General Observations Newbie and Shave Progress.three week mark! Comments Please

[kg4fxg]

Morning all,

I am new to DE shaving and refuse to give up. Let me list what I am using as it might help with comments/suggestions?

Muhle R89
Merkur Futur
Proraso Green Soap
Arco Soap
Feather Blades
Badger Brush

OK, the brush says it is from the Art of Shaving? With a plastic holder. I don't even remember buying it. My first mistake was mixing the soap to get a lather. I don't have a separate shaving bowl so I have been using a small chrome cat food bowl. You can find them in the grocery store. It seems to work but adding a little water helps to create the lather. I don't seem to have luck going from Proraso bowl to face. Some might do it in videos. I want to try Taylor of Old Bond Street soap. Have fun and try plenty I am sure I will find favorites and do you all really only have two kinds of soaps?

The razors are interesting. Here are the two big newbie questions?

Short Handle verses Long Handle?
Adjustable verses non-adjustable?

And yes I have read the instructions (guidance) and searched the forum. My mind wants to think Long Handle but I don't think it matters. Does one cut you more? I guess it is all in the angle. I am going back to the Muhle short handle today to see.

Adjustable verses Non-Adjustable. There are not too many new adjustable razors out there. Thought about trying a Gillette off eBay. Maybe Fatboy or Slim. But truth be told we find a setting and normally leave it there so again what it the point if you only shave on setting 2 or 3? You are making an adjustable fixed. Unless you change the setting for pass two?

In terms of Open or Closed comb I have just tried the closed ones. And I am sure with practice I can get a good shave with a closed comb. Also was thinking of trying a Merkur Classic. I just want to eliminate the chance of major face damage.

I am too OCD about blade being off and not lined up perfectly. Not 100% sold on the Futur but it does give a fine shave. Some razors bend the blade. Should I be concerned?

With all the stuff I am sure everyone has at least 5 razors and they then form an opinion. I am sure no one has just one razor? Maybe there should be a Top 5 razors all newbies should try? My point in all of this was to save money. In the long run because it is insane to buy blades for my other razor a Mach3.

Some days I do just one pass. Others I can do two passes and I can get as close as a Mach3.

Skin irritation!
Many have this issue. Getting the soap to lather is huge. I also put on Gillette after shave balm. Small blue slippery stuff that you can buy at Walmart for $2.88. And using a warm/hot wash cloth before shaving helps so much. Skin irritation gone.

Blades
I use Feather blades. I want sharp and that does not mean they cut me. But this is not the Mach3 that I can use for a month. I have been changing my blades after every three shaves. They are cheap. If I don't change them I get more nicks or razor burn and skin irritation. I have tried the variety packs as well. What I have learned? Just change them! Comments?

Just some observations from a total newbie. Feel free to comment. I promise I won't take offense and I will read the comments. Just trying to figure it all out. I am sure the above issues are on the mind of all newbies. Been doing this for three weeks. I do see this working and no turning back

What is next? New Brush? Shaving Bowl? Next Razor to try?
Thanks

Bill

 

[Floyd Eye]

Conventional wisdom dictates you should stick to one razor, one soap, one blade while getting your technique sorted out. I didn't, but I think I probably got a handle on the whole thing quicker than a lot of people.

In my experience, albeit pretty limited, you can get used to nearly any razor so handle length, weight, etc. is really all a matter of what is more comfortable to you.

Less than 3 shaves in with an EJ86 ( my first DE) I started in on vintage Gillettes. Slim and Fat Boy. I have a larger collection today, mostly Gillette TTOs, but the FB remains my favorite. And I don't always use it on the same setting. It's true that a Red Tip is similar in aggressiveness to a FB set on about 5, but it is still not the same shave. There are a lot of great options available to DE shavers so I wouldn't get too wrapped up in finding the perfect razor at only 3 weeks in. That said, 40s style Super Speeds are very smooth shavers and make great daily drivers. They can be had on eBay cheap.

