New Adventures in Shaving

[xfumbler]

Hi,

I thought I'd share my story of my first DE acquisition and of course give thanks to all those at B&B who have generously given their time and knowledge to newbies to DE shaving like me (even if unwittingly). I have to say, though, that one thing did give me pause. In lurking on these boards acquiring tons of free and useful information I clicked on a poll asking the number of razors, that's razors not blades, that people owned. The highest percentage was 3-5 and a disturbing number admitted to owning over 40! Are you people high?

I've found a secret society of obsessive-compulsive shavers. Is this place safe? Seriously I only signed up so that I could view the pictures attached to posts.

You people also worry me with all this talk of getting varying forms of some medical condition called "AD". Is this some type of extensive razor burn from shaving too much?

Anyways, with some reservations, here is my story. My previous shaving experience started quite unspectacularly with the Gillette cartridge system. However, my deep displeasure at spending so much money on what was a chore eventually got to me so I switched to the cheaper disposables. My experience with these was predictably horrible so I resorted to shaving about once a week. Thankfully, my coworkers appear to never have had high expectations as to my hygiene in the first place and didn’t bat an eye. As for electric razors, I was gifted one once, but after running the darn thing up and down my neck 40 times to no effect I put it away and forgot about it.

On an impulse a few weeks ago, and after a quick Google search for "shaving alternatives" (I guess I was hoping for something in pill form), I discovered DE shaving.

The selling points were simple, it’s cheap, you get a close shave, it’s cheap, there’s no pulling of hairs and… 100 blades for $12! I was sold. If I shaved once a week and got four shaves from each blade that’s like enough blades for 7 years!!! (memo to self: check the math on that) There’s a guy here with a tag that fits just my mindset about DE shaving, I think it’s something like “Wetshaving is going to save me money ...Alright!” So who cares if it would take more time than my normal shave, I only do this once a week anyway, no big deal.

I bought a Merkur HD (passed on a Edwin Jagger as the HD had a grippy handle good for a newbie), got a sweet deal on two pots of Proraso soap (it’ll last for months!), and a Parker "best" badger brush… with a free stand! Did you know you can spend $100+ for a brush? Crazy. Has anyone here ever done that? Don’t answer that.

I didn’t buy a shaving bowl because who need to buy a special bowl for making lather? That’s absurd. I used a soup bowl instead. You don’t really need anything fancy. Though I did find that I couldn’t fit my soup bowl in the bathroom cupboard, and so it sat on the sink. I didn’t like that so I switched to an old bowl I used for camping. See, any old bowl will do. This one fits away in the cabinet. And I want this stuff in the cabinet. Who needs it laying out on the countertop? The camping bowl does have an issue though. It’s too light and tilts over in the sink when I fill it with water to soak my brush. I need a heavier bowl that fits in my cabinet. I did see one on westcoastshaving.com that’s really cool. It’s an Edwin Jagger one, comes in two colors. It’s neat. It’ll fit in my cabinet. It’s heavy enough. I like the black one. But I’m doing this to save money and I don’t need it. The camping bowl will do.

Another thing I don’t need is a silly razor stand. I just balance the razor on its end to dry and then put it in the cupboard. Who needs a stand? Though I have to say some of the stands I have seen are nice. So nice you’d want to put them on the counter to display. I could get one, but I won’t. I’m doing this to save money. But if I did, I would have to get that Edwin Jagger bowl, it would look nice sitting next to the stand on the counter.

I did the smart thing with blades too. I heard of some buying these sample packs of blades and getting some really bad blades. So I decided to be smart and not buy a bunch of blades, and just get a couple select ones that people liked. So I got Derby and Crystals. That’s enough. Two types, keep it simple. Don’t go crazy.

The razor came with a blade. And it was good. Got a couple of nicks but no problem. I’m just starting out. Tried the Derby. Won’t do that again. Had to buy more blades, but they were cheap. Bought some more Merkur (because my first shaves with them were good). And some Feathers (because they had good reviews). And some Wilkinson Sword (found out my grandfather used to use them). But I’m not going crazy about it. Taking it slow, playing it smart. Eventually I'll get that 100 pack and stop buying blades.

