My straight razor debut

[Mandrake]

Today I finally had the time to try an straight reazor for the first time. Used La Toja stick, and guess it went as usually does for all newbies: trying to get the proper angle and approach, and remaining alive at the same time. Had 2 or 3 cuts, but only one "serious" in my chin, but a quite close shave, usually WTG, because when i tried to go ATG I found too much resistance, and I did not want to push it the first time. All in all, not bad, I cut myself but I am pretty sure i also did when I shave for my first time when I was a teenager...

Next weekend more (not enough time during the week), and here some pics of the razor, strop and leather pouch:

 

[JerimiahC]

Very nice setup!

 

[Mandrake]

Very nice setup!

Thanks!

 

[thanks]

That strop and leather case is gorgeous! Where did you get it??

 

[mdunn]

Very nice - I keep nearly buying that strop!

 

[Mandrake]

Thanks! I got everything from Rasurpur.de, the razor is a 5/8 made in Solingen, and the pouch is by Thiers Issard

 

[rogerm]

That's a very nice pouch. I like that it stores both the strop and the razor.

 

[Mandrake]

Went for my 2nd shave with the straight today (plenty of time, kids & wife went to the Circus, me never liked the clowns, actually they scare me a little....), took me a good while, but got a quite decent shave with no major nicks or cuts, but in some areas was impossible to go ATG, I do not know if it is me not having enough.....or that razor is not that sharp, but was feeling a serious resistance in some points, but do not have another razor to compare (yet).

All in all, not bad at alll....

Cheers

 

[Bertilak]

Went for my 2nd shave with the straight today (plenty of time, kids & wife went to the Circus, me never liked the clowns, actually they scare me a little....), took me a good while, but got a quite decent shave with no major nicks or cuts, but in some areas was impossible to go ATG, I do not know if it is me not having enough.....or that razor is not that sharp, but was feeling a serious resistance in some points, but do not have another razor to compare (yet).

All in all, not bad at alll....

Cheers

My experience as a newbie str8 shaver is that a new, shave-ready, razor will not make up for under-developed technique, and by the time you develop a good technique, under-developed stropping technique will have messed up the sharpness of the blade so that it is no longer really shave-ready.

At least I blame it on under-developed stropping technique, but that's just a best guess given that I have gone through (and by its nature can only go through) this experience once. No way to verify or do controlled study by myself!

Over all, kind of frustrating.

My advice: Keep on working at it and in a month or so get your razor re-honed and see if you have improved more than you thought. That was my experience (but with a different razor, not a re-hone of the original). Suddenly ATG was not impossible, although it did take care and concentration. Even the hardest areas were do-able.

 

[MAK]

nice

 

[Mandrake]

My experience as a newbie str8 shaver is that a new, shave-ready, razor will not make up for under-developed technique, and by the time you develop a good technique, under-developed stropping technique will have messed up the sharpness of the blade so that it is no longer really shave-ready.

At least I blame it on under-developed stropping technique, but that's just a best guess given that I have gone through (and by its nature can only go through) this experience once. No way to verify or do controlled study by myself!

Over all, kind of frustrating.

My advice: Keep on working at it and in a month or so get your razor re-honed and see if you have improved more than you thought. That was my experience (but with a different razor, not a re-hone of the original). Suddenly ATG was not impossible, although it did take care and concentration. Even the hardest areas were do-able.

Good advice, I am thinking about getting a 2nd razor, so I can then send this to re-hone, as you suggested, but before I will be able to compare between the two, and keep improving my stropping skills...