I've been lurking the forums for awhile now and recently decided I was ready to dive into the world of DE shaving. I thought I would tell you a bit about my experience and say thank you for the fantastic resources here at B&B.
I was always under the impression that shaving with a DE was outdated, difficult, and dangerous, so I never gave it much thought until I stumbled upon this community and fund out from a friend that he uses a DE and loves it.
So why did I decide to get into it?
Price: I was recently using Gillette Fusion razors and like many others I've been frustrated at their business strategy. Their handles are loss leaders for their blades. A few months worth of Fusion blades is $50-60. That much money can buy 2 years worth of blades (changing them each week).
Problem Beard: I'm one of those poor guys (ok, I don't feel THAT sorry for myself) whose beard looks like alien crop circles. I've tried using expensive electric razors, but they only chewed up my neck. The razor burn was unbearable. I heard hear and elsewhere that a good DE can work well for problem beards.
Vanity: Let's be honest, a double edge razor looks and feels classy. There's a bit of vanity in shaving with one, aside from all its practicality.
After spending some time researching what to get, I found a fantastic supplier here in Canada. I won't spam up the forum with their link, since I'm not sure if it's against the rules or not. I purchased a Merkur 34C HD razor, a Vulfix 660S Super Badger brush, and a stand to sit them in. On the advice of the forum and dealer, I also picked up a sampler of blades including Precision, Dorco, Derby, Black Feather and Astra. And of course a stiptik pencil. I was preparing to look like Edward Scissorhands after my first attempt with the DE.
The products arrived today and I was eager to get started. I hopped in the shower preparing for the shave. Out of the shower I filled the sink with hot water and dropped the razor in to heat it up. I inserted the merkur platinum that came with the razor already. I had some Proraso in the green tube already because the stuff is great. I put a couple dabs of cream on my wet cheeks, wet the badger brush, and begun lathering.
*sniif sniff*
Whoa! Nothing prepared me for this. The one thing no one tells you. But before that, the brush feels amazing and does an I credible job lathering up the soap. But...DAMN! That smell. Wet badger. Is it ever horrendous. Is as if they took the fur straight from the badger's backside. Seriously. It was putrid.
i was not going to be dissuaded however. I pull the razor out of the hot water and make sure I dry my hands and the razor really well. I don't want to slip and drop the razor on my foot or worse yet cut my throat and paint the bathroom with my blood.
Well, all the tips and advice about pressure, locked wrists, and angles worked because I got a smooth and flawless shave with only the tiniest nick on my neck. I've cut myself more times and worse in a single shave with a Fusion cartridge. Shaving with the DE was FAR easier than I had anticipated and it was one of the closest most satisfying shaves of my life.
So thank you Badger and Blade for providing such an incredible resource that has allowed me to dive into shaving with a DE razor so easily. Let's hope that subsequent shaves go as smoothly and I look forward to finding my favourite blade over the next month.
I was always under the impression that shaving with a DE was outdated, difficult, and dangerous, so I never gave it much thought until I stumbled upon this community and fund out from a friend that he uses a DE and loves it.
So why did I decide to get into it?
Price: I was recently using Gillette Fusion razors and like many others I've been frustrated at their business strategy. Their handles are loss leaders for their blades. A few months worth of Fusion blades is $50-60. That much money can buy 2 years worth of blades (changing them each week).
Problem Beard: I'm one of those poor guys (ok, I don't feel THAT sorry for myself) whose beard looks like alien crop circles. I've tried using expensive electric razors, but they only chewed up my neck. The razor burn was unbearable. I heard hear and elsewhere that a good DE can work well for problem beards.
Vanity: Let's be honest, a double edge razor looks and feels classy. There's a bit of vanity in shaving with one, aside from all its practicality.
After spending some time researching what to get, I found a fantastic supplier here in Canada. I won't spam up the forum with their link, since I'm not sure if it's against the rules or not. I purchased a Merkur 34C HD razor, a Vulfix 660S Super Badger brush, and a stand to sit them in. On the advice of the forum and dealer, I also picked up a sampler of blades including Precision, Dorco, Derby, Black Feather and Astra. And of course a stiptik pencil. I was preparing to look like Edward Scissorhands after my first attempt with the DE.
The products arrived today and I was eager to get started. I hopped in the shower preparing for the shave. Out of the shower I filled the sink with hot water and dropped the razor in to heat it up. I inserted the merkur platinum that came with the razor already. I had some Proraso in the green tube already because the stuff is great. I put a couple dabs of cream on my wet cheeks, wet the badger brush, and begun lathering.
*sniif sniff*
Whoa! Nothing prepared me for this. The one thing no one tells you. But before that, the brush feels amazing and does an I credible job lathering up the soap. But...DAMN! That smell. Wet badger. Is it ever horrendous. Is as if they took the fur straight from the badger's backside. Seriously. It was putrid.
i was not going to be dissuaded however. I pull the razor out of the hot water and make sure I dry my hands and the razor really well. I don't want to slip and drop the razor on my foot or worse yet cut my throat and paint the bathroom with my blood.
Well, all the tips and advice about pressure, locked wrists, and angles worked because I got a smooth and flawless shave with only the tiniest nick on my neck. I've cut myself more times and worse in a single shave with a Fusion cartridge. Shaving with the DE was FAR easier than I had anticipated and it was one of the closest most satisfying shaves of my life.
So thank you Badger and Blade for providing such an incredible resource that has allowed me to dive into shaving with a DE razor so easily. Let's hope that subsequent shaves go as smoothly and I look forward to finding my favourite blade over the next month.
let us know how much you save when RAD, BAD, and SSAD set in
