Thread: Need some help with the initial start..

Hello all and thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice. I have done some searching but have not found a thread on how to solve a problem I am having.
I am new top straight razor shaving but not new to shaving itself ...
I have an issue with starting my shave by the side burns. I wear glasses and it is not really conducive to shaving without them..and no contact lenses are not an option as of now. When I try to start my shave from the side burns my hand is in the way of a good view to start with. If I look straight away at the mirror all I see is my hand and not my starting point. Even if I turn my body sideways a bit my hand still blocks my view and with my glasses trying to look say out of the corner of my eye my vision is blurry because it is beyond the field of view from my glasses.
The only thing I seem to do and it still is not great is to take my glasses off...and try to get as close as possible to the mirror..this causes another problem. It is both awkward and I get no control like I would like..

Any and all thoughts and or suggestions it's greatly appreciated. I would imagine that those of you who don't wear glasses may have to think about it but you may also have a different perspective add to possibly fix the issue..
Once again thank you to all that contribute.
Anthony

Do you switch hands when you shave or are you using one hand. I shave with only my left hand and I sorta have this problem my right side my solution has been to do my wtg pass in the general area but below where I want my side burn I then get it cleaned all the way up on the xtg pass as my hand is completely out of the way.

@castel Yes I do switch hands..trying to get the muscle memory going. It is not that hard but I am trying to do things with proper form. I tend to try and get it done with some really off hand angles which I really don't want to do and continue with because I know it will lead to problems and more specifically cuts..turning my head seems to be the best right thing to do but getting out of my field from my glasses really stinks.
Hopefully others will look and maybe offer some help.

Monocles look distinguished.....

Seriously, I know you are starting out so this may seem slightly esoteric advice right now, but as time progresses you will find that you do not need to see to shave. I, and others, for example, shave my (our) head(s) with straights. It is done with feel at the back of the head. We have also had visually impaired and in one case I think a completely blind member successfully shave with a straight.

You are in the happy position that your "danger area" as it were is the sideburns where the arm of the glasses obstructs. This is probably one of the easier places to do things by feel (being careful of the ear of course). I'd advise in this early stage that you try to develop a strategy where the goal is to shave that area by feel (take the glasses off). Only that area because, of course, you can put the glasses back on for the rest. I'm not sure what that strategy might entail in its specifics, but taking it slowly and carefully would be some generic advice.

Good luck!

James.

Thanks Jimbo. Before I started I think I watched every video on youtube and read quite a bit even before putting blade to face. The other parts of the face are not terrible except my neck...the hair grows in like 20 directions but I can move around easier there. Plus the way my neck is contoured it seems like a big W. Starts with a hill on the outside, goes into a valley between outside and adams apple, makes another peak at the apple leading into another valley back to another peak...I can manage to get all that and not under a side burn....I can get the side burn cleaned with the XTG pass but just that initial WTG is the frustrated part...and it just seems to be the easiest part of the face...go figure that the difficult areas are somewhat easy for me while the easy spot is the hardest.

Anthony,

I was going to suggest the guillotine stroke which would give you a little more field of view on the sideburns and then try to explain it, lots of words. I remembered this video by Charlie, (spazola), shaving with his glasses and using that stroke. Hope it helps!!
Regards,
Howard


YouTube - Shaving with Small Non-Folding Razor