Shaved my BIL...ouch.

So I'm talking to my brother-in-law about the razor thing and asked if he's ever had a straight shave from a barber. When he said no, I offered him one. Now of course I've never done this before, but he was gracious and only asked that I not cut him...fair enough, right?

I've gotten used to my face, a little more full than some and IMHO, probably easier to shave since I don't have to hunt nooks and crannies...needless to say, his face is pretty angular and I had a heck of a time watching my angles. His hair is MUCH coarser than mine so I surely empathize with those with super thick hair.

Then it happened.

I was finishing off the first pass when I caught his bottom lip and sliced him...it wasn't deep but bled like the proverbial 'stuck pig'. To top it off, since this was his first time, he had several dozen weepers because his skin wasn't used to the straights like mine is. I followed all the rules of angles, prep, the whole thing...his face just wasn't prepared for it. I just didn't have the heart to finish another two passes on the poor soul and just lathered him up to knock down some of the remaining stubble. To top it off, the only aftershave I had to offer him was some Pinaud Bay Rum :gaah: That was insult to injury.

I guess he won't be converted.

I wonder how they do it at a barber school. If they shave each other I'm sure the experience is a lot like yours.

So, are you guys still speaking to each other?

yeah, he was pretty gracious about the whole thing. Afterwards he said that when I did his coronal polish at the dentist's office that I was very gentle and thought that the razor experience would be the same. He thanked me for the shave but said that he was going to stick to his Fusion.

i do applaud your attempt

well done brave soldier

I'm curious, did you look at the various guides to shaving others that are posted... wherever it is that documents are now posted on this site? Though I've not done it, I can only imagine that shaving someone else is nothing like shaving oneself, and, considering that one can or could go to a barber for a straight shave and leave with a good shave, I don't think it's a question of whether or not one's skin is "prepared for it."

oh yeah, I read all the material and watched several videos on the subject. The thing that was the most different was that was the toughest part is that shaving someone else leaves you 'sensory deficient'. When I shave, I can tell what's going on both through my hand and through my face...but you don't have that when you shave someone else.

When I mention that the first time is tough, I remember my first time and it wasn't pleasant. lots of weepers and tons of razor burn. It seem that not only has my technique improved, but my skin has developed an ability to prepare for the exfoliation every day.

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Originally Posted by ziggy925

I wonder how they do it at a barber school. If they shave each other I'm sure the experience is a lot like yours.

So, are you guys still speaking to each other?

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A barber once told me they practiced shaving balloons in barber school. They lathered the balloons and shaved them, it thought them to use a light pressure.

Sorry to hear about it wasn't as good as it could have been. I agree that probably the hardest thing to learn is the lack of sensory input - if you held razor your tightly, your input was the pressure from skin. You'd have to get that now via razor.

Just proves that giving someone a shave isn't something to just jump in on lightly - it will need preparation in technique and equipment (really nice balm might forgive alot more than alcohol splash). Gladly, there's a wealth of information here.

If you still wish to get him on the bandwagon, propose to him to shave his cheeks (as per Lynn's first shave-guide) with your set - make sure everything's ok (razor sharp and stropped, lather good, prep ok) and guide his techniques while he wields the blade. If you have spare blade, you could shave beside him and show the ropes. Just make sure you're better prepared this time (think how to learn stretching and blade control, and with nice balm for example).

Or get to a real barber whom you have tested yourself beforehand. If he doesn't want to try it again, respect his choice and suggest trying a DE (with no pressure).

I hope he has a good experience on his second shave.