Some questions before my first shave

[Heffaklump]

Hello people! I´m about to take a great step into the vintage world of wet shaving. I´ve read about it, watched tutorials but I do have two questions.

Since I´ve eagerly been waiting for my razor, soap and brush to arrive I´ve not had a shave in 5 days so my beard has grown a bit. Would it be better(easier) to shave a shorter beard using my old razor to shave it down. Then try again the next day or the day after.

My second question is if I should shave straight down, and don´t care about which way my hair grows (Mantic says in one of his videoes that you can just go one way all the time, at least as a newbie). Or should I try to shave with the hair all over my face. I know I will learn eventually what is best for me in the long run, and what suits me. I think I would like to shave with the hair, but the problem there might be that my beard grows in many different ways all over my face. So it might be hard in the beginning to get it right, maybe it is just easier to try and go straight down and learn to find the right angle...

Any help is greatly appreciated

/Alex

 

[Luc]

Question 1: No, you might need to rinse more often but there are no reasons why you couldn't use a DE to start with. Look at the direction of the whiskers before you shave, that will help you to understand the direction when doing WTG...

Question 2: Yes you can shave straight down if you like. If you have some whiskers growing up (S-N) then I wouldn't recommend it, shaving against the grain on pass #1 can be rough and lead to irritation (YMMV). What you need is take your time, no pressure and go slow.

If you have a good prep and good lather, the shave itself should be fine as long as you don't rush things!

Best of luck!

 

[Heffaklump]

Thanks Luc. Pretty much as I suspected. I will have to shave with my whiskers and rinse a lot. This is going to be fun, glad I bought a alum pencil

 

[Klopstick]

While you've got that nice growth of beard, you might as well take the time to map out your face properly (swiped this pic from another post, hope that's OK!)

Anyway, yes, your beard will go all over the place and it's important that you know which direction it's going in order to do the pass(es) correctly. Going against the grain initially can really make things dig in and lead to problems even for someone with experience and a deft hand.

You will find that proper prep is a big factor in getting a comfortable shave too. I use something similar to Kyle's Prep method and suggest you start from there. A hand towel (about 25 X 16 inches, considerably larger than a mere washcloth) folded up so it's 4 layers thick will retain hot water and heat very well. Just have a seat and hold the towel to your face for a couple of minutes. A bowl to catch the dripping is a good idea, I use the one I soak the towel in. 2 minutes of hot towel on a lathered face will make a big difference. Wipe your face down with the wet towel, relather and you are ready to shave.

Take your time, move with deliberation but a light touch, really concentrate on technique. Listen for the cutting. Get your lather right, even if you have to try a few times. Soap is cheap . Single pass is fine to start, but don't expect to be super smooth. It's all about hair reduction, and that means multiple passes once you have the technique and angles down and your skin is a bit more used to it all.

Good luck and welcome aboard! May the RAD be with you!

 

[Duncanh48]

As previously mentioned one of the keys to successful shaving is a gradual reduction in hair, don't expect to remove it all in one pass.

Your first shave is unlikely to be perfect, but taking your time and concentrating on angle and pressure will certainly bring rewards.

Relax and enjoy the experience!

 

[siouxsie]

I have found you don't really need the hot towel as long as the brush water is hot, and I mean HOT. But I never thought of doing hot towel over the cream/later. I WILL have to try that one.