noob needs help.

Hello,
I have been wet shaving for about 3 weeks and lurking on the forums for help. I have been doing ok, but I keep having a few reoccurring problems so I finally took the plunge and joined. I am hoping you can help me. Currently I am using a VDH boar brush with VDH glycerin soap and a merkur HD with 7am blades. My technique may not be perfect, but I feel it is good as I get no cuts and nearly BBS each time in 3 passes: WTG-XTG-ATG.

My first problem is that in the chin and upper lip area I get some redness after each shave. I also get small red bumps on each side of my neck. I do not think it is pressure related since I grip the razor at the base and only use the weight of the razor for pressure. I was thinking it was irritation from the ATG pass [maybe I have sensitive skin?] or perhaps it is from the blade I am using. Could a blade cause that? If so I have several other blades to choose from.

My second problem is I cannot make good lather. I soak the brush during my shower then wring it out then shake out the remaining water. I work the brush on the soap until it becomes paste like then work it onto my face. When I do this it seems too thick. So lately I have been adding more water but it instantly goes from to thick to too wet. I have been experimenting with the amount of water I use but I cannot get lather anywhere as good as I have seen in pics from here. It is almost like the brush will not hold enough lather for more than one pass. I am OK with having to recharge the brush after each pass, but the quality of the later is either too think or too wet with nothing in between.


Sorry for the long winded post, but if I can work out these two problems my shaving experience will be next to perfect.

Thank you all.

Welcome to B&B!

Some things to consider, a hard time with my chin until I started stretching the skin the right way, for me I have to pull diagonal down about 2 inches from the corner of the mouth (and make a weird sort of sideways “oooo” face..) but depending how you beard grows this may be entirely different for you. If I don’t stretch properly I find the blade skips and drags on the slack skin regardless of how little pressure I use.

As far as Face lathering with soaps, if it is to thick try dipping just the tips of the brush quickly in water untill you get the consistancy you want.

royalcrown said:

As far as Face lathering with soaps, if it is to thick try dipping just the tips of the brush quickly in water untill you get the consistancy you want.

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The forgoing is good advice for face lathering. Also, watch the Mantic videos on youtube if you haven't already. These videos are great tutors.

I am not familiar with the blades that you are using. Different blades may solve your problem as some are smoother than others. Order a sampler pack from westcoastshaving.com and try different blades until you find a brand or two that suit you.

The problem with lathering is definately water related. You seem to be trying to face lather with a glycerine soap the same way you would lather with a hard soap. Apples and Oranges!! One of the reasons the Glyceryn soaps are so much less expensive than the hard soaps is that they are softer and contain less bulk. They create lather much faster with the addition of water. Many times members soak the puck and add water, as necessary, directly on top of the soap and keep working it until the desired result is obtained. Consequently, don't worry about having a dry brush. You will likely be adding water, and more water, until you get it right. In this respect, glyceryn soaps can be much easier to use for a new wet shaver since it is much more forgiving of mistakes (ie add water, or, if too wet, stop and/or drain and whip).

Welcome to B&B!! Good advice above, fella.

May I sugest investing in a quality badger brush and soap. This would most likely eliminate your lather issue because there are so many great soaps out there that lather at the blink of an eye. A quality badger brush eases the lathering process significantly as well and they feel awesome. Best of luck to you!

AustinC9 said:

May I sugest investing in a quality badger brush and soap. This would most likely eliminate your lather issue because there are so many great soaps out there that lather at the blink of an eye. A quality badger brush eases the lathering process significantly as well and they feel awesome. Best of luck to you!

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+1

Welcome to B&B!!

1) You are using to much pressure. You don't know it, but you are. Try holding the razor and the balancing point toward the tip of it.

2) Change your blade to a Crystal

3) Try going 2 XTG's in your chin/lip/neck area. Cut the ATG there. Once you learn to get irritation free shaves you can add back the ATG.

4) You are adding way to much water to the brush/lather. Once it gets thick all you need to add is like half a teaspoon. It's such a small amount you must be very careful to keep it that way. Add another small amount if it's to thick still. I have a boar and I never get as good lather as badgers either. One step at a time tho.

5) Don't get discouraged! Almost every noob has the same issues. Give yourself a few more weeks and No No No Pressure.

