Thread: First Shave!

Greetings!

Yesterday I joined the "straight razor shaving club" and gave myself my first shave... which was actually more akin to bloodletting! And despite my initial terror of holding a long, sharp blade against my throat, I'm determined to master this!

I know that the HHT is controversial, but when I tried it on my new Dovo razor the (moistened) hair just bent upward no matter where I tried it on the blade. In desperation to see the blades sharpness, I laid it on a flat surface, placed the blade on top of the hair and pulled it against the blade... the hair still wasn't cut... it broke! (can anyone explain how that could happen with a sharp blade??)

Anyway, the place I bought it from told me the HHT is not really reliable, and suggested shaving with it... which I did. The blade seems plenty sharp... my cheeks were baby soft and the rest of my face was mostly smoother than my electric. Overall, it was a decent (albeit bloody) shave. I think I worked my neck a bit too much, re-shaving certain areas, so I have razor burn.

What I didn't take into account, call me stupid, is that I have a goatee that I wasn't going to shave off. Every site I've been to, shows completely shaven faces, so in addition to my difficulty of just using the razor, I had to maneuver around my goatee, which wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I wanted to buy a "spike point", because I thought it would be easier to get into tight corners, but lucky for me, I ordered a round... I definitely would've ended up in the ER if I got the spike point!!

So, does anyone have any advice for this newbie "slasher"... special techniques for shaving around a goatee (other than shaving it off!), reconditioning ? Thanx!

Regards,
Joe

welcome to SRP Joe
where did you buy your razor?(not all shops know what sharp is)
even if i dont like the HHT i thought it was done on dry hair
also what kind of prep did you do?

Welcome to SRP, Joe,

And forget about the HHT for now. If performed properly, it can tell you something about an edge, but read the lenghty Wiki article for details.

A square or spike point might indeed have been a better choice for this particular purpose, and I am at somewhat of a loss why people are afraid of them. It is simply a matter of getting used to the different shape of blade. I personally like them a lot.

You might also want to search the Wiki for "ways to hold a razor". Navigating around your goatee will require some more elaborate razor gripping techniques.

Good luck, and keep us updated on your progress.

Regards,
Robin

I bought my razor at Vintage Blades... Lynn Abrams is their Master Honer and all my research says he's one of the best in the US.

My prep was a hot shower, hair conditioner, badger brush and Col. Conk's almond soap. When I lathered up, because I was being so cautious, I was shaving very slowly and the lather on my face would dry up, but I just kept putting more on. Don't know if this affect your shave. I tried to figure out beforehand, the grain of my beard, but it went in so many different directions I couldn't keep track! Shaving around my goatee kind of prevented me from shaving WTG on the 1st pass, XTG on the 2nd, and ATG on the 3rd, and 4th, 5th, 6th... in problem spots. I guess pushed the envelope a little too much, but I was really looking forward to that smoothness everyone talks about!

As for the spike point, while I had a decent grip on the blade, I had to contort it so much to get around my goatee that, as slow as I was shaving, I definitely would have done some serious damage. I'll go for the spike after I gain better control and confidence!

Thanks for the advice... I'll search for more specific info on shaving around a goatee/mustache and I'll be back for more!!

Joe

GoateeSaver, get a perfect goatee with the adjustable GoateeSaver shaving template

Thanks Darce... that's quite interesting! For $20, I just may get one... but it is cheating!!

Here's a couple of straight razor shaves of people with gotees on Youtube. They may give you some ideas on to how to shave around your gotee. The one with the dark headed guy doesn't have any sound to it. He also does a second pass against the grain which I don't recommend, especially starting out. He amazes me with the second pass without any effort as I haven't been able to do this myself. I have found it best for me to do my first pass going in a downward direction throughout my whole face and neck. For me, one pass is good enough on my cheeks and center throat and I'll do an across the grain on my jawline coming forward towards the throat. But, I Don't have a gotee or beard, which makes it easier.

YouTube - Shaving with a straight razor