First double-edged razor, first wet-shave, first post, all today.
I don't even remember now what got me on the path of a wet-shave. Until a month ago, I didn't even know what one was. I've never had an enjoyable shaving experience, so when I heard/read about how great a wet-shave can be, I was intrigued (though doubtful). As a teenager, I think I used a standard double-edged disposable blade (Schick or Gillette), a foam or gel, and always before a shower. Terrible.
In my 30s, I bought a Norelco triple-head rotary, which was only slightly better, but it always left me with redness and a burning sensation. About 10 years ago, I finally stopped shaving altogether and simply ran my Wahl clippers over my face. Thankfully, I didn't have a job that required a close shave, so I could get away with the semi-scruffy look.
Once I was turned onto the idea of a wet-shave (largely due to a number of posts on this and several other sites), I thought I'd give it a shot. I have a tendency to like all things old school, so I figured if they were good enough for previous generations of shavers, a Gillette would be good enough for me. I wound up buying a Gillette Super Speed off eBay, which came in the mail today. It's a sweet looking rig, and seems to work as advertised.
I didn't have anything other shaving paraphernalia to go with it so, once it came I just HAD to give it a trial run. I ran out and bought a brush, several soaps, and some blades.
I started with a hot shower to soften things up. Stepping out of the shower, I left my face wet. I lathered up the soap, but had some difficulty getting a nice, thick lather to stay on my face. It seemed to dissipate a lot faster than I'd anticipated, requiring several re-applications. Knowing the razor was not adjustable I was careful not to apply pressure, but wasn't getting a clean shave with each stroke (some whiskers left behind). I revisited these areas, applying a bit more pressure (which, as I understand is not the thing to do), which was more effective in cutting through the scruff.
I was lucky enough to avoid any cuts on the cheeks/neck, but got 4-5 nicks on the chin, which were quickly addressed with a styptic pencil. A little hot water to wash off the residual lather, a splash of cold water to close up the pores, and a little aftershave balm to finish things off.
Final evaluation: A little redness and burn, but the burn wore off after about an hour. Pretty darn close shave, but missed a few areas around the mouth, where I was fairly tentative. I suspect that'll improve as I get better about wielding the razor around the hard-to-get areas. It's been so long since I've dragged a blade over my face I'm not sure I can give a cheapy disposable vs. DE razor comparison, and it's still a little too early in the process for me to give an accurate evaluation of the overall DE shaving experience. These things take time. Oh, and the products I used, I'm sure, are not the best to be had, but were all I could find. I'm sure there are huge improvements to be gained by using better products and am open to suggestions.
Products used:
-- 1964 Gillette Super Speed
-- The Art of Shaving Pure Badger Brush. I know this is the lowest on the quality rung, but it was the only badger brush I found tonight. The local drug stores only carried boar, which I know to avoid. I found the brush I bought to be a little prickly, but am under the impression that will soften over time.
-- Kroger Stainless Steel DE blades (I found only generics tonight. I was surprised that none of the local grocery/drug stores carried anything other than their own brand. Does one have to order these specially to get a better blade?).
-- "Dusk" shave soap by Herban Cowboy. First time I've ever used a shave soap, so I don't know if this is good, bad, or something else. The scent wasn't terribly interesting, but wasn't offensive.
-- "Javari" aftershave balm by The Body Shop. I've had this in the drawer for years, and I have several other products in the same vein, but went with this tonight. It left my face a little shiny, which is NOT a look I want in the future.
-- Clubman Pinaud styptic pencil. A styptic pencil's a styptic pencil, right?
Sorry for the length of the post. I simply wanted to provide a newbie's background and experience; would love to get some input as to where I can improve my process/materials to achieve a better experience.
I don't even remember now what got me on the path of a wet-shave. Until a month ago, I didn't even know what one was. I've never had an enjoyable shaving experience, so when I heard/read about how great a wet-shave can be, I was intrigued (though doubtful). As a teenager, I think I used a standard double-edged disposable blade (Schick or Gillette), a foam or gel, and always before a shower. Terrible.
In my 30s, I bought a Norelco triple-head rotary, which was only slightly better, but it always left me with redness and a burning sensation. About 10 years ago, I finally stopped shaving altogether and simply ran my Wahl clippers over my face. Thankfully, I didn't have a job that required a close shave, so I could get away with the semi-scruffy look.
Once I was turned onto the idea of a wet-shave (largely due to a number of posts on this and several other sites), I thought I'd give it a shot. I have a tendency to like all things old school, so I figured if they were good enough for previous generations of shavers, a Gillette would be good enough for me. I wound up buying a Gillette Super Speed off eBay, which came in the mail today. It's a sweet looking rig, and seems to work as advertised.
I didn't have anything other shaving paraphernalia to go with it so, once it came I just HAD to give it a trial run. I ran out and bought a brush, several soaps, and some blades.
I started with a hot shower to soften things up. Stepping out of the shower, I left my face wet. I lathered up the soap, but had some difficulty getting a nice, thick lather to stay on my face. It seemed to dissipate a lot faster than I'd anticipated, requiring several re-applications. Knowing the razor was not adjustable I was careful not to apply pressure, but wasn't getting a clean shave with each stroke (some whiskers left behind). I revisited these areas, applying a bit more pressure (which, as I understand is not the thing to do), which was more effective in cutting through the scruff.
I was lucky enough to avoid any cuts on the cheeks/neck, but got 4-5 nicks on the chin, which were quickly addressed with a styptic pencil. A little hot water to wash off the residual lather, a splash of cold water to close up the pores, and a little aftershave balm to finish things off.
Final evaluation: A little redness and burn, but the burn wore off after about an hour. Pretty darn close shave, but missed a few areas around the mouth, where I was fairly tentative. I suspect that'll improve as I get better about wielding the razor around the hard-to-get areas. It's been so long since I've dragged a blade over my face I'm not sure I can give a cheapy disposable vs. DE razor comparison, and it's still a little too early in the process for me to give an accurate evaluation of the overall DE shaving experience. These things take time. Oh, and the products I used, I'm sure, are not the best to be had, but were all I could find. I'm sure there are huge improvements to be gained by using better products and am open to suggestions.
Products used:
-- 1964 Gillette Super Speed
-- The Art of Shaving Pure Badger Brush. I know this is the lowest on the quality rung, but it was the only badger brush I found tonight. The local drug stores only carried boar, which I know to avoid. I found the brush I bought to be a little prickly, but am under the impression that will soften over time.
-- Kroger Stainless Steel DE blades (I found only generics tonight. I was surprised that none of the local grocery/drug stores carried anything other than their own brand. Does one have to order these specially to get a better blade?).
-- "Dusk" shave soap by Herban Cowboy. First time I've ever used a shave soap, so I don't know if this is good, bad, or something else. The scent wasn't terribly interesting, but wasn't offensive.
-- "Javari" aftershave balm by The Body Shop. I've had this in the drawer for years, and I have several other products in the same vein, but went with this tonight. It left my face a little shiny, which is NOT a look I want in the future.
-- Clubman Pinaud styptic pencil. A styptic pencil's a styptic pencil, right?
Sorry for the length of the post. I simply wanted to provide a newbie's background and experience; would love to get some input as to where I can improve my process/materials to achieve a better experience.
Get you some better soap. Van der Hagen Deluxe is sold at Wal-mart, Wal greens and CVS Pharmacies. It's cheap and is a quality consistent performing soap that you can stick with while not changing any variables while your improving your technique.
