Worst shave of my life! - First try with a straight

[chrislols]

Recently if you've seen my post you'll know I was interested in a straight/shavette. After much convincing I went through with it and purchased a Parker SRB reloadable straight.

While I'm very happy with razor in general I'm extremely dissatisfied with the shave, to a point where I stopped shaving.

I began my shave like usually, warm shower and hot rag prep, and lathered up with a nice coating of Speick, and loaded the razor with one of my most trusted blades, a Lord Plat.

I did my first pass WTG on my cheeks and than my neck, I was satisfied with the shave so far, but it was too early to judge yet. I loaded up my face with more lather for a ATG, when I noticed my neck was burning and was actually in pain. I started to go ATG and it just made it worse. I wiped off all the lather thinking maybe I cut my self, but to my dismay, no cuts.

I ended up lathering up fro a second pass by super lathering Speick, with AOS Sandlewood Cream, and tried again. And again, immediately I had the same discomfort, I had noticed I had a series of razor bumps that were so discomforting, I cleaned up and figured I'd try tomorrow, maybe with my DE.


My question is, what could cause this much irritation? I'm thinking perhaps my lack of experience with a straight razor? I think I'd feel much better knowing this is a general issue to being a noob with a straight

If anyone could provide some insight, I'd greatly appreciate it!

Thanks a lot,
Chrislols

[mdunn]

I started to go ATG... lack of experience with a straight razor?

well theres your problem!

I would take it easy on the ATG for a wee while mate. Sounds like you were using too much pressure and too large of an angle on your neck.

Just keep the WTG and XTG up with light pressure and the spine as close to your skin as you can manage and you'll get there.

[Chimensch]

well theres your problem!

I would take it easy on the ATG for a wee while mate. Sounds like you were using too much pressure and too large of an angle on your neck.

Just keep the WTG and XTG up with light pressure and the spine as close to your skin as you can manage and you'll get there.

+1 I would only add that "straights" that use DE blades require much more skill and an even more delicate touch than "real" straights. These "reloadable" straights are a bastard product that was hurridly slapped together to give barbers something to use when the health laws in the 1980s (in response to AIDS) required barbers to sterilize their razors (which is not really practical for straights). I do not recommend them for use by new straight shavers and, in fact, don't see why anyone would use them if they are able to use a real straight razor.

[Xezmer]

Straight shaving is the most fun to learn though. It's like driving a manual for the first time. You hate it. But you love it. You screw up. But you really want to try again.

Or is that just me?

[wedwards]

OK....first things first. I had a similar experience over the weekend with a "proper" straight razor. The problem - a stupid tester of Truefitt and Hill cream. I have come to the conclusion after testing most of their creams that my skin get VERY irritated from them.

Have you previously used the cream and AS without irritation/issue? If yes, then its likely something to do with the razor or your technique. I suggest as a test, apply the same cream to your face after it has healed, and leave it on for a while without shaving and see if your skin reacts to it - its possible that you havent reacted to it previously because you could get it all off your face with a DE quicker than you were going with the straight.

A lot of people report that these types of razors are very light in their weight - this makes it VERY difficult to use a light touch and get a good shave.

Make sure you are definately using a VERY light touch with the razor - it sounds like you are, because you would probably be getting some weepers if you werent.

Also try a different blade - a lot of people report success with derby blades and these types of razors.

[2ridgebacks]

Straight shaving is the most fun to learn though. It's like driving a manual for the first time. You hate it. But you love it. You screw up. But you really want to try again.

Or is that just me?

Nope, not just you. I shaved w/my straight for the first time last night. I got one pass on my whole face and then had to go back to my DE. I ran out of time and I was having a lot of trouble on the curvy parts. Really wishing tonight would get here so that I can try again.

[ImaWestie]

My path to shaving was:
Gillette twin blade carts
Electric

Wahl "Shavette"
Straight razor.

From what I can see there is no relationship between DE and straight shaving.

I started with my shavette by shaving JUST MY CHEEKS one pass WTG.
When that worked, I went on to other parts of my face, 1 section at a time, all WTG.

It took me 2 weeks to shave my whole face, in one shave, one pass WTG.
I found my best results were my second or third pass with the (1/2) blade.

