Thread: Newbie checking in

Hey gents! I've been shaving with a DE for a few months now and decided to get a straight. Bought one from Larry at whippeddog.com and started learning how to use it for the last month. Last night I did my first 95% shave. I shaved all of my face, with 3 passes, using the straight. I used a DE for the last pass to grab the areas I still haven't figured out.

I totally butchered my face, but it could have been much worse and I had fun doing it, so I'm totally going to keep trying. Next up will be buying a strop. I'm either getting Larry's short strop or The Filly offered by RupRazor.com. We shall see!

Thanks for the awesome guides and wiki. This place is bursting with info without even having to harass any of you! Anyway, I hang out at Badger and Blade a lot and frequent FountainPenNetwork as well.

Welcome to SRP!

I also started with DE and recently had my first straight shave. Looks like you are taking your time to read the information thats found here thats great. Take your time don't be in a hurry to shave go light no need to cut the face up so much. In time as you learn the art of shaving with a straight it will improve.

I shaved fairly light. but it didn't help that I hadn't shaved in 5 days so there was a lot of reduction to go through. Most of the butchering was due to slip ups, but nothing that lasted after the post-shave process (other than one dot on my neck). It was still fun, so whatever! I do need to learn better control of the razor though. I need to break myself of the bad habits I picked up using DEs where I actually think my face is safe in most blade positions

Originally Posted by HokieGeek

I totally butchered my face, but it could have been much worse and I had fun doing it, so I'm totally going to keep trying.

Only in this community would someone butcher their face and have fun doing it!!!

Welcome, and congrats on the first shave with a straight! I contemplated trying DEs before moving to straights, but I figured I'd just jump straight in.

Like was said before, just read up as much as you can. I also found that watching shaving videos between shaves helped my technique a lot. I'm a month into straight shaving myself, and found focusing on these 3 things helpful in developing my techinique: Keeping the skin tight, the angle right, and the touch light.

Originally Posted by HokieGeek

Next up will be buying a strop. I'm either getting Larry's short strop or The Filly offered by RupRazor.com. We shall see!

I ordered the strop by RupRazor.com the other day. It is a good strop. You will do well buying the RupRazor strop.

Originally Posted by Fbones24

Only in this community would someone butcher their face and have fun doing it!!!

That is pretty twisted, huh?

Originally Posted by markevens

focusing on these 3 things helpful in developing my techinique: Keeping the skin tight, the angle right, and the touch light.

That's my biggest hurdle. It's tricky finding the right hand position to pull in the correct direction. For the most part, I found it very difficult and the times when I thought I had the right position, my fingers would slip over the slick areas I had just shaved. So I definitely have some learning to do there!

Originally Posted by LarryAndro

I ordered the strop by RupRazor.com the other day. It is a good strop. You will do well buying the RupRazor strop.

Well, you were the one who recommended it in the first place! I won't have to be told three times!

Originally Posted by HokieGeek

That's my biggest hurdle. It's tricky finding the right hand position to pull in the correct direction. For the most part, I found it very difficult and the times when I thought I had the right position, my fingers would slip over the slick areas I had just shaved. So I definitely have some learning to do there!

Have you viewed the shaving videos posted here:

Shaving videos - Straight Razor Place Wiki

I think those helped me immensely when I was trying to figure out how to stretch my skin and hold the razor.

Originally Posted by Fbones24

Have you viewed the shaving videos posted here:

Shaving videos - Straight Razor Place Wiki

I think those helped me immensely when I was trying to figure out how to stretch my skin and hold the razor.

I had not. Only seen the one video for now. I think I'll take a look at these tonight. Thanks!

Ok, so last night I shaved with a str8 again. A new one I traded with LarryAndro (thanks!). This time it went much better! I watched the videos and I focused much more on stretching. Only took 3 passes to get an acceptable shave and I didn't even finish off with a DE. My cheeks are BBS and my neck is close enough!

I did have about 4 nicks and I once again cut myself up under my chin. That's 4 major cuts (half-inch with scabbing) in 2 shaves in the same area. Turns out I have a bad habit where, instead of placing the razor under my chin behind my goatee, I slide it into place.... it's a really, really bad habit. But, the good thing about this one, is that the ... feedback (pain, gushing blood, etc.) might make this a self-correcting issue!

Anyway, thanks for the pointers, everybody!