I suck at this but I love it!

Hello everybody, I just started straight razor shaving four days ago, I have yet to not draw blood, but nothing serious. I am using a Dovo 5/8 best and a two inch latigo strop that I purchased from Vintage Blades. I am really forcing myself to use my left hand and to be honest the left side of my face has come out smoother each shave, I think I concentrate and go slower with my left hand. I have put a few tiny nicks in the edge of my strop but I guess that is normal. I have been finishing my shaves with one of my double edges, can't seem to get very close on my neck and the underside of my chin yet with the straight. Not at all discouraged, it is actually going much better than I thought it would. Anyway, I'm babbling.

Anybody else here from Minnesota?

Dan

Sounds like you are going at it with the right attitude, like anything else its just a matter of time and practice. Nicks in the strop, the first one hurts, after that the strop earns character!

Could not say it better with about 30 shaves under my belt I still suck royally yet can't get enough. There still hasn't been a shave completely devoid of blood for me but that's mostly because I will keep doing more passes until I get it as smooth as i want with my fusion laughing at me the whole time. That said my face has never been cleaner I've found I no longer get any pimples on the area I shave, not sure if that's because of the soap, aftershave, or that I'm just slicing them off before I notice) the guys at work think I'm an idiot everytime I show up with a new cut on my face but they don't get it. Glad you could join the straight razor revival communtity stick with it as every shave you learn something new, a slightly different angle/stroke for a certain part of the face, better stropping technique, whatever it is a journey but a satisfying one.

I am new to, concentrate on holding the blade at the correct angle, to shallow and you will cut yourself and to straight and you will just scrape across your face and not cut whiskers. go slow and steady. thats what i like, shaving is a prosses now not some quick 5 minute chore. hang in there.