Hahahaha
I would take your advice based solely on the joke.
I would take your advice based solely on the joke.
I lost my status as a person who has not shaved with a straight razor.
- Thread starter Obsessed
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #22
This is NOT my shave den:
Well I just remember looking like an eyesore for the first month I shaved (I used a straight exclusively) and thinking "man, I look like the unibomber of the shaving world."
And osessed, IDK. That den looks cozy...
No one would bother you when you were shaving!!
You watch. Every new straight shaver will be on the FBI's terrorism watchlist
.- Thread starter
- #24
You can all relax, guys, I'm sure I'll give it another try at some point.
(Although I am reminded of Otter's remark to Flounder in Animal House after the guys wrecked Fred Dorfman's car . . .)
(Although I am reminded of Otter's remark to Flounder in Animal House after the guys wrecked Fred Dorfman's car . . .)
Well, how goes it??
Inquiring minds want to know!!!
Inquiring minds want to know!!!
- Thread starter
- #26
I still haven't shaken my cold and am just not feeling that great, so I haven't tried it again yet. As you guys said, I don't want to set myself up to fail.
The funniest thing about the first attempt is that the biggest cut I got - the one that is still really visible - is somehow above the actual beard line on my cheek. Not really sure how that happened . . .
You may have been still setting the angle and got too close. Once you have the angle down it is much harder to cut yourself. And looking like the unibomber will not last nearly as long if you just jump in. After the first week of straight shaves I looked like I had shaved with an electric almost every time. If I had only straight shaved my cheeks it would have taken me weeks to get a passable looking shave with the straight alone.
Wow, how did I miss this thread until just now! Obsessed, I feel so bad. I know I personally had a lot to do with talking you into this and I know that you were afraid. I feel like I let you down somehow and I really feel like I let my own mentor Mitch M down. This is supposed to be a pay it forward thing, and I am not doing a good job.
First, if I can do this as clumsy as I am, anyone should be able to learn how to do it. I also agree with other posters that the thing to do is to get through some initial attempts perhaps with a poor looking shave, but with your face not cut up and battered. All of this stuff will come in not all that long a time with patience and practice. But not if you are injuring yourself. No one would get would expect you to keep going through that.
Okay, then, basics. How was your preparation? Shower and face wash, later up, put on a hot towel, re-lather before you ever start to shave? Try putting a lotion on before the lather, before the hot towel. You do not have to have a lotion on under the lather for the time you lather up to start to shave, but it sure won't hurt either.
Now it sounds to me as if at least I knowing how afraid you were of the razor just assumed that you were going to be real careful with it so as not to cut your self, and so as not to scape you skin unduly. I was wrong, methinks. Go very easy. Nice slow movement all around. The blade on your face should be amazingly light. The metaphor is that a truly sharp blade, and you have one, will chase the whiskers off your face.
Don't keep going back over your face with the same stroke. You will irritate your skin. Nice and easy with the grain. Not too many times over the same area, and no pushing down on the razor, Gentle, gentle. Take your time. Learn the feel of exactly where the razor is. Shave one side of your face with the grain, them wipe off all the lather and lather up again before going to the second side of you face. Then come back and work out what you want to do for against the grain, etc. Do not feel compelled to do it. And I really emphasize, do not give into the temptation to press down or to keep going back over. The goal for now is not so much a good shave as to come out of it feeling comfortable, Everyone cuts themselves every once in a while. I would not worry. Every meet a carpenter that never bangs his thumb? If you have that would be a carpenter and a liar both.
It is not something you have to fight. Just enjoy. Be very easy and gentle on yourself. I think in doing this you will naturally find the right angles and the right touch. You will shortly be cruising along, pushing later all around your face when you will sudden notice, "Hey that was a pretty effective stroke? that actually shaved whiskers off." And I bet one of your impressions is going to be, "wow, I really thought I would be pressing down harder than that. That is amazingly light.
This stuff will come to you, I really promise. And you will like it. Finish with the hot towels and alum block and bay rum or whatever, too. It is the journey not the destination.
