is wet shaving for me?

(1) what exactly is wet shaving?
is it a drug store razor + shave soap? or do you need a straight edge/safety razor?

Currently, I only shave once a week. I trim with a electric razor so my beard is stub length. Than I use a liquid electric pre-shave and very little shaving cream and use a top of the line rotatory electric razor for 90% of my beard. After, I use normal amount of shaving cream and gillette fusion razor for sensitive areas (high cheek/under eye and under neck) and side burns (because a rotatory isn’t for side burns). So have I been wet shaving or dry shaving?

(2) What’s best for skin?

I don’t necessary want to ditch my electric razor because I paid $300 for it a month ago, plus I think it works great for 90% of my beard and is easier to use.
I don’t want to use only gillette fusion razors because the blades are expensive (have thick hair, so they barely last) and for 90% of my beard I think my electric razor does just as good as a job and is a lot easier.
But, how does your safety razors/straight edge razors compare to gillette fusion? Gillette tries to market it self and say they have comfort strips and what not, but from what I read nothing beats your old school razors.

Basically, should I stick to my electric razor for 90% of my beard and gillette fusion for the sensitive areas OR stick to my electric razor for 90% of my beard and use a safety/straight edge razor for the sensitive areas? OR just use a safety/straight edge razor for everything?

Welcome to Badger and Blade.

I am by no means an expert, but wet shaving is simply shaving with water in the equation. I know of one other member who uses a wet/dry electric shaver with a traditional shaving brush and soap. The possibilities are quite varied and vast. I prefer Injectors, a shaving brush with either a cream or soap, and finish with an after shave(sometimes a balm).

My suggestion: Don't ditch your electric. Go on eBay and get yourself a Gillette NEW for less than 10% of what you paid for the electric, along with a packet of Astra blades. Learn how to lather the shaving cream you're using, then use the NEW on one-half of your face and the the electric on the other half. (Continue to use the Fusion for the sensitive areas.) After about a week, compare the shave you get with the NEW to the shave you get with the electric. Report your impressions/conclusions here.

+1, except for the razor recommendation. I'd get a Gillette Tech on eBay, for half the price of the NEW shipped.

"I don’t necessary want to ditch my electric razor because I paid $300 for it a month ago, plus I think it works great for 90% of my beard and is easier to use.

Then keep your electric razor since you like it so well.

"I don’t want to use only gillette fusion razors because the blades are expensive (have thick hair, so they barely last) and for 90% of my beard I think my electric razor does just as good as a job and is a lot easier."

For most shavers the cost of todays cartridge razors is the main reason shavers get into old fashioned wet shaving.

Buy yourself a good razor new (avoid the old razors for many reasons when you start into wet shaving) buy a Merkur 23c(180) ,Edwin Jagger DE89Lbl or Merkur 33C for your first razor. Then buy some Arko or Cella shaving soap (shaving soap is a weak point for most shavers) with a Perfecto badger shaving brush. Razor blades vary by your beard so all I'll say is Personna blades is a good place to start since they are sharp as well as coated for smoothness. If you decide to try other blades visit ( ww.tryablade.com/ ) to buy one or two blades at a time to try.

AVOID stocking up on blades, soap or more than one razor to start since you will NOT know that works best for YOU.
That comes later after you decide if you need to aquire more shaving supplies.

These suggestions will get you a good start in wet shaving at a workingman's price since all are available at Amazon. Proceed from there as you need to. Good luck!!

Krakatoa said:

+1, except for the razor recommendation. I'd get a Gillette Tech on eBay, for half the price of the NEW shipped.

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Yes, good suggestion.

Hello and welcome. Great to have you here on B&B. Wet shaving is for everyone. Wander on over to the Hall of Fame and introduce yourself.

If you want to try a vintage Gillette I would go with a Tech, for a new razor I would go with the Merkur 23C (but there are a ton of really good inexpensive razors). Creating your own lather with a brush and cream is not necessary to start with. I actually really like the Brut canned shaving foam.

Feel free to ask any questions! We are all pretty friendly here.

Whatever works for you is just fine. I use traditional shaving methods because for me it converts a chore into a spa-like experience. I also enjoy the variety of products available. If you have a Fusion, I think you have just 1 blade type available. If I use a DE razor, then I can chose from at least 50 different brands.

Keep your electric shaver.

Years ago I bought an electric shaver for 30 dollars and it still works. But you paid 300 dollars for your shaver.

I started with a Feather Popular ($14 new) and was very pleased with it as a jumping off point. All metal? No. Vintage? No. Great quality, durable, and inexpensive? Absolutely. I would definitely call it inexpensive, rather than cheap. Not sure what your budget is, but it's one to consider.

If you are shaving with water, then it's wet shaving.

As to whether you should try wet shaving . . . it depends. This board is (almost exclusively?) populated by people who enjoy wet shaving, generally with safety/single edge/straight razors. Technically, shaving with a Fusion and canned shaving cream is wet shaving as well, but for the remainder of my post I will refer to "wet shaving" as using a non-cartridge razor.

