Greetings all. Eagerly waiting my first straight razor to come in the mail. Bought a Dovo "Best Quality" razor, hopefully it will be good enough for a beginner. Been lurking around here and reading info for about a month and finally decided to take the plunge. Got my mama bear soap in the mail today so I thought now that I OWNED some razor paraphernalia it would be a good time to get a screen name going!
Welcome to TSD! This is the best wet shave board on the planet! I have been eyeballing a Dovo as a possible purchase of a "new" razor. I hope it serves you well.
Welcome! As one who is only a few straight shaves in, (and a couple months in with DE) here are a couple pointers. 1. Be sure the dovo is shave-ready. They do not come that way from the factory. Some dealers will hone it to shave-ready status for an additional fee, or you can send it out to someone to hone it. 2. Don't try to do your whole face the first time out, maybe start with both cheeks only, and use your regular razor to finish. Shave more and more as you become more comfortable with the blade 3. BE CAREFUL OF YOUR EARS! My first time out, I nicked one twice, and the other once. A rounded tip would help there. 4. Prep, Prep, Prep. It is all about the prep. Quality lather really helps achieve a great shave. The Mamma bear is pretty easy to lather, just take your time, it takes practice to get the water mix right. 5. Be sure to stretch the skin as taught as possible, this feels strange at first. 6. First pass-with the grain, and don't be trying to remove all the hair at once. Second pass - across the grain - should be pretty close by now. Third pass (IF YOU WISH) - against the grain - this is where cuts and razorburn are most likely. Be careful. 7. I have found the shave to be easiest if I hold the blade almost flat with the skin, and use a slight scything (side-to-side) motion while drawing down. This motion takes a little practice, but will result in a closer, smoother shave with less tugging of the hair. Be warned, too much side to side motion will result in cuts. DO NOT use any pressure, just lightly hold the blade against your skin. 8. Try, try again. You will get it, but it is a learned skill. My shaves (I now do all but my neck with the straight - 2 passes) are getting pretty darn close, and more and more comfortable with time. They say it can take 3 months of every day use to get truly proficient with a straight. Good on you for trying one out, welcome to the board!
Thank you all for the warm welcome! Thanks for all the advice excalibur5. Its gonna be hard to show restraint and just do my cheeks for a while lol. But if thats what it takes, thats what I'll do. Luckily I have a friend I work with who is very good at honing SR's. He used to have good business out of his home. He used to have razors sent to him to hone from a website (the name of the website escapes me). So I'm lucky that way. Its taking FOREVER for my razor to get here! Lol
Welcome from Texas! Welcome to the cozy confines of The Shave Den. Find a comfortable leather recliner and set a spell.
Welcome to The Shave Den, a great community of guys and gals that enjoy wet shaving, I hope you enjoy your stay! Be sure to sign up for the March Newbie Give-Away for a chance to win some great shave gear!
