my wet shaving story

**noxlord** · 12-29-2009, 04:23 PM

Ok, time to write my own story and to contribute to the forum I have been reading for a while.

So here I am, I have been reading the forum for about 5 months, Idid some research on the web and talked about it enough to make my sister buy me a Badger hair brush, some mug-soap and a Dovo straight razor for my birthday (before Christmas). Ignoring every recommendations i have read countless times before to shave-newbies, I went ahead and made a rather poor lather

and made a 3 pass painful shave with my straight that was not shave ready at all. Lyckily, I did not cut myself of got significant irritation. SO I decided to bact off a little bit and wait for a strop and a good hone before using my straight again.

So, in the meantime, I practised my lathering more and got myself a DE, some dorco blades, a glycerine soap and nivea cream. (all from fendrihan.com, one of the few Canadian web-retailer).

Even after my disastrous first shave with my straight, I went ahead, again against all recommendations, and did a 4 pave with my DE. The problem there was that I was using a butterfly-door DE and when I was closing the top of the razor, I noticed that the blade was getting bent downward on both side. I was not prepared to see this and wondered at what angle I was supposed to bend the blade, if it was supposed to be bended at all

. Since my face was already covered in lather, I shaved with the blade halfway bent... I wish I had an alum bloc at that time. An alum bloc did not look so useful while reading the forum but then, I desperately needed one.

Ahem, so after a little more reading and research, much more practice with the lathering and the DE and the purchase of an alum bloc, I am quite satisfied with my shave. Even my first shave with a DE was closer than a mach3 shave. Now, I am amazed by the BBS feeling I get while I apply my Nivea aftershave.

Thanks you for reading my stupid story, I still have a few questions to ask. I guess I will ask them in the related forum sections.

**Luc** · 12-29-2009, 04:26 PM

It's not easy to get started but it seems that you are finding the right way.

Ask away any questions you may have. If you want to keep everything together, ask them here!

**Mpugh77** · 12-29-2009, 04:33 PM

Holy moly, I don't think that I will try a straight anytime soon. Dude, you're brave to start with one. I don't have it in me. I got chills before I ever ran a DE down my face. Best of times in your new shaving adventures.

**mark2cars** · 12-29-2009, 06:12 PM

+1 to asking your other questions here. It would be really beneficial to other newbies to be able to follow your string.
Have Fun Here!!!

**noxlord** · 12-29-2009, 10:12 PM

Ok then, my first question is related to the size and shape of my tool

. You see, after looking at the ones of other forum members and what is available in stores, I came to wonder if mine is simply of an uncommon shape or if my sister brought me a brush to put on makeup instead of a shaving brush. It is made in germany out of pure badger. That's all I know of it.

- Isn't it really wide ?? I thought a shaving brush was more.. snug.
- Also, isn't the whitish part supposed to be at the edge ??

It works well (I am saying this without any reference for comparison) but I am wondering what people are thinking of it.

**SRock** · 12-29-2009, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by mpugh77

holy moly, i don't think that i will try a straight anytime soon. Dude, you're brave to start with one. I don't have it in me. I got chills before i ever ran a de down my face. Best of times in your new shaving adventures.

+1

**Drubbing** · 12-30-2009, 12:10 AM

Originally Posted by noxlord

Ok then, my first question is related to the size and shape of my tool

. You see, after looking at the ones of other forum members and what is available in stores, I came to wonder if mine is simply of an uncommon shape or if my sister brought me a brush to put on makeup instead of a shaving brush. It is made in germany out of pure badger. That's all I know of it.

- Isn't it really wide ?? I thought a shaving brush was more.. snug.
- Also, isn't the whitish part supposed to be at the edge ??

It works well (I am saying this without any reference for comparison) but I am wondering what people are thinking of it.

Looks like a shave brush to me; don't think they make make up brushes from badger...

Size and shape of brushes vary from maker to maker and with size. You only get white tips if the hair grade is the finest. Ones in stores haven't 'bloomed' that is, been soaked and left to dry, so they look snug.

**SRock** · 12-30-2009, 02:59 AM

Originally Posted by Drubbing

Looks like a shave brush to me; don't think they make make up brushes from badger...

Size and shape of brushes vary from maker to maker and with size. You only get white tips if the hair grade is the finest. Ones in stores haven't 'bloomed' that is, been soaked and left to dry, so they look snug.

+1, that's a pretty big brush, but it is indeed a shave brush. With a bloom that size I'd have to guess its a pretty floppy brush.

**michiganlover** · 12-30-2009, 04:21 AM

Originally Posted by noxlord

The problem there was that I was using a butterfly-door DE and when I was closing the top of the razor, I noticed that the blade was getting bent downward on both side. I was not prepared to see this and wondered at what angle I was supposed to bend the blade, if it was supposed to be bended at all

. Since my face was already covered in lather, I shaved with the blade halfway bent...

Actually, this bending/ curving of the blade is standard on all DE razors. When the Butterfly doors are fully closed, if you look at the blade from the side, you will see it has a bit of an arc to it. Simply close the Butterfly doors fully, and twist the knob until it is secure.

**JPM** · 12-30-2009, 09:54 AM

Well, welcome to B&B! I'm glad you stuck with it even after the rocky start. It is well worth it.

**jadam318** · 12-30-2009, 10:14 AM

Wow. I admire how you dove right in!

Here are a few of my thoughts for you:

1 - Don't shy away from that straight razor. My first several wet shaves were with a straight razor, and I lived to tell about it. No regrets at all. I LOVE a good straight shave. Do yourself a BIG favor and send yours out to a honemeister to get it shave ready. (You can find several great honemeisters around B&B over in the straight razor section.) Don't strop it before you use it. That way you'll get a feel for what a truly sharp straight is supposed to be. You'll know you didn't mess up the edge with improper strop technique. (I made that mistake when I first started.)

2 - That brush, while MASSIVE in my opinion, does appear to be a shaving brush. If it is working well for you, I'd say don't worry about it too much.

All that being said, I also admire how you've stuck with it through a tough start. Dig around B&B for some advice. There are great thread stickied here and there that will point you in the right direction.

Welcome!

**noxlord** · 12-30-2009, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by SlagleRock

+1, that's a pretty big brush, but it is indeed a shave brush. With a bloom that size I'd have to guess its a pretty floppy brush.

Ok, thanks. I probably already knew it, but I needed other people opinions to dissipate every shadow of doubt...

Thanks to everybody that replied.

**NickCutlip** · 12-30-2009, 04:22 PM

Welcome to B&B !!

**noxlord** · 12-30-2009, 07:29 PM

Ok, now I found an old Adidas alcohol-based aftershave in my closet. I received it as a gift years ago, but I thought that hydrating cream was the way to go for a sensitive skin like mine, so I banished it to the closet.

So I used it in my afternoon shave today (I woke up really late

), and I have another question about it now.

- How do you apply splash-type aftershave ?

I just splashed some to my right hand, wiped some on my left hand, and tried to cover most of the shaved area on my face. I had to splash twice and it seems like most of it just dries up in my hand before I get the chance to apply it to my face. Is there a more efficient technique or is that it ?