I may have to keep buying (blades) for now but at least I’m set for soap for a while. I won’t need to get refills for at least a year. Though I did find some Crabtree and Evelyn soap locally here. Never knew they sold it. They didn’t have Sienna though but offered to order some for me. I shouldn’t have said yes, I only need one soap. Who needs more than one, and I’ve got the Proraso. Two tubs of it even. I’m here to save money, Alright! I don’t need another soap, but it is on order. I can’t back out now. Maybe a variety would be nice.

Seriously, this is just a shave. Sure it requires some education, but B&B and YouTube are there. I never knew that people posted videos of themselves shaving. I can’t imagine anyone watching such a thing. I only watched a few. I watched one that was 30 minutes long! A few more were shorter. I saw maybe 3 that were only 10 minutes long. I couldn’t imagine spending an hour watching people shave, that’s silly, and weird.

I’m keeping a level head about this. It’s just a shave. Don’t get me wrong; I want it to be a good shave. There’s nothing wrong with that. So I’ve been taking notes of each shave on an Excel Workbook it improve my technique. I have also written out a set of directions for each pass, but it gets wet every time I shave. I should get it laminated. That would help. I’m not obsessing about this, just doing the smart thing.

And I’ll go back to shaving once a week. Once I get my technique down.

I think.

[acesn8s]

Welcome to B&B from a fellow new member. Loved your introduction.

[coblake]

Welcome aboard. You are so screwed... I've got that mug and a stand, they do look nice together on the counter.

[Sledgehammer39]

Welcome Aboard, glad you joined us!

[Oblique Human]

Welcome to B&B!

You're off to a wise start in this new endeavor. Enjoy your shaves.

[kirill]

That was hilarious, though I can't tell for sure if it was satirical... to the point that I'm afraid to comment on anything too specific.

[linty1]

Hi Welcome to B&B!

[DC_MPA]

Nice read, welcome to B&B

[NickCutlip]

Welcome to B&B !!

[xfumbler]

Please be assured that everything I have said here is accurate, though said in a… playful manner.

A couple of other points I should mention, one of the best pieces of advice I read was something to the effect of, “Do what works for you.” Originally I tried a technique of lathering by just drip drying the brush (maybe give it one shake) and working from there. This came from the first video I watched of lathering and it seemed to work for me. I thought though that I might be missing something because others here seemed to praise a techniques which involved first squeezing the brush dry. I assumed it would be better for me as it came form more experienced folk, but it didn’t work for me. No big deal, though, I get acceptable lather with my technique.
I am however, definitely following the stick-with-one-blade approach touted here, notwithstanding the fact that I’m slowly stockpiling blades. After trashing the Derby, (seriously, it was so bad if I had started with that blade I may not have continued this experiment), I had one good shave with the Crystals I bought and decided to work through those before I try either the Merkurs again or the Wilkinson Sword. I think I prefer a blade that is sharper than the Derby. If it’s between the Merkurs and Crystals I’ll go with the Crystals (they’re cheaper :P). The Feathers I’ll leave for later.

My most difficult area is my neck, specifically the left side for some reason. Though I have drawn blood around my mouth before, when I do, I know why I did it. My neck on the other hand (ok, that’s a weird turn of phrase if you think about it) goes red for no apparent reason even though I can’t see any obvious mistake in my technique. I’m a bit at a loss here, I’m going to try to stretch the skin a bit but I’m a bit foxed as to what the problem is so am guessing at a solution. I’ve stopped shaving S-N on my neck completely for this reason. That does seem to help slightly.

