Howdy from Florida

Hey everyone. So I lurked this board for a bit in preparation cause I was considering getting a straight. Went ahead this week and ordered a Edelweiss 5/8 in bone. Though reviews indicated that this one might be a bit heavy given the bone, I very much like natural and/or fancy scales, and it seemed like a good blade within my price range. It has yet to arrive, but I figured I'd post here anyway... mostly because I'm looking forward to seeing how this goes, as well as the different set of values and skills that come along with this new practice. So anyway, howdy.

Welcome to SRP,

I don't have any Boker razors myself but they have a good reputation and the Edelweiss is a beauty.

Enjoy your self and let us know how you get on.

So the razor arrived. I was very pleased to see a product that very much matched the aesthetic I'm currently looking for. Unfortunately, do to work, I could not shave the first day or second day after arrival. Though this was a bit maddening, I had shaved the day before anyway and only shave every three or four days or so anyway. So today, I washed off the oil and decided to forgo the new brush and soap my wife had bought for me, going with just a can of cream to keep things easy on the first try.

Things definitely felt awkward before even putting the razor to my face; more than awkward they for sure felt dangerous. Was this the right way to hold my hand? This motion? What if ...? Looking in the mirror, I felt like I was cutting my hair for the first time, everything felt "opposite" in the reflection if you will, instead of feeling like I was shaving my face for the thousandth time in my life. How did anyone manage to do this before me?

I took a breath and reminded myself that I was determined to go through with learning this art, and all I could do was begin. I had read the forums, watched the videos, imagined myself doing it. So I went for it. Though it continued to feel a bit odd, it was amazing that it was me doing this thing. Having not really ever felt I had had a rite of passage to manhood, even though I am in my mid-30s, I felt a connection to so many men before me that I would never meet- their skills, their values, their decisions, their history.

And no cuts. As Lynn had recommended, I shaved the right side of my face with my dominate hand, single pass; cleaned up with my regular razor. Cleaned off the straight and dried it well, leaving it open in the air to be sure.

I do seriously want to thank everyone on this forum for being so informative, for providing documentation, and most of all, for making me feel invited and welcome. Having never even been taught to shave by my father, I can surely say that I would not have been able to take this leap without the help.

Cheers

You'll be surprised how quickly those understandable early awkward feelings progress to confidence.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ace

You'll be surprised how quickly those understandable early awkward feelings progress to confidence.

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Oh yes,,,,
and with that new found confidence comes the blood. :tameshigiri: