First SR Shave

[CavTrpr]

I've been DE shaving for a couple of years now. I love it, but I always wanted to try a straight. After looking a tons of razors, I bought a Portland Razor Co "Siren" 6/8 round point and a strop. It came yesterday so, when I got out of work today and the wife had the girls at the haunted hayride, I jumped in the shower so I could have my first SR shave in silence.

I used the exact same prep as I do with the DE. It was a little awkward trying to get the right position, and still be able to see in the mirror ( I see another mirror coming) Once I got that, it went surprisingly well. I had only planned on doing my cheeks, then finishing the shave with the DE. I ended up doing 2 WTG passes with the SR and a cleanup with the DE. Wouldn't it figure, I didn't cut myself with the SR, but I did with the DE on the cleanup pass!

Overall, I like it. It may not end up replacing the DE. Or maybe it might. IDK yet.

 

[ScottChapin]

I just finished tripple pass number 200 today. I’ve shave once with a DE in that time. It was Monday and I was in a rush and out of sorts.

I can get a really decent shave in less than 16 minutes. There’s no turning back. That’s about 7min 30sec razor time.


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[pkrip]

Thanks for sharing. I was in a similar boat over the summer. I had always been curious about trying a straight and had finally taken the plunge. I’ve only had a handful of nicks since then but it took a month or so to start getting fairly close comfortable shaves. I’m totally sold though. Still look fwd to every shave and using my DE less and less (in the early weeks I used the straight every other day as my technique was rough and skin was getting a little irritated. ). Now I use the straight pretty much every morning and even on the days when I’m going to the gym before work! Good luck in the journey


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[M14Shooter]

I've been DE shaving for a couple of years now. I love it, but I always wanted to try a straight. After looking a tons of razors, I bought a Portland Razor Co "Siren" 6/8 round point and a strop. It came yesterday so, when I got out of work today and the wife had the girls at the haunted hayride, I jumped in the shower so I could have my first SR shave in silence.

I used the exact same prep as I do with the DE. It was a little awkward trying to get the right position, and still be able to see in the mirror ( I see another mirror coming) Once I got that, it went surprisingly well. I had only planned on doing my cheeks, then finishing the shave with the DE. I ended up doing 2 WTG passes with the SR and a cleanup with the DE. Wouldn't it figure, I didn't cut myself with the SR, but I did with the DE on the cleanup pass!

Overall, I like it. It may not end up replacing the DE. Or maybe it might. IDK yet.

Congrats on your first shave with a Straight .Welcome to the club .Feel free to PM me if you need any help .

 

[CavTrpr]

Well, I just shaved with the straight for the second time. No cuts and I did all 3 passes with it. It's not a BBS shave by any stretch of the imagination, but it would pass for acceptable if I was still a Drill Sergeant.

 

[M14Shooter]

Do not rush the process too much .IMHO It takes about a month to develop muscle memory and technique .Just watch you blade angle and use almost no pressure .Let the weight of the blade do the work . Also remember that beard prep is a big part of the process .

 

[Slash McCoy]

Well, I just shaved with the straight for the second time. No cuts and I did all 3 passes with it. It's not a BBS shave by any stretch of the imagination, but it would pass for acceptable if I was still a Drill Sergeant.

In the beginning, it is all about just surviving the shave unscathed. Closeness will come in time, if that is an objective. No cuts at all from your second shave is pretty good. No irritation, even better.

Stretching the skin will help both with comfort and with closeness. A very shallow shave angle will help too, mostly with the comfort part. There is a balance between pressure and angle. Sort of like the balance between gas pedal and clutch when you take off in your car from a standing start. Also the sharper the blade, the smaller shave angle you can (and should) use. Generally, a gap between the razor's spine and your face of 1 to 1-1/2 spine thickness is about right for an edge that is just shave ready but not scary sharp. If it won't shave at that angle, IMHO it is not a shave ready edge. When you have to raise the spine more than that, you are scraping, not shaving, and that results in irritation and sometimes cuts. Of course a tough drill seargeant's skin probably laughs at irritation but still,

Desperately striving for BBS is usually a recipe for failure, anyway. I think this has held back a lot of newbies and even discouraged many, with the resulting raw and sliced skin. You are getting it, though. I bet you have a dozen razors a year from now, and shave every day with them.

