Before I even get into anything, let me begin by thanking everyone here for providing such great information! I don't know if I would have gotten into single-bladed shaving if it wasn't for all of you. So, bravo! And kudos to everyone.
I'll be 29 this year, which means I've been shaving for a fair amount of my life already. I started out with an electric razor; a Norelco. Save, easy, and relatively effective for a youngster, it worked okay for what I needed it for. Not too long after, I experimented a little with some disposable razors I found, which were used by the ladies of the house for their legs. They had one blade and were quite rough on the face. That didn't last long... But I picked up a nicer razor, probably a Mach 3, and found that it was significantly better than those cheap, disposable razors. Ever since, I've used a multi-bladed razor, most-recently being a Schick Hydro 5, the nicest one I've used to-date.
My experience with the 5-bladed wonder-razor was really good, but only at the start of using each new cartridge. Over time, they would dull, and I would need more and more passes to get everything. So, about every two weeks, I toss it away and grab a new one. Considering they're roughly $3 each, that's not cheap in the long run.
As for my cream, I've been using Nivea Sensitive Skin shaving gel. It may be from a can, but it lathers quite nicely, doesn't irritate my skin, has little odor, and wasn't horribly expensive at around $2.50-$3.00 per can. Lubrication seemed pretty decent, with a nice, thick lather. I have a whole mess of it stockpiled, so I'll likely keep using it with my cartridge razor while I still have some to use.
Recently I noticed a post for a DE razor on a deal site that I frequent, and got curious. I started looking into the comments, and people seemed to love them. Another couple of weeks of research, going over product reviews, message boards, etc. and I realized that this could be a great thing to get into. So, I figured I would give it a shot. I hemmed and hawed about which razor to get. But a LOT of people seem to really like the Edwin Jagger razors for their excellent chrome finish and quality, as well as the nice shave. So that's what I decided to go with.
My first set up consists of the following:
I also have a few other razor blades, but I figured I would try the Derby's first. The rest are 7am, Sharp, and I ordered a pack of Feathers for later on once I get some experience.
The first shave started well. But I found the lather a bit lacking. Perhaps I needed to use more cream, or a little more water. But, it didn't seem to be a lot of later in the bowl. Applying it to my face, I saw it was a fairly thin coat of lather. Not watery or really thin, but it seemed to dry out fairly quickly. So, I think I need more water in my lather next time.
Once I got started with the razor, it felt very natural to me. Not unlike using the cartridge razor I have always used. (Although, I used much less pressure, obviously!) I did a first pass mostly WTG to get things knocked down a bit. And then on my next pass, instinctively, I started mimicking what I do with my cartridge. I went XTG and ATG. It didn't bother me at all to do that, as long as I used sufficient lather for lubrication. If I needed to touch up here or there, just slap a little more lather on and hit it with the razor again. Easy!
After I finished up, which consisted of about 3 passes total (it's hard to tell, when you're doing touch-up here and there... it was more like 2 passes with touch-up), I rinsed thoroughly with cold water. I never do that, so I was hesitant. But after the first splashes of cold water, it felt pretty nice. I had a few nicks here and there, but those were due to bumps I already had on my face from a few pimples. I expect them to bleed when I hit them with a razor, so no big deal there. The cold water helped to seal them up nicely. Then I rubbed in some Nivea Sensitive aftershave balm (white jar). It soothed a bit, but the cooling sensation didn't last too long. I think I'll want something that cools longer next time I look for AS, or I'll try one of the T&H AS samples.
All-in-all, I didn't find it terribly difficult to do. I found it fairly enjoyable, and I don't really notice much razor burn. The face is a little bit warm, but I assume once I get used to shaving this way that the small amount of razor burn I do have will minimize. My face feels nice and smooth nearly everywhere, except a little bit on the neck. Even better and healthier than when I use my cartridge. I'm guessing that will improve over time, as well.
Another thought goes to razor blades... I think the Derby's worked just fine. They felt a little bit rough, but I think it may be due to my poor lather or my inexperience. I'll continue using them for now and see how things go.