Feathers are my number one blade. I read on a thread here last night that some guy routinely gets 40+ shaves out of a Feather. For me the cut off is 4 and the 4th shave isn't as good, so I toss them after 3. Gillette Platinums are also great blades for me, although they are no longer made and so they are more expensive than Feathers. Silver Blues and 7:00 yellows are also nice and smooth. You can go to tryablade.com and buy individual blades pretty cheap. That's a good way to try a lot of different blades and find out which ones work best for you in which razor, etc..

I have used badger, boar and synthetic brushes. The $10 Maggards 22 mm synthetic works as well as any of them and better than most.

Different days bring different moods and different shaves. Some days I will do 3 passes. If I get a shave every day I might opt for 2 passes with a milder razor or even 1 pass with a mild(ish) razor and a sharp blade. It all depends how I am feeling at the moment.


These are my opinions and observations as a guy with less than 3 months experience.

 

[BSAGuy]

What's next, you ask.

I suggest that you just take a deep breath and relax. This is only shaving. No need to obsess about blade alignment/perfect soap/cream/brush/razor/blade/brush/water softness/water temp/perfect razor/perfect balm/perfect after shave.

Does that make sense?

Just enjoy the experience. Billions of men have been doing this for hundreds of years (100 with DE blades), so you can do it as well.

Experiment, watch some YouTube videos if you want, relax and enjoy the experience. If you mess up (you won't), good thing is that you get to do it all over again tomorrow.

Cheers.

 

[matwho]

If you are looking to buy just 1 razor that gives you close smooth shaves the rest of your life then I would recommend the Rockwell 6S. It's stainless steel and adjustable.
If you can't get the lather from the bowl to your face you might be using to much water to make your lather.

 

[kg4fxg]

If you are looking to buy just 1 razor that gives you close smooth shaves the rest of your life then I would recommend the Rockwell 6S. It's stainless steel and adjustable.
If you can't get the lather from the bowl to your face you might be using to much water to make your lather.

I will check out the Rockwell 6S. So far it looks impressive.

I shaved today with the Muhle R89. Three passes no nicks. As close as Mach3! Handle is short, did that matter - no. And I appreciate the advice to stick with it for awhile. The Muhle is so gentle. Just because it is classified as a good beginner or non aggressive does not translate into it does not provide a close shave.

I am also inclined to follow the other advice, enjoy the shave and each day technique will get better. There is a whole world of soaps to try and pamper myself. And these razors are a piece of art. Not the cheap plastic things I have used in the past.

Thanks
Bill

 

[xxvaleria]

Welcome to the club, Bill. Glad to have you aboard.

 

[MichWR]

With a vintage Gillette adjustable, you have 9 different settings to find what works for you. Even if you end up leaving it on one setting, it's cheaper than buying several different razors to find what works for you. I typically use mine at settings 5-7 depending on my mood that day.

I started with a Merkur 38C which has a long handle. I suppose it was closer in length to the Mach 3 I had been using. Several vintage razors later and I really don't pay any attention to handle length . . . . . although I do prefer the Fatboy's shorter, fatter handle to that of the Slim's.

 

[YKMV]

[MENTION=59150]kg4fxg[/MENTION]

Tell us about how your are making your lather.
The cat food bowl is fine.. I use dog food bowls...
Soak the brush for 3-5 minutes and squeeze it out.
A few dabs of the DAMP brush in the Poraso then start working it around in the bowl until it starts to lather.
A few drops or a quick dip of the brush in water to add a TINY bit at a time and continue working it.
Yogurty is what is desired but I rarely get that and still have slick shaves.
Then put it on your face and continue to work it for a couple of minutes then let it soak in for 2 more before you shave.

Long or short handle.. I have both and when I switch from one to the other it always takes a day or two to adjust.
I suggest you pick one and spend 14 shaves with it before your judge.. then try the other, if you wish, but don't go back and forth daily.

and to answer your question of "What's Next?" Consistency... no more changes for 14 days.. I dare you.

 

[Graybeard57]

Conventional wisdom dictates you should stick to one razor, one soap, one blade while getting your technique sorted out.

This will help. Stick with one setup. Go with what works best for you now, and you'll be able to refine your technique faster. Plenty of time for experimentation later. Technique is the most important, IMO. And yes, the blades are meant to be bent as you tighten down the razor. Enjoy your shaves!

