Thread: To senior members: Is this the side effect of str8 shaving?!

My first BBS shave with a str8. Wowww...what a feeling (no recalls here like Toyota )!! if that's all you read from this post, then that sums up my feelings for this shave.

As for the details:
After 5-6 shaves and some nicks and cuts which made some of my colleagues, friends and family think of my "real" intentions, things finally came together (albeit loosely) to get me out of frustration and open a narrow window through which I got a glimpse of what a close BBS shave would be like .

So, my left hand (non-dominant one) got the confidence to "grab the bull by the horns" so to speak. Although it took me 3 passes (1x WTG + 2x XTG), I got a best BBS to date with no nicks at all...well, the one below the chin doesn't count since I was distracted and had nothing to do with technique.

There is a lot more to learn (looking forward to it), but one thing I did different from the other shaves is to strop right before (webbed linen + leather), during (at least 3 times with leather after cleaning razor) and after (webbed linen) the shaves.

After each passage, I cleaned my face, padded it dry and re-lathered fresh (with hot/warm water).

My razor was the Respecto 5/8" (purchased from Trey Dampier), which I am learning some honing and stropping on before moving onto the more $4 blades which I recently got. Also, the Respecto will be the one I will stick to for the next month or so until I can get the technique down (I don't want to change mid-stream to eliminate any variability(ies) associated with different razors)

No one (in this or any other forum I could find for that matter) told me this, but I found that this str8 shaving thingy has ONE major side effect associated with it (CAUTION):

It's meditating. Even though it took me 40 minutes to get there from start to finish...it was worth every minute. In fact, come to think of it, it was actually productive period of time for me as I planned my workday out (plus focus on shaving). Don't ask: I can do both tasks well.


What a feeling...so this is what a BBS shaves is supposed to feel like . I hope this is not an outlier and teaser (once in a lifetime feeling when planets align, etc...), but if my technique is improving (with a lot more room for improvement), then I think this will be the beginning of a beautiful relationship .

Now, I have to convince my wife that she is still the only woman in my life and that I am not having fling on the side .

More later,
-Robert

The answer to your original question is "YES!"

Congrats on a great start.

Congratulations...Keep it up! There may be an occasional "bad" day in front of the mirror, but consider those minor bumps in the str8 razor shaving road you have embarked upon.

Welcom to the fold

lol ya once things come together it's hard to imagin ever going back. Heck I dropped everything else and only have straights for shaving now. I dred having to shave with anything else.

Originally Posted by BladeRunner001

No one (in this or any other forum I could find for that matter) told me this, but I found that this str8 shaving thingy has ONE major side effect associated with it (CAUTION): It's meditating.

We may not have told you this, but The Zen of Straight Shaving - Straight Razor Place Wiki is part of Straight Razor Place Wiki:Books/Beginners Guide - Straight Razor Place Wiki - and we recommend this guide to anyone new to straight shaving for good reason.

Regards,
Robin

Originally Posted by BladeRunner001

...Now, I have to convince my wife that she is still the only woman in my life and that I am not having fling on the side .

Trust me on this; when RAD kicks in you will not afford anyone on the side...

Good start BTW.

It takes some effort and practice, as you obviously know. You are talking the right talk. And, in fact might be ahead of the average straight razor shaving newbie bear.

Yep, its very addictive and, as Robin says, pretty Zen as well..!

Glad you're enjoying it!

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

We may not have told you this, but The Zen of Straight Shaving - Straight Razor Place Wiki is part of Straight Razor Place Wiki:Books/Beginners Guide - Straight Razor Place Wiki - and we recommend this guide to anyone new to straight shaving for good reason.

Regards,
Robin

Hi Robin,
I was sure a thread existed in here and I am glad you brought it up (thanks for the link). There's soooo much info in this forum that if I read everything before participating in the discussions, I would never get there .


You da man

Thanks,
-Robert

Originally Posted by Otto

Trust me on this; when RAD kicks in you will not afford anyone on the side...

Good start BTW.

That's a scary proposition Otto...maybe someone should start something similar to the Alcoholics Anonymous Support Group for RAD...maybe call it "RAD Anonymous"? Hmmmmm

-Robert