Thread: Beardless in Cincinnati

Thanks for the welcome everybody!

I do have one major concern at this point: I went in to my local art of shaving a few days ago and got a basic straight razor shave (my first ever!) from their barber. Man, it tore me up! I don't mean he cut me or anything, in fact he seemed like he really knew what he was doing (although I admittedly have nothing to compare it to), and my face was definitely baby but smooth afterwards; but I was super sore and red for like 12 hours afterwards, and had quite a few little "blood spots" (i'm not sure what the term for those is, still working my way through the FAQ).

Now, he was obviously using a shavette, and I haven't used an actual blade on my face in at least a month and a half, so i'm hoping those were big factors. My concern though is that if that's how it feels after a pro shave, how bad is it going to be when I first take a razor to my face?

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Nope, at least not doing it myself (see my last post). I have most of the supplies at this point, and a razor in the mail from whippeddog.com. Once that comes in, I'll probably take my first strokes.

Your comment about cartridge razors and how quickly they wear out makes me feel better; for the cost of them I figured they must last longer for most guys.

As per the acquisition orders, I've seen a few of them, and I'm definitely Have had major bouts of the bass-player forum equivalents, BAS and GAS: bass/gear acquisition syndrome;-)

OP:
Welcome! 3 or 4 shaves with a cartridge? That's pretty good in my opinion, more than I ever got! Enjoy the journey.

A shavette is NOT a straight razor by any means; it's a cheap substitute at best. You will get a much more comfortable shave off of a shave-ready straight razor. Be sure to only "shave the lather" not using too much pressure and let the blade do its work.

I still get a bit of irritation and redness in certain areas of my face but nothing like you describe. To cope with that, I shave every other day to allow for healing. Stay away from shavettes is my advice.

I also get "weepers" (tiny areas that bleed briefly during a shave) in the same areas always -- just to the left of my mustache and near my chin on the same side. ATG is harsh for me here coupled with some mild micro-scarring from an accident I had years ago.

Thanks for the reply, it was what I was hoping for. Been doing practice shaves and strops with a GD "practice razor" (butter knife sharp) so hopefully when my real guy comes in I'll at least have the basic technique together. I'm actually surprised at how excited I am for this.

Just be sure to confine your excitement among fellow shavers on SRP or other forums. To this day, my brother thinks I'm nuts for showing excitement about shaving with deadly razors. Someone else thought it was odd that there are forums for something as trivial as shaving (until he realized the Internet has everthing + 1).

Originally Posted by FoliageFace

Thanks for the reply, it was what I was hoping for. Been doing practice shaves and strops with a GD "practice razor" (butter knife sharp) so hopefully when my real guy comes in I'll at least have the basic technique together. I'm actually surprised at how excited I am for this.

You'll do fine. Just take your time, keep your lather wet, and keep your mind on the razor and your angle. Roughly the thickness of the spine off the face, its about cutting the hair, not scraping.

Above all, enjoy the zen time alone in your soon to become... SHAVE DEN [emoji6]

Welcome to SRP FoliageFace. You're not the only one who got a bad shave from a barber using a shavette. In my case the barber shave was so bad when I got home I had to lather up and re-shave myself with a REAL straight. I would have been better off spending the 25 bucks for the shave on a puck of decent soap from SRD.

I know what you mean. Fortunately, As a jazz devotee and Linux enthusiast, I have long since learned my lesson about sharing my exitment about things with normal people:-)