Once I did my whole face WTG I moved on to add, first XTG then finally ATG.

This experience set me up for shaving with a real straight. The first time with a real straight was WTG, XTG, XTG, ATG.

Hope this helps.

[Texas Don]

I suppose every crowd has to have a quitter and I'm proud to claim that title as it applies to straight shaving. I tried on at least a half dozen occasions to make the switch from DE to straight. I used 3 different razors, all sharpened and stropped by expert craftsmen. I was in so much pain a couple of times that I had to literally stop shaving for a couple of days so my experimenting was limited to the weekends because of my employment.
I never cut myself badly. Just a couple of nicks. But the razor burn was something else.
I happily returned to DE shaving and have never had the urge to try straight again. I sold the straights, used the funds to purchase a couple of DE's and load up on some soap and toiletries and have never looked back. This should not be taken as an attempt to discourage anyone wanting to shave with a straight. Just not for me.

[mskembo]

I'm so dissapointed in all of you! I bought a straight off the B/S/T, and after watching a ton of YouTube videos, and reading everything I could find on this site, I gave it a go. The first time I just did a WTG pass, and cleaned up with my DE, but on Monday of this week I did a two pass WTG, and XTG (my face will not tolerate me jumping to the ATG without at least one XTG before).

This morning was my first attempt with an ATG pass, it wasn't the best (I need to be more vigilant about skin stretching) but it worked, and I'm at work now with a smooth, un-irritated face.

Chrislols,
Do NOT give up... Try again when you have a lot of time, and patience. Put on some Enya, light the candles, get your wife to dance around in some lingerie, and try again. DE shaving is so simular to cart shaving, that the learning curve is very small. On the other hand, shaving with a straight is a totally different animal. I hope you keep with it, it's truly a pleasure to give yourself a great straigh shave.

Mike

[goby]

There is no rule that you can't just do the easy parts of your face with the straight, and the tough parts with your prior razor (DE or cartridge).

I used a DE for the easy parts for the few shaves, and used a Fusion for the tough parts when I first started.

[edutton]

Chris,

Don't give up on straight shaving just yet. I had the exact same problem with irritation on my neck when beginning to shave with a straight razor. I also began straight shaving with a shavette. But once I switched to a proper straight, my comfort level started to rise. I also firmly believe that the irritation was due to my skin not being used to such a close shave. I would advise that if you are going to shave ATG, use a VERY light touch. Your shave may not BBS for a few weeks, but this will condition your skin to your new shaving regiment. It was probably a good month before most of the irritation stopped occurring on my neck and I was able to apply a bit more pressure during the shave. Bottom line, don't give up. Give your skin time to adjust. Use that time to focus on your technique rather than trying to get a BBS shave.

[gull]

The first problem I see is that you went straight from WTG to ATG. A XTG or even two XTG passes would have helped.

Use a lower angle when you're going for the XTG and ATG passes. Actually use a lower angle for everything! Worst case scenario, you won't get a close shave, but at least you're not dying! :

I'm new to straight shaving myself, and right now I'm just using WTG passes. You look like you're doing pretty good if you were satisfied with your WTG pass My advice, keep going WTG passes, then after awhile, go for a XTG pass in select portions of your face. Basically, you should progress slowly. Whenever I get impatient and try something I'm not ready for, I get punished.

[LarryAndro]

Repeating and enlarging the WTG advice above, shave WTG. Relather and shave WTG again. You should not move off WTG until your face is BBS when you run your hands across your face in the WTG direction. Unless that is the case, razor burn with XTG, etc, is likely.

Once you get WTG down, go WTG plus maybe 30 degrees. Even at this point, don't move straight from WTG to XTG.

You might be surprised how close your shave is after adding a pass that is half between WTG and XTG.

[Luc]

Good advices so far.

Also, do not expect the best shave of all time on try #1. Some had more luck than me and they actually had a good shave. On my first shave, I didn't remove any stubble, it was rough but I was hooked.

As Marcus said, hold on the ATG for now. WTG only, maybe XTG but nothing else. Give it at least 10 shaves like that. I know, it won't be close...