Another Shave Diary!! (oh god no!!!)

**PlayerPiano** · 09-19-2010, 07:11 PM

Well thanks to a certain member on this board who I will not name (havn't asked permission, maybe later!) who gave me a full shaving setup free of charge, I have just enjoyed my first straight razor shave. It was certainly not as bad as I was expecting, maybe because of the great edge that was put on it. Not close by any means but no cuts or even much irritation! I'm going to give myself a few days before round two though. I think I'm really going to like this routine, my DEs could be getting very lonely!

**duderdo** · 09-19-2010, 07:44 PM

I love reading these, especially when they go well. Keep it up!

**dakotaev** · 09-19-2010, 08:43 PM

Congratulations on the first straight shave!

**Luc** · 09-19-2010, 10:26 PM

Congrats on the shave! What did you use? Any pictures?

**PlayerPiano** · 09-19-2010, 10:43 PM

I'll take a picture in the morning of the setup i used, I think its already too late for a picture of my face to show the closeness haha.

**Gustav** · 09-20-2010, 12:10 AM

Welcome to straight razor shaving! The ride may be a bit rough in the beginning but it will get smoother later on.

**Shangas** · 09-20-2010, 12:11 AM

Congratulations, PP.

I remember my first straight-shave. I honestly wasn't expecting anything AT ALL. But then, I ran my finger down the flat of the blade, and it came away with...apart from shaving-soap...little black specks of stubble and I thought: "Holy crap this thing actually works!"

What followed was a dedicated period of honing and stropping, with test-shaves in between. By the end of the week I had achieved a decent shave.

Remember - You need a warm, moist face with good lubrication from your soap or cream and take it *sloooow* to begin with. Until you figure out your blade-angles, at least. Then, you can start to speed it up. At the moment, it takes me about 15 minutes to shave with a straight razor, from a cold start to a dry finish.

By the way - Sometimes the coldness of the razor-steel on my skin can be pretty uncomfortable. Is it advisable to warm up the razor a bit first by dunking it in hot or warm water? Or will that deform the blade?

**PlayerPiano** · 09-20-2010, 12:13 AM

Yeah shangas, I certainly need to get some better lubrication. Next time i guess I'll try that pre-shave oil i got.

**Shangas** · 09-20-2010, 12:21 AM

Lubrication is essential. Even if the blade is literally razor-sharp, if your skin isn't lubricated, the blade can cut you, or at the least, produce some incredibly uncomfortable razor-burn.

But as the others have said, don't give up. I didn't, and I have lived to receive the fruits of dedication in the form of the results of excellent traditional shaving.

**Ru4scuba?** · 09-20-2010, 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by PlayerPiano

Well thanks to a certain member on this board who I will not name (havn't asked permission, maybe later!) who gave me a full shaving setup free of charge, I have just enjoyed my first straight razor shave. It was certainly not as bad as I was expecting, maybe because of the great edge that was put on it. Not close by any means but no cuts or even much irritation! I'm going to give myself a few days before round two though. I think I'm really going to like this routine, my DEs could be getting very lonely!

Congrats man...only on B&B could you find someone who would hook you up so well!

**Bayamontate** · 10-01-2010, 10:34 AM

Congratulations! Stick with it, doing the flat parts of your face first and increasing area as you get more comfortable. As stated, good lubrication and cushion are important, be conscious of the blade angle as well. Enjoy.