It's a pretty steep learning curve, I'm only several shaves in still, and use my DE's for a final/finishing pass as well. No crutch or harm in it.
i picked up my DE and finished the shave
- Thread starter Toothpick
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Your almost there, I'm a newbie too and took my plunge yesterday, you are correct, if your mind is distracted put it down. Focus to me was paramount, listening to your whiskers, breathing, and relaxing as you pull the razor down in short define stokes. I did get some weepers and yes razor burn too. But you will look at those as medals after you complete...one more thing was I did a lot of prepping the beard with hot towels over lathered face, keeping the face wet..don't take I'm telling you how jut what I did to set up a routine and maybe it will help.. Important that no outside noise , tv, radio, and yes mute the phone too. Good luck you will get there and bouncing on your toes when you get that first one behind you....look forward to seeing your post that you have.
I think a lot of new straight shavers have had similar experiences. I know that my first attempt felt like the blade was tugging and pulling (which it was, due to a blade not quite sharp enough, but still), but that's a common feeling on the first couple of attempts. It's especially true, if you have let your beard grow out a couple of days. Longer hair is more difficult with a straight, in my opinion. Here are a few things that I've discovered during my own straight-shaving journey:
What gear are you using? Soap? Cream? Pre/Post-shave? Sometimes certain products work fine with DEs, but not as well with straights. I would try your very best, slickest, cushiest cream or soap that you have. The last thing you want to worry about are these items. Just concentrate on technique and your shaves will improve faster than you think. Keep at it!
- Make sure the skin is pulled tight. Not uncomfortably tight, but tight enough so the razor can glide across your skin. Sounds like you're already doing this, so keep it up! (You can use this with DEs and get nice results, too!)
- Use a wetter lather than you would for a DE. And keep your skin wet. Wet skin = better shave.
- You have to get used to making a deliberate stroke with your razor, as others have said. Yes, it can be nerve-wracking the first time, but trust the blade. You do with your DE, right? Hesitation, or placing the blade down before movement means you'll cut yourself. Get that blade moving just a bit before you touch skin and it'll glide nicely.
- Very light pressure. Feel more like you're wiping the lather off your face, rather than shaving hair. Don't move directly toward the edge, as this applies pressure. Move parallel to your skin in more of a wiping motion. (Think windshield wiper blades.)
- Keep a shallow blade angle, especially at first. This will help slice through the hair more easily. Steep angles are too aggressive, especially when you're just starting out. You'll find the comfort zone when it comes to blade angle pretty quickly.
- Here's a tip for working on your sideburn areas: When feeling for where to cut your sideburns, I usually hold the razor straight, with the handle in line with the blade. It keeps the scales out of my way, particularly when trying to shave on my off-hand side (left side, for me) with my right hand. I only shave the upper sideburn area this way, since I can see better with this grip. Then I take very small swipes with the razor, feeling how close I am to my ear, and slowly working closer to my ear, until I've gotten as close as I want to get. But these need to be very deliberate swipes. No hesitation here. On my dominant side, I use the standard grip. It's more difficult to see, but again, I start away from my ear and slowly work the tip closer by feel.
- Just as with your DEs, pay attention to hair growth and try going only WTG. You can stick to just wide, flat areas for now. My most difficult areas are the upper lip area and working across my jaw line, as well as under my jaw line back near my ear when I'm going XTG/ATG. But I'll figure those out, eventually. Just get the feel for making short, deliberate strokes with the razor for now. Notice how it feels different when you shave at the tip versus the heel. It's more difficult to wield the tip of the blade, but you will need to use the tip here and there in tight spots.
- Try shaving WTG with your DE first, and then following up with your straight. There won't be much hair to fight your blade, so you'll have an easier time getting the motions down.
- There's nothing wrong with taking a single WTG pass with your straight and then finishing with a DE. Most, if not all, of us do/did this when we first started with straights. No shame here. The learning curve is steeper than with a DE.
- Don't be afraid to use your non-dominant hand. Your dexterity will improve over time, and it'll make it easier to shave certain areas if you can use both hands.
What gear are you using? Soap? Cream? Pre/Post-shave? Sometimes certain products work fine with DEs, but not as well with straights. I would try your very best, slickest, cushiest cream or soap that you have. The last thing you want to worry about are these items. Just concentrate on technique and your shaves will improve faster than you think. Keep at it!
