Hello everyone!
I'm Marcin and I live in Poland. You can call me 'Martin' since most of you will never get my name right (lot's of English speakers tried to no avail
).
I started reading B&B about 3 weeks ago and finally picked up wetshaving.
First of all, I must say this is the most friendly, welcoming and open discussion board I've ever seen in my existence. No trolling, no fighting, no arguing, no malicious comments... You guys are true Gentlemen.
Here's my 'Oscar ceremony' style list of thank-you's:
Thanks, mantic, for your incredible videos! I guess I've seen all of them by now. You are a great guy and a blessing to the wetshaving community that I'm proud to be a part of. Actually, you know what? Your videos deserve an Oscar or two.
Thanks, Kyle, for outlining your fantastic prep routine for us! It even gave me a better shave with the Fusion-Illusion the last two times I used it. With a DE razor it's fabulous! Oh, and one of your other famous posts proves that what works for you works for me as well.
Thanks, mozart, for unravelling the mystery of the correct blade angle.
Thanks, Leisureguy, for your informative blog. I think I'm gonna get your book very soon.
Thank you ALL for your great reviews of razors, blades, soaps, creams, pre/post shaves, after shaves... and whatnot. Thanks for great little tips on technique, pressure, angles, face prep, what to buy etc.
B&B posts and reviews have helped me immensely in discoverying the new/old world of DE shaving.
>>> MY SHAVING BACKGROUND
I've been shaving since I was 15, that's almost 11 years now. I have a dark beard which grows fast, is very hard but not very thick. If I skip shaving my skin feels like a sandpaper. There's one spot on my sensitive neck where the stubble grows in every possible direction. My previous razors just didn't seem to get it.
I used Gillette Sensor Excel, Mach3 and Fusion. I even tried their disposables. I also used my Philips HQ 663 fairly regularly as the electric shaver was the only tool I was able to use daily or every other day (using Gillette Fusion-Illusion for touch-ups on my neck). I used a freebie Wilkinson disposable a few times ('twas pretty good). Nothing even came close to offering me a smooth and comfortable shave every day.
'Irritation, Cuts & Ingrowns' was the name of the game I used to play 'till last week. I thought I had a really bad case of sensitive skin. I was sure that this thing we call 'shaving' was invented by some greedy sadistic entrepreneur sitting there in his office and counting money made on product lines formulated especially for those poor guys with sensitive skin.
My skin looked and felt pretty bad. I was sick'n'tired of feeling this way. I got so fed up with it that after seeing a tv ad I was lured into temptation of getting the latest & greatest Philips Arcitec electric wet/dry shaver, you know, the one that spits Nivea balm on your face. I like Nivea cream and balm and use it every day. I also trust (trusted?) Philips brand.
>>> DE SHAVING DISCOVERED ('by accident')
Anyway, you will not believe how I came across this 'DE shaving' concept. I was going through countless electric shavers reviews at Amazon as I always do when I'm in a market for a new toy. Now, there was this guy who mentioned 'wetshaving' in his review and he commented on how much better of a shave it was compared to using all of the latest gadgets and gizmos.
I'm sure he must have been moved by the Spirit of God to type 'wetshaving' which I googled right away. I use Opera for my internet surfing and I find things in no time (keyboard shortcuts, flexible GUI, lightning fast touch typing, you know...). Very soon, I was sure I knew the answer.
>>> SHOPPING SPREE
Based on B&B, The Shave Den, Amazon reviews and my own research here's what I bought:
- Gillette Slim Adjustable '64 - I picked it up from eBay, it's in mint condition, cost me sth like $35 with shipping
- lots of blades samples: Derby, BIC, Israeli Personna (Crystal), Polsilver, Astra, Feather (this is the most probable order for my experiments program due to be launched in 2 or 3 weeks time)
- badger brush made in Poland (looks like a best badger brush but it doesn't say anything on the handle or a package) - extremely soft and far better than the pure badger I played with in a local drugstore. It cost me (you ARE gonna kill me) $10 straight from the factory. I know, it's hard to believe. It whips hot lather like crazy in a matter of seconds. It's worlds apart from the el'cheapo Wilkinson boar brush which is now collecting dust.
