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[Sodapopjones]

Originally Posted by ron177

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. I am very indeed appreciative of your advice and tips. I will keep on shaving and learning. I have another question. I have been using my Gillette foam so far only because I want to finish it before buying and using a soap.

In terms of soap and brush, what would you recommend? I browsed through the reviews and I have chosen (tentatively speaking) Colonel Conk Almond soap but when it comes to brush there are tones out there. I wouldn't want something super expensive but I don't want to compromise quality either. So please make a recommendation or two.

Try this, from what you have wrote I wouldn't spend anymore $$$ on wet-shaving gear skip the Conk and thank me later.

$8-10 for the kit at Wal*Mart it will work with the all mighty plastic face grater known as the "Fusion" and of course with a DE!

[Luc]

+1 on a bristle/boar brush

Omega has a nice one for $10... I still have mine...

[featherman]

You need to switch blade. The feather is no good for a beginner since it is very unforgiving. If your technique is not good, you will get irritation and cuts. Try an average blade like Derby, red personna or crystals.

Later on when you get consistently good shaves you can go back to the feathers.


/Alexander

[Sodapopjones]

Originally Posted by Luc

+1 on a bristle/boar brush

Omega has a nice one for $10... I still have mine...

As do I plus since it was so cheap I don't feel bad at all when I dig up a puck of Williams with it

[SlagleRock]

Originally Posted by ron177

I am shaving usually after shower or use pre shaving scrub oil. 25 minutes won't work really for me. I hoped 10 minutes maximum. Right now I spend somewhere close to 20 minutes shaving and I am unhappy with that amount of time being spent for a shave. I can't afford that. I am a student with a very tight schedule in the mornings. You know! My second shave was with a Feather blade which everyone says is the sharpest.

First, ditch the Merkur blades, they are garbage. Some say they like them but the vast majority can't stand them. Second save the Feathers until you have mastered all other elements of the shave.

With time and practice you can get your shave down to 10 minutes. It takes me roughly 30 minutes to get ready in the morning and that includes my shower, shave and everything else that comes with getting ready in the a.m.

I highly recommend that you get a blade sampler pack and follow the recommended progression in order.

Patience is a must and in the beginning you will take a great deal longer than you will once you master this. Some report that they don't truly master this technique/method of shaving for 6 months or more. Others say they master it in a few short weeks.

A soft, gentle (little to no pressure) touch and practice will get you there.

[KennD]

It took me around 30 min or so for just one or two passes at the beginning, too. I got some bumps and pimples for a few weeks when I used one particular blade with my razor... I don't recall which blade because it was part of a sampler pack.

Have you tried viewing the Mantic videos on YouTube? I found that those really helped me get a better idea of what was necessary for a good shave. I'm definitely down to around 10 min for a DFS shave each morning, and it's a great 10 minutes. Nothing like waking up, smelling some great shaving soap, and feeling in control and awake enough to put a super-sharp razor up to my face!

Good luck - maybe you want to check the consistency of your lather? Some good advice I saw was to try building lather when you don't have to shave - just for practice and to understand what good lather feels like... it should slip in your fingers, not stick, and not have big bubbles. That made a big difference for me.

[ProphetNoir]

As you can tell by the replies so far, you will get nothing but support and encouragement here on B&B and we are all glad to have you among us, asking questions. To add my 2 cents, hindsight is 20/20 and you might have been well served to first start by incorporating the brush and soap while still using a cartridge rather than the other way around. Since you are going to begin making your own lather now, you have an opportunity to begin from scratch and I urge you to take time out of the equation. If you are able to shave at night, then try doing that when things are quiet and you have an hour to shave. Every phase deserves and requires your complete attention. Good technique with the razor is nullified if your lather is bad. Good lather on a poorly prepped beard is equally useless when you are just starting out with a DE.
It can seem to take a very long time to get consistently good shaves, but it will happen and you may eventually get it done in less time, probably not as fast as you were getting with the cartridge, but not many of us want to shave that fast. Remember that DE shaving is all about stubble reduction in multiple passes. There are equal amounts of art and science to this. You will plateau at some point, but that doesn't mean that you will not continue to improve. I recently added an alum block to my regimen and I am astonished at the overall improvement that it made. Just make every part of the shave a priority as you are doing the task at hand.
When it all comes together you will know what we are all so amped about. I think that you will be responding to a similar thread by another new DE shaver in a couple of months to offer the same advice and encouragement you are getting right now.
Last thing to say, read the sticky posts in the new shaver forum. Print them and study like you are going to take a test because you actually do self administer a test every time you shave.

[mliguori]

Originally Posted by Sodapopjones

Try this, from what you have wrote I wouldn't spend anymore $$$ on wet-shaving gear skip the Conk and thank me later.

$8-10 for the kit at Wal*Mart it will work with the all mighty plastic face grater known as the "Fusion" and of course with a DE!

