Thread: 16 Year old beginner

Hi!

Let me introduce myself; my name is Ellis, I am 16 years of age and have been interested in straight razor shaving for a few years.

I recently got my first straight razor. Of course being the eager teenager I am I used it as soon as possible. I do not own a strop as of yet but I have whetstones in which I can use to sharpen the blade. The razor came pre-sharpened and honed. I did my research online, about the form in holding the razor, shaving technique and etiquette; 30 degrees etc.

So I put a hot damp towel over my face, then creamed up (Actually used shaving foam like you would with disposable razors) using badger fur brush. I (being stupid) shaved my whole face, and throughout my endeavour, came across some strong tugging on my upper lip, chin and slightly on my sideburns. (Wasn't yet fully shaved) So I stopped for 30 minutes to see the outcome. All looked well so I carried on. Finished up the shave and noticed that my lip and chin were red. (I would assume due to the tugging and abrasions) but no cuts! So for that I am happy. I then used post shave balm for the sensitive skin, and I applied generously. After 2/3 hours the burn stopped but was still a dull red, almost not visible.

Is there any way in which I can go about next time rectifying it or is it just apart of the learning curve?

Look forward to hearing the replies, expect to hear regularly from me, I am very keen.

Many thanks!

-Ellis

Welcome to SRP, Ellis!

Wow....I'm impressed....wish my boys would have the desire to use a straight razor as you do. Ages 16 and 17.
You seriously need to get yourself a strop. Very important part of keeping a razor ...."shave ready" and sharp.

Yes the redness will go away in time as your technique develops...chances are, you used too much pressure or your angle wasn't quite right. I would lesson the angle from 30 degrees tho. Don't get into a hurry about shaving your whole face....learn technique first. Read the beginners guide on shaving.

Get that strop as soon as you can.

Good luck!

Welcome to SR shaving, enjoy the learning process and don't get discouraged. By the time you're an old man of seventeen you'll be getting consistent, smooth, irritation-free shaves! There are too many variables at the moment that could need improvement. The first thing to do is to ensure your razor is properly sharpened. If you post your location you will more than likely find someone near you who can help with that. Once you've eliminated a poorly sharpened razor as the possible cause, you can start working on the other possibilities. If the razor is poorly sharpened nothing else you do will make much difference. Good luck

Congratulations on starting your manhood with a straight razor. I've been shaving with one since I was 14. If you are like I was at 16, your facial hair is probably a lot softer than what it's going to be in a few years. This will give you plenty of time to get your techniques worked out for when you have whiskers like barb wire. Just take your time with each shave. Get your razor angle right. Let the razor do the work. If you feel ANY resistance in the stroke STOP. Get a good shaving soap or cream. Get a good strop and use it before each shave. These are things I had to learn on my own because my Dad shaved with electrics.

greetings from norway, young fellow - just wanting to say hello. you are obviously on the right track and doing fine

Welcome to the forum Ellis.

Could you tell us what razor you bought and if it was honed by the seller before being shipped?

One thing I would do is get a good shave cream/soap and learn to make a good lather that way. Just ditch the canned foam. A good lather made with a brush and shave cream/soap really contributes to getting a good shave.

Yes, you will need a strop to help maintain that razor. I might not jump right into honing right away though. If you are used to sharpening knives, honing a straight razor is a different ball game.

When you start shaving with a SR it is possible to get tugging because of poor shaving technique even with a shave ready razor.

Redness and razor burn is usually caused by using the wrong angle on the blade and too much pressure on the blade. I would try using a gap between your face and the spine of the razor of about 1 to 2 spine widths and virtually no pressure on the blade. Poor lather and a poorly honed razor can also be factors. When you are new to this it is really hard to tell which of these is causing you the most trouble.

Take it slow, play with your shaving technique and try a better lather. There is a long learning curve to this and no rush it will all eventually come together.

Bob

Welcome to the forum. If you ad your location it makes it easier to find hands on help. There are a lot of people here happy to share their experience and knowledge.

Hi and welcome. Most of the likely causes have been stated. Poor soap, poor technique, razor sharpness, pressure and angle. Pressure and angle are usually 2 big factors when starting. Good luck and any questions feel free to ask

Welcome young sir and congratulations on your initial steps into wetshaving. An essential part of your kit is a strop and proper shave soap and brush. You really should not straight shave again until you get those and learn how to use them. Learn how to face lather and bowl lather to see which you prefer. Good luck.

Hi and welcome. Always great to see someone so young take up the hobby. My oldest son is 11 and is already pretty good at honing. If you don't yet have a strop it's well worth looking at using newspaper to start with, it's cheap, doesn't matter if you cut it, helps you learn technique and it works well.

Have you used your whetstones yet? It's possible if you have that the razor isn't quite as keen as it could be. If you've not used them make sure you have the right grit stones.

Good luck, you've come to the right place to learn, the knowledge here is immense.