Getting ready for your first shave.

Slide the inner tray out of the sleeve. You should find the fully assembled Henson razor, a 5 pack of blades, and on the inner tray, additional assembly instructions printed on the side.

Hold the razor head in one hand and the handle in the other.

Turn the handle counterclockwise (lefty-loosey) until it separates from the head. The head will come apart into two pieces: the top cap and the baseplate.

Peel back the wax paper on a new blade keeping your fingers on the short edges, never the long cutting edges.

Lay the blade flat on the top cap, lining up the two locator tabs on the top cap with the locator slots in the blade.

Make sure the baseplate is the right way up. Look for the shiny Nitronic 60 bushing on the underside of the baseplate. If you don't see it when trying to screw on the handle, your baseplate is upside down.

Stack the top cap, blade and baseplate back together, then thread the handle on and turn it clockwise until it's finger-tight.

A good way to not over tighten the handle is to hold the handle on the knurling pattern closest to the head between your index finger and thumb (while dry). Hold tight, and turn until your two fingers start to slip over the knurling.

You should be able to get a good shave on the first try, and it only gets better from there. Shave two is better than shave one. Shave five is better than shave two.

Plant it flat against your skin and keep it flat as you follow the contours. Not cutting? Tilt the handle slightly until it does. That's the correct angle.

Use enough pressure to keep the shave plane in contact with your skin, and no more. The blade is held rigidly in place, so pressing harder doesn't improve the shave.

Hair grows in different directions across your body. Until you're comfortable, shave in the direction it grows (with the grain). It's the gentlest path and the best guard against irritation.

Canned foam is mostly air. A high-quality shave cream gives the blade the slick surface it needs to cut cleanly with less friction.

There's no rush. A good shave is a routine worth slowing down for, not a chore to get through.