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D-Day +1 for a Newbie

Alrighty, Gentlemen...after weeks of reading up on tactics, tools, etc. and recently acquiring my gear- I'm ready for my first DE shave tomorrow morning. Tonight I'm prepping my new Omega boar...I have my new MR6 and a fresh Astra blade- and will give the Proraso White a go...slow & steady wins the race, I hear tell...no pressure with the blade...think facets...short strokes...reduction- not elimination...watch your angle...re-lather between passes...I'm really looking forward to it!

Thanks for such a great site- packed full of great folks always looking for ways to help others!! I am going to take my take my time and enjoy the experience...I will let everyone know how things go...Prosit!
 

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Stjynnkii membörd dummpsjterd
Well, then technically you're in D-Day -1. :lol:

Good luck, and don't feel pressured into doing it all at once. Astras are fairly forgiving and Proraso is top notch, so good choice there.
 
I remember the nervous excitement I also felt, leading up to that first fully-committed DE shave ! I'm still getting it, a month down the road, but it'll never be like that first one. Just take your time and enjoy the experience!
 
Welcome to the fold. Be sure to let us know how things went. Chances are that even with a few hiccups you'll find this to be a much more rewarding experience.
 
Good afternoon, Gents!

Well, a quick after-action report for you: fantastic experience! I took my time and really enjoyed the whole bit- each phase- and lost not a drop of blood. That is the positive part- and most important, I think. Once I got going I realized it wasn't nearly as deathly, knife-edge 'dangerous' as I had built up in my mind- not to say that I rushed or lacked respect for the blade. Once I realized that I probably wasn't going to lop a chunk of my kisser off, I was able to relax a little bit and enjoy the process.

Here's the skinny:
- popped out of the shower and got things rolling
- I was extraordinarily poor at getting a good lather going- really poor. I like the Omega boar- and I was using the Proraso White. I kept thinking I really loaded the brush well, added a little water as I thought it needed- tried to work it up in a bowl- but just couldn't get any volume going whatsoever...guess I need to re-watch some vids and work on that a great deal
- I had considerably longer beard growth than I wanted ideally for my first DE shave- not sure if that was a hindrance as well...a brand new Astra blade...3 passes with re-lather (as poor as it was)...and I still never really got anywhere close to what I would consider a really close shave. By the end I was even comfortable enough to go ATG in a few selected broad, flat areas...but still the overall shave wasn't as close as I had anticipated. For a first DE shave, though- I am elated & anxious to improve...
- I'm thinking maybe I need to really work on a consistent blade angle as well

I used my trusty Nivea Replenishing Post-Shave Balm and found that I really didn't have any significant razor burn issues at all- about the same as when I was using my old Sensor...I'm pleased about that.

Clearly I have much to work on- and any helpful ideas or leads would be greatly appreciated- but I had a heckuva great time- easily the most fun I've ever had shaving and I am hooked!!

I'll listen to any advice, try to learn what I'm doing wrong with the lather- and give it another go tomorrow.

Thanks for all the wisdom, encouragement and support- what a great group here...thanks!!
 
Welcome! You're off to a good start. Great work.

For the lather, try giving your brush a good soak, a single shake, and then load, and load some more. If you used too little soap, you would still get a lather, it might even look good, but give a poor shave. Hard to say for sure what happened though, you could perhaps explain a bit more how it performed. Was it sticky, or runny, things like that. Keep in mind that boars get better with use too, the breaking in you may have read about.

A common tip is to shave without using your wrist for a consistent angle, you might end up using a scooping motion otherwise.

On stubble length I would say, if your razor can cut it without clogging up, you're good to go.

Keep it up, you'll find what works for you. Enjoy the journey.
 
Keep it up! That's great to hear your excitement! My first shave wasn't very close but the more confident I've gotten the closer it keeps getting! Good luck! And keep having fun!:thumbup1:
 
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