I just finished my first straight razor shave today. I used my new Dovo 5/8 best quality I got on the BST. Stropped it with my 3" big daddy strop from star shaving. Washed my face as always and then lathered up some AoS sandalwood cream. The first pass was WTG that was a little rough which I think was due to not having shaved for over 2 days. I didn't get any major cuts/nicks so I did another WTG pass that was much smoother than the first. Applied some after-shave balm, re-stropped my blade and checked my face. It wasn't the closest shave I've ever had but it was passable. I'm happy with the outcome since I was able to shave without any major nicks or cuts. I did notice that pulling on the skin helps get a smoother shave. Hopefully this is the first of many successful straight razor shaves.
First straight shave today
- Thread starter madscientist86
- Start date
Congratulations! That's a huge step.
Next time, to help the razor glide, try a soap, and make the lather a little wetter than you normally would.
As you noticed, stretching the skin can help a lot. It can be especially useful in pulling hard-to-reach patches of skin out into the clear.
Sounds like a very impressive first shave.
Next time, to help the razor glide, try a soap, and make the lather a little wetter than you normally would.
As you noticed, stretching the skin can help a lot. It can be especially useful in pulling hard-to-reach patches of skin out into the clear.
Sounds like a very impressive first shave.
Keep going with wtg passes only for a while. The shaves won't be as close, but you'll gain confidence and your stroke will reflect that. Don't feel the need to rush things and you'll do great. Heck, already you're doing fantastic.
- Thread starter
- #4
Thanks for the words of encouragement. Had my second shave last night. It went a little better but I got a 1/2" gash on my cheek because I applied too much pressure. Definitely a lesson in how sharp these things are. Still not as close as my DE shaves but in good time it shall hopefully come.
start with the blade flat against your skin; then adjust the angle on your face as you perform the stroke. you will feel the blade start to cut the hair; this way you should avoid deep gashes or cuts because your not applying pressure, your simply altering blade angle until you feel it start to cut the beard.
Sounds like an awesome first shave. Keep them coming! Updates are welcome.
I started with a str8 in January 2012 and haven't used anything else since. A lot of folks will say to just "shave on the weekends." But considering, most people say it takes approximately 100 shaves to reach an acceptable "proficiency," I just started shaving everyday. There is definately a learning curve, but it's well worth it. Don't rush and let the blade do the work. I now look forward to shaving rather than considering it "a chore." Good luck and stick with it!
- Thread starter
- #9
Thanks for all the help! I am truly enjoying the experience of straight shaving. So I just had my 5th shave and its going well with no major cuts. But I continue to notice that the razor isn't getting all the hairs. When I am done shaving it looks like I still have a 5 o'clock shadow. I don't know if this is due to the lack of experience or if the razor needs to be honed. I bought the razor on the BST who said it was shave ready as it was just honed. I strop the razor before and after use doing about 30 laps on felt followed by 40-50 on leather. Any ideas anyone may have would be greatly appreciated as I love the shave but the results are lacking the smooth close shave I enjoy.
Are you stropping on the felt component from Star Shaving? If so, consider skipping it, and just use the leather. I haven't had much luck with that felt. Fifty light laps on leather should be enough for a comfortable shave.
It's also possible that your beginner shaving-technique is dulling the razor a bit. Not to worry, if it is. That seems to be fairly common. You could send the razor out to be honed again (I recommend this), or do what I did, and buy another shave-ready razor (I recommend this, too, actually).
It sounds as though you're doing very well, though. In another five or ten shaves, things will start to get quite a bit easier, so hang in there.
It's also possible that your beginner shaving-technique is dulling the razor a bit. Not to worry, if it is. That seems to be fairly common. You could send the razor out to be honed again (I recommend this), or do what I did, and buy another shave-ready razor (I recommend this, too, actually).
It sounds as though you're doing very well, though. In another five or ten shaves, things will start to get quite a bit easier, so hang in there.
