VicariousLee
01-30-2011, 02:48 PM
Hey all… Short time reader and first time poster. I thought I was insane trying to perfect my shave with my Mach 83 octuple blade or whatever the latest promise of the the perfect shave by Gillette or Schlick was and then some how or another I found B&B and DE Shaving. Ha! I'm not alone… now I wonder what the crazy people are doing.
Anyway… enough of my Mendoza induced attempt at humor. I've been doing this DE thing for about 3 weeks now and have spent, be it good or bad, about 3 hours total hitting B&B for insight… hell I had no idea how to mix up my soap let alone get the funk out of a new badger brush. So thanks for getting me out the door…. and thanks in advance for future insights.
Over the past three weeks I have run into a couple issues and learned a few things. I confess to not even knowing what I don't know at this point! I have been lucky with blade angle and can get close most of the time…. easy to learn hard to master I'd say. But none the less a presentable shave every time. I have only had a couple "bloodlettings" but in reality only small nicks. All have been in my chin, under nose and mouth area. For full disclosure I had a goatee for 20 years up until about a month ago… so I'll chalk those nicks up to inexperience shaving that area and to non-acclimated skin more so than the DE experience.
So lets talk about routine and issues/questions I have…
I typically do 2 passes each morning for my routine and that seems to work well. I shave WTG and my goal is blood free and presentable… not BBS (Yet). I have went thru 5 blades (I have no problem changing blades often… it's about quality of the shave not how long I can make a blade last to me). I have tried; Derby (okay), Windsor (NO!), Astra (okay) and Feather(Outstanding!) Blades. I know some will say stick with one brand for a while but c'mon… you know if it is right or not relatively quickly… like dates… some dates warrant a second date others you know it's not a match. So… after a few switches I am really happy with Feather and will "date" that for a while and see what happens.
After reading a few reviews on B&B I ordered Geo F. Trumper Sandalwood Shave Soap
and Tabac Shave Soap. I have ONLY used the GFT so far but now that I have a good feel on the blade I may make an exploratory move to the Tabac or D.R. Harris (Keep Reading for D.R. thoughts). My stumbling block right now is shaving soap and this is where I really need some insight (Read: HELP). I live at about 6,500' MSL so not nearly as much oxygen in the air and the humidity right now in my house is about 20% - on a good day. Getting good lather has been a bit of a challenge. I'm getting closer but have really had to increase the wetness of the brush and the amount of water I put on the soap just prior to mixing. I typically soak my brush in hot water while in the shower and also moisten my soap with "4 fingers" of water. Then hit the soap with more water before starting the mix. I get good lather, I think, and have plenty of it. My issue is by the time I reach the second half of my first shave I am starting to dry out already. If I speed up I get knicks… slow down and get even dryer. The second lathering and shave goes much quicker and I typically have no issues. If I increase the water in the soap I get bubbles instead of lather…. I recognize it is a balance issue between lather:water:timing but would really like some insight from some folks that are at higher altitudes and in aired climates. Those that have never spent anytime at altitude in a dry climate may not appreciate the unique challenges we face.
Now, beyond getting my DE apothecary right I'm pretty damn happy! My shaves feel great and I'm sure my wife notices the difference…. whether after 20+ years together she'll ever admit it or not… My next major phase in my DE phase is to create my "scent". I'm not really a fan of your scent entering the room before you do. I think less is more and heck, the closer "she" needs to get to me to verify that pleasant scent is from me the better. That said, I found the D. R. Harris Arlington product line and am going to give that a try, shaving soap and all. Unless… some fellow B&Bers steer me away from the D.R. Harris soap because of my altitude and humidity challenges and point me toward my reserve of Tabac instead.
I'm trying to avoid excessive AD but at the same time I am not afraid to experiment. I'm also a fan of the "buy right cry once" philosophy. Quality is important and comes at a price in my mind. As long as the product can back up the price I'm good. Buying a "name" without the quality to back it up is a waste.
Thanks for any insight, suggestions, comments, stock tips, jokes, wine (PIF: The Prisoner) or music tips (PIF: John Butler Trio).
Live While You Live!
Vicarious Lee
~~~~~~~~~~~
My current set up:
Edwin Jagger Double Edge Safety Razor Chrome Plated
Feather Blades
Geo F. Trumper Sandalwood Shave Soap on active duty and Tabac Soap in reserve.
Parker 100% Silvertip Badger Bristle Shaving Chrome Handle Brush
Under serious consideration….
