Greetings Badger & Blade Board Members,
I have decided to keep a journal of sorts, cataloging my experiences as a beginner straight razor shaver. I will include some background of myself here, followed by my experience this morning as a first time straight razor shaver.
My shaving began in a similar way that many have, with cartridge and disposable razors. I kept up this chore until my early 30's, undertaking a shave as infrequently as possible. Razor burn and ingrown hairs would always follow a shave, regardless of which combination of shaving cream or razor I employed.
In my early 30's I met my beautiful wife-to-be who one day suggested that she would like it if I grew a beard. Having had a beard in the past, I took to facial hair like a fish to water. This allowed me to reduce my shaving to my lower neck and cheeks in order to keep the beard looking neat.
Roughly a year ago I decided to try traditional shaving and ordered a long-handled Merkur safety razor set and some Col. Conk's Bay Rum shaving soap. This reduced the shaving irritation and improved the experience. I did not feel the need to try other blades or products as the setup fit my needs, with the minimal amount of shaving required to maintain my full beard.
In January of this year I decided to make a change and shaved off the beard. Shaving with the safety razor proved much more comfortable than my memory of the cartridges. I did feel some irritation on my neck, but with improved technique and other changes, (which I learned of here) this was reduced. Two weeks ago I also began growing an English style mustache, my inspiration Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, pictured in my avatar.
I have always been intrigued by straight razor shaving and the goal of maintaining my own razor. So, after over-researching the subject and watching countless instructional videos, I ordered a Kraken razor from Portland Razor Company. In addition to this, (and because of the two month wait time) I decided to order an inexpensive razor and strop with which to practice my technique. I decided upon a leather strop and the Gold Dollar 66, prepared for shaving by forum member buca3152. This arrived yesterday, and as I have today off from work, I planned for my first trial this morning. I shaved yesterday morning with my Gillette NEW razor with an Astra SP blade.
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Day 1
Razor: Gold Dollar 66
Soap: E-shave Verbena Lime, bowl lathered with badger brush, slightly more water than usual.
Prep: hot shower, face wash with Noxema Daily Cleanser soap, cold water rinse.
Post-shave: cold water rinse, alum block, Witch hazel, Clubman ASL
I decided to retain the shaving routine which I have fallen into with the DE, only changing the razor in order to limit the chance of another variable affecting my shave. I am a decided cold water shave convert, so this was the method I used. Starting with a cold water rinse to finish the shower I placed a cold, wet towel on my face for two minutes while the brush soaked in cold water. Cold water rinses would follow each pass.
My preparation complete, I stood in front of the mirror, shaving cream applied and straight razor in hand. I have been feeling some trepidation for this day. Would I slice myself terribly, requiring a trip to the emergency room? Or, as I read in one account would the shave appear to go well only to have many small cuts appear after I finished, leaving me looking like I was in a fight with a cat? I staged the styptic pencil beside the sink, just in case it would be quickly needed.
I decided to give it that old college try. focusing upon blade angle and a light touch I began the shave. It started off well, with the blade cleanly removing the shaving cream from my face and my cold whiskers making the blade sing as they were sliced away. I finished the first pass, (with the grain) without incident, carefully adjusting the blade angle around the curves of my face. I had been practicing in my DE shaves to stretch my skin and change to my left hand for that side of my face. I followed the pass with a cold water rinse. It did not look, or feel like a close shave, but I was not bleeding and I could plainly see the cut whiskers in the cream wiped off the blade.
I decided to re-lather and take another pass, again with the grain. This went well, without any major mishaps except for a small weeper in the horizontal cleft between my bottom lip and chin, which disappeared with my finishing cold water rinse. The alum block caused a minor amount of stinging, the same as I feel from DE shaving. The resulting shave was acceptable, roughly how my beard feels early in the evening after a morning shave. I am aware that the shaves should improve over time, but feel that this shave would be acceptable for work and I did not feel like pushing my luck any further.
I see this first attempt at straight razor shaving a success, with acceptable room for improvement. Thank you Board members for all of your help leading up to this point, prematurely for answering the questions I am sure to have and a big thank you to Bill (buca3152) for the care you took in preparing my first straight razor.
I plan on stropping the razor this afternoon to prepare for my shave tomorrow morning. If time allows I aim to use the straight razor exclusively in order to refine my technique. I will follow this post with a picture of my shaving setup.