Many of us have different reasons for trying wet shaving out, and potentially different reasons for staying. I switched from an electric (top-of-the-line Braun or Braun wet/dry; rotaries don't shave my neck nearly as well) because I have always gotten closer, better appearing shaves from blades. I came across an article on "vintage" wet shaving and looked into it, as Fusion cartridge prices looked darn high. In short, I tried wet shaving for cost reasons while seeing if I could get a good shave that didn't tear up my skin or give me razor burn like my electrics.

I found that all of that was true.

Additionally, something that I hadn't expected occurred - for the first time in my life, I enjoyed shaving. It's not as exciting as it used to be when I first started, but it's an enjoyable, "spa like" experience that I literally look forward to every day. I don't skip shaving on any day, except for one day that I recall this year (and I ended up wishing that I had shaved, as I felt "unfinished").

Is it worth trying out? I certainly think so, but then I'm a highly biased individual. It's like asking a gourmet chef at a 5 star restaurant if a fancy meal is worth it. There are many guides on this website (and others) as well as videos; my own guide attempt is in my signature.

Regardless of what you choose, you're more than welcome here. So . . . welcome and enjoy!

Haha I bought a Braun $150 electric about a month before I started traditional shaving....
it just sits there now. But I keep in, just in case.

Don't worry about the razor. Every closed comb razor is good for newbies. I know a lot of people recommend a second held Gillette razor however if you can get one get it but if you want to buy a new razor you can buy a newer one. You should focus more on technique and preps, you always can buy an another razor if you want.

Currently, I only shave once a week. I trim with a electric razor so my beard is stub length. Than I use a liquid electric pre-shave and very little shaving cream and use a top of the line rotatory electric razor for 90% of my beard. After, I use normal amount of shaving cream and gillette fusion razor for sensitive areas (high cheek/under eye and under neck) and side burns (because a rotatory isn’t for side burns). So have I been wet shaving or dry shaving?

You have been dry shaving because wetshaving involves water and face prep.

I don’t necessary want to ditch my electric razor because I paid $300 for it a month ago, plus I think it works great for 90% of my beard and is easier to use.

For the half the price you could get a great starters DE kit.

I don’t want to use only gillette fusion razors because the blades are expensive (have thick hair, so they barely last) and for 90% of my beard

Thats why people use DE razors, they give better shaves, the blades cost nothing. You can save a lot of money if you don't spend money on other products such as soaps, luxurious brushes etc.

But, how does your safety razors/straight edge razors compare to gillette fusion? Gillette tries to market it self and say they have comfort strips and what not, but from what I read nothing beats your old school razors.

Any DE razor beats a modern Gillette. The shaves are way better. Your skin will feel so great, no ingrown hairs, redness or irritations. It's the best choice I ever made in my entire life. Believe me on this one as soon when you get your first DE shave you will never want to go back to any other shaving method. You will be amazed by the results with practice you'll get a full BBS.

Just like you I used to shave with the M3 and later the Fusion. I got 3 shaves out of any cart (single pass only!!!!!), including irritations, redness and so many other bad things I never get now. One Fusion cart costs like 4 euros which is almost 4,5USD. For 8 euros I can get 100 Astra SP blades which last like 3 or 4 shaves (3 passes). It's not the money saving I really enjoy it's the results I'm in love with.

I tried so many different ways of shaving and I never liked any of them till I shaved with a DE razor. It never gets boring, I used to hate shaving sometimes I didn't even shave for a couple weeks.

You really should give it a try. I recently converted a friend on mine and he really likes it. He is told me he wish that his beard grows faster so he can shave it off. And I know almost everybody here will agree with me if I said the guys who don't use DE/SE razors don't know what they're missing.

I got an electric once I bought it for 20 euros on a local market. It pulled all my hairs out, after a while it broke. I didn't even went back to the guy who sold it to me I just gave up lol.

Krakatoa said:

+1, except for the razor recommendation. I'd get a Gillette Tech on eBay, for half the price of the NEW shipped.

Click to expand...

I agree with this. Start with this razor. Get some good blades, use Barbasol cream, in a can. Read up in the Newbe section for the necessary shaving techniques.

Please pay attention to not apply any pressure, use just the weight of the razor. This took me a few shaves to adjust to. Now I shave twice a day, face in the morning and head in the evening.......

Viseguy said:

My suggestion: Don't ditch your electric. Go on eBay and get yourself a Gillette NEW for less than 10% of what you paid for the electric, along with a packet of Astra blades. Learn how to lather the shaving cream you're using, then use the NEW on one-half of your face and the the electric on the other half. (Continue to use the Fusion for the sensitive areas.) After about a week, compare the shave you get with the NEW to the shave you get with the electric. Report your impressions/conclusions here.

Click to expand...

^^^^ This sounds like a good way to evaluate the differences between your electric and a DE safety razor.
Welcome to Badger & Blade, best of luck, and please keep us posted.

Some good advice posted here.

Welcome to B&B. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I suppose if one wants to be really literal, wet shaving is shaving with water involved.

But out the convention here, seems to equate wet shaving with traditional shaving. I don't think anybody here thinks a Fusion and canned goop qualifies as wet shaving, even though water is involved.

A brush doesn't have to be involved, but latherable soap or cream plus a single edge, double edge, shavette or straight seems to be what we're generally thinking about n

Welcome, you are getting great advice!