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I am paying for learning straight razor in blood and flesh.

For the first time, I was able to achieve a close shave with a straight razor alone.
However, I had to pay in blood and flesh.

I got a shallow cut an inch wide under my chin. The razor drew some blood from my chin through razor burn. However, the shave was closer than a usual shave I can get from a DE razor.
 
For the first time, I was able to achieve a close shave with a straight razor alone.
However, I had to pay in blood and flesh.

I got a shallow cut an inch wide under my chin. The razor drew some blood from my chin through razor burn. However, the shave was closer than a usual shave I can get from a DE razor.

It gets better. Easy on the pressure and shallow on the angle. When going around the chin, it’s easy to get a steep angle and instant cut.


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For the first time, I was able to achieve a close shave with a straight razor alone.
However, I had to pay in blood and flesh.

I got a shallow cut an inch wide under my chin. The razor drew some blood from my chin through razor burn. However, the shave was closer than a usual shave I can get from a DE razor.
Yeap I know the feeling man! I've cashed myself a time or two..Hang in there, and bare that scar with pride! I almost gave up on straights 3 weeks ago. I'm over a 100 shaves in, but I'm very slow. I went back to De shaving for about a month, and the shave quality ain't there like it is with my straight razor. With De razors I get weepers and ingrowns bad! But not with my straight. The reason I almost gave up was the time it was taking me to complete my shave. A fellow on here typed my some encouraged words. He said " If I don't have time to shave with a straight razor, then I don't have time to shave at all". Sometimes our lives can become hectic and stressful. Sometimes we just need to slow down a do what we love. I love shaving with my straights!
 
Keep at it. I bought the Gold Dollar in my profile pic 3 years ago. I had a very rough start with it. Thought I was good to shave after a 1k grit honing and a few laps on a strop. Needless to say, I was wrong, and in my impatience I gave up on straights for nearly 2 years. I got a wild notion to try straights again 2 weeks ago, so I bought a 3k/8k combo stone, and spent more hours than I care to admit honing and stropping. FINALLY after 3 years, I just got my first irritation free straight shave tonight. The shave isn't as close as my Merkur 38 HD with Astra blades, but it's due to my technique, not the razor. One of the biggest helps to me (other than actually having a sharp razor) was the suggestion to divide shaving areas into quadrants. Left side of face, right side of face, left neck, right neck. Re-lather each section before you go to shave it, so your face doesn't dry out. Hang in there, and good luck!!
 
For the first time, I was able to achieve a close shave with a straight razor alone.
However, I had to pay in blood and flesh.

I got a shallow cut an inch wide under my chin. The razor drew some blood from my chin through razor burn. However, the shave was closer than a usual shave I can get from a DE razor.

Well. Usually with straights and shavetts to get a close shave isn’t about getting hard to it but to shave several times and naturally we correct the tecnic. It’s not supposed to get razor burn unless the razor is not sharp enough or you do too many passes. Better not to insist to much because BBS shaves with the straight takes more time to master then with SR. BBS comes naturally and not always, and that’s ok!
Finally the chin is the most difficult area to shave with SR. So getting a cut there or in the upper lip is part of the curriculum. For
Me It’s easier the fools pass and the coup Du
Maitre then the chin. But if you follow in a single stroke the curve on your chin and at the same lift your chin area, it might work for you
.
Take your time and do not compare with DE.


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Your shaves will get better with practice. You will cut yourself. It happens to all of us. The worst cut I got was close to three inches long. It was inflicted by my carelessness with a Merkur Futur. I didn't put it back together properly and I didn't notice until the sink turned red.

As other have said:
  • Keep the angle shallow - barely lift the spine off your skin...
  • Light pressure, light as possible, shave off the lather not the fur...
  • Don't try for a BBS shave. - you'll get better as you go along...
  • Most of us prefer a wetter lather when we use a straight razor...
  • Shower and shampoo your face before you shave
  • Don't try a different razor everyday... Shave several times with the same blade... (many of us start collecting before we've figure it all out)
  • If you have problems shaving a particular area... Shave with the grain and finish off with a DE at first... Experiment with that particular area after you've gained some skill.
Have fun!
 
After a couple of hundred straight razor shaves you'll still cut yourself occasionally, but it won't happen more than every other year or so. I cut myself yesterday and I truly can't recall when it happened last time.
 
My second attempt at shaving with a shavette ended in bloodshed. I was hesitant on my third attempt which made for a poor shave. I actually had to use my DE to cheese everything up. My stypic wasn't enough to stop the bleeding. It's a small price to pay. Keep at it. I hope to move the straights soon.
20190104_174632.jpg
 
My second attempt at shaving with a shavette ended in bloodshed. I was hesitant on my third attempt which made for a poor shave. I actually had to use my DE to cheese everything up. My stypic wasn't enough to stop the bleeding. It's a small price to pay. Keep at it. I hope to move the straights soon.View attachment 943028

I haven't gotten a deep cut yet because I try to be as slow as possible when I'm learning to shave with a straight razor.
When learning, slow is fast because you learn faster when you are slower.
 
My second attempt at shaving with a shavette ended in bloodshed. I was hesitant on my third attempt which made for a poor shave. I actually had to use my DE to cheese everything up. My stypic wasn't enough to stop the bleeding. It's a small price to pay. Keep at it. I hope to move the straights soon.View attachment 943028
Looks like a divot. Keep the skin taunt. Use short strokes. No pressure. Don't let the razor slide perpendicularly until you've got lots of shaves in. Glad to hear you are planning to stay on this journey.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Goal number one should be the only goal.

Keep your blood inside your skin.

I have a bad scar from my first efforts with the SR.

College years. Stupid. Should have had a plastic surgeon fix it. Fortunately the only really bad scar from the three bad cuts I gave myself is under my chin and not obvious unless I point it out. Three serious cuts in one shave. Worse, I didn't even feel any of the three cuts until after I saw all the blood.

Be careful. There's no hurry to get it right.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
The worst cut I've ever had shaving was from a Gillette cartridge razor. I shave the whole melon, and one day in a hurry, I peeled the top backl corner of my scalp like a potato. Took a thumbprint sized piece of flesh right off the noggin.

Straight razors will sometimes draw mystery blood, I'll be shaving along and suddenly notice oh, there's a spot of blood on my cheek/chin/jaw. Wonder how that happened. However I don't seem to get any bad cuts from them - maybe it's just the caution and respect that the open blade demands - just holding it you know you need to be careful.
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
The worst cut I've ever had shaving was from a Gillette cartridge razor. I shave the whole melon, and one day in a hurry, I peeled the top backl corner of my scalp like a potato. Took a thumbprint sized piece of flesh right off the noggin.

Straight razors will sometimes draw mystery blood, I'll be shaving along and suddenly notice oh, there's a spot of blood on my cheek/chin/jaw. Wonder how that happened. However I don't seem to get any bad cuts from them - maybe it's just the caution and respect that the open blade demands - just holding it you know you need to be careful.
Almost passed out reading that.
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
The worst cut I've ever had shaving was from a Gillette cartridge razor. I shave the whole melon, and one day in a hurry, I peeled the top backl corner of my scalp like a potato. Took a thumbprint sized piece of flesh right off the noggin.

Straight razors will sometimes draw mystery blood, I'll be shaving along and suddenly notice oh, there's a spot of blood on my cheek/chin/jaw. Wonder how that happened. However I don't seem to get any bad cuts from them - maybe it's just the caution and respect that the open blade demands - just holding it you know you need to be careful.
Almost passed out reading that.
 
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