First STR8 Shave

I got my sight unseen Str8 and poor man's strop kit from whipped dog yesterday. He puts a lot of care into his product. Love all of the directions he includes with the kit.

I got a 4/8's razor and all the fixins with the strop kit. I've been shaving with a DE razor for a few weeks now. I'm using VDH soap with a Badger hair brush.

I lathered up and as advised shaved cheeks only. I can tell this is an art to be learned.

I started with the blade angled just under two spine widths away from my cheek. I had to reduce the angle to get it a little smoother, but think I started getting the feel for it.

I'm looking forward to trying again in the morning.

Congrats on getting your first shave down. May you have many more to come!

Welcome brother..we've been expecting you. Lol Great job on your first shave, they only get better with time, and I haven't been doing it that long. :D

Welcome to the party. You've showed great restraint following the advice to shave just the cheeks for your first shave. Take your time and learn good shaving habits and smooth full shaves will come. Continue reading and after each shave if you have any questions or problems just ask. We are here to help you succeed.

Larry's great to work with! Good choice. The most helpful tip I've gotten here is to use as little pressure as possible. For me it was a hard concept to grasp coming from cartridges. Might save you some razor burn.

Nice job. How is the whipped dog strop? I am considering getting one as my own DIY version has taken many nicks on the ends.

I just got the Rich man strop... Very happy

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Originally Posted by scott85

Larry's great to work with! Good choice. The most helpful tip I've gotten here is to use as little pressure as possible. For me it was a hard concept to grasp coming from cartridges. Might save you some razor burn.

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The challenge I found was with the amount of pull to use. Obviously it doesn't just cut through my beard like butter. It is a completely different feel. I like the challenge!

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Originally Posted by HaiKarate

Nice job. How is the whipped dog strop? I am considering getting one as my own DIY version has taken many nicks on the ends.

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It is the first strop I have eve owned, so I have nothing to compare it to. It worked for me. :)

Lynn has a few videos on YouTube and there's tons of info on here. There's a lot of personal preference in the sport. Do a lot of research and try different suggestions to see what works for you. Swmbo picks on me for how much I'm on here...

I've enjoyed learning to shave with my Whipped Dog Sight unseen razor and poor man's strop. Today was about my 5th or 6th shave with the STR8.

Here's what I've learned so far.

With the first shave:

1) Technique is important.
2) Watch the videos. Learn from them.
3) Be very conscious of the blade when not actually shaving. I inadvertently "tapped" the top of my thumb with the point of the razor while handling it.
:tameshigiri:

I can't seem to find a video that deals with one very important principle when shaving for the first time ever with a str8 razor. The urge to urinate is in direct proportion to the distance of the razor from your face/carotid artery. Also, the adrenal gland kicks into DEFCOM 5 and causes you to completely forget every video you've ever watched on the subject.

With each subsequent shave I have managed to mitigate the adrenal hand shaking and the compulsion to do the "pee pee" dance.

Everything seemed to come together today. We have about 8 inches of sleet and snow on the ground today and it's safe to say that everything is shut down. No schedule means plenty of time to shave.

I completed two WTG passes this morning. The lather built perfectly. The razor was stropped just right. I've finally figured out the grips that work best for the passes I need to use for my face. I am also learning the right part of the blade to use for different passes as well. Heel, point, middle, etc. I am getting the "feel" for it.

Still not the closest shave ever, but the fact that I got two passes in comfortably without any nicks is a good next step.

As you have said...
1) Technique is important.
2) Watch the videos. Learn from them.
3) Be very conscious of the blade when not actually shaving. I inadvertently "tapped" the top of my thumb with the point of the razor while handling it.

EXACTLY!!! #3 Be very conscious of the blade when not actually shaving.