3 Things You Wish You Had Known...

[josroge]

This is a question from a newbie to you more experienced users.

What are 3 things you wish you would have known, or would have done differently when you started out?



I think there is a ton of insight us new guys can learn from your past experiences.

[aggiegrads]

Great topic!

1. Change one thing at a time.
2. Good lather is more important than the razor, less important than the right blade
3. Don't get discouraged by your first week's, or even your first month's shaves. It will keep getting better the longer you do it. This holds true for me even three years into this.

[Jnyboer]

1. Go slow. Before I started DE shaving, shaving was a race, and I still sometimes rush it.
2. Stick with one razor and one type of blade for a while. It's a lot easier to work on technique if you don't throw new (significant) variables into the mix.
3. Have everything you buy after your first razor, brush, cream/soap, etc. sent to your office. That way you can sneak it into the house discretely after your wife is in bed.

[bluetip84]

So far so good keep the advice coming. As a fellow newbie myself I look forward to what the experts have to say.

[the_edski]

1. I wish that I knew "DE shaving will save you money over carts" had an addendum "...only if you live in outer Mongolia and can't use the internet"
2. Even if you think you are using no pressure, you are using too much!
3. Take your time and don't rush!

[cvac]

1. Low grade badger brushes can cause face burn
2. Sharp blades work better than dull ones
3. Moisturizing your after shaving and before bed leads to better, more comfortable shaves.

[josroge]

2. Good lather is more important than the razor, less important than the right blade


Great Point! I think a lot of the new guys don't realize that good lather and blade angle trumps the razor/blade combination.



3. Have everything you buy after your first razor, brush, cream/soap, etc. sent to your office. That way you can sneak it into the house discretely after your wife is in bed.

I laughed out loud at this one!


1. I wish that I knew "DE shaving will save you money over carts" had an addendum "...only if you live in outer Mongolia and can't use the internet"
2. Even if you think you are using no pressure, you are using too much!


So true on both of these.

[dundak]

1. Technique is much much much more important then equipment
2. No pressure means No pressure
3. Great lather and mediocre blade > poor lather and great blade

[dpm802]

1) Let the lather sit for a few minutes and soak into your beard, then fluff it up with a re-wetted brush before you apply the razor.

2) Whenever you find a product you love, it will soon be discontinued or reformulated.

3) Don't expect your family, friends or co-workers to "get it." They never understand what draws us here and keeps us coming back for more.

[Klos Shave]

I may not be all that experienced, but I've got a few "wish I'd knowns" to share.

1. Map your beard.
2. Short strokes on the neck, about 1".
3. Map your beard. Again. And memorize it :)

[the_edski]

so true it hurts!


2) Whenever you find a product you love, it will soon be discontinued or reformulated.

3) Don't expect your family, friends or co-workers to "get it." They never understand what draws us here and keeps us coming back for more.

[Charles Darwin]

A lot of good advice.

1. Don't be afraid to throw out a blade. This includes mid-shave.
2. If you've got a set amount of money, then buy fewer, more expensive (read: higher quality) products than many more inexpensive ones.
3. Witch hazel is a gift of the Gods.

[Dalejr]

1. Wish I had saved a boat load of money for various AD'S (Currently RAD)
2. Wish I had tried Iridiums before they were discontinued
3. Wish I'd started sooner before both my Grandfathers razors were long gone

[Mad Man]

1. One variable at a time.

2. A new brush/razor/blade/cream/soap will probably NOT make things easier/faster/less burn.

3. Comfort over closeness every time.

[Useless shaver]

1. I wish that I knew "DE shaving will save you money over carts" had an addendum "...only if you live in outer Mongolia and can't use the internet"
2. Even if you think you are using no pressure, you are using too much!
3. Take your time and don't rush!

:lol:

My 3 things are... all of the above!!!

[nosedog]

1. Alum and witch hazel are great aftershaves.
2. Alum is a great deodorant.
3. Just because lots of people on B&B can do ATG passes, doesn't mean you can.

[DoubleB]

1. Map your growth
2. Never use any pressure. Ever.
3. Get a nice quality badger brush instead of the inexpensive drugstore brushes

[takeshi]

The only thing I can think of is don't assume that your first attempt at mapping is final.

