Thread: No longer a virgin

Honestly I only made it to about 2nd base. Gave it a whirl with my straight for the first time tonight. Shaved after a good hot shower and since my supplies are limited I used my Headslick cream that I have been using to shave my head and face for years. Did pretty well WTG on the sides of my face and a good portion of my neck but stayed away from trying the rest. Only one very minor nick and that was from touching the blade to my cheek at almost a 90 degree angle for some odd reason. Quit bleeding in just a couple minutes and now it's not visible at all. Rinsed, dried, and WD40'd my razor. I enjoyed the experience and I'm looking forward to going at it again Thursday!

One question I have - how long should I be able to shave with this newly honed and ready to go razor (purchased from Holli4pirating) before I need to invest in a strop? I am thinking about buying the SRD model that runs about $50 but I wanna see how I do with around 4-5 more attempts before spending more money. I guess when it tugs and gets real uncomfy I'll know?

Thanks to all for the guidance so far!

I hate to tell you, but the general consensus is strop before every shave. So you should probably get a strop as soon as possible. An alternative would be to use a belt or folded up newspaper until you get some money (trust me, I've been there). You'll also want a strop that you can afford to ruin, because it's practically guaranteed that you'll nick it, and there's not a bad chance that you'll cut it. This strop is what I started with and it is the perfect beginner's strop: The Filly. $20 is a great price, especially for something of such high quality. I ruined mine by a huge gash, but I've still got it because the back of the strop is treated with a .5 micron diamond paste, great for bringing the keenness back to your razor if you dull it while learning to strop (I know I needed it, as most people do indeed dull their razor a bit before they get the technique down).

EDIT: I now realize that you probably don't NEED to strop it since you only did a WTG pass on half of your face, so that'll give you more time (I'd say when you've done 2-3 full passes worth of shaving you'll definitely need to strop it), but I would still recommend getting one ASAP. Once again, I cannot recommend The Filly highly enough.

Thanks for the reply - $20 is a winner. I'll likely order that later this week.

Originally Posted by PSB

Thanks for the reply - $20 is a winner. I'll likely order that later this week.

No problem! Glad I could help, usually whatever one of us is looking for, someone else has already found. Long story short, always ask before spending the money haha! I learned that one the hard way. Good luck, welcome, and let us know how the shaves go!

Brent

lol..u mean "Shave Virgin"..better hope not the other!..lol

pcdad

I agree with bknesal: ideally you should strop before every shave. Stropping helps ensure that each shave is a smooth shave and helps prolong the edge life (number of shaves till you need your razor rehoned).

I've never tried the Filly, but it is my general belief that if there is an item you're going to use every shave, it's worth it to invest in something nice. That said, you may well cut your first strop, so it can be a bit of a risk. Given that balance, it's really up to you to decide. I got a cheap first strop and have never cut it once (so I would have been good with a nicer one), but then again, she's still going strong today so I haven't bothered to upgrade yet.

That may be so, but I ruined mine, and I was very glad it only cost $20. The Filly may not be costly, but it is of very high quality for the price.

[QUOTE=PSB;624426] Rinsed, dried, and WD40'd my razor. I enjoyed the experience and I'm looking forward to going at it again Thursday!

WD40? Just the pivot pin, I hope. From what I'm told, you don't want to get that stuff into your blood stream.

The Filly is on it's way. Time to watch a few more stropping vids and get ready for it's arrival...

Congrats! Just remember that if the blade edge is touching leather, the spine better have been on the leather first, and don't push down, just lightly drag. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your Filly as much as I've enjoyed mine.