First attempt at straight razor shave

Some nice man named shaver joe gave me a gold dollar. I received it tonight. So I tried 3 passes with it but had to finsh with a de. I thank my angle was -30-0 deg most of the shave. I hope I can learn it cause I liked trying tonight was fun.
This is the first time ive even held a straight razor. How long will it take to learn and thank I can?

Practice makes perfect. If you enjoy it then get advice here and just keep doing it. Your technique will become fine tuned, I'm sure.

Some nice man named shaver joe gave me a gold dollar. I received it tonight. So I tried 3 passes with it but had to finsh with a de. I thank my angle was -30-0 deg most of the shave. I hope I can learn it cause I liked trying tonight was fun.
This is the first time ive even held a straight razor. How long will it take to learn and thank I can?

The advice I got from the Stallion, which is what Lynn Abrams says in his video, which is great, is that it takes one month. That's provided you shave with the razor daily. Not your whole face, but a little at a time, but every day. I found that to be true. After a month of daily use I was very comfortable and getting very good shaves.

As others have said it takes around 30 shaves to get completely comfortable and start getting great shaves. That is the case but you will notice that within a few shaves you wont feel like your standing on your head to hold the razor and stretch your skin. The movements will start to come more naturally very quickly which will relax you more which will lead to better shaves.

It doesn't take long. You just start out really slow at first. My advice is to use the slickest soap you can find.

It doesn't take long.   You just start out really slow at first.   My advice is to use the slickest soap you can find.

I agree on slick soaps. Also, you might want to rub some argan oil or a pre shave oil into your whiskers before you lather.

Shaved with it again tonite. I'm having trouble trying to stretch and see. Anybody have this problem. How important is stretching the skin? Thanks for everybody's help im greatful for it.

What should I do about a strop I've not got one.

Shaved with it again tonite. I'm having trouble trying to stretch and see. Anybody have this problem. How important is stretching the skin? Thanks for everybody's help im greatful  for it.  

What should I do about a strop I've not got one.

~~~stretching does a few things...for one, it will make your skin taut, not flubby (is that a word?=:-)...having your skin taut, less chance for you to nick yourself, also, by stretching, you make the whisakrs stand straighter, enabling them easier to slice off

You need a strop...a strop will straighten the edge, the edge of the razor. Until you get a proper strop you could use a sheet of newspaper. Loop it around a towel rack, make it about 3" wide by folding. go to U-Tube to look for videos on newspaper straight razor stropping

Earlier in this thread you asked how long it takes to learn how to shave comfortably. Everyone is different. I see a few here said a month of shaves. It took me far longer to get really comfortable with a straight razor. Five months at least for me, maybe longer. I've been shaving with a straight day in and day out for about 4 years now. Yeah, I'd say everyone learns at their own pace. No need for you to feel like you have to rush this. take your time and enjoy the expereince

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 I've been shaving with a straight day in and day out for about 4 years now.  

~~~wanted to correct the record=:-)

I'm only shaving once or twice a week anymore=:-)

I tried again tonite but I'm not really removing hairs at all. Still taking 4 pass with a DE. Don't understand way I'm not removing any hairs. I don't have a strop can anybody recommend me one just start out on?

I tried again tonite but I'm not really removing hairs at all. Still taking 4 pass with a DE. Don't understand way I'm not removing any hairs.  I don't have a strop can anybody recommend me one just start out on?

Could be your angle is too small or the blade is too dull. Try this. Very gently glide the blade across the forearm for a few inches. See if it cuts the hairs easily. If not, you might have a dull blade. There are other tests you can check out on the internet. But I suspect the blade, not the angle. Even with too little of an angle a well-honed blade will take some hair off.

As for strops, get a cheap one for now. Check out Anthony Esposito on youtube and see if he has any. Or whippeddog.com, I think it's called, sells inexpensive strops. Peter Charkalis has a video where he uses a newspaper or a phone book to strop the blade. But if the blade is dull no strop will fix it. All the strop does is realign the edge a bit, it doesn't sharpen the blade. It's important but it's not a sharpener.

Also, if you're doing four passes with a DE it sounds like you have quite a beard. Go to youtube. search Lynn Abrams. Watch his video for beginning straight razor users. See if you're doing all the things he recommends. Watch geofatboy's videos too. If your technique is more or less okay, I'm inclined to suspect the razor needs a good honing.