I was given a Merkur Classic razor as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago by a co-worker who had investigated wet-shaving as an alternative to cartridge shaving. I had shared my frustrations about the high cost of blades, frustrations with them keeping sharpness and overall drudgery of shaving. He made the switch, swore by the results and got razors for a few of us to convert us.
I am happy to say, that after some initial missteps, it took. I will NEVER go back to the old "new" ways.
A confession first. I am a cheapskate. What made this undertaking attractive to me initially was the cost. The razor was free, but can be had for $32 on Amazon. I went out and bought 100 Derby Extras on Amazon for less than $20 and figured I was set for at least two years for not having to pay $20 for 4 cartridges. I calculated that I could change a blade a week for two years before I spent another cent on blades.
For the first few weeks I used up my canned foam and then when my father passed away I found his Old Spice mug and saw that VDH sells for a few bucks a puck at Wal-Mart so I bought an $8 brush and started to use a shave soap. Again, the cost savings are amazing. Even better, is the feeling of applying the lather on your face with a brush. It brought back some fond memories of watching my Dad shave many, many years ago.
So I put this out there for those who are not as interested in acquiring equipment as much as saving money. It is possible to be into DE shaving and to do so on a budget.
Lessons learned:
Anyways... back to the shadows..
I am happy to say, that after some initial missteps, it took. I will NEVER go back to the old "new" ways.
A confession first. I am a cheapskate. What made this undertaking attractive to me initially was the cost. The razor was free, but can be had for $32 on Amazon. I went out and bought 100 Derby Extras on Amazon for less than $20 and figured I was set for at least two years for not having to pay $20 for 4 cartridges. I calculated that I could change a blade a week for two years before I spent another cent on blades.
For the first few weeks I used up my canned foam and then when my father passed away I found his Old Spice mug and saw that VDH sells for a few bucks a puck at Wal-Mart so I bought an $8 brush and started to use a shave soap. Again, the cost savings are amazing. Even better, is the feeling of applying the lather on your face with a brush. It brought back some fond memories of watching my Dad shave many, many years ago.
So I put this out there for those who are not as interested in acquiring equipment as much as saving money. It is possible to be into DE shaving and to do so on a budget.
Lessons learned:
- Watch the videos on how to shave with a DE razor. In my case I had to leave the short choppy strokes behind and learn to trust the weight of the razor. I have had less nicks and cuts since the change. Rinsing the blade in cold water ONLY when shaving has eliminated razor burn. Basically, my pre-DE shave technique was crap. And the cartridges allowed me to develop some stupid habits that I have since fixed.
- Buy good tools. I have since bought an affordable ($28) Fine Badger Brush to replace my el cheapo and WHAT A DIFFERENCE. Every thing I read about this being a wise upgrade was true. It loads better, lathers better and feels better than before. I have also recently decided to try some artisan soaps to replace my VDH Deluxe. But that is another post in another forum.
- Don't be afraid to change it up. I used to face lather to save time and because, hey, it worked. On a lark, I recently took and old plastic cereal bowl and tried to bowl lather and got GREAT results. I can pretty much get the lathers you see in the soap makers' pictures with any soap I throw at it. Again, I closely followed the notes on these forums and found it easier and more rewarding than I had thought possible.
Anyways... back to the shadows..
Glad you're de-lurking. 
And thanks for sharing those tips.
