Thread: First post; first shave prep; and a few Q's

Hey all! I've been browsing these forums on yahoo for awhile, and now I'm over here. I'm a 17 yr. old who hates the mach 3. For some reason I can't get every spot. Well, in any case, I should be getting my first straight razor in the mail tomorrow, and I'd love some pointers for the first time. I've watched the video on this site, and I've done many weeks of research as I'm wating for my razor. I'd love to have some tips, tricks, and hints for a first shave.
Most notably, I keep hearing about people feeling raw after a shave. Is there anything I could do to prevent this raw feeling? As soon as I get the Razor I'm going to hone it and strop it. If that's not a good idea, let me know! Well, I really can't think of too much else right now, it's kind of late.

Thanks for any and all help!

Jeff Matovich

I have found that preshave cream is key to getting a close shave with little or no razor burn. I use either proraso cream or creamy cream both are great to use. A sharp razor is also key along with taking your time. Do not rush take it slow and enjoy.

Hello Jeff and welcome!

The most important thing to do is to have that razor honed by a pro. That is key.
Without a keen razor everything else is a wasted effort.
Just post a request asking for someone to hone your razor. There might be a nominal fee to have this done.

The second most important item is beard preperation. Lots of hot water is key. This will soften up the whiskers. The pre-shave stuff is alos a good idea.

Let us know how it goes,

Originally Posted by randydance062449

Hello Jeff and welcome!

The most important thing to do is to have that razor honed by a pro. That is key.
Without a keen razor everything else is a wasted effort.
Just post a request asking for someone to hone your razor. There might be a nominal fee to have this done.

The second most important item is beard preperation. Lots of hot water is key. This will soften up the whiskers. The pre-shave stuff is alos a good idea.

Let us know how it goes,

I was going to turn pro, but I didn't want to jeopardize my eligibility for the 2008 Olympics.

I just got back from vacation and I ended up pretty burnt. Luckily, while I was there, I picked up a razor. It's better than what I got on Ebay, however, it's the Pakistan kind. I know it sucks, but ya know.

Anyways, I honed it and stropped it, yada yada. I gave myself the infamous "newbie shave." You all know, you shave but it doesn't do jack. I did manage to shave my chin which was a nice tuft of hair, and it's pretty smooth there. I did manage to slice myself a couple of times.

Any tips on pressure on the knife? After the shave I decided that it wasn't sharp enough, so I honed it for a long time with a real light touch. After I stroped it, it could slice paper without the slicing motion. I read somewhere that you know it's sharp when it does that. yada yada.

Thanks for the help guys!

Paper is the worst thing to use on a razor, or any knife for that matter. It will dull the blade very quickly. My advise is to go onto the Yahoo forum, go to the for sale section, look at the razors Lynn has for sale, his price list is in the files section. All are shave ready and you can't go wrong for $40 or so he charges for some very nice razors.