Whew! Boy, that's was different! At least I didn't slit my throat! OK, I used a Boker 5/8 Injun that was sold to me as shave ready. It was shave ready, but ME? Bwahahahaha! I managed two passes (sort of). I got one small nick and two small weeps, disappointing because of course we newbies expect a BBS shave the first time right? Thrilled that I got though it in one piece though. Not as good as my DE (for now),more like a quick shave with my old electric. It's all about the feel of the razor in your hands. It's a dance really and I have two left feet right now. Some nick relief, a splash of Clubman and I'm good to go. It's a start, and oh, BTW, I'm hooked! Wednesday morning is another day!
Nice! Don't worry, you get better and the problems will go away. See another one lives to tell the tale.
I've got a Boker Red Injun #102 waiting in the wings. I bought it several months ago and it's in great shape but not shave ready. I have a strop and have promised myself I'd get the razor honed and give it a go. Thus far though, the shaves from my old safety razors (especially the 1912's and Lather Catchers) have been just too dog gone good for me to be adequately motivated to take the plunge and start another learning curve (let alone another AD ). I think getting this old thing shave ready and into the rotation is definitely gonna appear on my shaving New Years resolutions. I guess the quicker I get started, the quicker I become proficeint with a str8.
hello!! congratulations!! with usage, the razor will get dull without you notice.. tip: IF THE BLADE DON'T WANT TO GO, DON'T FORCE IT! REALLY! you'll notice too that the blade is way bigger than DE's so.... .... don't cut your nose while shaving the borders of the mouth .... don't cut your jaw while shaving the chick (tips that would be usefull to me some time ago :sick022 )
Oh, I have to shout out! Day 2, I got no nicks, no weeps! Hurray! Now I feel this to be truly an accomplishment. Still not as good as my DE, but I'm definitely getting there. I took longer to shave, I pause after each stoke, I really took my time. I didn't tire as fast and managed two complete passes. It's going to take time to learn how my beard works (and how to handle the razor) around my neck and jowls. This is not a weeks thing, it's a months thing, I can see that now. I have patience and perseverance, I am confident it will happen. The encouragement is greatly appreciated. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?
Congratulations, sounds like you are doing great! :happy096 Kudos to you for taking your time and not rushing it, I'm not sure I would have the patience to learn straight shaving myself.
Great work! It's good to know that you're being careful. The only time you'll ever get hurt with a straight is when you get over confident or careless. Congratulations on your success!
Well done so far! I could echo this sentiment when I first started. I started to wonder if I would actually ever get as good a shave with a straight as I did with a DE, and I would frequently switch back and forth between them because it took so long and I wasn't able to get as close a shave. That was about a year ago. I shave with a straight every day now, and my shaves are closer and as comfortable as ever, so be encouraged and keep it up!
Thanks guys for the encouragement. It's day four now with a str8 and each day has been a little bit better shave. I am now experiencing either BBS smooth patches with razor burn or areas that are Electric razor quality, but no weepers or cuts today. I'm hooked! I know that eventually I will surpass the quality shaves achieved with my DE. I have officially come over to the dark side!
