About 4 months in, here’s what I’ve learned

[BrooklynSalt]

I just finished what may be my best straight razor shave to date.

Recently, I’ve been having issues and getting some quite nasty weepers and burns on my neck and jawline. Since I’ve picked up a straight, which I haven’t been using exclusively, my shaves with a DE or Injector have been a exceptional. But my straight shaves, not so much. With hindsight, I realize I thought I progressed quicker than I really had.

After tonight’s shave this what I’m learning:

Pressure, or lack there of it is a big deal

Taking small strokes instead of big passes

You need to figure out how to make it comfortable and effective (Figure out how to comfortably get your neck, under the nose, problem spots, etc) and really need to figure out a step by step method that works for you.

It’s gotta be good before it’s going to be perfect

It’s a dangerous and effective tool. Respect it, particularly when you are about to put the blade to your face

I took a little break from the straight and watched a few videos of different guys using straights and it made me think about what I was doing versus some guy making it look easy.

Tonight’s shave was slow, comfortable and effective. I did two slow passes on my cheeks and neck and then and a few more clean up passes, with my eyes closed against the grain on my neck. While not BBS, a damn fine shave regardless. Even better, zero weepers and this the least amount of alum and after shave sting I’ve experienced after a shave with a straight

 

[sg.]

Congratulations on the progress.

Taking small strokes instead of big passes

What is a "small stroke" -- is it just frequent pauses -- or is the razor moved a tiny bit, lifted from the skin, re-positioned on the skin and moved a tiny bit again?

 

[BrooklynSalt]

Congratulations on the progress.



What is a "small stroke" -- is it just frequent pauses -- or is the razor moved a tiny bit, lifted from the skin, re-positioned on the skin and moved a tiny bit again?

Shave just a little bit at a time, reposition do it again. The opposite of taking it all off in a single pass

 

[Dzaw]

Congrats on a damn fine shave!

Don’t judge your progress by the bbs standard - a bbs Shave is wonderful, but it is too much to expect from a regular shaving routine. If bbs is a standard you demand from each shave, you will live with perpetual irritation.

Bbs can be achieved deliberately, without irritation, but it usually takes careful planning of things like shave timing for several days in advance. For example, if you have a wedding to go to on a Friday, you might skip thursdays shave, and settle for a SAS shave on Monday through Wednesday to give your skin a rest before Friday mornings BBS with a freshly honed razor.

 

[aussie]

I get irritation free BBS every day.

 

[elm7245]

Congratulations on your progress, courage and willingness to persevere. It's not for all, but those of us who get it are in a small and exclusive club. I've been SR shaving about as long as you have and these are my most critical take-aways: 1) GO SLOW! Speed is not my friend here. I enjoy the process so I intentionally take time to learn my face, its contours and nuances. I stopped bleeding when I started learning my neck and jawline. 2) SHARP BLADE is your friend and will keep the irritation to a minimum...so guess what? I learned to hone as well as shave. If you have time and dedication to this, hone and keep honing. It's a life long journey of discovery. Good luck and continued success to you.

 

[BrooklynSalt]

Congratulations on your progress, courage and willingness to persevere. It's not for all, but those of us who get it are in a small and exclusive club. I've been SR shaving about as long as you have and these are my most critical take-aways: 1) GO SLOW! Speed is not my friend here. I enjoy the process so I intentionally take time to learn my face, its contours and nuances. I stopped bleeding when I started learning my neck and jawline. 2) SHARP BLADE is your friend and will keep the irritation to a minimum...so guess what? I learned to hone as well as shave. If you have time and dedication to this, hone and keep honing. It's a life long journey of discovery. Good luck and continued success to you.

You are spot on about the sharp blade. I just received a freshly honed razor and wow does that make a difference. What the sharp blade did is make me lighten the pressure even more, thus further improving my skills.

While I don’t use a SR all the time, I’m falling deep and hard for it. The shave with a straight is beyond compare. And the satisfaction I get from being totally in the moment and able to use a very dangerous object to perform a mundane task is incredibly satisfying

 

[ajduplessis]

I agree that a sharp blade is your friend, however skin/whisker preparation and hydration along with a quality wet lather achieves more than just a sharp blade alone.