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I too always thought a follow up with a straight after removing most of the whiskers with a DE was a good idea. Seems there is less to snag the blade. I did it this way as well when I first started. I mentioned it on a post some time ago and the idea was basically scoffed at as the prevailing routine is to use a straight and then follow up with the DE.
Maybe I'm wrong,, but it worked for me at the time.
Even now,, when I'm really pressed for time I'll do a pass with a DE as they can be so fast, but get the closeness with the straight that I really like. I'm good to go very quickly.
Maybe I'm wrong,, but it worked for me at the time.
Even now,, when I'm really pressed for time I'll do a pass with a DE as they can be so fast, but get the closeness with the straight that I really like. I'm good to go very quickly.
I'd say it all falls under "Do what works for you", which we all apply to the various aspects of a great shave, so why shouldn't it apply to mixing up DE's with straights, in any order or combination.
I'd be disappointed in members here "scoffing" at another members methods in that way.
I didn't pay any attention,, as I never seem to do! Nothing is set in stone so off I go and do my thing. It seems to work for me.
Not by me. I agree with this approach, as I think it's easier to get a feel for the angle when you're working on skin that's already had a pass.
This is sage advise. This is exactly how I worked up into progressivly better shaves.
This is all spot on per my experiences. I would add a couple of things:
1. Get creative with face stretching. Many of us get all the skin stretch we need simply by contorting our faces. Your chin/jaw is very effective as a stretching tool.
2. The jawline and chin are probably the hardest areas to shave simply because there is so much curve there. a straight edge tends to make a very small contact patch on a tight curved radius like your jawbone. So with that in mind, practice moving the skin in those areas to other places away from the bone so they are now larger flat areas of skin. For me, if I open my mouth as wide as possible and retract my jaw, all of the skin that was on my jaw is now effectively part of my cheeks and I have a nice, flat, open space to shave. See #1 above.
1. Get creative with face stretching. Many of us get all the skin stretch we need simply by contorting our faces. Your chin/jaw is very effective as a stretching tool.
2. The jawline and chin are probably the hardest areas to shave simply because there is so much curve there. a straight edge tends to make a very small contact patch on a tight curved radius like your jawbone. So with that in mind, practice moving the skin in those areas to other places away from the bone so they are now larger flat areas of skin. For me, if I open my mouth as wide as possible and retract my jaw, all of the skin that was on my jaw is now effectively part of my cheeks and I have a nice, flat, open space to shave. See #1 above.
I can relate to your experience, it is intimidating. It feels strange and awkward, and that's the last way you want feel with a razor on your face. As suggested, start with the flat areas of of your face and finish with a DE.
One thing I did that helped was getting a cheap shavette and practicing making passes without a blade in it. This let me get the feel of how to hold and move the straight with no risk of bloodshed. I had days when I just couldn't get the feel for it, and gave up, going back to the DE. I'm pretty confident with my right hand now, but some days my left hand just doesn't want to co-operate and feels like a bunch of bananas holding a bread knife.
One thing I did that helped was getting a cheap shavette and practicing making passes without a blade in it. This let me get the feel of how to hold and move the straight with no risk of bloodshed. I had days when I just couldn't get the feel for it, and gave up, going back to the DE. I'm pretty confident with my right hand now, but some days my left hand just doesn't want to co-operate and feels like a bunch of bananas holding a bread knife.
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- #31
Thanks folks for all the advice! i just got settled in a new home, well mostly settled, so i feel a lot less stressed and more relaxed now. i'll give the straight a try again for sure within the next couple days. I was thinking bout trying to find something i could practice with, something without a sharp edge i just might have to go with the shavette idea. i also thought about using the DE then going over my smooth face with the SR but thought it would cause to much irritation seeing how i just shaved with the DE. who knows. at any rate i havent had time to think much about shaving at all!
Use three popsickle sticks. Two as the handle and the third as the blade. You can put them together with paperclips. Even sand an "edge" on the blade. Really. I think it would be great practice.
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- #33
that sounds pretty ingenious and i have a pack of popsicle sticks already. this will be done.
i just need to get my angle and hand placement down. my biggest issue was seeing where the blade was in the mirror and using my left hand. practicing with something that wont draw blood seems ideal.
You can also use a dull razor and practice that way-any ebay one would work LOL
