Mother is terrified of my straight!

I got my straight a while ago and have been saving its maiden voyage for a special occasion. Now finally on monday I am graduating and i want to use it sunday afternoon. I mentioned it to her and he said shes actually been having bad dreams about it. I dont know what to tell her. What should i do? Im using it anyway, but i would like to say something to her to get her to realise that im a big boy now. And hell, im moving out in a few months and havent told her that yet either! i just dont knowwhat to do, any help would be great thanks.

I'm 43 and my mom still gets the eebee jeebees. Seems all the things she tried to keep me from backfired as I have just about done every one of them with gusto...

At least with straights she isn't having bad dreams that she tells me about... Now when I was active gunsmith and competitve shooter... thats all together another story....

I told my mom when I started using a straight and at first she seemed concerned, then she told me that her dad used a straight. Newer shavers were already making their appearance during his time but he stuck with his straight razor. She remembers him stropping his razor in the evening and told me that she clearly remembers him only having a leather strop and not a linen. He must of honed his razor in another part of the house since she doesn't rememeber watching him hone his razor, just stropping and shaving with it. It appears he only owned one. I had never met him and my mom says I act just like him and now favor him more since I took up straight shaving.
Ernest
Ernest

Tell her about this place. Say you've discovered lots of experienced straight razor shavers with lots of excellent information and advice on getting the best and safest truly manly shave available on earth. Let her know that you're serious and that this isn't a joke, that you're not doing it because you think it makes you cool (even though it does :D) and that you have considered it carefully for a long time before taking the plunge.

If I might also suggest, make sure you actually DO have all your ducks in a row before that first shave. Make sure you have a honemeister honed blade ... very important. Lots of good beard prep is essential. Taking your time is important too. As well set your priority here for a while ... It is not your first goal to get the best shave of your life out of the gate, it is your first goal to do yourself NO HARM. If that means stepping back and re-prepping your face, then do that. If that means putting the razor down and finishing with a cartridge, then don't be too proud to do that too. You don't want to show up to get that diploma with a gash across your cheek.

X

[edit] PS Oh yeah, ultra sharp and ultra light pressure in the shave. Really ... ultra, ultra light.

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Originally Posted by tjiscooler

I got my straight a while ago and have been saving its maiden voyage for a special occasion. Now finally on monday I am graduating and i want to use it sunday afternoon. I mentioned it to her and he said shes actually been having bad dreams about it. I dont know what to tell her. What should i do? Im using it anyway, but i would like to say something to her to get her to realise that im a big boy now. And hell, im moving out in a few months and havent told her that yet either! i just dont knowwhat to do, any help would be great thanks.

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Straight razor shaving takes some exercise. If your first str8 shave is the day before your graduation and you cut yourself or get bad razor burn and skin redness ask them not to take pictures that day!

My mother encouraged me when I told her! She actually said,"So, you're gonna shave like a man now, huh?":roflmao and then she directed me towards her next door neighbor who was an 80 year old barber.
What can I say? My mother is of the world war II generation (the Japanese side) she learned to use a Naginata around age 12 in case her and her schoolmates had to protect the shores of Japan from the roundeyed hordes! Tough stock, she is!!

Haha, my mother just laughed at me and told me I was going to slit my throat. I am a bit on the quirky side, and have other uncommon interests, so I don't think it was really that big of a surprise to her. I did get dubbed with the title "Shaving Nerd", which I have mixed feelings about.

I get one of 3 reactions from people when they find out I use a straight:

- "Are you out of your $@*!$% mind?"
- "You're a savage"
or, my personal favourite:
- "Why??"

This follows with a short discussion, by the end of which I have them asking me where to buy equipment to get started.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to shave after dinner. Il'l go really slow and be extra careful so I can come out with my head attached. If all goes well she'll see that there is no reason to worry. I'm excited to finaly break in that razor. Thanks for all the great help and information ive gotten from all you guys since i joined!