However, based on posts I've read I'd add:

Take your time. There's a learning curve and not everyone adapts to it the same. If you're having problems it's likely technique rather than your equipment. Resist the urge to replace equipment to solve your issues until you get your technique down.
Don't overlook the resources here including guides, the wiki and even the forum posts.
Never forget: YMMV with everything. Reviews and popularity are a good start but what suits you best is determined by actually trying things out.
If you're using soaps read the lathering guide. Don't rely on time or number of swirls. Learn to tell when your brush is properly loaded. The former approach is like memorizing a series of steps or a recipe whereas the latter is learning to cook. Change your water/brush/soap and your recipe is thrown off. If you know how to tell when your brush is loaded then you can adapt as needed.

[Omega1975]

1) How important to a good shave stretching my skin was
2) That just a touch of pre shave oil can make a world of a difference
3) Less pressure is better

[Obiwan]

1.) I wish I created an account here sooner. I "lurked" for quite a while before actually setting up a profile.
2.) I wish I spent less time obsessing over what first straight razor to buy. Each day you pine of differences (grind, size, etc) you miss out on time you could be using it. They all will get the job done,
3.) I wish I never told my wife (or myself) I would save money doing this. That said, I have a blast buying stuff.

[imfallen_angel]

1) should have started with DE from the very beginning (decades ago).

2) should have switched to DE years ago when I first heard that they still existed.

3) all that money I wasted on cartridge razors and electrics trying to find something that wouldn't rip my face up, when DE was the answer all along.

[TonyH]

1) Let the lather sit for a few minutes and soak into your beard, then fluff it up with a re-wetted brush before you apply the razor.

2) Whenever you find a product you love, it will soon be discontinued or reformulated.

3) Don't expect your family, friends or co-workers to "get it." They never understand what draws us here and keeps us coming back for more.

This is funny on one hand, true on another. After a while, when you've had some time to experiment and try all kinds of the goodies available to us, you'll find something that's your favorite. STOP EXPERIMENTING. Buy a pile of that stuff immediately. It will always be your go-to product, even as you continue on your journey of exploration. You have that one thing that you love that you can go back to no matter what. And that thing will invariably be discontinued. For me, that thing was Cade AS. I managed to stock up a couple of extra bottles before it went away, but I really wish I'd bought more. Now it's impossible to find and unreasonably expensive when I do. I use it sparingly and continue to try new things. Experiment forever, but keep your favorite in good supply.

[G3rry]

As a newbie myself I just wish I had started 25yrs ago, but am looking forward to learning and improving. Now to just be able to kick these damn AD's :001_unsur

[djm2]

1. Any product that you absolutely think you must have is probably superflous at best.
2. Focus on blade angle
3. If necessary, give your face a rest.

[Argonaut]

1. Wetshaving leads you to B&B
2. B&B leads you to interests in other hobbies
3. Other hobbies quickly multiply, and pretty soon the people at antique stores know you by name and what you're looking for, and on occasion will even call you to let you know a razor, pipe, fountain pen, shaving brush, mug, or old watch just came in!

[Obiwan]

1. Wetshaving leads you to B&B
2. B&B leads you to interests in other hobbies
3. Other hobbies quickly multiply, and pretty soon the people at antique stores know you by name and what you're looking for, and on occasion will even call you to let you know a razor, pipe, fountain pen, shaving brush, mug, or old watch just came in!

Well said

[josroge]

1. Wetshaving leads you to B&B
2. B&B leads you to interests in other hobbies
3. Other hobbies quickly multiply, and pretty soon the people at antique stores know you by name and what you're looking for, and on occasion will even call you to let you know a razor, pipe, fountain pen, shaving brush, mug, or old watch just came in!

I do have a strange urge to buy a nice pen...

[Slash McCoy]

I wish I had known about lapping film before ever buying any razor hones.

[aceinyerface]

1) Shave sticks don't get the chatter they deserve. Try them first. (and a puck can be picked up and used as a stick)

2) Showering and shampooing the beard is a great prep.

3) Face lathering works better.

[aceinyerface]

1. Any product that you absolutely think you must have is probably superflous at best.


I like that one.

[tnt5588]

I'll start by saying that I'm only about three months into de shaving, so these aren't necessarily things I wished I'd known but more things I should have listened to.

1) Map your beard. This can save you a lot of irritation and bloodshed. I was cocky and thought I knew how my beard grew from my cart days. Boy was I wrong and my neck sure let me know.