 

[kg4fxg]

@kg4fxg

Tell us about how your are making your lather.
The cat food bowl is fine.. I use dog food bowls...
Soak the brush for 3-5 minutes and squeeze it out.
A few dabs of the DAMP brush in the Poraso then start working it around in the bowl until it starts to lather.
A few drops or a quick dip of the brush in water to add a TINY bit at a time and continue working it.
Yogurty is what is desired but I rarely get that and still have slick shaves.
Then put it on your face and continue to work it for a couple of minutes then let it soak in for 2 more before you shave.

Long or short handle.. I have both and when I switch from one to the other it always takes a day or two to adjust.
I suggest you pick one and spend 14 shaves with it before your judge.. then try the other, if you wish, but don't go back and forth daily.

and to answer your question of "What's Next?" Consistency... no more changes for 14 days.. I dare you.

Maybe I should soak the brush? I just run it under warm water. Shake a little in the bowl and the rest in the sink before I run it around the Poraso.

I agree with the others, stick with one method for awhile. Perfect the shave and the cream. It will come in time.

 

[SmurfK]

Short Handle verses Long Handle?
Adjustable verses non-adjustable?

The short vs long handle is a personal preference, based on the type of razor. As I used the Muhle R89 with short/regular handle, and I'm planning to get an R41 in the near future, I'm pretty sure that the R41 will be "grande", with a big handle, as I remember that the R89 had some balance problems that I didn't enjoy too much. I usually make a search, see if there are complaints about the weight of the razor. If there are, I might pick the long handle. It does not make as much difference. I think that general balance is more important.

About adjustable, if all razors would have adjustable versions, I would always go for that version. Simple as that. Just having the option to adjust a razor is huge for me. I like it, and I had success with adjustable.

But truth be told we find a setting and normally leave it there so again what it the point if you only shave on setting 2 or 3? You are making an adjustable fixed.

Well, you are getting a razor that you can adjust however you want. My Futur is pretty much set in place at 3, I'm making some adjustments, from time to time, when I use different blades. This mean that I'm not taking advantage by an adjustable razor? In my opinion, no. If I would have that Futur at 1 all the time, I wouldn't get as great shaves as I do now, and I wouldn't get good shaves if I would have it at 6. I just found my sweet spot, that was the point of an adjustable.

In terms of Open or Closed comb I have just tried the closed ones. And I am sure with practice I can get a good shave with a closed comb. Also was thinking of trying a Merkur Classic. I just want to eliminate the chance of major face damage.

I don't actually see too much difference. For my face, there are good shavers and bad shavers, no matter what design they carry.

I am too OCD about blade being off and not lined up perfectly. Not 100% sold on the Futur but it does give a fine shave. Some razors bend the blade. Should I be concerned?

I'll tell you what. As soon as you stop giving a damn, you'll have better shaves. When I first got my Fatip I was bummed out about it not keeping the blade aligned all the time, so I had to fiddle with it. Now I just don't care anymore. It shaves just as fine. I don't actually feel small blade misalignments unless I notice them beforehand. I think that for most people is a mental thing. Of course, there are exceptions, when the blade is much more exposed on one side, and you feel the difference. But for small, minuscule misalignments, it's not a real problem.

With all the stuff I am sure everyone has at least 5 razors and they then form an opinion. I am sure no one has just one razor? Maybe there should be a Top 5 razors all newbies should try? My point in all of this was to save money. In the long run because it is insane to buy blades for my other razor a Mach3.

I think that the whole process of buying your first razor should be viewed a bit different. Right now, we have mindless DE89 advocates, that will recommend that crappy razor to everyone, no matter if they are 15 years old, with almost no facial hair, or 60, with a thick stubble. We have different forms and aggression on different razors because people understood that there's not a razor for everyone. DE89 might work on a young guy, but someone with more facial hair will have problems with it. A razor should be picked so it will serve your face well. An DE beginner with a big stubble shouldn't be scared into staying away from a Fatip Grande just because it is considered aggressive.

What is next? New Brush? Shaving Bowl? Next Razor to try?

Only you can answer to those questions. It's your shaving experience, improve it as you see fit.

 

[kg4fxg]

Thanks for the well thought out feedback. I appreciate the honesty!