The story so far.....

I decided to try and learn to shave with a straight razor. I have been at it a almost two weeks now and this morning I completed my first shave with no cuts. For anyone thinking about getting started here is my story.

I bought a 5/8ths inch Dovo Soligen Razor (full hollow ground, with a rounded tip) on Amazon. Cost $230.00. According to the reviews it comes shave ready (just needs stropping) out of the box. I could probably have gotten one cheaper but I got a $150 gift card from my job and treated myself. Besides I figured if there is one thing I do not want to cheap out on to make this successful, the razor would be it. Sure enough the reviews were right, it did come shave ready so I didn't have to learn how to hone it first.

Next I got a 3 inch wide strop. This way I could just strop straight up and down and not have to learn an X pattern for stropping (I would have enough to learn already). Since my dad died 25 years ago when I was 19, no one ever taught me to shave with a blade. I had to work out cartridge razors all on my own (for a trip to Japan where my electric razor wasn't going to work), so it was off to YouTube. Lucky for me a user named Lynn Abrams and another called geofatboy put up two excellent videos on how to shave with a straight razor. geofatboy's was the most help since he, like me, doesn't have a mustache and could demonstrate shaving the upper lip.

Then I made my first mistake. I purchased a shaving kit from Art Of Shaving at the mall. The badger brush is alright, and the after shave is OK, but the cream was rubbish. It dries out way too quickly. So my first couple shaves were OK, just not the zen like experience I was looking for. To be sure I went back to using my cartridge razor with that cream and noticed it clogged it yup but good. My wife liked the kelp smell but that was all it had going for it. IMHO The Art of Shaving is overrated & overpriced.

So back to Amazon I went and found Geo F. Trumper Sandalwood shaving cream. At this point (abut 3 shaves in) things start looking up. This stuff stayed wetter longer and lathered up nice. It still drys out by the time I get to my upper lip by I just re-apply some and it's fine. plus it just fells better on my skin while I'm shaving.

So After the first week the sides of my face and my cheeks are coming along nicely. My main problem spots are my neck right under my jawbone (underneath my ear). I always seem to nick myself there and only just today figured a way to stretch the skin to get that part flt enough to shave properly. Also still need to practice around my chin. Everyone says it takes 100 shaves to get proficient and I believe it. I think it's 100 just to build up muscle memory in my left hand and actually learn the contours of my own face.

This morning though, I got through with no nicks or cuts and a shave that was smoother than I've ever had. I was impressed, the wife was really impressed, and shaving with a straight razor is totally bad-ass. I think I can now confidently say I won't be going back to a cartridge razor without a fight.