Thread: 1st shave!!

My setup is: A.J. JORDAN SHEFFIELD ENGLAND 7/8 - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

Strop: double sided Latigo from SRD
Brush: Country uncle Med. black badger brush
cream(s) AOS unscented/Maxwell Cassey shavecream/Derby normal skin

Everything looks ok to me as far as my "gear" is considered..though I taught myself how to use DE/SE handles n blades though going on 2yrs..FYI..I just felt I needed be it a new challenge or an "upgrade" to a str8

Ok...so it was about 10:30pm when i first shaved with my str8..yea late..but what ya gonna do?

I figured out on my 2nd pass...how to make some headway on getting better with shaving downwards..the chin area is a pain in the rear..BTW..this is what I am learning on..

*Handle feels good in the hands as they are medium size*

How do I angle to shave upwards to shave my chin/upper lip area...going downwards is easier though *obviousely* Could I be wielding too big a "beast of a blade"?..I bought this because it looked and felt right to me..the other blades I always looked at seemed small-ish..(just my opinion though)..in the end if I did my best for that session..I just touch up with my DE or SE lightly knowing the raw skin feeling sets in..thoughts/comments always welcome! I got a few nicks..but that's about it and not very close

pcdad

Decided to dive in rather than dip your foot in the water. Congrats on the first shave. I used my DE to get the tough areas for the first two or three weeks. After that I put it away and haven't picked it up since.

In the beginning it is trial and error. Figuring out which direction of attack works best, blade angles, stroke. Experimenting with different directions and ways of skin stretching also plays a large role in getting a good shave.

A 7/8 is a hefty size for a beginner but to me whatever blade size you use is what you'll get used to so that isn't as big an issue. Since you got it from hi_bud I know it is sharp. Read my sig below to avoid nicks and cuts.

Hello, pcdad:

You are in excellent hands with Jimmy and hi_bud. Your razor looks good and you're determined. You have what it takes to take a bow as a straight razor gentleman. Welcome aboard.

Regards,
Obie

I enjoy my 7/8's and 8/8's more than the 5/8's. Perhaps it is the weight or the fact that they are such good shavers.

Upper Lip: WTG, it did take me numorous tries to get the right touch and not cut myself. There is a minor scooping action under the nose going ATG. Around the curves of the lip may not like ATG passes, so start with xtg and see how it goes.

Chin: short strokes, shifting the skin up a little. I give this area multi angle shaves. Step 1, reduce the hair. Step 2-4, multi angle shaves. XTG, ATG, special angle XTG/ATG.

It does take time to learn this and the touch that goes along with it.

Welcome to straight shaving and keep the faith!

Pabster