Thread: How was you first shave with a straight?

Nervous but very good... I actually went 3 passes on the easy areas and finished the hard areas with a DE. I was ever so careful so there was no cut. I got a bit careless in the following ones and still cut myself every once in a while.

The best thing I can say about my first SR shave is that at least I didn't cut myself.......it was a Dovo with a factory edge

My first shave with a straight was alright. Not cuts and no burn. I did a full WTG pass and touched up with my DE.

My second shave was, on the other hand, horrible. Just a couple of weepers, but afterwards, when I rubbed my face with the alum block, the burn went all "the horror! the horror!" á la Apocalypse Now on my face, and I also looked like I had been in a knife fight for a week afterwards (as my thread in the beginner's section can testify for).

I got hooked though, and have been shaving with a straight successfully for two months.

Long time ago...

I only planned on doing the sides but ended up going all the way. I had acquired a couple DD's and was working on the edges, something carried over from getting crazy with kitchen knives, and my first edges where reasonable shave-able. Until I got my first razor off Bill Ellis and felt that edge did I see how much farther I had to go.

So my first shave was pretty good verses dealing with cartridges and canned goo.

Now we will not talk about my first attempts at a lather.... that was much sorrier...

Originally Posted by AZBronco

I keep seeing people make posts on one of the Facebook groups about how they got a brand new straight razor and just got the best shave of their life. Can anybody here really claim that? I've just started using a straight and can get a nice, clean shave on the easy areas. But after a couple of passes on the neck and chin, I do a little clean up with me DE to avoid the risk of weepers or burn.

Maybe I'm wrong, but if people really get the best shave of their life the first time they use a straight, I have to wonder how bad their prior shaves have been.

My position on this is that people who first start out and think they got a good shave just have not really experienced anything else yet. My first was good because there was no blood but after over 268 shaves now I can tell you that the first was not that good. Stick with it and you will eventually not need the DE. I used one at first also but don't need it any longer. It is a steep learning curve but an enjoyable one

My take ,and remember I,m only talking about myself, is until I had quite a few shaves under my belt, I learned that I didn't even know how to shave , so the shaves weren't that great , passable but still not great , but the areas on my cheek were smooth so I knew it would be better with practice . Then I learned that my edge wasn't as good as I thought it was. This is the biggest thing I think all newcomers come up against, they don't a even know how to shave , let alone know if it's shave ready razor. So if any one out there gets a BBS 3 pass shave first time out with their razor they bought and honed first time,, then go ahead and tell that story , it's your fable. Tc

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

My take ,and remember I,m only talking about myself, is until I had quite a few shaves under my belt, I learned that I didn't even know how to shave , so the shaves weren't that great , passable but still not great , but the areas on my cheek were smooth so I knew it would be better with practice . Then I learned that my edge wasn't as good as I thought it was. This is the biggest thing I think all newcomers come up against, they don't a even know how to shave , let alone know if it's shave ready razor. So if any one out there gets a BBS 3 pass shave first time out with their razor they bought and honed first time,, then go ahead and tell that story , it's your fable. Tc

Right on brother

I cut myself, left patches of barely shaven spots on my neck, and was it was still a very enjoyable memorable shave. I used hot towels for prep ( a first), a brush for lather (a first) and did manage the closest shave I had ever had on my cheeks.

I also knew after one shave that I was not turning back. I was going to learn how do shave and shave well. Within a week I was still cutting myself often but my wife and children noticed how much smoother my shaves were. No stubble in the afternoons.

I can understand "best" shave. They just don't know how much better it is going to get. (And how much more it will cost if struck by the ADs)

Originally Posted by JTmke

I cut myself, left patches of barely shaven spots on my neck, and was it was still a very enjoyable memorable shave. I used hot towels for prep ( a first), a brush for lather (a first) and did manage the closest shave I had ever had on my cheeks.

I also knew after one shave that I was not turning back. I was going to learn how do shave and shave well. Within a week I was still cutting myself often but my wife and children noticed how much smoother my shaves were. No stubble in the afternoons.

I can understand "best" shave. They just don't know how much better it is going to get. (And how much more it will cost if struck by the ADs)

Nice, good luck

As for myself : suprisely easier and safer than I had imagined.
Quite comfortable too.

Still, it was quite the tedious experience, what with not knowing how to handle the thing properly and doing gymnastics and contorsions...