First few shaves have not been great.

[kohalajohn]

Sounds like things are already improving for you.

I had so many troubles at the beginning that I briefly went back to DE. Then I got curious about straights again and tried again. Turns out it was just more practice needed.

And keep reading the forums here.

 

[Slash McCoy]

....
Going too slow on the stroke can give a false sense of 'tugging' - Do not rush but there must be authority and conviction behind the stroke.
...

+1 That's something we really don't think about but we mostly all do, instinctively, as we learn. I think this should be stressed more often. When you fiddle around with little touchy feely strokes, you just end up with a choppy shave with lots of skipping.

 

[kohalajohn]

+1 That's something we really don't think about but we mostly all do, instinctively, as we learn. I think this should be stressed more often. When you fiddle around with little touchy feely strokes, you just end up with a choppy shave with lots of skipping.

That's true, but at the same time I have sympathy for those who are stuck with decades of muscle memory from carts.

Carts have the edge tucked so far back inside the upper and lower halves of the clamp, that it's impossible to nick yourself. In fact, you learn to press hard, pushing the edge deep into the skin. And you learn that angles don't matter. In fact you are trained to push with a steep angle.

Those are terrible muscle memories to have when, in your forties of fifties, you try to shave with an unprotected edge.

At the outset, I read the forums and I understood about acute angles and a gentle touch. But you forget. You lose attention and thirty years of cart based muscle memory comes back and with a shock, you've cut yourself.

A fifteen year old starting with a straight first off, would not have these problems.

Yeah, when a forty year old fellah tries to change from a lifetime of carts, to straights, they are hesitant, for sure. And while that does make the shave worse for them, I certainly understand where this hesitation is coming from.

I think a great gift I can give my boys is start them off on straights, so at least their muscle memory is properly set up. After that they can do what they want.

 

[xiletero]

So I made my 4th attempt today and after adjusting my blade angle there was a definite improvement. I did both cheeks (switching arms) and they were quite smooth.
Finished the shave with my DE.
I do have some irritation on my lower cheek/chin area so I am going to use my DE razor only for the next shave or 2 till it clears up. Then I’ll give it another go.
Thanks for all the advice!

On my screen, the edge of this razor does not look the same in all the length.... On the last 1cm tip seems to be a dent....
Good thing is you can always revert to DE.....

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[CongaJon]

Yeah, I can see that, too. It might just be a reflection of that same light source you can see at the top of the point and on the sink below the bevel.

 

[Besbro]

Yeah, I can see that, too. It might just be a reflection of that same light source you can see at the top of the point and on the sink below the bevel.

Yes I believe it is just the way the light is playing across the blade edge.

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[sexy beast]

I believe you’re on your way.