Thread: New from California

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone! And thanks especially for all the great advice. I'll see what I can do to fix it up and see what went wrong. Again, huge thanks to all of you.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Welcome,

So, after it was honed, did it shave?

It is probably your stropping, it is not uncommon for new guys to damage an edge with just a few passes on a strop.

So what you probably need, is to have the razor re-honed and learn to strop properly.

Some photos of your razor would help.

Get some magnification at least 60X and look at the edge. If you see chips from the side, it’s toast and needs re-honing. If you look straight down on the blade and see shiny reflections, the bevel is no longer set and needs honing.

Check out some of the thread in the Honing Forum.

I'll be sure to get you some pictures as soon as I can. I don't see shiny reflections on the blade though, thankfully... I've been really busy these past few weeks, but yeah I'll look into this. Thanks!

I am also a newbie to all of this and have some really poor shaves right at the start. They are still far from perfect, but I am only three weeks in. I just found that starting slowly and changing the angle reducing the pressure and basically varying technique to see what works best.

I now find that each day is better than the last but the difference is getting smaller. I think I am reaching a bit of a plateau with it, but my shaves are now at least socially acceptable. Like you I detested shaving for thirty years and occasionally went with a full beard to avoid it, until that became unbearable. Whilst I am not getting perfect shaves yet I really enjoy the process and actually can't wait for the hair to go back so that I can shave again.

Hang in there, in my opinion it is worth it. Good luck and I hope it works out for you too. This is something we have to do every day, so why not do all we can to enjoy it?

One thing that hasn't been mentioned so far is movement. When I got started, the biggest error I made was just not moving the blade quickly or smoothly enough. As a beginner, I took extreme caution and inched the blade forward at a snail's pace. If you do that, you'll feel lots of tugging and the razor will cut poorly.

To fix the problem, I started with a very low angle (almost flat against the skin) and tried to copy how others moved their blades in instructional videos. You're very unlikely to draw blood if the angle is very low, especially if you're shaving your cheeks or sideburns, so a low angle should give you the confidence you need to move the blade more intentionally. I then gradually adjusted the angle until I got to the sweet spot. It's been a cakewalk ever since.

Anyway, welcome to the forum! I'm originally from SoCal (Mission Viejo). There are a lot of members out there, so I strongly recommend taking advantage of that.

Hot shower first guarantees whiskers are butter. Use one of the Proraso pre/post shaves. The green menthol applied just before getting out of the shower gets you to the mirror with super soft vulnerable whiskers. Shave soaps and creams both work well. I prefer those with tallow in them. IMO nothing is superior to Tabac! Kent or Mitchell's Wool Fat are a close second. Start with the blade as flat against your face as it will go and still cut whiskers. Start careful slow and very patient. Use your other hand with a wet washcloth to keep slight tension on your skin. That should get you started on the learning curve. Everyone's face, temperament, coordination and experience will vary but everyone can be successful and satisfied with traditional shaving. Finally, there is such a thing as trying to shave to close!! Use "alum" crystal on your wet face after shaving. This tells you where you are being too aggressive with your technique. Let the alum dry before going back with Proraso Post Shave. Specifically the red sandlewood pre/post shave. This stuff has karite butter and whatever else but it is amazing how it helps your face recover and feel Great! The red one is different than the green one. They are both marketed as pre/post shave but IMO use the green one before and the red one after. If you are going out right away, skip the "alum" ( it's not related to aluminum) and Proraso Post Shave routine and just jump right away to Nivea sensitive Post Shave Balm. It's not as therapeutic but it is thinner and won't leave any unsightly residue.

More than was asked I know but the whole routine matters!

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