D. R. Harris Arlington Shave Soap, Aftershave, Cologne. (For a trial of the "personal scent" philosophy. Not really in to scents but this one seems mild but reportedly "memorable".)
Anyway… enough of my Mendoza induced attempt at humor. I've been doing this DE thing for about 3 weeks now and have spent, be it good or bad, about 3 hours total hitting B&B for insight… hell I had no idea how to mix up my soap let alone get the funk out of a new badger brush. So thanks for getting me out the door…. and thanks in advance for future insights.
Over the past three weeks I have run into a couple issues and learned a few things. I confess to not even knowing what I don't know at this point! I have been lucky with blade angle and can get close most of the time…. easy to learn hard to master I'd say. But none the less a presentable shave every time. I have only had a couple "bloodlettings" but in reality only small nicks. All have been in my chin, under nose and mouth area. For full disclosure I had a goatee for 20 years up until about a month ago… so I'll chalk those nicks up to inexperience shaving that area and to non-acclimated skin more so than the DE experience.
So lets talk about routine and issues/questions I have…
I typically do 2 passes each morning for my routine and that seems to work well. I shave WTG and my goal is blood free and presentable… not BBS (Yet). I have went thru 5 blades (I have no problem changing blades often… it's about quality of the shave not how long I can make a blade last to me). I have tried; Derby (okay), Windsor (NO!), Astra (okay) and Feather(Outstanding!) Blades. I know some will say stick with one brand for a while but c'mon… you know if it is right or not relatively quickly… like dates… some dates warrant a second date others you know it's not a match. So… after a few switches I am really happy with Feather and will "date" that for a while and see what happens.
After reading a few reviews on B&B I ordered Geo F. Trumper Sandalwood Shave Soap
and Tabac Shave Soap. I have ONLY used the GFT so far but now that I have a good feel on the blade I may make an exploratory move to the Tabac or D.R. Harris (Keep Reading for D.R. thoughts). My stumbling block right now is shaving soap and this is where I really need some insight (Read: HELP). I live at about 6,500' MSL so not nearly as much oxygen in the air and the humidity right now in my house is about 20% - on a good day. Getting good lather has been a bit of a challenge. I'm getting closer but have really had to increase the wetness of the brush and the amount of water I put on the soap just prior to mixing. I typically soak my brush in hot water while in the shower and also moisten my soap with "4 fingers" of water. Then hit the soap with more water before starting the mix. I get good lather, I think, and have plenty of it. My issue is by the time I reach the second half of my first shave I am starting to dry out already. If I speed up I get knicks… slow down and get even dryer. The second lathering and shave goes much quicker and I typically have no issues. If I increase the water in the soap I get bubbles instead of lather…. I recognize it is a balance issue between lather:water:timing but would really like some insight from some folks that are at higher altitudes and in aired climates. Those that have never spent anytime at altitude in a dry climate may not appreciate the unique challenges we face.
Now, beyond getting my DE apothecary right I'm pretty damn happy! My shaves feel great and I'm sure my wife notices the difference…. whether after 20+ years together she'll ever admit it or not… My next major phase in my DE phase is to create my "scent". I'm not really a fan of your scent entering the room before you do. I think less is more and heck, the closer "she" needs to get to me to verify that pleasant scent is from me the better. That said, I found the D. R. Harris Arlington product line and am going to give that a try, shaving soap and all. Unless… some fellow B&Bers steer me away from the D.R. Harris soap because of my altitude and humidity challenges and point me toward my reserve of Tabac instead.
I'm trying to avoid excessive AD but at the same time I am not afraid to experiment. I'm also a fan of the "buy right cry once" philosophy. Quality is important and comes at a price in my mind. As long as the product can back up the price I'm good. Buying a "name" without the quality to back it up is a waste.
Thanks for any insight, suggestions, comments, stock tips, jokes, wine (PIF: The Prisoner) or music tips (PIF: John Butler Trio).
Live While You Live!
Vicarious Lee
~~~~~~~~~~~
My current set up:
Edwin Jagger Double Edge Safety Razor Chrome Plated
Feather Blades
Geo F. Trumper Sandalwood Shave Soap on active duty and Tabac Soap in reserve.
Parker 100% Silvertip Badger Bristle Shaving Chrome Handle Brush
Under serious consideration….
D. R. Harris Arlington Shave Soap, Aftershave, Cologne. (For a trial of the "personal scent" philosophy. Not really in to scents but this one seems mild but reportedly "memorable".)