My first DE razor and post

[Suggy]

I'm very new to DE razor use, and B&B, but I like it so far. My first weapon is this Gillette slim, dated in the 60's I think. I found it at an antique shop near where I work in Jefferson, Tx. About $8 with tax.

A few questions. One I have the answer to. Good blade selection. I wasn't patient enough and grabbed some blades from the Dollar Store. Bad idea. The first 2 shaves weren't bad, a few nicks which I blame on technique. The next two were horrible. Bad burn on my neck. Still could be technique. I got some personna's from Sally Beauty and while they look just like my first batch, the shave was better. Wal Mart sells Wilkinson Sword's but they were out. I'll get some of them to keep trying blades to see what works and grab a sample packs as well.

Any suggestions on blade selection technique are appreciated and also, any tips on shining this thing up are too. I used a combo of a baking soda and a toothbrush, then a mix of baking soda and vinegar which seemed to work well. Any other ideas?

Thanks!

[Sledgehammer39]

Welcome Aboard!

[NickCutlip]

Welcome to B&B !!

[Suggy]

Thanks Nick!

[Suggy]

thanks Sledge!

[duokun]

Welcome aboard. blade selection is very much a personal thing. personally i use the Wilkinson Sword blades most of the time. i am still working through a sample pack that i have but since i keep venturing into other territory like SE razors and straights, when i go back to DE it is good to have the standard (for me) of the Wilkinson Swords.

my recommendation is whatever blades you chose, for example those persona you picked up from Sally's, stick with them for the first month. maybe longer if you are like me and only shave every 2-3 days or so. during that first month or so you want to focus on your technique. And nothing will throw that off like adding all sorts of variables into the shaving mix. Stick with one blade brand, one soap or cream, one brush and one razor. and since you have an adjustable, set it somewhere on the lower end of the spectrum and leave it there. its really tempting to try an tweak things to get a better shave, but in the beginning that can really hurt things.

focus on your prep work, and on maintaining proper blade angle during the shave and using little to no pressure.

start off with only With The Grain passes if you have to, then add across the grain. don't worry about shaving against the grain for a while. some guys never bother with that.

after that first month, then try out some different settings on the slim, try some new blades (give each blade a few shaves, and each blade brand a few blades before you make a final decision on`it) keep in mind that even the most expensive DE blades are cheap, if they start tugging, throw it away. i usually don't push it myself, 2-3 shaves and then i switch blades. some guys go more, but i don't feel the need.

most importantly, if you have questions ask them. B&B is full of some of the best people around, and they love to help out and answer questions.

[Dennard]

Welcome, Suggy! A DE blade sampler is a good idea. That way you test a bunch of blades to find out what works for you. And you're not stuck with a big order of blades you don't like.

[mistervee123]

Whoo-weee. You gotta love those old Gillettes, especially the adjustables. What a great razor to start with! I have a '61 Fat Boy and a '63 Slim. Great razors. Just be careful if you use Scrubbing Bubbles to clean off lather residue. I left the Scrubbing Bubbles on too long once, and it took off the paint in the numbers. I repainted with black numbers and red dots. It's not original, but I like it.

[dpmtherrien]

Hello and welcome to the group.

[demaro]

Welcome to B&B !!

[Agravic]

Welcome to B+B!

[Joe_Karp]

Welcome to the B&B site! I use Flitz polishing paste on my razors and knives, doesn't take anything off yet protects. On your 'New' Slim, start on the low settings and move up as you learn. I now shave on the "7" mark and it delivers a great shave.

[stuart12dz]

What duokun said, and welcome.

[ratshaving]

Couldn't agree with duokin more. Although it gets suggested a lot I think a blade sampler in your first month is the worst idea. Technique is what you need and when you perfect it you should be able to shave irritation free with any of the blades people recommend !

[sparco]

Welcome to Badger and blade

[johnf7478]

Hi,
Welcome aboard mate. With regards to the blades, I ercently bought a sample pack of blades from Shaving.ie, you get Feather,Gillette, Astra, Personna, Derby and a couple of others. Only 12.99 euro. plus around 3 for postage. Maybe it would work out around 17 or 18 dollars. Great way to try a few. I am finding the Gillette 7' O Clock green the best so far, but to each their own as they say
Good luck :)

[RaiserLiebe]

http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Safety_razor_maintenance

Avoid bleach, vinegar, longer than 10 min in Barbicide, or abrasives harder than Barkeeper's Friend or similar. Flitz and Maas get love around here for polishes.
With every blade change I scrub off soap scum with a soft toothbrush and Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner.
Cheers!

Any suggestions on blade selection technique are appreciated and also, any tips on shining this thing up are too. I used a combo of a baking soda and a toothbrush, then a mix of baking soda and vinegar which seemed to work well. Any other ideas?

Thanks!

[NexlevMM]

Welcome! Thats a great first DE razor, you'll like it very much!

[Suggy]

Awesome guys. Thanks for all the input. I think my technique is getting better. Maybe I will hold off on the sampler pack until I get my technique down. I've got 2 5 packs of the wilkinsons and the 4 left of the personna's. The Wilkinson's are fantastic, maybe my technique is improving.
I'm already feeling the pull of wanting more razors, soaps, and other stuff.
I got a pack from art of shaving back in may, oil, cream, post shave. I went to their Vegas store and the guy there actually showed me how to apply. It was awesome.

[Searlands]

It's great to see fellow newbies so excited about shaving. Why did it take me so long to discover DE shaving!