 

[willye]

I've been shaving with a DE for 52 years. I was actually using the same razor I bought when i was 14. One of those deals back in the 60s when you bought blades (Gilette, I think and got a razor with it for around $7-$8). I remember my Dad used to to use a SR some and now that I'm retired, I thought I'd try as well.
So I got an inexpensive razor and it proved to not be very sharp. I took a stone to it and it didn't help. So I searched around and found another inexpensive razor (Grimm Dollar) and it was okay. Took a stone to it and stropped and got around my cheeks pretty good but had to rely on my DE for finishing. My second attempt, I was was determined to use the SR for the whole shave. I looked a little like a remake of Friday the 13th when i got done but the shave was okay for the most part. It's going to be somewhat of a learning curve, but I really enjoy the process.

One question I would have is what do people do for pre-shave? Is there some sort of pre-shave beard treatment? Hot water? I shower at night and shave in the am so I don't want to shower before shaving if I can get around it. Some tips would be appreciated.

 

[ScottChapin]

I brush hot water on my face and then soak my brush in a scuttle while brushing my teeth. Then I whip up my lather, not being afraid to make it wetter than I would for a DE shave.

Sometimes I put some Cremo on as a Pre-Shave-Lotion, but a good warm wet lather is enough.


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[CavTrpr]

In the beginning, it is all about just surviving the shave unscathed. Closeness will come in time, if that is an objective. No cuts at all from your second shave is pretty good. No irritation, even better.

Stretching the skin will help both with comfort and with closeness. A very shallow shave angle will help too, mostly with the comfort part. There is a balance between pressure and angle. Sort of like the balance between gas pedal and clutch when you take off in your car from a standing start. Also the sharper the blade, the smaller shave angle you can (and should) use. Generally, a gap between the razor's spine and your face of 1 to 1-1/2 spine thickness is about right for an edge that is just shave ready but not scary sharp. If it won't shave at that angle, IMHO it is not a shave ready edge. When you have to raise the spine more than that, you are scraping, not shaving, and that results in irritation and sometimes cuts. Of course a tough drill seargeant's skin probably laughs at irritation but still,

Desperately striving for BBS is usually a recipe for failure, anyway. I think this has held back a lot of newbies and even discouraged many, with the resulting raw and sliced skin. You are getting it, though. I bet you have a dozen razors a year from now, and shave every day with them.

Survived another one this evening with just a nick under the nose that I knew I did as soon as the blade touched my face. I usually shave EOD with the DE but there's no way I could go to work in the morning with that kind of growth. Apparently, I didn't get as close as I thought I did last night. it was acceptable this morning, but by afternoon, I knew I was going to have to shave again.

I actually increased my angle just slightly from last night and it seems to be closer. I'll know for sure around noon tomorrow. I do have to figure out how to shave my neck with it though. My ATG pass with the DE starts under my right cheek, passes under my chin and ends under my left ear. Still having trouble even imagining how to do that with the SR

It's not that I'm desperately trying for BBS, I just know that it's possible and I won't settle for anything less than perfection. I've done it before, so I know I can do it again.

My skin isn't actually that tough, so pre- and post-shave have always been key, even with cartridges. My razor is honed to 12k from the factory. I have a local guy who is going to teach me how to hone and takes his to 30k.

