Took my first step.

[IMightBeWrong]

A Dovo full hollow, stainless, olive wood scaled straight honed by the honemeister at West Coast Shaving and a 2" strop to help me get started. I took some advice I was given a few months ago by some guys on another forum (bladeforums) and started with a DE and got comfy with it first. Still can't get past the allure of the straight. Even worse, I couldn't take baby steps and jumped straight into a pretty pricey one. I wanted to start with something a bit more basic but my money was burning a hole in my pocket.

Until it gets here, anybody got any tips leading up to the big day? I'm also getting my haircut today at a quality barbershop and getting a straight shave while I'm there to feel what it should feel like done properly ahead of time.

 

[IMightBeWrong]

The barber shave was a nice experience. Left with a couple little tricks to take away and try when I start using my own straight. Truth be told, though, while it was nice feeling to have a shave I felt like I could have done just as well at home - especially now that I've been using my DE for a while. Quite happy with my haircut, though. On the bright side, I learned a couple of tricks from paying attention to the barber for getting some tough spots and got to feel what the shave should feel like when I have the right angle.

 

[ANeat]

Be prepared for the long haul... Its an acquired skill

Read this if you havent already, its well said... http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-to-heart-to-those-new-and-that-have-given-up

 

[California Cajun]

The barber shave was a nice experience. Left with a couple little tricks to take away and try when I start using my own straight. Truth be told, though, while it was nice feeling to have a shave I felt like I could have done just as well at home - especially now that I've been using my DE for a while. Quite happy with my haircut, though. On the bright side, I learned a couple of tricks from paying attention to the barber for getting some tough spots and got to feel what the shave should feel like when I have the right angle.

I got a barber shave while I was a beginner and it was fun, but honestly it was a joke. One thing he told me was that it is different to shave yourself than for somebody to shave you.

This little book from 1905, Shaving Made Easy, is a fun little book to read. It has a lot of valuable information on everything involved with straight razor shaving and really helped me out. http://archive.org/details/shavingmadeeasyw0020th. I'd read it, and then watch YouTube videos of other people shaving with a straight.

I love it, but I was a slow learner. I've been doing it three years this month and must tell you I didn't think I really mastered it until after two years.

Welcome to the club!

 

[IMightBeWrong]

I'm planning on taking things slow, but I have a feeling I'll really enjoy it when I get going. I'll have my DE on hand while I develop the skill for those days when I'm in a rush, that's for sure. In the beginning I plan on using days off to get started so there's no rush.

Thanks for the info and the welcome!

 

[IMightBeWrong]

Got my razor in the mail today. Too bad it was after I had already shaved with my brand new tin of Mikes Lemongrass Soap. I took it out and started fondling it right away. It has less weight to it than I was expecting. I'll dive into my first shave with it tomorrow evening after a day's growth comes back. I feel pretty confident that I can find the right angle pretty easily. My biggest fear is actually messing up the razor with bad stropping or something.

Question for you guys: I have a strop and the razor, how many shaves am I likely to get with just my strop before I need honing?

 

[gsurko]

You sound like me. I was going to take it slow too, that lasted about 3 or 4 trial shaves and I realized " To learn it you got to do it" and I've been 100% straight since June and I love it.

 

[wherndon]

I got a barber shave while I was a beginner and it was fun, but honestly it was a joke. One thing he told me was that it is different to shave yourself than for somebody to shave you.

This little book from 1905, Shaving Made Easy, is a fun little book to read. It has a lot of valuable information on everything involved with straight razor shaving and really helped me out. http://archive.org/details/shavingmadeeasyw0020th. I'd read it, and then watch YouTube videos of other people shaving with a straight.

I love it, but I was a slow learner. I've been doing it three years this month and must tell you I didn't think I really mastered it until after two years.

Welcome to the club!

I really like that book. Makes me want to leave work, and go home to shave again.

 

[wherndon]

Question for you guys: I have a strop and the razor, how many shaves am I likely to get with just my strop before I need honing?

It will completely depend on your stropping and shaving technique, it is different for everyone. I have 25 shaves so far, on a five dollar razor, check it here. Another fellow has over a hundred, check that one here.