Traditional post after first shave

**GregB** · 07-14-2009, 08:46 AM

OK - I did it. Sort of. Both sideburns with my newly honed (Thanks Rup!) W&B. Still waiting on a strop so I figured I would just "take the edge off" of my anticipation with the nice easy flat spots. Slight nick on the ear. "Gee - this thing is longer than I thought" (I now see why newbies should not use a spike point!)

I think at this point it would be best to wait for the strop, lap it 30-50 times and then try a little more.

Thanks for the help and suggestions - what a fun hobby we have!

I am not selling my DE's any time soon (In fact - the mergress is on its way. I guess I would have to stop buying them before I begin selling them!) but it was fun to actually put that 100 year old blade to my face

**GregB** · 07-15-2009, 06:53 AM

As mentioned above... razor was honed by Rup, so I am sure this is me, not the blade. I am getting skipping and jumping dragging and pulling. After reading other posts, I suspect my angle was too wide. I was looking longingly at my DE...

I did manage to do two passes on both cheeks, my upper lip and a few chunks of my neck with only one very small nick. I then did a quick once over with the DE to make sure I look respectable at work.

I am feeling intimidated! Wasn't my dad supposed to teach me how to do this 30 years ago?

G

**SavantStrike** · 07-15-2009, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by GregB

As mentioned above... razor was honed by Rup, so I am sure this is me, not the blade. I am getting skipping and jumping dragging and pulling. After reading other posts, I suspect my angle was too wide. I was looking longingly at my DE...

I did manage to do two passes on both cheeks, my upper lip and a few chunks of my neck with only one very small nick. I then did a quick once over with the DE to make sure I look respectable at work.

I am feeling intimidated! Wasn't my dad supposed to teach me how to do this 30 years ago?

G

It will come together in due time. The learning curve is steep at the beginning, but it becomes more fun over time.

It's always the newbie's technique that is dull

. Rarely is the blade to blame

. I know because I was there a few months ago

.

**colin39** · 07-15-2009, 07:35 AM

you normaly find that a newly honed straight feels sticky on its edge but will get smoother at around 3 or 4 shaves, it would also help if you could give it a good strop

**professorchaos** · 07-15-2009, 07:40 AM

Congratulations! Sounds like you did just fine. I think that all you really need to accomplish the first time is to learn that it is actually harder to cut yourself with a straight than you could have reasonably expected.

Are you hooked?

It has become something of a right of passage to post about your first time with a straight, hasn't it?

**stripec30** · 07-15-2009, 02:17 PM

One thing you might try is doing your normal WTG pass w/a DE and then doing the progression WTG/ATX/ETC. w/the straight.

**GregB** · 07-15-2009, 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by stripec30

One thing you might try is doing your normal WTG pass w/a DE and then doing the progression WTG/ATX/ETC. w/the straight.

So you are saying follow the DE with the str8. I wouldn't have thought to go that way. Why?

**jkh** · 07-15-2009, 04:56 PM

Bah! I say go with a 100% straight shave or don't go at all

If you incorporate a DE into the mix it will become your crutch. Much like posting about your first straight shave is a rite of passage, so is suffering through the crappy shave results of learning to use a straight. Nothing like having patches of stubble mixed in with areas of BBS

**Luc** · 07-15-2009, 05:10 PM

Congratulations! It only gets better!

**Hemlock** · 07-15-2009, 06:15 PM

I jumped in a month or two ago, have only used the DE once since when I was rushed for time. I started shaving in the evening when I could take my time. If I'm not smooth at work it doesn't matter. If that applies to you, you might give it a try.

**GregB** · 07-15-2009, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by jkh

Bah! I say go with a 100% straight shave or don't go at all

If you incorporate a DE into the mix it will become your crutch. Much like posting about your first straight shave is a rite of passage, so is suffering through the crappy shave results of learning to use a straight. Nothing like having patches of stubble mixed in with areas of BBS

I did it! - I just put the DE in a drawer and did two full passes with the straight. Amazingly, it only took about 25 minutes and a few nicks. I did nearly faint when the alum block hit...yikes!!!

Angles, angles and more angles to figure out... I will stop torturing you guys with my "journal" for now, but thanks! I think I had enough success to stick with it for a while. Strop comes tomorrow, so I may ping in a few stropping questions, and I may need to take a day or two break when my mergress comes!