Straight razor shaving: a beginner's perspective

'It is strange how, unexpectedly, the shave improves. I found myself holding the razor in a different way for shaving different areas, as if the razor remembered being used by more competent shavers!' Wales4ever.

If its a very old razor... perhaps it needs exorcising?
 
Read this with interest and enjoyment, thank you. It's quite amazing how quickly you get to know your way around your face with a surgically sharp implement.
Good luck with the honing skills. Steve
 
I've started using a straight at weekends in much the way did and for the same type of reasons.

On the money thing, having been a long time d/e user, I knew I'd not "save" money but I feel contented that I am not sending anything to landfill.
 
Evening all,

Just a quick update on progress for those who are interested.

Just had what is probably my best shave to date. Took it slowly and had everything to hand, which in my case includes my reading glasses which I put on after I have done my cheeks and before I attack the difficult bits.

I used my Filarmonica Doble Temple 13, acquired from Jamie, with some sample Bleinheim shave cream, which lathers well but not as well as the Crella. I've written before how the Filarmonica can bite if you don't take care to work out what the square point is doing, at least it does to me, but today I took my time and I ended up using the square point to touch up a few hairs I had missed under the nose. I can see why some prefer this style as it does make it easier to do these finishing up bits.

I am still having problems with the bits right in the corner of the mouth, as it seems to be difficult to get them flat but for the first time the chin wasn't a problem. I'm still very tentative when shaving it, having taken big gouges out of it in the past but I seem to do alright when I do a pass down which takes in the side of the chin. I discovered this quite method by chance but it seems to work for me. After a few strokes down the middle, which are the most difficult for me, I finish off the chin by doing a pass ATG up to the chin from the throat which seems to take care of most bits I missed. I do have to take care though as I always seem to nick it, even if, as tonight, it was a very minor one.

As for the bits under the jaw, I managed those ok tonight, without working out what I had done differently. Still, I'm not complaining.

So, overall pretty satisfactory, and a very close shave thanks to the Filarmonica, which is a truly great razor, and a follow up with a sample of Bleinheim Shaving balm, which is calming and smooth on the skin.

Good weekend all.
 
This is similar to me, Jamie honed a couple of my great gradfather's razors. I got on okay but struggled a bot with my jawline/chin, the rzors could probably do with a touch up and have been sitting in a drawer for a while now. Any tips for shaving around the jawline would be appreciated.
 
When you reach your jaw line you need to apply upward pressure to your cheeks stretching the skin upwards and what you will find that after the stroke as soon as you relax and move onto your neck jawline, what you will find is all of your jawline and half way down your neck as been completed, I hope this makes sense as technique is the key to a successful shave with a straight razor. PS perhaps I can make a short video showing this particular part of the shave.
 
Jamie,
I've thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts and as a newbie to straights your thoughts and comments have been a real help. Sorry but as I have a 'goatee', I can offer no helpful insights to shaving the chin, though as to the areas at the edge of the mouth, I perform a sort of facial contortion by opening my mouth as wide as possible, stretching those corner areas as far as I can and then pulling the skin down further from the side of the chin, left or right as appropriate - if that all makes sense!

I have no idea if it's the correct way (if there is such a thing) but it has worked for me without (so far) any loss of blood :icon_lol:
 
shakespeare,

Think that this may have been meant for me and if it was, thanks, that seems a good approach which I will try next time.

Jamie, your approach to the jawline also makes sense. What I have been doing is to drop my jaw and then shave. This has the effect of getting the bit just below the jawline but I will also try your approach next shave.

Mylo
 
Mylo said:
shakespeare,

Think that this may have been meant for me and if it was, thanks, that seems a good approach which I will try next time.

Jamie, your approach to the jawline also makes sense. What I have been doing is to drop my jaw and then shave. This has the effect of getting the bit just below the jawline but I will also try your approach next shave.

Mylo
Click to expand...
The reply was indeed meant for you Mylo :)
 
shakespeare,

I'm very pleased that you have found the posts helpful, which was the intention. If others can learn by my mistakes and experiences, so much the better.

Jamie, a shave video sounds like a great idea.
 
hellofromme said:
Basically, the sillier the face you pull, the better the shave :)

Good thread!
Click to expand...

Yep - start off as if you are trying to eat a meat pie in one go whilst shaving down to the jaw, Then tilt your head back as if trying to swallow in one go whilst shaving below the jaw line.
 
Some excellent tips and encouragement, thank you.

So, more or less a week on and to be honest I still feel that it is one step forward, two back yet again.

I did manage a pre work shave earlier in the week without any major nicks, only to realise that I had done so without putting on my glasses after the 'two cheeks' shave. Felt a bit buoyed up by this, only to fail at the next hurdle when shaving the next day, with another gouge out of my chin.

I do think that the bolder, less tentative attitude is the way to go, that is until I give myself some huge nick. The pass down the side of the chin seems to work well for me and if only I could angle it more so that it ran down the centre I might have cracked it. As it is, the pass straight down the chin almost invariably ends in blood but some of this might now be because I am anticipating it and so am more hesitant. One bit that always seems to get me is the bit under my right jawline. No matter what I do I seem to nick myself, and no matter how much imaginary pie eating or stretching I do there is almost always a nick about two inches below the jawline. Why this doesn't happen on my left side I have no idea especially given that I am shaving with my non dominant left hand, even though it does induce a certain amount of fear. The problem i think is that it seems impossible to stretch it in such a way as to produce a level playing field, so to speak and worryingly, I notices a slight tremor with the razor as I came to shave there the other day.

Apart from the shakes, the other thing that I have noticed is that when I do have a relatively easy bit, I don't seem to clear a razor width's path through the lather as do other more accomplished shavers whose videos I have studied. Mine seems to be half width at most but perhaps that it just down to a peculiarly angular face- who knows?

So there you have it for now. Amazingly, I have just realised that I have used nothing but a straight, or cutthroat, razor since the beginning of February. I don't pretend that I have shaved every day with one. but then again I don't need to. Every other day or so seems to have been the pattern. As someone who has wet shaved since the beginning, the brush and lather bit is not new but everything else has been and I can honestly say that I have really looked forward to each and every shave. It has never been a chore.

I am not sure that I can go much further with this particular thread, not because I do not consider myself to be a beginner anymore but because I think that I may be becoming a bit repetitive.

If so, apologies. Thanks to all who have given encouragement and tips and feedback, it really has been appreciated. You really are a very supportive lot!

Happy Easter all,

Mylo
 
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