My first DE shave

[aport]

My father bought me a Merkur Futur four piece set (razor, brush, bowl, and stand) for Christmas, and after lots of research I finally decided to use it today.

The good:
*Whipping up that hot, fragrant lather was very enjoyable. Given, the glycerin soap I have is pretty cheap, so the lather wasn't fantastic. But the smell (peach) and the feel of applying it with the brush was wonderful!
*For the most part, the shave was great. It was not super close because I only did two WTG passes, but it's a presentable shave. Also, the sound the razor makes while cutting the whiskers is very satisfying!
*The Futur feels incredibly solid.

The bad:
*Oh man did I cut myself up. This is mostly due to my angle and the heaviness of the Futur. I really need to practice wielding this beast. This was at 1.5.
*The bowl that came with the set is shallow and thin. I have a hard time keeping the lather from spilling out everywhere, and the lather doesn't stay warm since the bowl is a poor insulator. On the last pass I had some success keeping the bowl semi-submerged in the hot sink water, which made the lather warm and pleasant.

The ugly:
*That brush smells awful! I can't wait for the wet-badger scent to fade.



All in all, I enjoyed the experience greatly, and I'm happy that I get to do this daily. With more practice and better soaps, I'm sure my utility will only increase. Thanks to all of those who posted reviews and tutorials!

[indykramer]

Welcome to B & B. Try washing that brush with some shampoo that will get the smell to go away. Keep practising your shaves are only going to improve!

[Chairman Nemo]

The ugly:
*That brush smells awful! I can't wait for the wet-badger scent to fade.

I love the smell of wet badger in the morning!

Welcome and Happy Shaving!

[Kyle]

Congrats on knocking down that first shave. Things should just keep getting better and better from here.

[lamina]

The Futur 4 pieces set is a solid and beautiful pack...yes,i have the same opinion about the bowl.

Maybe one day some guy will made a review on that particular brush...

[aport]

Today's shave went much, much better! Very smooth except for regions just below the jawline. Only one nick on the neck due to not paying attention.

My Old Spice aftershave isn't cutting it anymore. I need something more gentle.

Besides the small cut, still no razorburn or irritation! I am amazed.

I'm doing three passes: North - South, WTG, ATG. I still need to work on my jawline as it's very difficult :(

[Hobbesoxon]

I'm doing three passes: North - South, WTG, ATG. I still need to work on my jawline as it's very difficult :(

You're a brave man, going ATG so early on! If the skin gets raw, maybe change that pass #3 to XTG in the other direction to pass #2.

I can't remember if it was Kyle's sticky-thread or one of Mantic's videos, but there was a great jawline tip therein that works for me: once you've shaved the cheeks down to the jaw, pull the skin up, so that the skin under the jawline comes above the jawline. Then, an ear-to-chin stroke along the jawline removes all that stubble very effectively.

Good luck out there!


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[brooklynlou]

My Old Spice aftershave isn't cutting it anymore. I need something more gentle.

May I suggest the one and only Aqua Velva

The "Aqua Velva Instant Shaving Quality Test"

4 stars - You feel only cool. You did real good kid - a true pro shave.
3 stars - You feel a slight, almost pleasant burn and then the cool - a good shave. Give yourself a cookie.
2 stars - You feel mostly burn, not all of it pleasant - time to check your blade angle, razor pressure, change your blade, etc.
1 stars - You wince slightly from the burn - Oops.
0 stars - You hop up and down screaming at the heavens as you splash cold water on your face to get rid of the Velva. You screwed up. You think it sucks now, wait till you look at yourself in the mirror a few hours later ...