I'm giddy and scared!

**rearviewmirror** · 04-29-2011, 04:09 PM

Just purchased a SE and poor mans strop from Larry @ whippeddog.com!

Been using cartridges all my life, decided to skip over the DE and go balls to the wall. My beard isn't thick, but the individual hairs are, and on my neck they grow in all different directions so i've been dealing with ingrown hairs. Oh how I hate them. I'm excited and scared at the same time.

I get to spend the weekend finding some soaps/creams/mugs and watching videos so I don't kill myself!

**LarryAndro** · 04-29-2011, 05:26 PM

You can shave and see how it goes. But, remember, if the first attempt isn't good, you can shave with your DE or other usual method, and leave a tiny bit of stubble for the straight razor... a little bit more with every shave. You don't have to eat the whole elephant the first time.

**Wetshavemike** · 04-29-2011, 05:30 PM

Good advice! I might try that when I get my first straight. Still remembering my shavette experience, which was bad.

**Argonaut** · 04-29-2011, 05:38 PM

Good luck buddy, I've avoided the straights because I have a hard time sharpening my pocket knives to a useable level. I admire your moxy, givem' hell!

**grump** · 04-29-2011, 05:55 PM

Just go slow and deliberate with a couple one or two pass shaves and you will be hooked.

Soon it will be so simple and effortless that you will wonder why people ever stopped using them.

**rearviewmirror** · 04-29-2011, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by jmallen5

Good luck buddy, I've avoided the straights because I have a hard time sharpening my pocket knives to a useable level. I admire your moxy, givem' hell!

I'll be sending them out for honing. My dad told me a long time ago 'just because you want some bacon doesnt mean you have to start a pig farm'.
I can keep my chefs knife sharp, but I wouldnt dare use it to shave with!

**Eric V** · 04-29-2011, 08:34 PM

Bravo to you on both accounts, being giddy and scared! I switched to straights about 5 months ago, and found it an exciting and interesting project! Great Fun. Steep learning curve. Ample rewards.

Have a great ride!

**Greyfox** · 04-30-2011, 06:46 AM

Welcome to B&B.

**Edward 1689er** · 04-30-2011, 07:14 AM

Welcome!

**rearviewmirror** · 04-30-2011, 11:58 AM

Picked up the cheap stuff:
Williams Shave Soap
$2 ramekin from target to put it in
cheap boar brush
Clubman aftershave
Dickenson Witch Hazel (had a dollar off coupon on it!)
stypic pencil for less then a buck

gonna order an alum block and some col clonks later. have to be careful with soaps, my daughter is allergic to lavender.

**global_dev** · 04-30-2011, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by rearviewmirror

I'll be sending them out for honing. My dad told me a long time ago 'just because you want some bacon doesnt mean you have to start a pig farm'.
I can keep my chefs knife sharp, but I wouldnt dare use it to shave with!

straights (in good form), have the angle built in. it's just a matter of making sure as you progress from bevel set to polish you are keeping track of the keenness and smoothness.

**rearviewmirror** · 05-02-2011, 07:06 PM

straight shipped out today, and i may have bought a mama bear shave bar off b/s/t today

**ouch** · 05-03-2011, 07:12 AM

For the record, SE is our conventional abbreviation for single edge razors excluding straights.

Have fun!

**Escosse73** · 05-03-2011, 07:23 AM

Welcome and good luck . I am on my third shave with a straight razor from Larry . As he says , do one pass with your DE and then as much as you comfortably can with the straight . The angle is the hardest part to find .

Key is persistence and nice and easy .

Cheers,

Scott

**rearviewmirror** · 05-04-2011, 05:27 PM

Update: got my blade and strop from Larry, just finished my first shave.
I did the whole face for the most part. Only one visible nick, and a really good shave on my neck which has always been a problem. Had to do some touch up with my old quattro or whatever it is, only a little bit of razor burn and a few quick grabs for the styptic pencil (thank goodness for them!).

Some thoughts on the process:
1. DO NOT GO CHEAP ON CREAM. I used williams. Some people may swear by it. For a new shaver, get something better to reduce the things that can go wrong.

2. DO NOT LATHER UP YOUR ENTIRE FACE WITH CHEAP CREAM. I spent more time relathering then I did shaving it seemed. Start in one area, and dont be afraid to relather...and relather and relather and relather.

3. What you read on the forums is better then any video you see. I appreciate the videos and hope to be that good someday, but the mantra 'you arent shaving, you're slowly reducing your beard' is what got me through. THOUSANDS of tiny soft strokes. But they have to be firm strokes. (lol i said 'firm strokes).

4. I need a better plan of attack for next time. It seemed like I was going from one side to another, messing with my grip (which is more of a pencil grip then a spock grip). Wasted a lot of time with that.

5. My facial hair, like most others who have been using FUSION and other garbage, grows in about 56323239 different directions. Which makes everything a lot more complicated/scary

6. 'Down and away' had me SWEATING BULLETS, but honestly it worked really well! I was so afraid to slice myself.

7. I already want more razors!