My Excel notes for the last shave are:
Cut on left side of neck with redness afterwards
Like before the right side of neck was ok
Went ATG on cheek area after checking missed spots before 3rd pass - good technique
No problems around lip
Blade felt maybe better than the first time I used it, maybe less pulling
But then it was a shorter beard
On neck, near jaw didn't really get a smooth shave

Here’s the thing, I think the hairs on my neck next to my adams apple go to the side. So when I shave down I’m shaving XTG. If I were to shave WTG it would actually be shaving from my adams apple to the side. That seems like a scary thing to do on my neck. And frankly I’ve never seem people do that, it’s either down or up. I’m not even sure how to safely hold the razor to do that. Shaving downward is the only thing I’m really comfortable with doing now and it doesn’t seem that effective. Any thoughts?

[shuasdad]

Welcome.

So many things I'd love to comment on, but can't go back and read it. I'd never stop laughing, cause you pegged us dead on.

The first time SWMBO caught me watching a shave technique video was a little awkward.

[Mr_Spiffy]

Your intro was awesome! I'm new to shaving, too. And I totally get the enthusiasm, curiosity, and that itch to keep getting new stuff to shave with. I just ordered a new brush, cream and AS, and a few more brands of blades to try out. It's not that you NEED those things. I've been doing well with the Derby blades, so far. But I want the best shave I can get, so I'll keep experimenting here and there with blades and creams (maybe even trying soaps in the near future).

Good luck finding the best shave you can get, and enjoy it. I know I'm loving the journey, so far!

[Predict]

The first time SWMBO caught me watching a shave technique video was a little awkward.

Haha! +1

[kirill]

one of the best pieces of advice I read was something to the effect of, “Do what works for you.”

I agree, there's a reason Your Mileage May Vary is our mantra, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who'd insist you shave their way or else you're wrong, if it works, it works.

Originally I tried a technique of lathering by just drip drying the brush (maybe give it one shake) and working from there. This came from the first video I watched of lathering and it seemed to work for me.

Sounds like Marco's method, from a very well respected Italian member, it was originally posted as the ideal way of lathering Italian soft soaps (like cella) but works with all soaps. Though you usually do hear people talking about a method with a drier brush, Marco's method is quite popular as well.

My most difficult area is my neck, specifically the left side for some reason.

I’ve stopped shaving S-N on my neck completely for this reason. That does seem to help slightly.

Here’s the thing, I think the hairs on my neck next to my adams apple go to the side. So when I shave down I’m shaving XTG. If I were to shave WTG it would actually be shaving from my adams apple to the side. That seems like a scary thing to do on my neck. And frankly I’ve never seem people do that, it’s either down or up. I’m not even sure how to safely hold the razor to do that. Shaving downward is the only thing I’m really comfortable with doing now and it doesn’t seem that effective. Any thoughts?

You answered your own question, facial hair can me tricky, and grow in surprising directions, I knew one guy whose hair grew in a swirl on his neck, he would have had to place his razor on his face and rotate it 360 degrees to stay wtg. That's why mapping your beard growth is so heavily advocated, without knowing the grain of your beard, it is impossible to shave wtg, xtg, atg...

Just to reassure you, people do that, and even if they didn't, it's what works best for you, remember? I suppose I understand the trepidation, but don't worry, just be careful to use light pressure and I'm sure it will improve your shave, I myself need to go at a 45 degree angle on one side of my neck, but not the other, and completely horizontal on my jawline.

[xfumbler]

Thank you Kirill. I tried a proper WTG pass on my neck this time and whatdaya know... it worked! No razor burn. It was a bit awkward but I didn't cut myself and I will probably figure out the best way to hold the razor in time. Thanks for the tip and thanks everyone for your comments, glad some of you like the intro.

[D.W.B.]

Greetings and Salutations from B&B! Really enjoyed the introduction.

[DC_MPA]

I think I'm follwing D.W.B. everywhere tonight on the newbie forums :)

Welcome to B&B friend.

[mistervee123]

Don't believe the "cheap" argument, especially if you have an addictive personality type. I don't even want to say what I've spent this past month on shaving stuff. Fun, oh, yes. Cheap, no. 'Nuff said.