Well, had my first straight shave today. I'm jumping in with both feet, going straight from cartridges to straights. I was looking and posting in the BST here, but after talking to a few guys at work found a razor. A guy I work with shaves with straights and gave me a Boker King Cutter that he wasn't using for really cheap. I ordered some other stuff online, and I'm all set.
I started out with a nice hot shower to get myself all prepped. I used Proraso shaving cream worked up in a lather with a Simpson B4 badger brush. I got a decent lather, definitely need to work on it but it wasn't bad. I let that sit for a minute or so on my face, and lathered up again. Then came the fun part.
I have a beard. I usually only shave from my jawline down, and my mustache. So I thought this would pose some problems, but I went for it anyway. I started at my neck and shaved up to the jawline, wtg. I was going pretty good but then had to cross over, and after some stumbling I know I'll get a good way eventually.
Then I went up to under my nose, started at my nose and went down, wtg. So far so good, a little pulling but I attributed that to improper angle since when I lifted off and restarted the stroke it would be fine. I was trying to figure a lot out at once, how to stretch my face, how to hold the blade and not break my fingers, etc. haha.
So, I lather up and I figure I'll take one more pass. The first went so well, just a little pulling but nothing to complain about. So I go for it.
I start from my jawline and go down, ATG. All good. Just had some trouble figuring out how to hold my hand. Then comes the mustache area. Tried using my left hand to go from my lip up. I sliced across, trying like Chimensch did in this http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=136249 video. Oh well, learned on that one.
After that, I finished up and figured I wouldn't press my luck with a XTG take. I splashed on some thayers superhazel for good measure and called it done. Looking at it now, it's pretty good. There are some spots that I know was due to technique, and if I run my hand xtg I feel some stubble but I didn't want to press the issue.
Lessons learned : Slow down, more lather, watch the angles.
I started out with a nice hot shower to get myself all prepped. I used Proraso shaving cream worked up in a lather with a Simpson B4 badger brush. I got a decent lather, definitely need to work on it but it wasn't bad. I let that sit for a minute or so on my face, and lathered up again. Then came the fun part.
I have a beard. I usually only shave from my jawline down, and my mustache. So I thought this would pose some problems, but I went for it anyway. I started at my neck and shaved up to the jawline, wtg. I was going pretty good but then had to cross over, and after some stumbling I know I'll get a good way eventually.
Then I went up to under my nose, started at my nose and went down, wtg. So far so good, a little pulling but I attributed that to improper angle since when I lifted off and restarted the stroke it would be fine. I was trying to figure a lot out at once, how to stretch my face, how to hold the blade and not break my fingers, etc. haha.
So, I lather up and I figure I'll take one more pass. The first went so well, just a little pulling but nothing to complain about. So I go for it.
I start from my jawline and go down, ATG. All good. Just had some trouble figuring out how to hold my hand. Then comes the mustache area. Tried using my left hand to go from my lip up. I sliced across, trying like Chimensch did in this http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=136249 video. Oh well, learned on that one.
After that, I finished up and figured I wouldn't press my luck with a XTG take. I splashed on some thayers superhazel for good measure and called it done. Looking at it now, it's pretty good. There are some spots that I know was due to technique, and if I run my hand xtg I feel some stubble but I didn't want to press the issue.
Lessons learned : Slow down, more lather, watch the angles.
