my first straight razor shave !

A

alexthorpe

Messages
9
Location
England
Good afternoon all,
I know its been a while since I last posted anything on this website but no bother I have just finished my first ever straight razor shave and despite my own suggestion of taking things slowly I didn't. But everything worked out fine I managed to have a complete shave even doing my neck which was a bit of a struggle as was shaving the left side of my face as I am right handed. And I only sustained three or four very small nicks around the neck and moustache area which is as much as I would normally end up with when using my old mach 3 razor. The shave itself was very satisfying although I think my lathering technique needs work as i kept having to add more water and soap for a while before I managed to get a good lather but I must admit applying lather with a brush is good fun. After the shave I noticed I had no raised hair follicle as I would with the mach 3 and my skin felt very soft and smooth.
Overall a huge success thanks to everyone who was kind enough to share their wisdom and offer advice and thanks to Neil Miller for supplying quality equipment and I promise my next post wont be quite so long
 
Very well done. You did better than me for your first shave with a straight.

Keep up the good work and the more you use it the better it will get, Just enjoy yourself
 
BillyHoyle said:
Which blade did you use? And maybe after a few days, how are you finding the upkeep of the straight razor?

I definitely see myself trying this soon..
Click to expand...

The razor I have is one of the vintage razors that was for sale at strop-shop one that was honed and sent to me by Neil Miller ive only had it for a couple of weeks so I've not had to really maintain it. The only thing I have had to do is strop it and as a novice I'm not even sure if I'm doing that right which is why im on this website now looking for more tips.
 
Nice one Alex, I hope you continue to enjoy using your straight razor. You will find that after a while holding the razor will feel natural and you'll get used to the different ways to shave each area of your face.

I'm now six months on and counting. Just been on holiday and took my DE with me. I can't believe it but I was so pleased to get home to a straight razor shave. I wish I'd taken it with me but we were sharing with kids and I'd have been in major trouble if one of them had found it.
 
I had another shave yesterday and it went pretty well there is one issue that I thought I would share and that is the fact that half way through the shave the lather on my face has dried and soIi have to mix more soap into a lather to continue shaving. I'm sure this will improve over time as I get quicker and more efficient when using the razor but I just thought I'd ask is this normal or is there something I am doing wrong maybe just not using enough soap in the innitial mixing/lathering?

Im using nannys soft soap with eucalyptus and teat tree any advise will be appreciated, thanks
 
Nanny's soft formula will take a lot of water and remain stable: more than any other soap I can think of in fact. Unless you have really awful water, making your lather somewhat wetter will probably pay dividends. Not sloppy though, you need that cushioning. I aim for peaks which keel over a bit, and a glossy appearance.
 
Sounds like you did well for your first few shaves! I started off wondering how I'd ever manage to swap hands over to properly manage each side of my face, but after a month or so it was completely natural.

As for the lather, I still find that on occasion the lather on one side will dry out before I get to it - only happens at this time of the year though, when my bathroom is very, very hot!
 
Thanks for the kind words and advice everyone I'll keep you posted. Also I ordered a few sample after shaves recently well, I say a few I actually ended up ordering ten sample after shaves, so I'll no doubt be asking opinions and sharing my thoughts when they arrive.

Well What d'ya know they've just arrived.
 
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