For the 11 months or so that I've been shaving with a straight razor, I've had a goatee and mustache. As my year anniversary for continuous straight razor use has approached, I had planned to cut off all that facial hair and see what shaving my lip and chin areas was like. Well, I jumped the gun this weekend, with pretty rough results!
I trimmed everything down with a clipper and my Friodur cut right through the remaining stubble, but boy! I had no idea how tricky these areas were. I got more cuts in one shave than I've gotten in the last six months total. I shaved again today, this time with my Ichihara (Tosuke-handled) razor and it was easier going, but still lots of razor burn.
I'm going to review posts here, watch Lynn's DVD again, and re-read Dr. Moss' great guide and hopefully get a handle (yuck, yuck) on shaving these areas. I will work on this for the next few weeks, but I am going back to my goatee, sooner rather than later. The goateee gives my middle-aged face back its chin and shaving just cheeks and neck is a snap. Kudos to the newcomers who start with clean-shaven and bravo to all of you who do this every day!
Dan