacted Livio who sold me a gorgeous 13/16 half hollow vintage Marple Bee Hive Sheffield razor. What a beauty. Perfect condition and shave ready. Besides selling me the blade Livio has been patiently offering help and suggestions along the way (Livio you were a pleasure to deal with, thanks for all your kindness).

Today was the day. First the prep . Stropped the blade, lathered up & jumped right in. Mostly followed the techniques you can find here and on line but at times I had to find my own way. Went slow and steady. No extra pressure just let the razor do the work. Against most advice I did my whole beard (I'm crazy that way).

Results: 2 or 3 very small areas missed, one small nick on the end of my chin, minor mark on the practice strop (glad I bought it), a shave already as close as my Mach 4, and one big grin on my dumb ass face (no pics ... you don't want to see a grown man quiver and shake). This is going to be a lot of fun

My new toy.

Many of us jumped in head first, as long as it is still attached you're good to go

Sounds like you enjoyed!!!

Originally Posted by pfries

Many of us jumped in head first, as long as it is still attached you're good to go

Sounds like you enjoyed!!!

It is and I did and I can hardly wait for the next one.

Sounds like a great first shave, enyoy the rest of the be comes shaves.

[QUOTE=Brenngun;1172975].....Results: 2 or 3 very small areas missed, one small nick on the end of my chin.../QUOTE]

That's a right of passage I suppose..

Good work and have fun!!

Sounds like you are off to a good start. Take your time. It is not a race. Don't get frustrated with "poor" results. It will take time to develop your skill sets. In time you will develop techniques that work for you. In the meantime, enjoy!