Welcome aboard!


==Tom

Welcome to B&B, we're glad your here...Enjoy!!!
Lots of good advice has been given already so again, enjoy!!!

Let me preface my advice by saying that I am a newbie as well. Some things you may need to look at: Have you critically analyzed the direction of your beard growth? It seems like some people make the assumption that WTG means a direct N-S and ATG means a direct S-N, but this is simply not true for a lot of guys. Using myself as an example, on the right side of my neck the hair grows downward but cheats to the right at about 30 degrees, while on the left side of my neck it grows directly downward. The same may apply to your moustache area and your chin. That's just something to think about. As far as lathering goes, it has been quite the trial and error experience. While the other guys may be right about the badger brush, some people actually prefer lathering a glycerin soap with a boar brush due to the fact that the brush retains less water, that way you can control the amount of water you add (and you should do it in very small quantities). Perhaps you should move your lather to a bowl for a while to help you get a better understanding of the proper water/soap ratio. I know that when I started using soap to build a lather, I would use every available moment to work on my technique and figure out what I was doing wrong. Chalk it up to my compulsive nature As I said at the beginning, I am still a newbie myself, but perhaps this can help you in some way. Best of luck and stick with it!

Welcome to the B&B X.

OK:
I put in a crystal blade
I have watched the videos
I am aware of the hair growth direction, and follow it as best I can
I will look into the pressure issue, but Im not using any I swear....

Thanks for the advice, I will try it all and see what happens.


The only other question I have is; when I add water to the lathering process should I
1.add it to the soap then work it in with the brush
2.add it directly to the brush then work it on the soap
3.add it to the brush then try to lather on my face

Actually I thought of one more, how is it that one blade can cause irritation, bumps, burn more so than another?

Thanks again.

3.add it to the brush then try to lather on my face.

Or try a cereal bowl to build your lather, don't wait for your next shave, get in the shave shack and build some lather. You are on the right track, don't give up.

Yep, I will go practice making lather soon.

Just one more thing. When I am loading the brush, should I:

1. Wait for paste to form and hairs on brush to clump together then add water and form lather on face

OR

2. Keep adding water until lather actually begins to form on the puck of soap then move to the face.

Ill play around with it latter but Id just like to have some idea of what I am doing.

X I am more inclined to say option 1, you can apply the "paste" with the bush then just dip the very tips of the brush in the water and go back to your face.
Have you read the face lathering toutorial?

Jim said:

X I am more inclined to say option 1, you can apply the "paste" with the bush then just dip the very tips of the brush in the water and go back to your face.
Have you read the face lathering toutorial?

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Yes, I have read these two.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=21136
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=439

There are just enough differences to make it confusing. One says load the brush until it clumps, the other says form actual lather.

I think I know where the problem is now. Besides not using enough water, I also think I am not being vigorous enough in the actual lather making process. Currently, I would load the brush then "lightly" swirl it over my face.

What I think I have to do now is:
load the brush, add water to brush, then spend more time and be more vigorous in the actual face lathering process. I need to make the soap that is clumped in the brush into a lather rather than just spread it on my face.

Previously, when I dipped the ends of the loaded brush into water and swirled it on my face it was too thin. I think that if I would have spent more time working it into a lather it would have been ok. Basically, I did not give it time to lather. The instant I thought it was to thin I went back to the bowl for more soap. I dont think I spent more than 30 seconds from loaded brush to soap covered face. I never actually formed lather /lightbulb/

I guess its called face lathering for a reason; you actually have to make it lather on your face, not simply wiping soap on a brush then smearing it on your face.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=40745
This is the face lather tutorial-

Welcome to B&B

plenty of good advice above but as you know there is no substitute for experience, keep at it you'll be ok

x_z_1 said:

OK:

Actually I thought of one more, how is it that one blade can cause irritation, bumps, burn more so than another?

Thanks again.

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Blades are a very YMMV thing. Some blades are cheaper made and tend to tug and pull your hair more. As a noob you should stick with some of the more popular brands of blades since they tend to cut smoother and after a few weeks you can switch to the cheaper ones and you will tell if those blades are right for you. Good Luck and it takes a little time and patience.