I got nothing but love for you for trying.
First, if I can do this as clumsy as I am, anyone should be able to learn how to do it. I also agree with other posters that the thing to do is to get through some initial attempts perhaps with a poor looking shave, but with your face not cut up and battered. All of this stuff will come in not all that long a time with patience and practice. But not if you are injuring yourself. No one would get would expect you to keep going through that.
Okay, then, basics. How was your preparation? Shower and face wash, later up, put on a hot towel, re-lather before you ever start to shave? Try putting a lotion on before the lather, before the hot towel. You do not have to have a lotion on under the lather for the time you lather up to start to shave, but it sure won't hurt either.
Now it sounds to me as if at least I knowing how afraid you were of the razor just assumed that you were going to be real careful with it so as not to cut your self, and so as not to scape you skin unduly. I was wrong, methinks. Go very easy. Nice slow movement all around. The blade on your face should be amazingly light. The metaphor is that a truly sharp blade, and you have one, will chase the whiskers off your face.
Don't keep going back over your face with the same stroke. You will irritate your skin. Nice and easy with the grain. Not too many times over the same area, and no pushing down on the razor, Gentle, gentle. Take your time. Learn the feel of exactly where the razor is. Shave one side of your face with the grain, them wipe off all the lather and lather up again before going to the second side of you face. Then come back and work out what you want to do for against the grain, etc. Do not feel compelled to do it. And I really emphasize, do not give into the temptation to press down or to keep going back over. The goal for now is not so much a good shave as to come out of it feeling comfortable, Everyone cuts themselves every once in a while. I would not worry. Every meet a carpenter that never bangs his thumb? If you have that would be a carpenter and a liar both.
It is not something you have to fight. Just enjoy. Be very easy and gentle on yourself. I think in doing this you will naturally find the right angles and the right touch. You will shortly be cruising along, pushing later all around your face when you will sudden notice, "Hey that was a pretty effective stroke? that actually shaved whiskers off." And I bet one of your impressions is going to be, "wow, I really thought I would be pressing down harder than that. That is amazingly light.
This stuff will come to you, I really promise. And you will like it. Finish with the hot towels and alum block and bay rum or whatever, too. It is the journey not the destination.
I got nothing but love for you for trying.
+1
I think this is something that one must learn for himself. When I started DE shaving all I heard about was BBS and that is exactly what I would strive for, every single shave. The week I started being happy with just shaving, my whole attitude during the shave improved and the BBS started to just happen on it's own. When it didn't I still enjoyed my shave and even my worst shaves had zero irritation. So go for comfort and the closer shaves will come with time.
- Thread starter
- #30
Well, on the one hand, I appreciate the thought and think that you should not feel bad in any way. On the other hand, if you really do want to blame yourself, who am I to cling to romantic notions of personal responsibility?
One serious question: when I was using the straight on my cheek, under the sideburn, I had trouble seeing what I was doing in the mirror because my hand was blocking my view in a way it never does with a DE. I think I was holding the razor as I've seen in the various videos and tutorials, but may be I wasn't. Do you guys have any thoughts?
Some guys pick up shaving with a straight razor in the first shave or within a few shaves. That was definitely not the case for me. I started with great trepidation but my usual determination. Some 6 months later, I achieved my first BBS shave. So, it was not a quick learning curve for me at least. Nevertheless, I consider it a considerable achievement and enjoy my shaves that much more because it took some time to get the technique down.
Hey Obsessed-
Well, at least now you don't have to wonder about it! Been there. I had both a Dovo Tortoise and a Hess 44, had them honed and could generally get them plenty sharp myself as well, but although it was fun for a while, the ease, comfort, closeness, and convenience of my Merkur HD won out and I sold all my straight shaving stuff. I'm glad I tried it, because now I don't have to wonder what straight shaving is like. I love my HD.
Well, at least now you don't have to wonder about it! Been there. I had both a Dovo Tortoise and a Hess 44, had them honed and could generally get them plenty sharp myself as well, but although it was fun for a while, the ease, comfort, closeness, and convenience of my Merkur HD won out and I sold all my straight shaving stuff. I'm glad I tried it, because now I don't have to wonder what straight shaving is like. I love my HD.
