New blade bad shave

Thoughts and input on anything related to wet shaving or men's grooming.
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Shettles
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2018 7:46 am

New blade bad shave

Post by Shettles »

:!: my name is Robert and im pretty new to straight razor shaving my face. I have been shaking with a shavette that I got from Sally's beauty supply and I beat a really nice shade out of it. Recently I got a Dovo full hollow 5/8 straight razor, along with dinne col conk bay rum shave some and a strop for Christmas. I stropped the blade several times but it still hurts to shave with. They said they had it honed at the online store. What am I doing wrong.
Bill_K
Posts: 191
Joined: Mon Feb 05, 2018 12:40 pm
Location: Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

Re: New blade bad shave

Post by Bill_K »

Welcome, Robert!

I'm new to straight razor shaving as well (two months' worth of weekends). My first SR experiences left me looking like I tried shaving with a chain saw; rinsing my face with water stung, so imagine the stimulation that resulted when I applied the aftershave. :lol:

I'll leave it to the more seasoned Listers to weigh in with their advice, but let me mention what I have learned so far:
1) Preparation is important with a safety razor but critical with an SR. Make sure the stubble is ready.
2) Haste and inattention are quickly punished, so that's why I SR shave only on non-working days.
3) Use tried and tested soaps to ensure that you have maximum lubrication. Personally, I always reach for the Mitchells Wool Fat, Tabac, or Haslinger. More experienced SR shavers can likely use any soap on the market but not me (not yet, anyway). YMMV and all that.
4) If I cut myself it's because I was in a hurry, not paying attention, or not stretching my skin properly in order to present a flat surface to the SR.

Give yourself time to learn the technique; for example, shave just the cheeks to gain some confidence before you try to shave your neck.

Good luck in your journey!
Bill
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