Thread: well that sucked

Apparently it is much more difficult to trim around my winter beard with a straight then a de. Took off way more hair then I planned. Guess that's what I get this only being the 2nd or 3rd time using a straight, and first time trying to not take everything off. Oh well, I figure how do you learn with out trying.

The nice thing about a bad haircut or a bad shave is that it grows back quickly.

Every time you use a straight razor, your proficiency will improve, so keep at it.

I’ve done that. Also pretty much whacked my beard off when I thought the electric trimmer was set to to 4 and it was on 1. It grows back.

A suggestion: Your muscle memory is based on shaving with a DE. Let your beard grow out for 4 or 5 days if you can so you can see more clearly where you want to trim it and then sneak up on the profile you want with the straight.

You already know it’s going to be a different experience than with the DE, so take a little extra time. You’ll get there with practice.

Originally Posted by redtruck

Apparently it is much more difficult to trim around my winter beard with a straight then a de. Took off way more hair then I planned. Guess that's what I get this only being the 2nd or 3rd time using a straight, and first time trying to not take everything off. Oh well, I figure how do you learn with out trying.

I don’t really believe it is, but it might well look that way when you are climbing a set of stairs with 100 steps ahead of you and you are on step 2 or 3.

Compared to shaving with safety razors, shaving with straights takes a while to master and requires patience and perseverance.
It is not something for people who give up easily, I recall how frustrated I was sometimes when results fell far short of expectations, but in the end it was worth it.
It may take a hundred shaves or so to become reasonably proficient, but even years after I started with straight shaves I occasionally experiment with a small change in technique to see whether it makes a difference.

I believe this holds true for most long-time straight shavers and is in fact one of the aspects that makes straight shaving interesting.



B.

When I had a beard, it got shaved as a trimming error way more often than on purpose.

My goatee tends to get a little larger over time until I get serious again and trim it well.

Well, a strait is a sketchy beard trimmer, yet it will take the edges in.

I keep a small beard trimmed fairly close. With more than 3 days growth, my face is catching up with my beard.

On those occasions, I use a little trimmer to define the beard and drag it away from the beard a bit around the perimeter.
This helps to define where the edge of the beard is as approaching the beard and going down the edge with a straight. You can feel it as you hit it.

Shaving more often is no problem. You just have to barely bump the big ones.

I've messed up the edges of my goatee plenty of times, gets easier.
A dulled razor is excellent to create and reinforce muscle memory. Highly suggest it.
After not shaving for a couple years, it was still a challenge to get back into it.
My first shave ever, not one nick. Just yesterday I gouged my chin. The hair on my chin is dense and thick, so the skin buckled because it wasn't stretched tight enough and the hairs were pulling harder..
A silly mistake. But I just gotta work out the kinks.
Beard trimmer for the goat, and sometimes on my neck if my beard has gotten long, then I shave.
I'm a skinny dude, be thankful if you have a little more plump, makes it easier. Just gave my buddy a shave yesterday, he doesn't trust himself. He is a jolly Santa Claus kinda guy... MAN I wish I had a little extra plump in the face! It was easy peasy!

Mike T. You shaved someone else? Im not sure id trust myself that much. Would be cool to try some day.

When I started with a straight my wife complained that every day my Goatee was getting smaller Doesn't happen anymore.