Paired with an HD and some more mild blades, Red IPs or Derbys, the VDH starter kit will give you a great lather and shave. In time you can easily cut down your shave time from 40-45mins to 10-15. Not without getting a real good grip on blade angle which does take some practical shaving time to master.

[ron177]

Dear all,

Once again, I want to thank all of you who are really helping me to get a better shave everyday. I have just shaved and spent some 20-30 minutes (after shower) for a three pass shave. Much better than yesterday. No irritation in the first two passes and not a lot in my third pass. I still didn't get a clean/close shave everywhere in my face. The area near my chin and on one side of my neck are pretty difficult to shave (due to different directions of hair grown) and that's where I get most of the irritation because after three passes, I still have hair left there (shortened but still there) and of course injury/irritation. The rest of my face however is shaved pretty closely with no or very little irritation.

Another problem I have is that I tried to follow your advice re not to exert pressure on the razor and let its weight do the work. However, it seems when I try to do that (let the razor's weight do the job), the razor doesn't even pick up the lather let alone to shave the hair. And when I exert a little pressure, then it's already too much. Any advice on this? Is my lather too thick?

Appreciatively.

[BobCochran]

Originally Posted by ron177

...I have just shaved and spent some 20-30 minutes (after shower) for a three pass shave. Much better than yesterday...I still didn't get a clean/close shave everywhere in my face. The area near my chin and on one side of my neck are pretty difficult to shave...I tried to follow your advice re not to exert pressure on the razor and let its weight do the work. However, it seems when I try to do that (let the razor's weight do the job), the razor doesn't even pick up the lather let alone to shave the hair...

We are having similar experiences. I'm spending at least 30 minutes on each shaving session myself. Often longer as I fuss and try to get things right. I have started to shower and shave in the evenings now, so I won't feel rushed. It helps. My shaves are not "clean" as in every little hair is gone. I have trouble with the chin area just like you, and probably will for a month or so more. However I look great overall. Someone would have to be within about 2 inches of me (or closer) to see my shaving mistakes. An imperfect shave is okay. Try and try again will fix it.

As for the rest, can you take a picture of your face with lather on it and post it here? Also a picture of your razor and a third one of your lather in the bowl? Use your cell phone camera and some bright light.

Speaking of light, you do know you need great light to shave by? Low wattage bulbs don't give you enough light to shave by. --Bob

[s1mp13m4n]

Originally Posted by ron177

Dear all,

Once again, I want to thank all of you who are really helping me to get a better shave everyday. I have just shaved and spent some 20-30 minutes (after shower) for a three pass shave. Much better than yesterday. No irritation in the first two passes and not a lot in my third pass. I still didn't get a clean/close shave everywhere in my face. The area near my chin and on one side of my neck are pretty difficult to shave (due to different directions of hair grown) and that's where I get most of the irritation because after three passes, I still have hair left there (shortened but still there) and of course injury/irritation. The rest of my face however is shaved pretty closely with no or very little irritation.

Another problem I have is that I tried to follow your advice re not to exert pressure on the razor and let its weight do the work. However, it seems when I try to do that (let the razor's weight do the job), the razor doesn't even pick up the lather let alone to shave the hair. And when I exert a little pressure, then it's already too much. Any advice on this? Is my lather too thick?

Appreciatively.

I am wondering about your blade angle. If you have a good lather and are not using any preasure...I wonder if the blade angle is correct. It is just my 2 cents worth.

[Luc]

Originally Posted by s1mp13m4n

I am wondering about your blade angle. If you have a good lather and are not using any preasure...I wonder if the blade angle is correct. It is just my 2 cents worth.

+1

If the lather stays there, the angle isn't right.

[Mr.Max]

Also, you may want to try a cream. I know soaps are all the rage around this board, but I think you might find a cream a little easier and quicker to learn with. Lots of choices online or you could get some kiss my face cream at the natural food store.

[Trendkill]

If you have not purchased a blade sampler pack, shoot me a pm and I will send you a few different kinds of blades (Crystal, Personna, Astra, ect...) The VDH shave kit at walmart would be a great start. Since the soap is cheap, I would recommend making several batches of lather until you find the "sweet spot". Good luck to you.

[dkenn76]

Us fellow newbies hear ya, ron. The angle is one of the toughest things to master, IMO. Without the pivot of a cartridge razor, you really gotta watch how you position your razor, hand, arms, etc. It's tough to get used to, I'm still adapting just after a few weeks, but I'm slowly but surely getting there.

Most important thing is to take your time. This is tough, ESPCIALLY in the morning, so if possible, try it at night so you aren't rushed.

My usual shaves with a Fusion would take literally 5 minutes start to finish and I could end up with a BBS shave everytime. Unfortunately that technique would always leave me with bumps, ingrowns, redness, etc due to the canned goo and poor quality razor.

You're now working with some hi-grade stuff here and in time, if used properly (which, you will!) you'll be getting great shaves in no time. I've been getting DFS's just recently, still get weepers and nic's, but the pro's on here know what they're talking about when they say: "In time, you'll get it!"

[Hughies_online]

Patience and persistence