Thread: The Newbie Wall

Originally Posted by shammer

I've been slowly progressing since I bought a Dovo in the classifed section. I'm now able to shave the entire right cheek area WTG and getting a fairly decent shave. However, yesterday I hit The Wall. Nothing I did was right: the lather was thin & runny, and I couldn't get the razor to cut any stubble at all. I whipped up a somewhat better mug of lather and tried again, with the same results. I tried changing the angle of the blade and the pressure without any improvement, so I fell back on the Fusion and completed my shave.

I know I need to work through this, and I intend to. I think my main problem is that the razor still sits awkwardly in my hand, and I find it very difficult to maneuver the razor into the correct position and angle on my face. Would there be any value to buying an inexpensive razor in the Classifieds and asking the seller to blunt the edge so I can practice just the shaving motion? Or would it be similar to asking a car seller to take a sledge hammer to the car I've just bought before he delivers it?

Thanks for reading this longish post. Have a great 4th of July weekend!

Shammer,
Obie who is a Mentor here, once suggested that I use a blunt edge butter knife to practice handling a straight razor and get more comfortable with handling while going through the motions of shaving. That'll save some money on a blunted razor.

Just keep at it and it takes time. Yes, there will be good shave days and bad ones, but in time, the good days will outnumber the bad. Remember, if you need help and/or advice about shaving, you are at the right place. I have been straight razor shaving 4 1/2 months and I have learned a lot from this forum.

There's lots of room to experiment and plenty of trial and error with this hobby. But it's part of the fun and the learning process. Based on your post, you are on the right track. By the way, how is the edge of the razor? Was it declared shave ready? Did you strop it?

Wishing you many great shaves,
Patrick

+1 on the advice so far. As for the razor feeling ackward in your hands, check out this link from the wiki: Different ways to hold a straight razor - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Try them out and see what works for you. Keep us posted on your progress.

Thanks for all the great suggestions, folks! I knew I struck gold when I found the SRP web site.
Tim