I have decided to keep a journal of sorts, cataloging my experiences as a beginner straight razor shaver. I will include some background of myself here, followed by my experience this morning as a first time straight razor shaver.
My shaving began in a similar way that many have, with cartridge and disposable razors. I kept up this chore until my early 30's, undertaking a shave as infrequently as possible. Razor burn and ingrown hairs would always follow a shave, regardless of which combination of shaving cream or razor I employed.
In my early 30's I met my beautiful wife-to-be who one day suggested that she would like it if I grew a beard. Having had a beard in the past, I took to facial hair like a fish to water. This allowed me to reduce my shaving to my lower neck and cheeks in order to keep the beard looking neat.
Roughly a year ago I decided to try traditional shaving and ordered a long-handled Merkur safety razor set and some Col. Conk's Bay Rum shaving soap. This reduced the shaving irritation and improved the experience. I did not feel the need to try other blades or products as the setup fit my needs, with the minimal amount of shaving required to maintain my full beard.
In January of this year I decided to make a change and shaved off the beard. Shaving with the safety razor proved much more comfortable than my memory of the cartridges. I did feel some irritation on my neck, but with improved technique and other changes, (which I learned of here) this was reduced. Two weeks ago I also began growing an English style mustache, my inspiration Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, pictured in my avatar.
I have always been intrigued by straight razor shaving and the goal of maintaining my own razor. So, after over-researching the subject and watching countless instructional videos, I ordered a Kraken razor from Portland Razor Company. In addition to this, (and because of the two month wait time) I decided to order an inexpensive razor and strop with which to practice my technique. I decided upon a leather strop and the Gold Dollar 66, prepared for shaving by forum member buca3152. This arrived yesterday, and as I have today off from work, I planned for my first trial this morning. I shaved yesterday morning with my Gillette NEW razor with an Astra SP blade.
-------
Day 1
Razor: Gold Dollar 66
Soap: E-shave Verbena Lime, bowl lathered with badger brush, slightly more water than usual.
Prep: hot shower, face wash with Noxema Daily Cleanser soap, cold water rinse.
Post-shave: cold water rinse, alum block, Witch hazel, Clubman ASL
I decided to retain the shaving routine which I have fallen into with the DE, only changing the razor in order to limit the chance of another variable affecting my shave. I am a decided cold water shave convert, so this was the method I used. Starting with a cold water rinse to finish the shower I placed a cold, wet towel on my face for two minutes while the brush soaked in cold water. Cold water rinses would follow each pass.
My preparation complete, I stood in front of the mirror, shaving cream applied and straight razor in hand. I have been feeling some trepidation for this day. Would I slice myself terribly, requiring a trip to the emergency room? Or, as I read in one account would the shave appear to go well only to have many small cuts appear after I finished, leaving me looking like I was in a fight with a cat? I staged the styptic pencil beside the sink, just in case it would be quickly needed.
I decided to give it that old college try. focusing upon blade angle and a light touch I began the shave. It started off well, with the blade cleanly removing the shaving cream from my face and my cold whiskers making the blade sing as they were sliced away. I finished the first pass, (with the grain) without incident, carefully adjusting the blade angle around the curves of my face. I had been practicing in my DE shaves to stretch my skin and change to my left hand for that side of my face. I followed the pass with a cold water rinse. It did not look, or feel like a close shave, but I was not bleeding and I could plainly see the cut whiskers in the cream wiped off the blade.
I decided to re-lather and take another pass, again with the grain. This went well, without any major mishaps except for a small weeper in the horizontal cleft between my bottom lip and chin, which disappeared with my finishing cold water rinse. The alum block caused a minor amount of stinging, the same as I feel from DE shaving. The resulting shave was acceptable, roughly how my beard feels early in the evening after a morning shave. I am aware that the shaves should improve over time, but feel that this shave would be acceptable for work and I did not feel like pushing my luck any further.
I see this first attempt at straight razor shaving a success, with acceptable room for improvement. Thank you Board members for all of your help leading up to this point, prematurely for answering the questions I am sure to have and a big thank you to Bill (buca3152) for the care you took in preparing my first straight razor.
I plan on stropping the razor this afternoon to prepare for my shave tomorrow morning. If time allows I aim to use the straight razor exclusively in order to refine my technique. I will follow this post with a picture of my shaving setup.
