Thread: First straight shave, ever!

Well now I've got two shaves under my belt. The second shave was worse than the first, my technique went down the drain and I gave myself some nasty burn. I think I subconsciously used too much pressure. Next shave I'm going to actually focus and not day dream, and really pay attention to not using any pressure at all and keeping a close eye on the angle of attack. Oh, and keep practising making a decent lather that doesn't dry out.

Keep at it, don't give up. You are progressing normaly. The good ones are around the corner.

I can't wait, I'm certainly not discouraged at all and I cannot wait for my next shave tonight, just going to actually focus this time, and really slow down and take my time. After years of hurried shaving with cartridges it's just having to relearn everything that your so accustomed to and retrain yourself. But it's a very fun thing, and makes shaving enjoyable and a good part of the day, not another grind.

I think I'm really getting the stopping down pat though, taking steady deliberate strokes with only slight pressure, if any at all and keeping the blade nice and flat on the strop. So at least I'm getting the Hang of something! Give it a few months, and I should be really slicing the whiskers of my face with precision!

Also I've been watching Lynn's DVD, world of straight razor shaving. And Lynn deserves allot of credit for putting that together. It's just a wealth of fantastic information for everyone alike, he really puts everything in detail and thoroughly explains it all. I'd recommend it to everyone, beginner or not to watch his DVD.

It's great to have people like Lynn with years of experience, sharing there knowledge to help people enjoy straight shaving and bringing it back from the past.

One thing that help me at the beginning was to set 45 minutes to shave whenever I could. Most time I would shave at night and not in the morning. Today I can shave ( no stropping after and no scuttle to clean) in about 15 min. Usually take longer(20-25) but sometimes I'll take a 15 min straight shave over a 10 min DE shave. Double O

Yep that's what I do, as I don't have much time I'm the mornings before work, I shave in the evening after a shower, and I have all the time I want. Between a shower and shave I'm in the bathroom for an hour or so, until I'm confident and can shave in the mornings without taking up too much time. If I have to really be clean shaven like if I haves meeting that day or something really important, I'll just shave with the mrs razor!

Well I'm about four shaving under my belt now, and so far so good. I've pretty much got the stopping down pat too. I struggle under the chin, but everywhere else I don't seem to have a problem. In a few weeks I should be able to add an accross the grain pass hopefully.

When ever I have trouble shaving my chin, which is every time, I just thank God I don't have Kirk Douglas' chin! I have a razor l leave out, for those times my chin is being really unruly, it's a skinny, odd little razor that I love to death! It's like a little sports car, it love the turns!

It's funny because I don't seem to have a problem with my chin but I have alot of difficulty under my nose. My last shave I just whipped out my DE and finished it off...

Yeah funny thing that. I have never had a problem under my nose, either with the grain or across it. But the steep angle change of my chin seems to be proving a challenge, but sooner or later I will master the chin of cuts and scrapes.