Thread: Confidence

I don't know how many of you have experienced this but I will just tell my story. I have been shaving now with a st8 for about 4 or 5 months. I was doing great and my confidence level was high. Well that was until I gave myself a real bad cut. Now my confidence level was right back where it started with my first shave. The cut took about a week or more to heal and I need to shave for work so I would cut it again if I was not super careful. It was to the point where I was almost afraid to use the razor which might of been part of my problem.

Well today I shaved again and it went fine. The cut seems to be healed up and my confidence is going up again. Have others had this kind of set back.

I have cut myself a few times.. one of them deep enough to warrant a few days off to heal. It didn't really drop my confidence as looking back I found that it was a lack of concentration on my part since I was talking with my wife and the dog got under my feet ( I normally close the bathroom up when I shave but she REALLY wanted to talk ). As others have said as well.. too much concentration can be just as bad as too little.

Everyone deals with set backs differently though. I am more of a life happens kind of person so not much ever really bothers me or my confidence level. I also am not a perfectionist unless it comes to my job and since shaving is more a relaxing/enjoyment for me it is the process not the outcome that concerns me most.

Originally Posted by Bnick

I don't know how many of you have experienced this but... I gave myself a real bad cut. Now my confidence level was right back where it started with my first shave. ... Have others had this kind of set back.

Heh. You must have missed this thread. Put down your coffee so you don't spew on yer keyboard and read this:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...or-tricks.html

You are not alone.

I cut myself under my chin once. I was chagrined to find out that a very small hanging jowl existed under my chin. I didn't know it before then. It didn't affect my confidence too much. Just my dignity!

I got bit by a naughty swedish spike once, left a 1" cut. It's long healed but still I can feel where it was, it left me a nice little manly scar right on my jawline. I was apprehensive to use the razor for a good little while thereafter. It is part of my progression now - turns out it was the barber's fault, not the razor. Who wouldda guessed

Yeah I have three scars from my SR experience. It did discourage me and all I can hope for is that I'll never get that badly cut again.

I've had a few little nicks, but nothing to warrant band aids, or a rush to the emergency room.

This is more a post on the confidence that you lost.
I stopped straight shaving for about a month and a month and a half because I was away with work and regrettingly resorted to the old Mach 3.

After shaving with the terrible gilette contraption I had my wife post me one of my Straights, a strop and a hone. I was so excited about recieving the package in the mail that the guys at work soon found out what was going on.

When the parcel finally turned up i had the blade razor sharp and was eager to give it a go the next morning. However we have a shared wash area which around 18 people have to use. I made sure I was up early to beat the rush. I was so damn nervous about putting the blade back on my face after so long and in a different environment that my hands were shaking. Not to mention having unsuspecting people coming through the door to be confronted by me with a large blade at my throat.

In hind sight I probably should have saved it for another day but I took a few deep breaths, calmed my nerves and managed to finish the shave before everyone was awake and suprisingly with no nicks!

My confidence came back straight away and the guys at work became accustomed to seeing me walk around the ship with a "funny looking knife".
Is suppose it's like getting back on the bike. How quickly you want to get back on is up to you, but you don't want to be embarrasingly stuck on training wheels because you're scared of a few cuts and scrathces.

Was the razor in question a round or square point? I only ask because I have gotten so comfortable with round points that I could almost shave in the dark with them. Recently I purchased a square point from a member and confident in my round-point technique, went at it. Before I knew it and without feeling it, I had sliced about a 3/4" cut into my cheek. I don't consider it a setback, just a friendly reminder to keep my mind focused on the task at hand and respect the blade.

I've been cut a few times. What I do is treat it like a sports injury or set back. I meditate on what went wrong and why, then forgive myself and get it behind me. It does no good to dwell on it. As a matter of fact, doing so will just reinforce failure. This is a time to execise selective memory and move on.

Whenever a situation makes you intimidated by the razor realize if you let the razor do that to you it is controlling you not the other way around. No different than shooting a firearm. If you're afraid of it you'll never be a decent shot and the same with shaving. The best thing to do is go right back to it and teach it who's the boss.