Popping My Straight Edge Cherry

Hi everyone,
I've just ordered my first SE razor from Invisible Edge (UK) . I have just opted for the basic starter set with razor, brush, strop, soap etc and am getting quite nervous about its first use. I have the day off on Friday & have decided that with my wife at work, having the house to myself will give me the perfect opportunity for a bit of pampering with a hot bath & my first "real" shave.

No matter how much reading I've done here and elsewhere, or viewing of Youtube clips I am quite nervous about my first time. I know it'll take practice and I think that's what scares me. I had someone to coach me through my first steps at everything else in life: walking; riding a bike; driving etc. Nobody I know uses a straight edge and I've been told (by my obviously less learned & ignorant friends) that I'm wasting my time and money. So whilst part of me is excited about this new venture there is a great deal of trepidation too. I'm glad that a forum like this exists & hope that i can count on the community here for support & encouragement when I undoubtedly sit at my laptop discouraged with nicks aplenty and consider going back to the chemist for cartridges.

I was scared as hell first time I put a open blade to my face too, you are certainly not alone! :)
Start with just your cheeks, only one side even if you want to. And when you start getting insecure STOP, pushing it means cuts, believe me. Finish off with whatever else you use and continue next shave.

Welcome to SRP.
Straight razor shaving can look a bit scary at first, but you'll soon find it to be no such thing.
A healthy respect for the sharp edge is only a good thing, but rest assured, you'll find the anxiety will lessen pretty fast.
Just go slow, do only a part of your face the first time, and really focus on good preparations and you will get there soon enough:)

Good luck with it.
And do ask any questions you might have, I'm sure one of the fine members here on the boards will help you out in no time:)

Thanks guys, my intention is to give my cheeks and sideburns the first shave & move on from there. There's the macho part of me that imagines that I'm going to find that a breeze & just finish the job, stand back & wonder what all the fuss is about. Then the rational part of me realises that I'm no better thatn anyone else & will be lucky to accomplish even the smallest part of my face "with the grain" & achieve a close, nick free shave.

I'll post with the results of my first experience & if I feel brave enough may even video it for your general amusement. Just one more question - How many beers are required to settle my nerves before shaving? I'm figuring 4 or 5 ought to do it.

Haha, I'd drop the beer to be honest, fear is your friend. :)

I jumped straight in ( no pun intended) and shaved my entire face had a few cuts ( i got more chins than a chinese phone book though) but styptic pencil helped stop the bleeding

It's up to you , you could start with the cheeks and expand from there.

There's nothing like pure terror to concentrate the mind :-)

Relax and enjoy it

Mapping your face for hair growth patterns really helps too

Get in there fella, practice makes perfect ( and maybe some cool scars)

Popped it, eh? I think there's a video of there here somewhere.

Always use a light touch and trust yourself. The only time I had a real issue was when I tried to teach the blade a lesson. I learned one myself instead . . . the blade demands your respect.

Only you can make the mistake of rushing a shave, using the wrong angle, or using too much pressure. The blade won't do anything you don't command it to do.

Welcome to straight razor shaving! I am also a newbie and I thought sharing my experience so far might give a little perspective. I would say I have shaved about 15 times with the straight razor now and just this morning I had what I would call a pretty successful shave below the jaw line. I am getting a consistently satisfactory cheek shave and under the nose. But I am learning now by experience what all the senior guys are saying about learning this art, i.e. that slow and steady wins the day. Enjoy the process! I certainly am.