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Originally Posted by tjiscooler

Thanks everyone. I'm going to shave after dinner. Il'l go really slow and be extra careful so I can come out with my head attached. If all goes well she'll see that there is no reason to worry. I'm excited to finaly break in that razor. Thanks for all the great help and information ive gotten from all you guys since i joined!

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Well TJ,

How did the shave go? I hope the Artist worked well for you. :)

My mom said I was crazy. This confused me a little; I had assumed she had figured that out about me by then.

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Originally Posted by tjiscooler

I'm excited to finaly break in that razor. Thanks for all the great help and information ive gotten from all you guys since i joined!

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I remember that first shave… the shave ready razor was the last thing to be ordered and arrive; I got the package right before I had to leave for work. I spent the whole shift in la-la-land anticipating that first shave with the enthusiasm of a 10 year old on Christmas Eve…

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Originally Posted by JMS

My mother encouraged me when I told her! She actually said,"So, you're gonna shave like a man now, huh?":roflmao and then she directed me towards her next door neighbor who was an 80 year old barber.

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I think society would benefit from a few more mothers exhorting, “Either with this or on this.”

Ah, nuts, where'd my shield go?

-Michael

P.S. – on the first shave note, I exercised extreme caution and am proud to say that I only nicked myself about half a dozen times. It takes a little practice to get a handle on shaving with that much power. It has been a while since I last nicked myself, but I must reinforce what others have said about graduation and pictures… discretion remains as ever, the better part of valor.
;)
-M

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Originally Posted by dangles

I get one of 3 reactions from people when they find out I use a straight:

- "Are you out of your $@*!$% mind?"
- "You're a savage"
or, my personal favourite:
- "Why??"

This follows with a short discussion, by the end of which I have them asking me where to buy equipment to get started.

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1) As a matter of fact, yes, I am.
2) You oughta see me in my grass skirt.
3) For the same reason dogs lick their... :D

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Originally Posted by padron

Well TJ,

How did the shave go? I hope the Artist worked well for you. :)

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The shave went well! thanks alot for your help. I did one WTG pass and one ATG pass. I got two very small cuts and a few tiny spots of blood from the last pass but other than that all was well. I am pleased to say that I got a pretty close shave. Soon im ordering a bench strop from Tony Miller with one side pasted with .5 chromium.

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Originally Posted by ohlookaneagle

I think society would benefit from a few more mothers exhorting, “Either with this or on this.”

Ah, nuts, where'd my shield go?

-Michael

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Describes my mothers sentiments perfectly!!

Light and small strokes. Do not do what I and probably most others did on their first shave and keep shaving should you feel pulling.
And limit the first shave to your cheeks, unless things are going real well.

Shame on you for fretting your mother and silly too. You could have easily locked yourself in the bathroom for 30 to 40 minutes ran a lot of water and made some oohs and ahhs and the occasional ouch and then when you decided to tell her you're moving out she could say.. "I think that would be best."

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Originally Posted by tjiscooler

The shave went well! thanks alot for your help. I did one WTG pass and one ATG pass. I got two very small cuts and a few tiny spots of blood from the last pass but other than that all was well. I am pleased to say that I got a pretty close shave. Soon im ordering a bench strop from Tony Miller with one side pasted with .5 chromium.

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Cool, Sounds good TJ. The shave will get better and closer with more practice. Tony's Bench Strop would be a Great investment as well.

Keep us posted on your progress :tu

Neale

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Originally Posted by tjiscooler

shes actually been having bad dreams about it.

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So she won't be borrowing it to shave her legs? I fail to see the downside :shrug:

Well my mom didn't like the idea of my str8 either, but neither did the gf. She thought I would wreck my good looking face. Pfft I have a nick in my cheek and that is it.

It adds character ;)
and now she isn't in the picture, soooo it makes it even more sweeter

She liked the smoothness but didn't want me cutting myself. Damn women, choose you can't be in the middle and not decide.

Well done, especially for going ATG on the first go - you're a brave man!