Newbie check in with questions

[stuble]

After lurking a bit trying to pick up as many pointers as possible I wanted to say hello and thank you for the wonderful site. I started wet shaving two weeks ago and was trying to get the hang of lathering with my cartridge before moving on and using a DE. Unfortunately I just can’t seem to get the quality lather in the videos no matter how much or little water I use! Is soap easier to lather and be a better choice? I have a puck of Tabac but was waiting to try it as I have read you should not switch to many things at first.
For all my good intentions (and lack of patience) I gave up the fight and started using an EJ87 yesterday with Derby blades and didn’t bleed to death! Shaving has gone to the next level! I am using Proraso Green pre-shave and Bigelow Cream but was thinking of trying pre-shave oil at some point. To me though, pre-shave oil would seem to make your hands slick from applying thus making it harder to control the razor. I know this is ridiculous question but does the pre-shave oil wash off your hands or do you apply it another way? Having had a frightening experience in the past with silicone caulk on my hands and thinking it had been wiped off I am leery of putting a blade to my face with oil on my hands! In any event, I doubt it will be long before I take the plunge and try Musgo oil but any experiences with this product and performance would be appreciated.
There are so many great products to try and settling on one acquisition disorder appears impossible! My wife has already told me that she is happy I am enjoying my new hobby and shaving so much but wishes I would clear some of the paraphernalia off the counter! I feel like a druggie but luckily I work a subway trip away from Pasteurs so I can get a fix easily and am expecting my delivery from WCS soon.

Thanks for the advice,
Ed

[Vlad]

Welcome to B&B! I wouldn't bother with the preshave oil, but I haven't had any slippy problems when I've used some. Stick to focusing on your lather and razor use. Use lots, and lots, and lots of soap. Load for twice as long as you think is enough. Give the Tabac a shot, as it's one of my very favorite soaps, and makes monster lather.

[mblakele]

Welcome to B&B!

I think you took a good approach by working on lather first. But a week or two with one cream should be long enough: might as well try Tabac now.

Shaving oil does little for me, but it has not caused any problems either. Everyone seems to agree that less is more: just a drop or two should be enough. If your hands are slippery or your brush is full of the stuff, you used too much.

[Optometrist]

Welcome to B&B, Ed! Good advice from Vlad about using more product. In time you will see this statement cropping up over and over again, and under loading the brush is the most common mistake. Tabac is a very easy soap to lather so maybe it's time to open it up and enjoy.

[stuble]

Thanks for the encouragement and advice! I am going to try Tabac i a test tonight and then shave with it tomorrow and see how it goes. So far my shaves have been acceptable and I have not cut up my face so even with less then perfect looking lather I think my DE experience is far better then shaving with a cartridge.

[ackvil]

Pre shave oil is designed to give your skin an added layer of protection prior to apply a shaving soap or cream lather. The additional benefits of pre-shave oil are that it moisturizes the skin and protects your skin from razor burn or irritation. Pre-shave oil is one of those things that is an individual thing. Some find it helpful and some don't. For me, it has resulted in a better, closer shave without irritation. I massage that onto my face and then lather up. A quick rinse of my hands and I can work the razor without any problems.

[Oblique Human]

Welcome to B&B!

[NickCutlip]

Welcome to B&B !!

[eth]

You already have a good pre-shave product (Proraso green pre/post-cream), don't worry about another until you're out. I used the white pre/post-cream when I started out, and it is as good a pre product as any other. I still use it for post-shave purposes, it's a fine product.

And if you really want the oil, it will wash of. Just rub your hands together to feel if you have the friction you need to hold the razor.

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[Sledgehammer39]

Welcome Aboard!

[Straight Rasier User]

Welcome to B&B.

Look at the Mantic59 viedos on youtube.

Some use preshave oil and some don't.

Lather ... read the wiki.

Lather ... hard water is bad if you have it get distilled water.

Lather ... load the brush. If you use cream you need an almond size amount.

Otherwise buy a soap.

[Prof. Moriarty]

Welcome to B&B.

[stuble]

I tried Tabac and love the scent! It lathered well but I thin I had it too dry or am not shaving fast enough to cover my whole face in one shot as it tended to dry out before I was finished. I did not have any tugging when first applied so will try a bit more water tomorrow and only lathering half my face.

[bakerbk73]

I started out trying a pre-shave oil and it didn't really do much for me. A softer touch has done more than slick products in the world for me. I had to break that horrible habit of pushing the blade into my face to chase the whisker that I developed from years of cartridge shaving. I started out with cheap soap from Wally world and got fine results after I learned how to control the razor. If I had one piece of advice to offer it would be to pay attention to how the razor feels on the face, any discomfort from pulling or tugging and stop and adjust (either change blades or angle of attack). The tugging that I grew accustomed to with the cartridge blades will result in a pretty torn up face if you feel it while DE shaving.

[stuble]

Thanks for all the tips, this is truly a great site with a lot of people willing to help!

It is difficult for me to break the habit of pushing like when I used cartridges but I am on my way! I am still using Derby blades which I understand are not the sharpest but I am getting CAS without irritation so I am going to stick with it for a week before changing to Astra. My biggest problem is the razor clogging up but I believe that is from my inferior lather and will hopefully improve as I learn.

[sylynce]

Go for the Tabac! Why wait if you have a great product that is going to last you several weeks? Use the great product, enjoy it, and if you find it that great, buy another. if not, there is a world of smells and products out there to enjoy.


Welcome!