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Oregon checkin after a few days of wetshaving (with a Mach 3)

Hi folks,
I thought I would check in and let you know where I am. I am still waiting for my Jagger DE89L (should arrive tomorrow or Monday from Amazon with the free shipping for <$30), so I'm not yet DE shaving. While waiting for a better brush (I ordered a Semogue 830 that arrived today), I picked up a VDH brush and soap kit at the drug store to use with my soon to be retired Mach 3. I figured this would allow me to start learning how to generate and apply lather. I have been primarily using the bowl that came with the VDH brush and their soap. I seem to be able to get a pretty good lather in the bowl with standing peaks and all. However, when I start brushing on, the lather seems to thin right out.

Is this a matter of not using enough product (so far only soap), the brush too wet, or the brush too dry? Or is it a marginal brush that isn't broken in? I will make up a couple of lathers tonight with the new 830, but that will likely also need to break in.

My final question is do any of you have recommendations for a relatively inexpensive badger brush. I'm not ready to spend more than $30-50 for a brush until I know I'll stick with DE shaving. I was thinking of getting a TGN silvertip knot and handle and build a brush...seems like a pretty good price to get a silvertip for $30-40 (an acrylic handle). Or should I just continue with the two new brushes and see where they go.

Thanks for the previous feedback.
 
Welcome to B&B! Let's see if I can answer a question or two for you.

I bought a Vulfix 660 super badger brush from Lee's Razors when I first started wet shaving. I paid about $45-50 shipped (I think), and it is the only brush I have ever owned (3 years or so of wet shaving). I love it. I think they sell a pure badger (slightly stiffer, but still badger) for less than 40 bucks. GREAT brushes.

If your lather is too thin, you might not be using enough product. Keep in mind, though, that your product may be a little tough to work with. I've never used VDH, but I know there is better soap/cream out there. With anything, though, especially for your first try, it can take a little practice. I wouldn't attribute poor lather to a brush, really. A stiffer brush might help you get more product off of the soap, and a softer one may feel better on your face. Once you get everything into the bowl, though, the lather quality is really up to you and the product itself.

Hope this helps. Be sure to check out Mantic 59's videos on youtube, and read through the Wiki's here on B&B. The information is definitely out there. Also ask as many questions around here as you can. There is plenty of knowledge lurking on B&B.
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
Hi folks,
I thought I would check in and let you know where I am. I am still waiting for my Jagger DE89L (should arrive tomorrow or Monday from Amazon with the free shipping for <$30), so I'm not yet DE shaving. While waiting for a better brush (I ordered a Semogue 830 that arrived today), I picked up a VDH brush and soap kit at the drug store to use with my soon to be retired Mach 3. I figured this would allow me to start learning how to generate and apply lather. I have been primarily using the bowl that came with the VDH brush and their soap. I seem to be able to get a pretty good lather in the bowl with standing peaks and all. However, when I start brushing on, the lather seems to thin right out.

Is this a matter of not using enough product (so far only soap), the brush too wet, or the brush too dry? Or is it a marginal brush that isn't broken in? I will make up a couple of lathers tonight with the new 830, but that will likely also need to break in.

My final question is do any of you have recommendations for a relatively inexpensive badger brush. I'm not ready to spend more than $30-50 for a brush until I know I'll stick with DE shaving. I was thinking of getting a TGN silvertip knot and handle and build a brush...seems like a pretty good price to get a silvertip for $30-40 (an acrylic handle). Or should I just continue with the two new brushes and see where they go.

Thanks for the previous feedback.

Welcome to B&B, mate! And congrats on joining the largest and most beautiful wet shaving community in the World! Edwin Jagger razors and Semogue boar brushes are top quality products that even the most experienced wet shavers use on regular basis and are very happy about.

In order to get a good lather with proper consistency, you have to get the right water/product ratio and you have to work your brush for a prolonged period of time on the surface of your soap, using many swirls until the lather looks dense, thick and creamy. Only when it has this aspect it will be truly effective for shaving. If your lather is too thin, it means that your brush has to be loaded more, ie you need to use more product.

There are many great badger brushes sold at a reasonable cost. Why don't you give a look at the many models and handle designs that Simpson offers in Best badger?

If you have more questions, just ask. That's why we are here!
 
Welcome! I have a TGN silver tip and a best badger in a couple of restore handles. The silver tip is a little floppy for some folks, but I like it. I also have a Rooney 3/1 in pure badger that has served me well for over two years and counting. They're all in your price range. Good luck!
 
Well yesterday, my new brush came from BullGoose and Phil also included a sampler of Slater almond shaving cream and that did much better than the VDH soap. Unfortunately, I may now be spoiled to the better creams. How many shaves do you get from a typical container of cream?

Today my EJ DE89L came in the mail so I'm looking forward to trying my first DE shave tomorrow morning. Wish me luck.
 
Well yesterday, my new brush came from BullGoose and Phil also included a sampler of Slater almond shaving cream and that did much better than the VDH soap. Unfortunately, I may now be spoiled to the better creams. How many shaves do you get from a typical container of cream?

Today my EJ DE89L came in the mail so I'm looking forward to trying my first DE shave tomorrow morning. Wish me luck.

You and I are at the exact same spot lol, down to practicing with a brush and soap. Give a tube of Proraso a try, you will be surprised at how she builds a nice lather.

PS. My Amazon EJ89 didn't show today, so you are now a head lol
 
you can get a lot of shaves out of a tub of cream.
or....if you're like me and use a 30mm brush and load like you hate the cream, you can get 20.
 
Well I did my first DE shave yesterday morning. I used the "superlather" by mixing some of the VDH soap and some Real Shave cream together using the new Semogue 830. The lather part seemed to work fine. I feel that I need to work a bit more one my razor technique...I was try not to press and force the razor and ended up with a few missed whiskers left over. I decided not to worry about them yesterday and tried again this morning. Better but still not perfect.

I'll continue shaving at night, because I catch an early train (5:00 am) and am not willing to get up any earlier than I have to. Hopefully my technique will get better over the next week or so. When it gets better, I'll start doing multipass shaves.

Take care and thanks for the words of wisdom...I'm trying not to get out of control with AD yet.
 
try as you might the ad will be with you soon. the 830 is a fantastic brush and after your technique improves you shouldn't have any trouble lathering most any soap or cream with it. welcome to the b&b
 
Welcome! Even starting off you should be ok adding a second pass either WTG or XTG. id just stay clear of ATG from a while. Im new to wet shaving to and i do 1 WTG and 1 XTG with touch ups as needed. i haven't been getting the closest shaves ever,m but it is enough to be going with as my technique improves. As long as i do a good job on my prep and post shave stuff i dont get much (if anything) in the way of irritation.
 
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