So i received my first straight....kinda.

[ScYcS]

Well it's technically not a straight razor i guess because it's a shavette like Parker, which, from what i've gathered around here, is the next best thing before trying a real straight razor.

Either way, low and behold, i unpacked it, whipped up some lather real quick and went to town. Mind you, i have never even watched videos on how to shave with a straight. So i lather up and.......my first problem. How do i hold the darn thing? Ok, I'm right handed, so i hold it in what seemed like a 30 degree angle on my left cheek and off i went. Not bad. Very good even, never had this much beard reduction on my first pass i'd say. But here comes the kicker: How do i shave my right cheek? I'm right handed and tried desperately to adjust and even to use my left hand (bad idea) but i somehow feel like an idiot not getting "it" on my right side of the face. I can seemingly shave my left side just fine but i suck entirely for my right side.

Any tips? I'm kind of embarrassed about this as it sounds so stupid!!!!

 

[taffy]

Well i am right handed, can shave the right side of my face well, struggle with the left side of my face, and cant use my left hand at all, have you tried taking the blade out, and experimenting with both hands and see what works best for your right side, or watch some straight shaving vids!

 

[Luc]

Have a look at this page in wiki: http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/How_to_hold_a_Straight_Razor

 

[chrislols]

Which Parker did you get? I just got the Black SRB yesterday, see my thread on it here. How do you like it so far?

So far as a first "straight", I've enjoyed it much, although I'm having the same problems you've described and more! But from what I've gathered it's just lack of experience using a straight! Happy shaving

Chrislols

 

[ScYcS]

Which Parker did you get? I just got the Black SRB yesterday, see my thread on it here. How do you like it so far?

So far as a first "straight", I've enjoyed it much, although I'm having the same problems you've described and more! But from what I've gathered it's just lack of experience using a straight! Happy shaving

Chrislols

I also got the black one. I think i *would* enjoy it once i overcome the hurdles and, even more, the feeling someone ripped off the first layer of skin with my shave. I didn't cut myself per se but my AS stung like a whole hive of bees.

 

[chrislols]

I also got the black one. I think i *would* enjoy it once i overcome the hurdles and, even more, the feeling someone ripped off the first layer of skin with my shave. I didn't cut myself per se but my AS stung like a whole hive of bees.

I have to agree! I really enjoy the build of it, it's built nice, and compared to my experiences with weight in terms of DE's, it weights a generous amount.

Also with you on that fact that I think I'd enjoy it 5x more if I could overcome the learning curve, but I'm sure with time both of us will.

 

[norman931]

I also got the black one. I think i *would* enjoy it once i overcome the hurdles and, even more, the feeling someone ripped off the first layer of skin with my shave. I didn't cut myself per se but my AS stung like a whole hive of bees.

Sounds like a good first go, but back off a little on the angle. Actually, the razor should be almost flat on your face. A straight is the ultimate adjustable razor, as you can adjust the angle infinitely. Stick with a mild angle while learning; you can adjust it as you gain experience. Here's a neat trick for learning how to hold the razor: Lather up, then try a pass WITHOUT the blade installed.

 

[ImaWestie]

The bad news is - when you finally nail this and buy a real straight, it will be a bit different and you will hav eto learn how to shave your right side all over again!

Take your time. Apart from that, enjoy it!

 

[JPDyson]

The bad news is - when you finally nail this and buy a real straight, it will be a bit different and you will hav eto learn how to shave your right side all over again!

Take your time. Apart from that, enjoy it!

This was not my experience with the KAI Captain. I didn't have much adjustment from using it to using a traditional straight. The technique was very much the same. I think any straight requires a bit of feeling-out, depending on weight and grind. Now, that doesn't account for what kind of blade this thing uses - the Captain uses a pretty thick "wedge-ish" blade, so perhaps that's why it was easy to adapt.

As to the OP's problem, I can shave my right side easier than my left. There are two videos to watch for various techniques -

Joel shaves with the same-side hand.
Chimensch shaves with the opposite-side hand.

 

[California Cajun]

Well it's technically not a straight razor i guess because it's a shavette like Parker, which, from what i've gathered around here, is the next best thing before trying a real straight razor.

Either way, low and behold, i unpacked it, whipped up some lather real quick and went to town. Mind you, i have never even watched videos on how to shave with a straight. So i lather up and.......my first problem. How do i hold the darn thing? Ok, I'm right handed, so i hold it in what seemed like a 30 degree angle on my left cheek and off i went. Not bad. Very good even, never had this much beard reduction on my first pass i'd say. But here comes the kicker: How do i shave my right cheek? I'm right handed and tried desperately to adjust and even to use my left hand (bad idea) but i somehow feel like an idiot not getting "it" on my right side of the face. I can seemingly shave my left side just fine but i suck entirely for my right side.

Any tips? I'm kind of embarrassed about this as it sounds so stupid!!!!

Sounds to me you're off to a great start. I'm left handed and had the same problems getting the right to work. But in time I became ambidextrous.

Straight shaving is not easy. It's like driving a car without a seat belt, riding a motorcycle without a helmet, and playing football without a facebar on your helmet. You're trading safety for an opportunity for a very close shave. Over time the skills will develop.

Seriously, what you're describing to me is an outstanding first effort.

 

[dpmtherrien]

Just take it easy with your Parker. I have 3 of them, the black, the SRW, and the Stainless model. I get great shaves from any of them, but it was a kind of steep learning curve. Now that its all come together I find them to shave great, and are easy to use.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

Nothing to be embarrased about!

Go to the top of the str8's section and review Joel's thread on everything you need to know about Str8s. Chimensch's vid is also extremely useful.

Everyone has different tips & techniques with str8s, but the key is (as it was with DEs) to find out what works for you and go for it!

Be sure to post follow up questions etc.

Also...there is a lot of discussion on here about true str8s vs. shavettes. The general consensus is that the blade in a shavette has alot more give than a traditional single piece of steel.

So while shaving with that Parker will get you a feel for the motions, you're likely in for a different experience when you pick up the real thing.

Best of luck!