AKA: Don't lose your focus! 
Having just attempted my 42 shave with a straight, I think I'd better share my experience with my fellow newbies. I wish that I'd planned ahead and started a "journal" but I think this will benefit from standing out on it's own.
I know I've still got a lot to learn and my technique still needs some improvement...right hand side of my neck (using my non-dominant right hand) is still a bit patchy, probably mainly an angle issue. However, I did think that it was coming together pretty well. I don't use a DE for touch ups (if I have any "problem" areas I'll reach for my French 4/8 instead), I think my stropping has improved and my shaves are generally blood-free!
That is, until tonight
First lather with a new soap...great lather, nice subtle scent and it felt really slick going on...and that's when my problems started!
As I started to strop my GD #208, I started thinking about the post that I was going to put in the shaving soap forum, regarding the new soap. Then I realised that I wasn't really keeping track of how many laps I'd done....was it 10 or nearer 20? Hang on, they're not particularly smooth and even. I see the problem, I've let the strop sag a bit and I'm getting a bit wayward with my strokes. I pull the strop a bit tighter with my right hand and get a bit more deliberate with my left hand holding the razor. The sound immediately improved and I got my rhythm back. 20 nice even laps and then I started to carry on with my mental rough draft of the soap thread. Bugger!!!! I've just backed up on the turn and put a nice gash in the strop, even worse it's about 1" short of where my earlier nicks and cuts are.
I probably should have stopped the shave right there and then...but in my naive newbieness I thought a nice relaxing shave, with no interruptions would be just the right thing.
I put the razor down (carefully) and checked my lather, still nice and slick with plenty of cushion....mmmm it's good stuff! Couple of spots had dried slightly, a quick splash of hot water on my brush, a quick swirl and dab and we're in business.
Started in the usual area, below my left side-burn and proceeded to shave....edge still feels nice and sharp and smooth, so hopefully no major damage to the blade (the strop will need a bit of first-aid but it doesn't look life-threatening
). Nice clean strokes WTG going N-S on my left cheek, wow this soap is really nice (more experienced readers can probably see where this is going). Got to the corner of my mouth and sliced straight across the scab left by the minor nick I gave myself the other day....plenty of blood but it's just the old cut re-opened so no need to worry. Switched hands and started below my right side-burn, again everything proceeding smoothly Onto my top lip, 2 quick WTG swipes from filtrum out towards the corner of my mouth....didn't sound as good as usual but if necessary I can go over it again on the next pass with the 4/8.
Moved onto my neck and immediately got a few weepers on the first stroke
blush:that's not happened for a while). Better rinse off and check the damage
The evidence was clear as day....I'd made a complete mess of removing 2 day's worth of stubble...some patches were looking almost DFS, then right next door it looked like I'd been using a butter knife!
To add insult to injury, the nick at the corner of my mouth was bleeding like I'd hit a major artery!! The weepers on my neck were trying to compete with the nick and a couple even kept going after a cold water splash 
At this point, common sense finally got the better of me....I quickly re-lathered and did a one pass shave with my fat handled Tech to get a reasonable SAS....would have been a shame to waste all that lovely lather
Warm rinse, followed by a cold rinse then a spritz of Witch Hazel (which stung a lot more than it has in a long time). Then applied the styptic to the nick which still wouldn't stop! The final nail in the coffin of my worst straight shave (so far) came when the styptic pencil broke off at the base (where it doesn't dry completely).
The moral of the story? Keep your mind on your shave at all times!!!
Having just attempted my 42 shave with a straight, I think I'd better share my experience with my fellow newbies. I wish that I'd planned ahead and started a "journal" but I think this will benefit from standing out on it's own.
I know I've still got a lot to learn and my technique still needs some improvement...right hand side of my neck (using my non-dominant right hand) is still a bit patchy, probably mainly an angle issue. However, I did think that it was coming together pretty well. I don't use a DE for touch ups (if I have any "problem" areas I'll reach for my French 4/8 instead), I think my stropping has improved and my shaves are generally blood-free!
That is, until tonight
First lather with a new soap...great lather, nice subtle scent and it felt really slick going on...and that's when my problems started!
As I started to strop my GD #208, I started thinking about the post that I was going to put in the shaving soap forum, regarding the new soap. Then I realised that I wasn't really keeping track of how many laps I'd done....was it 10 or nearer 20? Hang on, they're not particularly smooth and even. I see the problem, I've let the strop sag a bit and I'm getting a bit wayward with my strokes. I pull the strop a bit tighter with my right hand and get a bit more deliberate with my left hand holding the razor. The sound immediately improved and I got my rhythm back. 20 nice even laps and then I started to carry on with my mental rough draft of the soap thread. Bugger!!!! I've just backed up on the turn and put a nice gash in the strop, even worse it's about 1" short of where my earlier nicks and cuts are.
I probably should have stopped the shave right there and then...but in my naive newbieness I thought a nice relaxing shave, with no interruptions would be just the right thing.
I put the razor down (carefully) and checked my lather, still nice and slick with plenty of cushion....mmmm it's good stuff!
Couple of spots had dried slightly, a quick splash of hot water on my brush, a quick swirl and dab and we're in business.Started in the usual area, below my left side-burn and proceeded to shave....edge still feels nice and sharp and smooth, so hopefully no major damage to the blade (the strop will need a bit of first-aid but it doesn't look life-threatening
). Nice clean strokes WTG going N-S on my left cheek, wow this soap is really nice (more experienced readers can probably see where this is going). Got to the corner of my mouth and sliced straight across the scab left by the minor nick I gave myself the other day....plenty of blood but it's just the old cut re-opened so no need to worry. Switched hands and started below my right side-burn, again everything proceeding smoothly Onto my top lip, 2 quick WTG swipes from filtrum out towards the corner of my mouth....didn't sound as good as usual but if necessary I can go over it again on the next pass with the 4/8. Moved onto my neck and immediately got a few weepers on the first stroke
blush:that's not happened for a while). Better rinse off and check the damage The evidence was clear as day....I'd made a complete mess of removing 2 day's worth of stubble...some patches were looking almost DFS, then right next door it looked like I'd been using a butter knife!
To add insult to injury, the nick at the corner of my mouth was bleeding like I'd hit a major artery!! The weepers on my neck were trying to compete with the nick and a couple even kept going after a cold water splash At this point, common sense finally got the better of me....I quickly re-lathered and did a one pass shave with my fat handled Tech to get a reasonable SAS....would have been a shame to waste all that lovely lather
Warm rinse, followed by a cold rinse then a spritz of Witch Hazel (which stung a lot more than it has in a long time). Then applied the styptic to the nick which still wouldn't stop! The final nail in the coffin of my worst straight shave (so far) came when the styptic pencil broke off at the base (where it doesn't dry completely).
The moral of the story? Keep your mind on your shave at all times!!!