Well, on the one hand, I appreciate the thought and think that you should not feel bad in any way. On the other hand, if you really do want to blame yourself, who am I to cling to romantic notions of personal responsibility?
One serious question: when I was using the straight on my cheek, under the sideburn, I had trouble seeing what I was doing in the mirror because my hand was blocking my view in a way it never does with a DE. I think I was holding the razor as I've seen in the various videos and tutorials, but may be I wasn't. Do you guys have any thoughts?
Lots of folks think one should learn to use both hands, alternatively when shaving with a straight. I pretty much stick with one hand and sometimes my view, particularly where you are talking about, is blocked. I pretty much just shave a bit blind in that spot, but I am lazy. Has not seemed like a huge problem. Just a little annoying.
- Thread starter
- #34
So, a month and a half later after my first nightmarish attempt at straight shaving, I gave it another try, which went much better. This time, I took it easy and had no illusions about getting a decent shave or even shaving my entire face. I managed to shave WTG on both cheeks and a little portion of my chin/neck with only one small cut.
I'm glad I tried it again, mainly because I didn't want to wimp out after one unpleasant attempt. At least now I feel that the first disaster was somewhat aberrational and that I could definitely pick this up given enough time. The problem, however, is that I really don't see myself having time to do this except on the weekends, which is obviously not enough if I want to actually learn to shave well with a straight. Ultimately, this just may not be something I can do right now with all the other personal and professional goals I'm working on. But I'm happy I tried again, as I said. I feel a lot better about the whole thing.
I'm glad I tried it again, mainly because I didn't want to wimp out after one unpleasant attempt. At least now I feel that the first disaster was somewhat aberrational and that I could definitely pick this up given enough time. The problem, however, is that I really don't see myself having time to do this except on the weekends, which is obviously not enough if I want to actually learn to shave well with a straight. Ultimately, this just may not be something I can do right now with all the other personal and professional goals I'm working on. But I'm happy I tried again, as I said. I feel a lot better about the whole thing.
Don't give up! Its definitely worth it! Have you thought about shaving at night? Or shaving 1.5x per day? I mean shaving in the morning with your DE and then "touching up" your cheeks with your straight at night? It can be kind of relaxing.
- Thread starter
- #36
Thanks for the message. I'm just going to play it by ear. It may just be smething I hold off on until I feel that my life is a little less crazed.
Use your straight for seven consecutive shaves. By the fifth shave, you'll be like "Damn, I wish I hadn't posted that 'I'm done with straight shaving after giving up my first time out' thread, now I'm going to have to rescind my opinion..."
Hang in there. It was a rough couple of weeks when I first started, but I ended up getting the closest shaves of my life with a straight.
Hang in there. It was a rough couple of weeks when I first started, but I ended up getting the closest shaves of my life with a straight.
Use your straight for seven consecutive shaves. By the fifth shave, you'll be like "Damn, I wish I hadn't posted that 'I'm done with straight shaving after giving up my first time out' thread, now I'm going to have to rescind my opinion..."
Hang in there. It was a rough couple of weeks when I first started, but I ended up getting the closest shaves of my life with a straight.
And remember, Rob uses Foamy too... So, you have to know that straights are good
- Thread starter
- #39
Use your straight for seven consecutive shaves. By the fifth shave, you'll be like "Damn, I wish I hadn't posted that 'I'm done with straight shaving after giving up my first time out' thread, now I'm going to have to rescind my opinion..."
Hang in there. It was a rough couple of weeks when I first started, but I ended up getting the closest shaves of my life with a straight.
Thanks. Just so you know, my opinions do not get rescinded; they evolve!
And remember, Rob uses Foamy too... So, you have to know that straights are good
Yup, my late teens were spent with an antique straight and a can of Lemon Lime foamy.
Thanks. Just so you know, my opinions do not get rescinded; they evolve!
So you're the proud recipient of this month's Darwin Award?