First Shavette Shave

I have a parker SR-1 on order, and it should be here in a few days. (Amazon has the box in the country now) What I was wondering is there anything I should know for the first shave with it? I have been using a merkur 34C safety razor for some months now and am pretty happy with it.

Would it be better to have a few days worth of beard first?

Use short strokes at first. Eliminate distractions. Don't feel that you have to shave your whole face, use your Merkur to finish up. Stick WTG for the first few shaves and enjoy the experience. Good luck and keep us posted.

I don't know that having lots if scruff is gonna help. I think its easier with less beard so maybe give it a go as incorporated into another shave.

global_dev said:

I don't know that having lots if scruff is gonna help. I think its easier with less beard so maybe give it a go as incorporated into another shave.

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+1

Forgot to add NO PRESSURE!

It showed up, along with a new hard drive for my wife's computer, some books and shaving creams I will try it in the morning

canadian deacon said:

Forgot to add NO PRESSURE!

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++++++

Absolutely.

Short strokes, no pressure and use a mild blade if you have it. Just because you may like, say, a Feather on your 34C doesn't mean you will on the SR1.

Remember, many find that a traditional straight is more forgiving than the shavettes. If you don't have a good experience, don't rule out all straights as they are quite a bit different.

Well I did the first shave, I only cut myself once, and there was a bit of razor burn, but the shave itself was of reasonable quality, so I am happy on that front. I think for the first week I am only going to use the SR1 above the jaw line, until I get the hang of it.

ZachK said:

Well I did the first shave, I only cut myself once, and there was a bit of razor burn, but the shave itself was of reasonable quality, so I am happy on that front. I think for the first week I am only going to use the SR1 above the jaw line, until I get the hang of it.

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Sounds about right. Although it takes longer for me to shave using a shavette (it's not that much longer) I enjoy the ritual more.

I tend to use the blade edge twice and then bin it. You will need to find out what works best for you. Good luck.

I just hit the century mark shaving with a shavette. Use very shallow blade angle and watch lots of videos. Enjoy the ride! Join us in the journal forum. You'll get lots of help and encouragement.

I started shaving with a shavette to see if I liked straight razors and enjoyed it. To get the hang of it I used a new blade everytime. But I found that the blade was a bit small. Not sure what size you were using. But I liked it enough to jump right in with a 5/8 dovo straight razor and found that it had a far easier learning curve for my self. I'm up to my 60 or 70th shave now and I'm still learning new stuff