Thread: First Straight Shave

Well, after a couple of months of using a Dovo Shavette and getting good at the art of the shave itself, it was time to take the plunge and go for a full on straight shave. I purchased a sight unseen razor from Whipped Dog and received the package last evening with the below Lafayette Cutlery Razor. It looks great, is certainly a vintage brand (19-teens give or take) and as what appear to be bone scales in pretty good condition. It could have been a wee bit sharper, but overall I am thrilled to have it as a first razor.



My first shave was ok. The blade pulled a wee bit but didn't jump or cause any tangible rash. Fortunately I am used to having a pretty delicate hand after using the shavette for a while. No cuts or weepers either. The shave was not all that close and I had to take 3 passes to get down to where I normally get with 2 on my shavette. I am sure I will get better at this and the shaves will improve correspondingly.

On to stropping....
The blade may not have been the sharpest when I first used it, but after I hit it with the strop for the first time I think it took a turn for the worse. I practiced a bit however (i have been reading and watching stropping videos since I bought the shavette), and it seems to have its edge back, and is seemingly a bit sharper as well! I will be shaving again tonight so I am excited to see the fruit of my study and labors.

A huge thanks to Whipped Dog for the great razor and wonderful service. What a great resource for this community and those looking to try this out at a reasonable price point.

Welcome Denvernoob: With more practice your S.R. shaving technique will improve. Learning to stretch your skin as you shave will improve the closeness of your shaves. You will probably never be able to get the edge on your SR as sharp as a razor blade. Shaving with a shavette is good for learning but not the same as using a blade on a S.R.

You will soon learn the edge on your S.R. is more forgiving than the blade edge on your shavette. If you feel the blade edge on your S.R. tugging or pulling after stropping it may need a touch up. Send it to one of the hone misters on the forum or research lapping film on youtube. The least expensive route for maintaining your razors. Please keep us up to date on your progress.

Good job. Keep it up. There is a bit of a learning curve but it just takes some time.



Mike

Originally Posted by feltspanky

Welcome Denvernoob: With more practice your S.R. shaving technique will improve. Learning to stretch your skin as you shave will improve the closeness of your shaves. You will probably never be able to get the edge on your SR as sharp as a razor blade. Shaving with a shavette is good for learning but not the same as using a blade on a S.R.

You will soon learn the edge on your S.R. is more forgiving than the blade edge on your shavette. If you feel the blade edge on your S.R. tugging or pulling after stropping it may need to be refreshed. Send it to one of the hone misters on the forum or research lapping film on youtube. The least expensive route for maintaining your razors. Please keep us up to date on your progress.

To your point it was definately more forgiving. I also felt I had a much better read of the blade against my skin as far as feedback into the scales went...something I found absent on the shavette. I am pleased so far and I am certain I will get
up to speed pretty quickly. Thanks for the words of encouragement. On to the next shave!