2) You can get a really fantastic and really close shave without an against the grain pass. WTG and XTG work great.

3) Dont be so worried about making your product last that you skimp out when you're making lather. Using up a tub of cream a week or two sooner is worth the improved lather.

Sorry if this post was a little long.

[noahpictures]

1. Blade sampler packs. Merkur blades are the worst.
2. Tallow soaps.
3. Stiff brushes will cause irritation.

[Matt555]

3. Just because lots of people on B&B can do ATG passes, doesn't mean you can.

Haha

1. Alum block
2. Alum block
3. Alum block (kills any razor burn and just makes my skin feel better after shaving)

[imfallen_angel]

This is funny on one hand, true on another. After a while, when you've had some time to experiment and try all kinds of the goodies available to us, you'll find something that's your favorite. STOP EXPERIMENTING. Buy a pile of that stuff immediately. It will always be your go-to product, even as you continue on your journey of exploration. You have that one thing that you love that you can go back to no matter what. And that thing will invariably be discontinued. For me, that thing was Cade AS. I managed to stock up a couple of extra bottles before it went away, but I really wish I'd bought more. Now it's impossible to find and unreasonably expensive when I do. I use it sparingly and continue to try new things. Experiment forever, but keep your favorite in good supply.

Quite the fact.. but not just for shaving....

Whenever I buy something that works quite well and I know that it's something that I will use on a regular basis, I either run out and get a backup right away, or the moment it's on sale, I get one.

Thanks to this, one example I have is that I have two identical printers (one laser and one photo inkjet) that are in boxes in my basement is case the originals that I'm using goes down.. the prices for these replacements was so low that they were a better purchase than getting the used ones repaired whenever they'll break down.

[Rustonrazor]

[QUOTE=the_edski;3742754]1. I wish that I knew "DE shaving will save you money over carts" had an addendum "...only if you live in outer Mongolia and can't use the internet"


Is this due to the fact that you purchase many things even when you don't need them, or just because creams, brushes, and other are more expensive than cart/goo shaving?

[Rustonrazor]

1. Wetshaving leads you to B&B
2. B&B leads you to interests in other hobbies
3. Other hobbies quickly multiply, and pretty soon the people at antique stores know you by name and what you're looking for, and on occasion will even call you to let you know a razor, pipe, fountain pen, shaving brush, mug, or old watch just came in!

asked about #3 on another thread and to be honest, it scares me!! Ha!

[Klos Shave]

I love threads like this. I'd also add:
Spend lots of time on B&B. There's so much useful info here! And when searching for something specific on B&B you might get better results using google with badgerandblade.com: as part of the search string.

[Snargle]

1) Face Lathering
2) Vintage DE & SE Razors
3) How much all this fun stuff was going to cost me! :ohmy:

[BrianL]

1. If you have hard water buy a water softener, if you cannot afford one now save up for one. This single factor was the biggest improvement to my shaves by far. Lather is eaiser to generate, no brush build up, no spots on your razor, and you end up using less product.
2. Face lather.
3. I forgot what 3 was, I will get back to you after I call Rick Perry.

[ackvil]

1. Map the grain of your beard and plan you shave accordingly.
2. Beard reduction through multiple passes is important before doing and ATG pass.
3. There are grips and procedures (e.g. lock your wrist) that can result in the correct blade angle and no pressure.

[ajs2294]

I may not be all that experienced, but I've got a few "wish I'd knowns" to share.

1. Map your beard.
2. Short strokes on the neck, about 1".
3. Map your beard. Again. And memorize it :)
+1

[windrider]

1. That I'll always take a boar over a badger
2. How to build a good lather
3. Old straights are meant to be rescued.

[nosedog]

[QUOTE=the_edski;3742754]1. I wish that I knew "DE shaving will save you money over carts" had an addendum "...only if you live in outer Mongolia and can't use the internet"

Is this due to the fact that you purchase many things even when you don't need them, or just because creams, brushes, and other are more expensive than cart/goo shaving?

You tend to buy different things to try them out and can end up spending a lot. I spent about $1500 on shaving-related stuff in 9 months. However, the desire to try new things has largely abated and I have enough stuff (blades, cream, soap) to last a long long long long long time.

It's cheaper per shave than cartridge shaving, but it's easy to spend a lot in a little time.

