Thread: Beginner Beware of Frustration Fatigue - First Straight Razor Shave

I received my Dovo 5/8 Blond in the mail from SRD the other day and decided to do my first SR shave that evening. That way if I sliced my throat open, I wouldn't be late for work the next day. Thankfully there was no trip to the emergency room. I was able to perform a full (probably sloppy) 2.5 pass shave, virtually without incident and with very minor irritation. I was
completely amazed at how close this shave was. The sides of my face were nearly BBS. Just a spot or two that I seemed to repeatedly miss. Jaw line and neck were close, but far from BBS. The hair on my neck seems to grow from either side, in towards the center of my neck, and that proved to be a bit more difficult to touch up than I imagined. It was at the start of pass 3 that I noticed what I would call Frustration Fatigue. I wasn't physically tired, but I was starting to get a bit tired of not being finished. It was then that I felt the blade catch a bit more than hair. No blood, but definitely would have been a nick under the right conditions. I continued on for a moment until I felt the blade snag again. Again no blood, but I called it quits at that point. Note to beginners. Beware of Frustration Fatigue. It is that weariness you get when your
shave is taking longer than the guy in the last video you
watched. That's the point where you should strongly consider putting the blade down. All in all not a bad shave at all. My first shave was more successful than I expected it would be. It posed some questions about how to do my neck, and I learned a lot. I can definitely see how after a good SR shave you would never go back to disposables. Thanks SRP community for all your insight and
words of wisdom. You all are a huge help for the beginner and expert alike. Hard to imagine doing this without you!

Slurryer

When to stop even when your shave is not finished is a valuable skill, and one that is often learned with a little blood. Congratulations on getting there without the blood.

Indeed, the hairs will grow back soon. Studying technique and strokes will fill the time until they are ready again. Going slow and performing positive actions is the way to learn. As things are not going smoothly, taking a step or two back is advisable.
Nice post and great advise!

A lot of advice when starting out is to go slow. I think this advice is usually mistaken for slow with the razor. I think it is meant more as take your time and master one part at a time. Cheeks are always mentioned as a good starting point

Nice job on the shave and knowing when to call it a shave. There are days that I will just stop having a really good shave but leave several areas short of BBS just for comfort sake

I totally agree with Rez and Tom;

I would also add that I 'personally' don't believe in the (Baby But Smooth Shave) I believe in getting a Clean, Close, Smooth and Comfortable Shave. I find it aggravating when I read of guys doing 3-4-5 passes to try to achieve that elusive BBS shave.

Those little bitty tiny hairs that only you can slightly feel won't be seen by anyone!

I find it humorous that the BBS is so commonly seen but my CCSC is never mentioned; probably too many letters

Indeed, there are spots on my neck that only a fine-tuned hollow will get smooth. Chance for a weeper if digging-in!
Some razors get it better than others, but the technique for that razor might need to be addressed!
The neck is fair-game. Never had "BBS" there! (Much!)

Originally Posted by cudarunner

I totally agree with Rez and Tom;

I would also add that I 'personally' don't believe in the (Baby But Smooth Shave) I believe in getting a Clean, Close, Smooth and Comfortable Shave. I find it aggravating when I read of guys doing 3-4-5 passes to try to achieve that elusive BBS shave.

Those little bitty tiny hairs that only you can slightly feel won't be seen by anyone!

I find it humorous that the BBS is so commonly seen but my CCSC is never mentioned; probably too many letters

Wow... That's some wise advise. What's funny is that I never considered sub-BBS an option. I read the term BBS in just about every other post and sort of assumed it was the standard to shoot for. Obtainable by some but possibly not by all. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks!

Originally Posted by cudarunner

I totally agree with Rez and Tom;

I would also add that I 'personally' don't believe in the (Baby But Smooth Shave) I believe in getting a Clean, Close, Smooth and Comfortable Shave. I find it aggravating when I read of guys doing 3-4-5 passes to try to achieve that elusive BBS shave.

Those little bitty tiny hairs that only you can slightly feel won't be seen by anyone!

I find it humorous that the BBS is so commonly seen but my CCSC is never mentioned; probably too many letters

Maybe if we just shorten it to CCS! The comfortable part is the most important part of my shave, after all if I was really happy with irritation I'd have never left goo and multi blades behind.

If your razor is very sharp you can do a once over every day with out hurting your self. You will be able to feel where you fail to shave it real close, but no one will be able to see it. Next day play with the old razor again. If you do mess around and razor burn something pressing to hard trying to capture that one chin hair you missed. Get your wife to pick up something called "Ocean Potion" it has aloe in the lotion. It is a burn relief for wind burns and sun burns. But it will help I think.

Originally Posted by RezDog

Maybe if we just shorten it to CCS! The comfortable part is the most important part of my shave, after all if I was really happy with irritation I'd have never left goo and multi blades behind.

In my little note log (Engineer by training, we take notes) I use the term (not my own) DFS or Damn Fine Shave...there is even a DFS+

We all forget how much better, on the close and comfort scale, an "Average" Straight razor shave is compared to a Cart for instance.

And we don't say/wish each other "Smooth Shaving" for nothing...

We also say give yourself 100 shaves - the reality for many is that there are big improvements or levels every 15-25 shaves.
It's a fine motor skill and there is no substitute for practice.

And you are well on the way...

So Smooth Shaving...