I can use a 200K edge on dry whiskers with disastrous results whereas a 8k edge with proper prep will result in a close comfortable shave.

 

[VBH37118]

I just finished what may be my best straight razor shave to date.

Recently, I’ve been having issues and getting some quite nasty weepers and burns on my neck and jawline. Since I’ve picked up a straight, which I haven’t been using exclusively, my shaves with a DE or Injector have been a exceptional. But my straight shaves, not so much. With hindsight, I realize I thought I progressed quicker than I really had.

After tonight’s shave this what I’m learning:

Pressure, or lack there of it is a big deal

Taking small strokes instead of big passes

You need to figure out how to make it comfortable and effective (Figure out how to comfortably get your neck, under the nose, problem spots, etc) and really need to figure out a step by step method that works for you.

It’s gotta be good before it’s going to be perfect

It’s a dangerous and effective tool. Respect it, particularly when you are about to put the blade to your face

I took a little break from the straight and watched a few videos of different guys using straights and it made me think about what I was doing versus some guy making it look easy.

Tonight’s shave was slow, comfortable and effective. I did two slow passes on my cheeks and neck and then and a few more clean up passes, with my eyes closed against the grain on my neck. While not BBS, a damn fine shave regardless. Even better, zero weepers and this the least amount of alum and after shave sting I’ve experienced after a shave with a straight

That’s great congratulations,your shaves will only get better

 

[ViratShah]

Thanks for sharing. Small strokes - that's what I need to incorporate in my shavette sessions. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Tomo]

About to take the plunge myself. My first straight razor has arrived. Seems very sharp out of the box. Tree tops and cuts hanging hair with ease. Just waiting for the strop. Excited and a little scared at the same time. Any tips are welcome

 

[BrooklynSalt]

Thanks for sharing. Small strokes - that's what I need to incorporate in my shavette sessions. Thanks for the tip!

It will come, I promise you. At this point I barely use a DE and I’m fairly proficient with w straight. Very little I’d any alum burn, and the weepers are rare.

 

[VBH37118]

About to take the plunge myself. My first straight razor has arrived. Seems very sharp out of the box. Tree tops and cuts hanging hair with ease. Just waiting for the strop. Excited and a little scared at the same time. Any tips are welcome

Go very slow, it just takes time.

 

[BrooklynSalt]

Watch Lynn Abrams. Use very, very little pressure. It’s not going to be close to perfect. Give yourself time to learn

 

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

About to take the plunge myself. My first straight razor has arrived. Seems very sharp out of the box. Tree tops and cuts hanging hair with ease. Just waiting for the strop. Excited and a little scared at the same time. Any tips are welcome

When I first started with a straight I found doing the first pass with a DE helpful. Using the straight after a DE lets you get used to what an open blade feels like on your skin without having to take off as much stubble. Go slow and enjoy the shave. If you are persistent it will come. I shave with a straight almost exclusively now.


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[steveclarkus]

I just finished what may be my best straight razor shave to date.

Recently, I’ve been having issues and getting some quite nasty weepers and burns on my neck and jawline. Since I’ve picked up a straight, which I haven’t been using exclusively, my shaves with a DE or Injector have been a exceptional. But my straight shaves, not so much. With hindsight, I realize I thought I progressed quicker than I really had.

After tonight’s shave this what I’m learning:

Pressure, or lack there of it is a big deal

Taking small strokes instead of big passes

You need to figure out how to make it comfortable and effective (Figure out how to comfortably get your neck, under the nose, problem spots, etc) and really need to figure out a step by step method that works for you.

It’s gotta be good before it’s going to be perfect

It’s a dangerous and effective tool. Respect it, particularly when you are about to put the blade to your face

I took a little break from the straight and watched a few videos of different guys using straights and it made me think about what I was doing versus some guy making it look easy.

Tonight’s shave was slow, comfortable and effective. I did two slow passes on my cheeks and neck and then and a few more clean up passes, with my eyes closed against the grain on my neck. While not BBS, a damn fine shave regardless. Even better, zero weepers and this the least amount of alum and after shave sting I’ve experienced after a shave with a straight

You are figuring it out. Good going. You are right about the pressure. A tight angle is important too. The “little” strokes I call buffing and do it a lot. With a month of daily shaves and you’ll never shave any other way.