First straight shave!

Went out to check the mail this afternoon and had two packages: Package one contained TM's Dovo starter kit w/ paddle strop and a tub of C&E Almond Oil cream (bought from "Flounder"), package two was assorted soaps from Colleen .... AND my wife brought me home some extra goodies from The Body Shop tonight! :y

So I hit the bathroom, stropped the razor 20 passes on the latigo then 20 on the honey brown and got to shaving:

- 10 days beard growth (so I'd have a good visual indicator)
- Body Shop Boar bristle brush
- 5/8 Dovo
- Large cake of Colleen's Oak & Moss soap in my Latte mug (LOVE that stuff!)
- Dickinson's witch hazel post shave (wish I'd known about this stuff years ago!)
- Body Shop KISTNA aftershave balm (very nice scent, good cooling effect)

Did a full shave my first time out the gate but only the first WTG pass, the ATG and XG I'll work up to later. I have to say it went VERY well, two or three pinpoint sized nicks (never did feel them). I didn't get as close as I'd like to underneath my chin or along the sides of my windpipe but everywhere else is perfectly shaved and even the spots I had trouble with would pass as "freshly shaved" in an office setting. Next shave I'm going to try a preshave lotion and see if that helps, maybe just some hair conditioner? In any case I won't have the beard length or fullness I had today.

Problems I didn't expect: 1) Trying to see around my hands and make sure I got my sideburns even - I did okay but it took some adjusting. 2) Getting the lather out of the brush and onto my face - there was plenty there but it tended to back itself up the brush more than lay down on my skin. I'm doing something wrong but I'm not sure what ... gotta work on that.

So now I'm just enjoying sitting here sniffing my Oak & Moss and KISTNA ... and playing with my face of course. My first impression - I really did enjoy it and I'm definitely going to stick with it, can't wait to see how well it comes along in a few weeks or a couple of months down the road. I've got a double sided red latigo/honey brown hanging strop coming from Tony Miller any day now and I need to get some abrasives for my paddle but otherwise I think I've got the gear covered for a little while. The Norton hone will come later.
Jack

Wow! Congrats . . . at this rate honemiester in a week. 10 day whisker? Very good work.

Congratulations! :tu Keep your focus and the shaves can only be bound to improve.

I was wiping the razor on a damp wash cloth between swipes and being able to see those whiskers on the blade really helped my confidence. Made for a nice "TINK-TINK" sound too - my wife was loading clothes in the dryer outside the bathroom and she said she could even hear it ... GOD, I FEEL SO MANLY!!! :roflmao

That KISTNA balm really works well scentwise with the Oak & Moss soap too. I was going to order some Coral Skin Food but I think I'll save the shipping costs and just stick with this for a while. And the witch hazel .... man that stuff's amazing!
Jack

The manly factor is one of my favorite parts of straight shaving. Glad to hear you had such a great experience with your first shave! I'm still figuring out the areas you mentioned -- sides of windpipe and jawline. My chin would pass in an office setting but it's not quite up to my standards yet...but I'm improving.

Enjoy the journey...sounds like you got quite a good starter kit!