Here are my supplies and my results.....

[jduffy]

With a lot of research here I wound up getting the Merkur Long Classic, the Crabtree and Evelynn Travel Brush, the Sweet Almond Oil shaving cream from C&E, and to finish it off Baxter of California's after shave.



I'm not a big smells guy but that Sweet Almond Oil should be an ice cream or whipped topping it smells so good. I also liked the suggestions for the Baxters which really finishes nicely.

I was pretty nervous what with it being my first time but I tried to remember all the great advice here. One of the best tips was listening for the right sound. I think it's a kind of dull popping sound of the whiskers being cut. It is a really different shaving experience. Also, I really liked the Long Classic compared to the HD which in the store just felt like it wasn't in my hand securely. The long handle gives very nice control.

To be sure I didn't get the greatest shave of my life but I have no razor burn and only cut myself once on the chin. What is the best way to go about shaving the chin? It seems very difficult to get a smooth motion there.

Day one and I'm very happy with all of the products and the shave as well. I realize it's a steep learning curve and that I'll get a few more cuts in the future. On the bright side, I'm only bleeding in one place where normally it would be five or six spots, and I have ZERO bumps on my neck. That in and of itself is reason to cheer wildly. I'm hoping this cures my ingrown hair problem.

Thanks for everything and if you have any chin advice, I'd love to hear it.

- Jim

 

[TheYoshi]

I'm totally with you on the long handle, I can't imagine dealing with a handle any shorter!?

I'm somewhat new to the DE scene myself, my chin I don't cut I need to just re-lather and shave more times on the chin because I'm more timid and sometimes don't get the angle quite right, I'm sure it gets easier with time.

The area I DO struggle with big-time is under my nose, the large rounded head just doesn't seem to want to allow me to get a decent blade angle there and it's very difficult to get close, any suggestions there in addition to the chin suggestions?

 

[jmhUT]

Well done Jim,
Your choice of cream in particular was quite sage if you are into the lighter scents. It is quite good in its own right as well. I too much prefer the long handle, although mine is a long handle Gillette adjustable. You would do well to continue down the path you have started on. I don't know what advice you have received in the past but the first part of the "sound" is: Place the razor HEAD against your skin (not the safety bar) with the handle parallel to the floor. Rotate the head downward until you hear the sound you describe. That is the proper angle. Continue the pass with multiple short strokes. You are ahead of the curve with a cautious approach. I erred on the aggressive side in the beginning and boy, let me tell you, you are better off with a not so close shave.

Regarding your chin question: You may benefit from a second, across the grain pass; either sideways or at a diagonal. Of course, rinse and relather first. The key is to gradually reduce the stubble with multiple passes rather than clearing an area with one pass. Approaching the grain from different angles is most beneficial in gradually achieving the closeness you are after. Also, don't do an against the grain pass or obsess over every last hair for the first few weeks. Keep at it exactly as you are, add a second with the grain pass and do that for a week. Then maybe replace it with the across the grain pass. You will have to experiment a little to find out what works best for you. One of the best pieces of advice I got when I started was to let my beard grow for a couple days and then map the grain. I was surprised at just which directions my beard was growing. Once I did that I was better able to tailor my approach.

This should help your ingrown hair issue quite a bit. Cartricges do "lift and cut" just like they claim to. The hair then sinks down below the skin's surface and you get ingrowns. DE shaving cuts, rather than pulls/shears righ on the surface. This is also why a single pass doesn't really shave that close.
Keep at it and check in with us regularly to let us know how you progress.
Cheers,
Jeff

 

[jmhUT]

Yoshi, the "under the nose" issue is common with Merkurs since the head is a bit rounded. This is a pretty safe area to trim up with a cartridte IMO. It's not the purist approach but the skin in this area is typically well up to the task of handling the inferior, dull blades of the cartridge. A better solution would be to try one of the Gillette models. The heads are smaller and easier to get in there with. Many member use Merkurs though and I am sure one of them will chime in at some point with how to best approach this area with the gear you already have.
Cheers,
Jeff

 

[Kyle]

Nice kit, Jim, and congrats on completing your first REAL shave.

 

[rschul2]

Hang with it Jim, things will get even better. As far as the chin, the more you shave the better YOU will come to know that area and you will develop your own techniques for getting it smooth. I find that after my usual N-S, S-N, and E-W passes that the chin area is the one spot that I constantly have to do touch ups. It' just the way it is. Just be sure to add more cream or water for your touch up passes to keep razor irritation to a minimum.

 

[Jim]

Jim
Congratulations on your taking the DE plunge!

Jim

 

[mrob]

Bravo, Jim!

 

[Joedy]

Welcome to the club, Jim.

-joedy

 

[Jonnybc]

Well done Jim. I'm not sure starting so well is a good thing though, your next shaves will have a lot to live up to!

 

[Leisureguy]

Very nice set of supplies and tools. For my chin, I have found that that this works for me: a first downward pass, followed (after rinsing and relathering) a pass of sort of diagonal strokes (the whole head of the razor turned) toward the point of the chin, followed (after r & r) an upward pass.

 

[misterjoshua]

Interesting... I'm looking forward to getting a gillette because of the lip area... I've finally been able not to leave too much stubble on the chin.

Josh

 

[Scotto]

Great job. It can take a fair amount of time to learn what works for your individual traits, so stick with it and you'll get there. The chin can be quite problematic, and will often take several passes with different angles to get it completely smooth. My advice is to take it slow and add a pass at a time while giving your face time to adapt to the new regimen in between. You may not get the perfect shave for a while, but your face will thank you. For reference, my chin gets 4 passes: N-S with my first pass, edge of lips to centerline, directly E-W & W-E, and S-N. Don't try this to begin with or you will be very sore; build up to it and learn what works for you.

Similar story on the upper lip. I do N-S, edge of lip to centerline, and S-N. Be careful on that last pass.

 

[guenron]

While all of the sage advice is great, when it comes to trimming under your nose there are approaches to the problem for the different facial topographies. And, while the head on the Long Handled Classic might be round, it is by no means a behemoth that precludes getting those tiny little hairs under your nostrils as it is not HIGH and massive.
First, let us disabuse ourselves of the idea of going at it from the bottom of the lip upward. Save this approach for when you can routinely produce an exceptionally well-shaved upper lip. So after you have done your level best with a top down stroke (N-S), you have to relather and take careful outside to inside strokes right at the interior of the nostrils (E-W and W-E). Depending upon your facial topography, you may wish to pull the upper lip down by making the funny face brought about by partially pursing your lips and opening your mouth. This displaces the hairy area under the nose a bit lower where you can clear it with the E-W and W-E strokes. Exercise care! (Caution!) Excessive zeal here can result in some nasty nicks. Good luck and remember, it's only shaving!

 

[jduffy]

Great post Ron and thanks for the sage advice. After a skinny multi-blade it takes some real thought into getting under the old nose with the Merkur and you're right on target. Going very slowly and taking the time is certainly key.

- Jim

 

[Leisureguy]

I often think that one of the benefits of this method of shaving is how it forces one, more or less, to slow down and do things thoughtfully and carefully. So much of the day is spent rushing here and there, multitasking, that we can lose the sense of taking our time about something. Shaving serves as a daily reminder of what it's like to take one's time and be unhurried.

 

[guenron]

Thanks Jim. On occassion I feel as though some of these things are diadactic and I feel silly until I realize that I've learned these over the years or from my long dead friend and barber Sy Brotman.