[BZiel]

1. Straight shaving is a form of Zen.
2. Money can buy you anything...except for happiness.
3. After 30+ years of shaving, even Zen becomes a routine.

[DaveNJ74]

1. Beard mapping
2. Cella
3. Witch hazel

[auk1124]

1. Buy less soap and creams in the beginning. All that crap in your "shave den" will be staring you in the face for at least the next three years.
2. Patience. Patience. Patience. It can take months or even years for your skin to calm down if you've been scraping it with a rusty Bic disposable for the last twenty years.
3. Buy less razors in the beginning. Do some research and buy one mild razor, and one mid-level aggressive razor. Stick with whichever one works better for you as you are learning. All those razors are pretty but they won't help you learn how to shave, if you are switching out every other day during your first six months.

[scottish steve]

1. Straight shaving is an occult art, which even 99% of straight-razor sellers know nothing about.
2. The scent of a product is in no way important, except it really is, annoyingly.
3. There is no such thing as heresy in the shaving world. If it works for you to stand on one leg while adding an egg-yoke to your Proraso, good luck to you.

[TonyH]

1. Straight shaving is an occult art, which even 99% of straight-razor sellers know nothing about.
2. The scent of a product is in no way important, except it really is, annoyingly.
3. There is no such thing as heresy in the shaving world. If it works for you to stand on one leg while adding an egg-yoke to your Proraso, good luck to you.

So true.

[Tallbearblue]

I'm loving some of the replies on here. Thanks gents... now for my 2 cents.

1) When first starting out, lather is the most important factor in a decent shave.
2) I wish I would have tried the after shaves with alcohol much sooner. The first one I tried was Pinaud Clubman. After using it for the first time, I was amazed. My AS rotation is currently: Pinaud Clubman, Masters Bay Rum, and Pinaud Bay Rum. Embrace the burn.
3) Patience is a shaving virtue. Expensive cartridge razors allowed me to rush through a shave. And after watching many videos on youtube seeing the pros boast a good quick DE or SE shave it looked simple and fast. For your first few shaves, give yourself 30-45 minutes for the whole process.

[i_shaved_something]

1) Bones heal
2) Chicks dig scars
3) The United States of America has the best doctor-to-daredevil ratio in the world.

[N2theBreech]

1. The best lather hides deep in the brush, waiting for the end of your shave.
2. Ditto on lock your wrist.
3. Stay the course, keep centered. Keep it simple. It's not rocket science.

[Blackwind]

1. Go slow. Before I started DE shaving, shaving was a race, and I still sometimes rush it.
2. Stick with one razor and one type of blade for a while. It's a lot easier to work on technique if you don't throw new (significant) variables into the mix.
3. Have everything you buy after your first razor, brush, cream/soap, etc. sent to your office. That way you can sneak it into the house discretely after your wife is in bed.

I laughed at number 3 but so wish I'd thought of that.

[josroge]

These are great responses. If we get enough we could make a book (or a wiki page) and call it The Commandments of Wet Shaving!

[Snargle]

These are great responses. If we get enough we could make a book (or a wiki page) and call it The Commandments of Wet Shaving!

We've got a Wiki right here...the ShaveWiki. All we need is someone who knows how to set up the page and we can start adding all this wisdom and advice.

[Rustonrazor]

1. The best lather hides deep in the brush, waiting for the end of your shave.
2. Ditto on lock your wrist.
3. Stay the course, keep centered. Keep it simple. It's not rocket science.


1 and 3 I completely agree. My other would be, only 3 fingers on your razor. Easiest way to ensure no pressure.

[ieschwoch]

1. Get a badger brush of at least "Best" quality to start with or you may get the dreaded "Badger Burn."
2. Get at least two creams, two soaps, and 5-6 blades to start with and experiment until you get a comfortable shave.
3. Once you get that comfortable shave, STOP ACQUIRING NEW STUFF for at least 1-2 months, and stick to the exact same blade, cream/soap, razor, and A/S until you get your technique down.

[anbu]

1. I wish I had known about connaughtshaving/tradtionalshaving site when I first bought by shaving gear. It would've save me some money.
2. Buy only a few sampler blades, since you won't be able to use them all.
3. Careful on the shaving head of your DE. It scratches easily. (Only if you're bothered by it though)