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  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Default Hello from Florida

    Hello there everyone! My name is Paul, I'm an active duty Navy Chief and I got into shaving with a straight razor about 2 days ago. I am sure I got taken to the cleaners, but I happened to be at the St. Johns towncenter in Jacksonville and 400 dollars later, I had a razor, a strop, and some products to shave with. I've been trying to watch a bunch of youtube videos so I can learn to not cut off my face. I'm sure the questions I'm asking have been asked already.

    How do you hold the razor when you shave against the grain. The position of the razor I see everyone hold is with the grain.

    Anyway, good to meet everyone.

    Paul

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    Default

    Welcome to SRP.
    There are some great videos in the library. Try a search and if cannot find a answer ask away.
    Amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic!

  3. #3
    Sharp as a spoon. ReardenSteel's Avatar
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    Default

    Welcome to SRP. Check out the Library tab, therein lies a link under the shaving with a straight razor that shows different ways to hold a razor. Try a few of those to see what feels comfortable. If the grip doesn't feel right then don't try to shave with it. Keep us posted and ask any other questions you have.
    Why doesn't the taco truck drive around the neighborhood selling tacos & margaritas???

  4. #4
    Sum Dum Gai ShavingSnob's Avatar
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    Default

    As the others have stated, the Library is really the best place to start. However, if you want to 'shop' YouTube, search for videos by Lynn Abrams (the founder of this forum). Videos by geofatboy and The Art of Shaving are also worth watching.

    In addition, some of the advertisers on this forum (see banners and adds to the side / top / bottom of the webpage) also produce videos on YouTube that are worth watching.

    I encourage you to stick with it for the next three months. That seems to be when it starts to really come together for most - at least it did for me.

    Oh, and one last thing - when you shave STRETCH THE SKIN with the free hand. I can't emphasize enough that if you properly (gently) stretch the skin, a nicely sharpened razor simply glides across it. When first beginning, there's a tendency to want to use pressure when shaving. Don't! There's absolutely no need to use the razor with pressure.

  5. #5
    Senior Member blabbermouth Haroldg48's Avatar
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    Also, there's no need to shave against the grain until you're comfortable with the other approaches (with and across). It requires better touch, and angle control, and other strokes are much more forgiving of errors than against the grain.
    Just call me Harold
    ---------------------------
    A bad day at the beach is better than a good day at work!

  6. #6
    Senior Member blabbermouth eddy79's Avatar
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    All great advice so far. The only thing that I would ask is where did you get the razor and was it hand honed or just factory honed. Factory honed is not normally shave ready and will need to be pro honed to be truly shave ready. Good luck with your shaving.
    My wife calls me......... Can you just use Ed

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