Thread: Hello all😃

30 degrees is a rough guide. I have no idea what 30 degrees looks like. However the solution is simple.....


Start with the blade almost flat on the face, as you practice raise the angle a bit at a time until you find the most comfortable point. Then it's simply a case of repetition. Practice what is comfortable and works.

Hello, and welcome to SRP !!

Thanks will do

Originally Posted by monkeypuzzlebeefeater

30 degrees is a rough guide. I have no idea what 30 degrees looks like. However the solution is simple.....


Start with the blade almost flat on the face, as you practice raise the angle a bit at a time until you find the most comfortable point. Then it's simply a case of repetition. Practice what is comfortable and works.

I second that. If the blade feels like it's sticking to your face your angle is to acute. Increase the angle away from your face. Sounds common sense but when you're starting out it happens. If the angle is to large the blade will feel like it wants to skip across your face. The natural instinct for the newbie is to increase pressure on the blade, to keep it from skipping. But if you do that your likely to nick yourself. You don't want the blade in a position where you're scraping it across your face. Resist the urge to increase the pressure on the blade. Very little pressure on the blade is needed. Decrease the angel of the blade. After a few days you won't need to think about it much at all.

I like what's being said about 2 spine widths that's a good sounding rule. I've noticed about me when I'm shaving if I feel like it's skipping I put it closer to my face. Also when my face is too dry it skips. This type of shaving causes a person to really focus on what they're doing. Okay a silly question I suppose but I would like to ask it. I've heard it takes 100 shaves to get proficient and I've heard it takes a year too. Is there a time limit or does each person "become" at their own pace? I believe this may have been answered before but was wanting to be sure I understood it. Thank you all��

Originally Posted by nighthawk

I like what's being said about 2 spine widths that's a good sounding rule. I've noticed about me when I'm shaving if I feel like it's skipping I put it closer to my face. Also when my face is too dry it skips. This type of shaving causes a person to really focus on what they're doing. Okay a silly question I suppose but I would like to ask it. I've heard it takes 100 shaves to get proficient and I've heard it takes a year too. Is there a time limit or does each person "become" at their own pace? I believe this may have been answered before but was wanting to be sure I understood it. Thank you all��

I'm a beginner also, so I may not be so qualified to answer, but I really believe the time required to at least feel proficient will change from person to person. Someone with fairly good dexterity, eye hand coordination, good attention to detail, and analytical about every shave, will likely feel proficient fairly quickly. Someone lacking in some of those traits may take a bit longer. After 100 shaves or 1 year of using a straight razor you will at least know which camp you're in.

Originally Posted by Slurryer

I'm a beginner also, so I may not be so qualified to answer, but I really believe the time required to at least feel proficient will change from person to person. Someone with fairly good dexterity, eye hand coordination, good attention to detail, and analytical about every shave, will likely feel proficient fairly quickly. Someone lacking in some of those traits may take a bit longer. After 100 shaves or 1 year of using a straight razor you will at least know which camp you're in.

And, remember your skin and beard strength changes with the seasons and humidity!
~Richard

Since there are no standardized tests, or lists of what to be accomplished at any given point, your progress will be the result of how much attention you are paying to your progress and your level of satisfaction with each step. There are those that "get it" in one and then, there are the rest of us, working continually to fully understand what will give us, each, a good shave. I've been using a straight for 16 months and finally figured out the correct way, for me, to shave my neck. Taking into consideration your personal level of stubbornness (we all have one) will help you decide the rate of progress for yourself.

If it hasn't been mentioned, map the way your facial hair grows. It will help you determine how you shave your face.

Face map interactive.
http://www.pbjsite.com/shave/whiskarmap/
Click on an arrow and put it on the part of your face that grows that direction. I did it as it would look to me in a mirror.
Have fun
~Richard