Hello Badger & Blade!
I've been browsing this forum for a month now and just decided to sign up and say hello. I've been wet shaving with cartridges for 6-7 years now and just now getting into DE. I've read a lot of the benefits and fun people have with DE, but honestly, I got sick of paying an arm and a leg for Fusion cartridges. I bought my first DE (Edwin Jagger BL89) last month and I've been practicing for over 4 weeks now.
Although I will never get those 6 years back I wasted on cartridges, I did have some top notch gear during that time. A family member used to work at the Art of Shaving and so every so often I'd find a starter pack or travel pack under the Christmas tree. Plus, I also got some discounts when I upgraded my pure badger brush. My very first brush and cream pack was AOS Sandalwood and let me tell you, that ruined me for life with all sandalwood scents everywhere. Nothing compares to it. I also tried the Lavender scent and it was great, but I guess I am a sandalwood guy.
Well, eventually that family member moved on and quit his job so I had to find a new source of shaving products. I found C.O. Bigelow/Proraso and have been using them ever since. It was not until I stumbled upon this thread that I saw the vast amount of selection on the market. I must admit, I've succumb to the shaving acquisition syndrome. Thanks to you fine people here on B&B, I checked out Whipped Dog brushes and bought my first Silvertip! Couldn't be happier and the transaction with Larry was a breeze. I also dabbled into a few Taylor of Old Bond Street scents, Captain's Choice aftershaves, Nivea cream, and......another DE! (Merkur 1904 Classic open comb). My two brushes and two razors now proudly hang from a double stand in my bathroom
Anyway, I could go on for hours, but I will save it for another post. I might need some newbie advice. Since I started shaving with a DE, I get nicked 8 out of 10 times. The good news is that I am getting better and the nicks are fewer and smaller now. I also see less redness and bumps than I did with the cartridge. However, I still can't seem to get out of the bathroom unscathed. It's frustrating! The EJ I have is a closed comb, the Merkur an open combed. I tried the Merkur only once and realized maybe I'm not ready for open comb yet.
So any advice? I do 2 full passes, first with the grain, next cross the grain. Then I will touch up some areas for a 3rd or 4th pass cross the grain. The other thing is, I can never get baby bottom smooth in some areas. Under the nose, chin, and neck never seem to get smooth no matter how many passes I do. I did have one day where everything was 95% perfect, but not sure what happened after that. I have been rotating creams for the past few weeks just to test scents and performance. Does that matter much? So far I can't tell much different between them all. Also, I always see more nicks when I put a new blade in than when I'm at the 4-5th shave with the same blade. Is there some magic technique I am missing here, or do I just have to put in my time and pay my dues with the almighty DE?
Thanks for having me everyone! Great forum!
I've been browsing this forum for a month now and just decided to sign up and say hello. I've been wet shaving with cartridges for 6-7 years now and just now getting into DE. I've read a lot of the benefits and fun people have with DE, but honestly, I got sick of paying an arm and a leg for Fusion cartridges. I bought my first DE (Edwin Jagger BL89) last month and I've been practicing for over 4 weeks now.
Although I will never get those 6 years back I wasted on cartridges, I did have some top notch gear during that time. A family member used to work at the Art of Shaving and so every so often I'd find a starter pack or travel pack under the Christmas tree. Plus, I also got some discounts when I upgraded my pure badger brush. My very first brush and cream pack was AOS Sandalwood and let me tell you, that ruined me for life with all sandalwood scents everywhere. Nothing compares to it. I also tried the Lavender scent and it was great, but I guess I am a sandalwood guy.
Well, eventually that family member moved on and quit his job so I had to find a new source of shaving products. I found C.O. Bigelow/Proraso and have been using them ever since. It was not until I stumbled upon this thread that I saw the vast amount of selection on the market. I must admit, I've succumb to the shaving acquisition syndrome. Thanks to you fine people here on B&B, I checked out Whipped Dog brushes and bought my first Silvertip! Couldn't be happier and the transaction with Larry was a breeze. I also dabbled into a few Taylor of Old Bond Street scents, Captain's Choice aftershaves, Nivea cream, and......another DE! (Merkur 1904 Classic open comb). My two brushes and two razors now proudly hang from a double stand in my bathroom
Anyway, I could go on for hours, but I will save it for another post. I might need some newbie advice. Since I started shaving with a DE, I get nicked 8 out of 10 times. The good news is that I am getting better and the nicks are fewer and smaller now. I also see less redness and bumps than I did with the cartridge. However, I still can't seem to get out of the bathroom unscathed. It's frustrating! The EJ I have is a closed comb, the Merkur an open combed. I tried the Merkur only once and realized maybe I'm not ready for open comb yet.
So any advice? I do 2 full passes, first with the grain, next cross the grain. Then I will touch up some areas for a 3rd or 4th pass cross the grain. The other thing is, I can never get baby bottom smooth in some areas. Under the nose, chin, and neck never seem to get smooth no matter how many passes I do. I did have one day where everything was 95% perfect, but not sure what happened after that. I have been rotating creams for the past few weeks just to test scents and performance. Does that matter much? So far I can't tell much different between them all. Also, I always see more nicks when I put a new blade in than when I'm at the 4-5th shave with the same blade. Is there some magic technique I am missing here, or do I just have to put in my time and pay my dues with the almighty DE?
Thanks for having me everyone! Great forum!
