I'm going to return to straight razor shaving during the last week of this month and thought that since it has been 6 years I should ask for any tips or tricks from the forum. I'm nervous about starting because the razor I have is much sharper then the one I used to use but, excited to have such wonderful shaves again. Refresh my memory, What are the important things to remember and what are some "pro" tips from the longterm straight shavers? I am one of those who never grasped left handed shaving and I don't think I ever will.
I'm relatively new to straight shaving, just 7 months in. Start slow. Just go with n/s and wtg passes on the cheeks until you get comfortable again. Jump into the Oct focus group. There's a few straight shavers in there who have great info to share. I've been trying to get my honing down with my straights this past week so I've skipped this month's focus, but I'll troll that thread and will comment on your experience if you'd like. Cheers, Eric
I have a wild focus this month. tieing up some unknowns from last month plus starting my no disposable November theme early. I'll be using straights with a rolls razor for touch up all month. Then I'll likely do some blade sampling with straights mixed in on days off. I'll be happy if I can straight shave twice a week in the new year.
I've been using my right hand only to str8 shave for the past 5-6 years. Go slow, pay attention to what you're doing, respect the blade. You'll do fine.
Skin-stretching is a helpful technique. Taut skin is much easier to shave with a straight than slack skin. Don't over do it your first dozen shaves—i.e. don't bite off more than you can chew, initially, so only shave a portion of your face until you being to feel comfortable wielding the blade. Slow & steady and use determined shaving strokes. I venture to guess most only use one (dominant) hand in SR shaving. I learned to use both hands (due to CTS surgery), but it really isn't necessary to get great shaves.
The godfather speaks truth. To add on to skin stretching, rubbing your fingers on alum helps with grip on the skin.