- Proraso pre/post, $9 - cool stuff
- Proraso shaving cream - I love the menthol and eucaliptus feeling, $7
- Proraso Shave Cut Healing Gel, $4 - stops bleeding in no time
- Williams soap - makes a fantastic super lather with Proraso cream, it's around $5 here but it should last a long time
- WARS cream (pronounced: 'vaars') - a gem from Poland, here it costs (ready?) $1.20
- alum stick - I mostly use it as a great natural deodorant after shower and before bed, it works like a charm, $5
TOTAL SPENDINGS so far: around $90
I also have a great BaByliss for Men hair clippers I use for cutting hair and trimming my goatee. I found shaving around my full goatee using a safety razor is much easier and precise than using the "precision trimmer" on the Fusion-Illusion. I don't think I need a help of a GoateeSaver.com (although I still think this little device is a clear display of a pure design & marketing genius ).
Here are a few pics:
best badger brush and my Slim Boy:
my new brush:
sort of a 'shave den' in my tiny bathroom:
I keep a record of my first DE shaves and decided to share my experiences after one week, or two. I'm still trying to figure out the best setup but I'm getting closer and closer.
But let me tell you that my skin has never been so smooth.
I already shaved four times. My third shave was a total, complete, utter, freaking close BBS shave all over my face. 'No questions asked 100% satisfaction or money back guarantee' kind of shave. Slim Boy set to 1 with a fresh Derby inside.
Not one whisker said a word. Apparently, they all agreed not to fight: 'Listen guys, we might just as well give up. Resistance is futile' (hmm... I wonder where they got that phrase from...
).
Having shaved on Friday morning I still looked presentable on Saturday evening. That's pretty good if you ask me. Now, all I have to do is to learn how to achieve this on a regular basis.
OK, I'm done. If you need anything from Poland, let me know.
Thanks Gents !!!
I'm Marcin and I live in Poland. You can call me 'Martin' since most of you will never get my name right (lot's of English speakers tried to no avail
).I started reading B&B about 3 weeks ago and finally picked up wetshaving.
First of all, I must say this is the most friendly, welcoming and open discussion board I've ever seen in my existence. No trolling, no fighting, no arguing, no malicious comments... You guys are true Gentlemen.
Here's my 'Oscar ceremony' style list of thank-you's:
Thanks, mantic, for your incredible videos! I guess I've seen all of them by now
. You are a great guy and a blessing to the wetshaving community that I'm proud to be a part of. Actually, you know what? Your videos deserve an Oscar or two. Thanks, Kyle, for outlining your fantastic prep routine for us! It even gave me a better shave with the Fusion-Illusion the last two times I used it. With a DE razor it's fabulous! Oh, and one of your other famous posts proves that what works for you works for me as well
. Thanks, mozart, for unravelling the mystery of the correct blade angle.
Thanks, Leisureguy, for your informative blog. I think I'm gonna get your book very soon.
Thank you ALL for your great reviews of razors, blades, soaps, creams, pre/post shaves, after shaves... and whatnot. Thanks for great little tips on technique, pressure, angles, face prep, what to buy etc.
B&B posts and reviews have helped me immensely in discoverying the new/old world of DE shaving.
>>> MY SHAVING BACKGROUND
I've been shaving since I was 15, that's almost 11 years now. I have a dark beard which grows fast, is very hard but not very thick. If I skip shaving my skin feels like a sandpaper. There's one spot on my sensitive neck where the stubble grows in every possible direction. My previous razors just didn't seem to get it.
I used Gillette Sensor Excel, Mach3 and Fusion. I even tried their disposables. I also used my Philips HQ 663 fairly regularly as the electric shaver was the only tool I was able to use daily or every other day (using Gillette Fusion-Illusion for touch-ups on my neck). I used a freebie Wilkinson disposable a few times ('twas pretty good). Nothing even came close to offering me a smooth and comfortable shave every day.