 

[dmatcuk]

I've been shaving with a DE for 52 years. I was actually using the same razor I bought when i was 14. One of those deals back in the 60s when you bought blades (Gilette, I think and got a razor with it for around $7-$8). I remember my Dad used to to use a SR some and now that I'm retired, I thought I'd try as well.
So I got an inexpensive razor and it proved to not be very sharp. I took a stone to it and it didn't help. So I searched around and found another inexpensive razor (Grimm Dollar) and it was okay. Took a stone to it and stropped and got around my cheeks pretty good but had to rely on my DE for finishing. My second attempt, I was was determined to use the SR for the whole shave. I looked a little like a remake of Friday the 13th when i got done but the shave was okay for the most part. It's going to be somewhat of a learning curve, but I really enjoy the process.

One question I would have is what do people do for pre-shave? Is there some sort of pre-shave beard treatment? Hot water? I shower at night and shave in the am so I don't want to shower before shaving if I can get around it. Some tips would be appreciated.

Sounds like you might have a sharpness issue. Making sure that your razor is really shave ready is important and may help. As far as prep, I don't do too much. I shower before I shave and use a Dove Men's face wash. Making your lather a little wetter than with DE may help. I like Proraso pre-shave cream if it has been a couple of days since my last shave. Oils don't do much for me and make it harder to stretch the skin. I will rub the pre-shave on my face and let it soak while I lather my brush. Stretching your skin also seems to be more important with straights than DE. At least for me. I rub my fingers on my alum block to help grip.

 

[willye]

Sounds like you might have a sharpness issue. Making sure that your razor is really shave ready is important and may help. As far as prep, I don't do too much. I shower before I shave and use a Dove Men's face wash. Making your lather a little wetter than with DE may help. I like Proraso pre-shave cream if it has been a couple of days since my last shave. Oils don't do much for me and make it harder to stretch the skin. I will rub the pre-shave on my face and let it soak while I lather my brush. Stretching your skin also seems to be more important with straights than DE. At least for me. I rub my fingers on my alum block to help grip.

Thanks, very helpful. I’ve sent the first razor off to the sharpener and am paying more attention to my preshave routine.
This forum has been a big help

 

[CavTrpr]

Shave #5 tonight was the perfect way to relax after a ****ty day at work. Finally found a grip so I could go ATG on my cheeks. Still looking for a way to go ATG under my chin, but going XTG 2x is getting the job done. Other than under my chin and right near the corners of my mouth, this one ranks right up there with the best of shaves I've gotten from my DE.

 

[Carmo]

Nice. I've just recently started on the straights myself. I have finally gotten my shaves good enough to not need the de to touch up.Keep up with it as it gets easier each time.

 

[dmatcuk]

Shave #5 tonight was the perfect way to relax after a ****ty day at work. Finally found a grip so I could go ATG on my cheeks. Still looking for a way to go ATG under my chin, but going XTG 2x is getting the job done. Other than under my chin and right near the corners of my mouth, this one ranks right up there with the best of shaves I've gotten from my DE.

Under the chin is a pain! Try to follow me on this, hopefully I can make this understandable with out rambling too much. I lost a lot of weight, so my skin is rather loose on my neck. I divide my face in half when shaving, with an imaginary line straight down between my eyes. It gives me a general area to determine when to switch hands with my razor.

Anyway, starting with the right side of my face, I hold the razor in my right hand. Typically I lather just the right side of my neck from by my ear to under the chin. Usually from the jaw line down. I will wrap my left arm back around my head and try to grip my cheek/jawline right under my ear and pull back to stretch the skin. Jutting your chin out and even tilting your head back some may help stretch that skin even more. Then I shave, from the ear to the center of my neck under the chin. I hold the razor almost upside down if you will. With the point of the blade pointing down towards my torso. I stop at the center of my neck. If my blade is nice and sharp, I may go slightly past there. Whatever feels comfortable. Then switch hands and do the other side in the opposite way. I hope that makes sense.

Corners of the mouth are annoying too. I got with my mouth as wide open as possible and try to find an angle to get the razor in there. Good luck and enjoy those shaves!