My first straight razor shave... A disappointment in the making

[discomike]

@Seelector, don't go buying any more SR's just yet. I have it on good authority that @discomike will be soon quitting SR shaving and listing his SR gear cheaply in BST.

You must have a vendetta towards me.

 

[Titleist]

You must have a vendetta towards me.

Stay the course with your SR shaving and collecting. You're doing fine.

 

[rbscebu]

You must have a vendetta towards me.

If you give up SR shaving on my say so, you are a weaker man than I thought

 

[Ebberman]

Have you tried using a shavette? At least you would know that it was "shave-ready", and that technique would be the only thing to work on.

 

[RouxBlade]

Yes, I layed the razor flat on my face when I started. I started slow strokes and managed to go faster after a few passes. I could hear the razor cutting with each pass. Neck and chin area was the most difficult part. I can't tell you how many times I debated on moving back to De shaving to finish the neck and chin area.

Reading this thread with interest. Got this far and had to chime in.

I went from cartridges to SR. I'm only somewhere around 14 shaves in. 2 of the first 5 I broke and retouched with a cartridge but I've promised myself not to do that anymore.

I get SAS's pretty much all the time. Today my cheeks are at DFS. Hoping that somewhere around 30 shaves I'll attain BBS.

I imagine, though I can't say for sure, that the leap from DE to SR isn't as steep as from cartridge.

 

[SparkyLB]

I know I'm frequently doting on my mentor, but he revealed some things to me when I was green as a treefrog--that I took immediate attention to. Knowing there is no substitute for experience--when I'm told to "go as far as comfortable with the SR then finish with the DE until you are using only the DE, this made perfect sense to me.

I was told to develop my technique AT MY SPEED and let nature take its course. If I get BBS shaves everyday at 150 shaves (at about 120 now) then so be it. If I'm still working on that in 1,000 days, then so be it.

I was taught this is a sport of patience, and let ability be my guide. I WILL get everything I'm after as far as skills go. If that happens tomorrow or in 5 years, I don't give a hoot.

I feel fantastic after a SR shave. When that changes, I'm outta here.

Rule #1: "blood bad." Every move I make stems from rule #1.

To me--just me--placing limitations and timelines on milestones is knocking on disaster's door.

 

[Eben Stone]

I get SAS's pretty much all the time. Today my cheeks are at DFS. Hoping that somewhere around 30 shaves I'll attain BBS.

I read it in another thread somewhere, that every 15 shaves you achieve some SR shaving milestone. I agree. I am at SR shave #58 and *approx* shaves 15, 30, and 45 were noteworthy.

 

[Seelector]

I read it in another thread somewhere, that every 15 shaves you achieve some SR shaving milestone. I agree. I am at SR shave #58 and *approx* shaves 15, 30, and 45 were noteworthy.

Can confirm. I’ve completed 50 SR shaves and there were milestones about every 15 shaves.

Interestingly, each milestone seems to be associated with a renewed focus on technique. And that technique is always “going back to basics” ie low angle and a light touch. I think that I/we (newbies) get slightly better at angles and the light touch with each shave, but when you really pay attention to it you notice the improvement.

 

[discomike]

Although I am the original author of this thread, and I have not done straight edge shaving for a while due to the summer months (don't want to spend too much time in the bathroom), I am glad to see people are still posting which I am reading. And I will return back to straight razor shaving in the fall, or after my bathroom is remodelled.

I estimate I am 6 shaves in and never nicked myself. I am back to DE shaving for the meantime.

Thanks everyone. Keep the comments coming.

 

[discomike]

I think my first milestone was on my second shave. I went from 45 minute shave for my first sr shave down to 25 mins. With each shave I seemed to go a bit faster and feel more comfortable restroking additional areas.

I notice I don't get razorburn with sr shaving as I do with DE shaving. The razor burn is mild at best (or worst) when you have a good razorora really good razor to match your face.

But you need to perform both sr and DE shaving to notice a difference in getting razor burn as mild as it is if you have a great razor.

 

[Lord NSIC]

People who nick/draw blood using a SR/DE/SE fall into two distinct groups: "those who have, and those who will." An old truth shared amongst B-52 Navigators who flew low-level (300-500' AGL) missions "back in the day." When it came to needing to use an airsickness bag during low-level there were those who had filled a bag, and those that would sometime in the future (some multiple times a flight, every flight) it was just something you accepted and went about your business.

 

[5whiskey]

People who nick/draw blood using a SR/DE/SE fall into two distinct groups: "those who have, and those who will." An old truth shared amongst B-52 Navigators who flew low-level (300-500' AGL) missions "back in the day." When it came to needing to use an airsickness bag during low-level there were those who had filled a bag, and those that would sometime in the future (some multiple times a flight, every flight) it was just something you accepted and went about your business.

Agreed you will eventually draw blood if you SR shave exclusively. It may be nothing major. But it'll happen. I have a scar from SR shaving and I was 2 years in. Too comfortable with a super sharp razor. Still wouldn't dare stop SR shaving.