Thread: First Shave in Shanghai

Well actually...it is Changshu, but close enough.

I just got back last night from a business trip in Korea and was happy to see that I had received my package from SRD. Unfortunately, some of the stuff was damaged in transit but the essentials were all intact. So, today was the day for my first straight razor shave (by my own hand).

It went ok. I used the Baum.be shaving cream and my SRD brush and worked up a good lather. Then, I only worked WTG on my face. The right side cheek (dominant hand) went fairly well. Definitely shaved off all of the hair in the major areas, but need some practice stretching to get the areas around the jaw line and earlobe.

The left was a different story as many beginners I assume. I struggled to get a good angle and I have a large mole in the middle of my left cheek that I worried about. The shave on the left didn't turn out so well. I shaved the middle of the check, but lacked the coordination to get much else done. I went ahead and tried a WTG pass on my upper lip and sides of neck, but didn't have a lot of progress. I have a lot of practice ahead of me to get the angles, especially with the left, but I decided not to overdue it today...there is always tomorrow.

I finished up with a old Mach 3 that I had in the drawer, so it ended up not being a real pleasant shave.

It was a fair enough start and I am looking forward to honing (pun intended) my skills over time.

First step is always the hardest. Sounds like you are taking it slow which is very good. The shaves will get better with practice.

Sounds like a successful start. You can't shave over nicks and irritation so slow and steady is the way to go

When I first started, I used my right hand exclusively and gradually began using my left as my skill increased. It wasn't a plan of any sort, just how things evolved. As I learned and got the feel in my right hand, it was easier to transfer that to the left. The point is that it is easier to learn with your dominant hand and then transfer to your off hand, rather than trying to develop coordination and shaving technique at the same time. I use both hands equally now.

Cheers everyone!

I enjoy learning new things and am not unaccustomed to learning motor skills with my left hand (acoustic guitar, rock climbing, etc.). This is just one of those things that I believe I needed to dip my toes in first. I am looking forward to tomorrow. Thanks for the input from everyone!

Don't worry, you should not need to hone your razor for a few months. I just thought I would mention that. It should stay sharp for a long time but you will need to strop it & make sure you have been practicing stropping. One wrong move with the strop & you can dull your new razor. make sure you have the stropping technique down before stropping it. You will be ok.