How was your first time?

[DesertIguana]

My generation and our parents who were America's Greatest generation were different, we leaned by watching others, learn by what our parents showed us, and in school had teachers & coaches that taught everything from cooking, sewing, industrial arts, plus reading, writing, history, science, how to play sports, etc.

Today not sure about what schools really teach, most do not have trades, or home economics, cooking and sewing. Someone got hurt, in shop class, parent blamed school, when it was safety rule violation by student, so those dangerous classed got shut down.

Back in day we tied out for sports, some made team, some did not. Today everyone plays, and everyone get Trophy for participating.

If you want to learn to shave with big boys tools, chances you might get cut, nicked, and spill some drop of blood in process. You learn by doing, and sometime U-Tube helps with some of the basics. Most will learn how to sxjhave with DE, Straight, or, others will grow beard out of need because they can not master shaving.

 

[Schnitzel52]

Pretty good.
A couple nicks.
I was learning to lather and
finding the right angle and pressure. I had been using multi blade razors from Harry’s and Gillette and wasn’t getting the quality of shaves I get now. “Mr. Hands” would show up in the morning determined to mow down stubble. I needed to unlearn my heavy handed ways.
Early on I learned the Gillette Glide. Relatively short diagonal passes north to south and I was on my way to better shaves. I still use this technique. It’s a good journey.

 

[panzerkiller13]

My first DE shave back in college was driven out of curiosity more than anything. I had seen some of the VDH razors and shave kits with the mug and brush in stores and thought "Hey, this looks cool, but why would there be a return of an older method of shaving if the new ones are better?" and then found the rabbit hole and the truth.

It wasn't a very smooth shave, and the ones after that weren't very good, but I knew it was more ME than anything! Now I'm back after finding B&B, and determined to try again and figure this thing out! My "second" first shave today burned a bit, and I had a handful of weepers, but overall there were no BAD nicks and I felt 95% normal after applying a balm. I haven't used anything other than a Panasonic Arc5 since 2018 though, so I'd say it came out pretty good!

 

[njpaddy]

Over the past 50 shaving years, I went from electric in high school, to injector in college, to carts for 35+ years, to DE just before retirement. My first DE was a '52 SuperSpeed purchased from a member after I joined to inquire about an old DE found in my stepdad's drawer when he died. I don't remember having a problem when first using a DE, but I was happy not to have the ingrown hairs I got from carts. My biggest problem at first was lathering, especially with well water. I've been down a number of rabbit holes the past 13 years, but it's been fun and something my wife didn't mind.

 

[pellidon]

I have to say I did not bleed on the first time I used a DE razor. I saved that for the second day. Took about a week of trial and mostly error to get the hang of it. Now some 15 years later, I get cut when I don't pay attention. Which suprisingly is not that often. I struggled in my 20's through my 40's with electric razors and bad disposables/cartridge implements of death and irritation. I don't miss the days of having a 3-5 blade cut healing on the side of my face.

 

[guitarslinger]

December 2006. Used my grandpa’s gillette knack with a personna lab blue.

Proraso green cream

Shave was surprisingly awesome.

100% hooked.

Fwiw, i should have kept using USA personna blades. Didn’t appreciate how good they were. Always figured there would be something better since the personnas were from wal mart.

Btw, should have stuck with the knack longer too. Switched to a bunch of merkur stuff that never quite worked as well as the knack.

 

[Loner16]

What a question...

I didn't really know what I was doing... she did! But, it was wonderful!

 

[GR5233]

My first time was back in 1996 or 1997. It was with one of those multi blade was mailing out at the time and canned foam or gel. The details are a bit fuzzy seeing as it was 25 years ago. IIRC it was a decent shave with no nicks or irritation.

My first DE shave was back in August or September of 2018. That on the other hand was a bit of a blood bath. Lots of nicks and weepers. It took a week or two before I stopped looking like I had a feral cat (no pets then or now unfortunately)

 

[Manye]

What a question...

I didn't really know what I was doing... she did! But, it was wonderful!

This is exactly how I interpreted the question!

 

[pellidon]

I was 45 or so, tired of the irritation of electric razors and disposable beasts. I saw a lonely Van Der Hagen in a sea of terrible cartridges. My first shave was ok, no blood. The second I got overconfident or something, a few knicks. I went from shaving infrequently to mostly daily. Then I met this enabling group . Now I'm 62 and don't miss the razor rash, ingrown hair or multiple blade cuts.