'Irritation, Cuts & Ingrowns' was the name of the game I used to play 'till last week. I thought I had a really bad case of sensitive skin. I was sure that this thing we call 'shaving' was invented by some greedy sadistic entrepreneur sitting there in his office and counting money made on product lines formulated especially for those poor guys with sensitive skin.
My skin looked and felt pretty bad. I was sick'n'tired of feeling this way. I got so fed up with it that after seeing a tv ad I was lured into temptation of getting the latest & greatest Philips Arcitec electric wet/dry shaver, you know, the one that spits Nivea balm on your face. I like Nivea cream and balm and use it every day. I also trust (trusted?) Philips brand.
>>> DE SHAVING DISCOVERED ('by accident')
Anyway, you will not believe how I came across this 'DE shaving' concept. I was going through countless electric shavers reviews at Amazon as I always do when I'm in a market for a new toy. Now, there was this guy who mentioned 'wetshaving' in his review and he commented on how much better of a shave it was compared to using all of the latest gadgets and gizmos.
I'm sure he must have been moved by the Spirit of God to type 'wetshaving' which I googled right away
. I use Opera for my internet surfing and I find things in no time (keyboard shortcuts, flexible GUI, lightning fast touch typing, you know...). Very soon, I was sure I knew the answer. >>> SHOPPING SPREE
Based on B&B, The Shave Den, Amazon reviews and my own research here's what I bought:
- Gillette Slim Adjustable '64 - I picked it up from eBay, it's in mint condition, cost me sth like $35 with shipping
- lots of blades samples: Derby, BIC, Israeli Personna (Crystal), Polsilver, Astra, Feather (this is the most probable order for my experiments program due to be launched in 2 or 3 weeks time)
- badger brush made in Poland (looks like a best badger brush but it doesn't say anything on the handle or a package) - extremely soft and far better than the pure badger I played with in a local drugstore. It cost me (you ARE gonna kill me) $10 straight from the factory. I know, it's hard to believe. It whips hot lather like crazy in a matter of seconds. It's worlds apart from the el'cheapo Wilkinson boar brush which is now collecting dust.
- Proraso pre/post, $9 - cool stuff
- Proraso shaving cream - I love the menthol and eucaliptus feeling, $7
- Proraso Shave Cut Healing Gel, $4 - stops bleeding in no time
- Williams soap - makes a fantastic super lather with Proraso cream, it's around $5 here but it should last a long time
- WARS cream (pronounced: 'vaars') - a gem from Poland, here it costs (ready?) $1.20
- alum stick - I mostly use it as a great natural deodorant after shower and before bed, it works like a charm, $5
TOTAL SPENDINGS so far: around $90
I also have a great BaByliss for Men hair clippers I use for cutting hair and trimming my goatee. I found shaving around my full goatee using a safety razor is much easier and precise than using the "precision trimmer" on the Fusion-Illusion. I don't think I need a help of a GoateeSaver.com (although I still think this little device is a clear display of a pure design & marketing genius
). Here are a few pics:
best badger brush and my Slim Boy:
my new brush:
sort of a 'shave den' in my tiny bathroom:
I keep a record of my first DE shaves and decided to share my experiences after one week, or two. I'm still trying to figure out the best setup but I'm getting closer and closer.
But let me tell you that my skin has never been so smooth
. I already shaved four times. My third shave was a total, complete, utter, freaking close BBS shave all over my face. 'No questions asked 100% satisfaction or money back guarantee' kind of shave. Slim Boy set to 1 with a fresh Derby inside.
Not one whisker said a word. Apparently, they all agreed not to fight: 'Listen guys, we might just as well give up. Resistance is futile' (hmm... I wonder where they got that phrase from...
). Having shaved on Friday morning I still looked presentable on Saturday evening. That's pretty good if you ask me. Now, all I have to do is to learn how to achieve this on a regular basis.
OK, I'm done. If you need anything from Poland, let me know
.Thanks Gents !!!
