Thread: New Member

Hi all. My name is Nate and I'm in Baltimore, MD. I am brand new to straight razor shaving. I just ordered a Dovo from SRD and should receive it tomorrow. I look forward to talking with all of you as I try not to peel the skin off my face!

Welcome Nate. When you ordered the razor did you get the starter kit or just the razor? Hope you don't lose to much skin off your face

I ordered the starter kit. Finished my first shave tonight. It feels a little tender but I didn't cut myself at all. Only did WTG and will continue to do so until my non-dominant hand doesn't feel so awkward.

Sounds like a great first step! Congrats and welcome aboard.

If you have any questions, there are amazing resources in the Wiki, and the kind folks here will give you immediate responses if you need further assistance or explanation.

Enjoy!

Hey Nate,

First, Welcome to the forum! Sounds like your first attempt went well. A little razor burn isn't unusual. To help with that, try using as low of an angle as you can and still shave whiskers. Somewhere around 2 widths of the the spine will be about right. You can even start with the razor almost flat to the face and try a stroke on the cheek and if it doesn't shave, then re-apply lather and increase the angle until it is shaving. The lowest angle that still shaves is the best and will also minimize cuts. At a higher angle you begin to scrape at the skin and whiskers and that will cause grabbing and cuts and also some major razor burn.

Your non-dominate hand, my left, will come around faster than you think. My left became more proficient than my right, and still is.

Prep is also a key factor. gssixgun, Glen, just did a video on "The Shave Test" but it gives a good demo of prep and technique. Here's the video, and also below you'll find a link to "Beginner's Tips" which has an assortment of very good info.

What is "The Shave Test" for a Straight Razor - YouTube