Last thing is the brush. It worked okay, but was a bit prickly unless you swirl it gently. I can't press it into my face and have it spread out nicely like others have demonstrated here. I hope this brush will soften up over time. It also had a bit of a funk to it, once I started to lather up. I'm sure that'll go away. But it wasn't terribly pleasant. Any tips on ridding the brush of the badger funk?
So, that's it! My first DE shaving experience. I'll likely do this on weekends to start with, since I'll have the time. But I foresee this as an experience I'll eventually transition to every day.
Lastly... a few photos to share!
Closeup of the razor:
Closer Closeup of the barley pattern on the handle... I love it!
I'll be 29 this year, which means I've been shaving for a fair amount of my life already. I started out with an electric razor; a Norelco. Save, easy, and relatively effective for a youngster, it worked okay for what I needed it for. Not too long after, I experimented a little with some disposable razors I found, which were used by the ladies of the house for their legs. They had one blade and were quite rough on the face. That didn't last long... But I picked up a nicer razor, probably a Mach 3, and found that it was significantly better than those cheap, disposable razors. Ever since, I've used a multi-bladed razor, most-recently being a Schick Hydro 5, the nicest one I've used to-date.
My experience with the 5-bladed wonder-razor was really good, but only at the start of using each new cartridge. Over time, they would dull, and I would need more and more passes to get everything. So, about every two weeks, I toss it away and grab a new one. Considering they're roughly $3 each, that's not cheap in the long run.
As for my cream, I've been using Nivea Sensitive Skin shaving gel. It may be from a can, but it lathers quite nicely, doesn't irritate my skin, has little odor, and wasn't horribly expensive at around $2.50-$3.00 per can. Lubrication seemed pretty decent, with a nice, thick lather. I have a whole mess of it stockpiled, so I'll likely keep using it with my cartridge razor while I still have some to use.
Recently I noticed a post for a DE razor on a deal site that I frequent, and got curious. I started looking into the comments, and people seemed to love them. Another couple of weeks of research, going over product reviews, message boards, etc. and I realized that this could be a great thing to get into. So, I figured I would give it a shot. I hemmed and hawed about which razor to get. But a LOT of people seem to really like the Edwin Jagger razors for their excellent chrome finish and quality, as well as the nice shave. So that's what I decided to go with.
My first set up consists of the following:
- Edwin Jagger DE89BA11 Barley razor
- Tweezerman badger-hair brush
- Truefitt & Hill sample pack (had 9 different creams!, about 3-4 aftershaves, and 1 pre-shave oil)
- Derby Extra razor blades
I also have a few other razor blades, but I figured I would try the Derby's first. The rest are 7am, Sharp, and I ordered a pack of Feathers for later on once I get some experience.
The first shave started well. But I found the lather a bit lacking. Perhaps I needed to use more cream, or a little more water. But, it didn't seem to be a lot of later in the bowl. Applying it to my face, I saw it was a fairly thin coat of lather. Not watery or really thin, but it seemed to dry out fairly quickly. So, I think I need more water in my lather next time.
Once I got started with the razor, it felt very natural to me. Not unlike using the cartridge razor I have always used. (Although, I used much less pressure, obviously!) I did a first pass mostly WTG to get things knocked down a bit. And then on my next pass, instinctively, I started mimicking what I do with my cartridge. I went XTG and ATG. It didn't bother me at all to do that, as long as I used sufficient lather for lubrication. If I needed to touch up here or there, just slap a little more lather on and hit it with the razor again. Easy!
After I finished up, which consisted of about 3 passes total (it's hard to tell, when you're doing touch-up here and there... it was more like 2 passes with touch-up), I rinsed thoroughly with cold water. I never do that, so I was hesitant. But after the first splashes of cold water, it felt pretty nice. I had a few nicks here and there, but those were due to bumps I already had on my face from a few pimples. I expect them to bleed when I hit them with a razor, so no big deal there. The cold water helped to seal them up nicely. Then I rubbed in some Nivea Sensitive aftershave balm (white jar). It soothed a bit, but the cooling sensation didn't last too long. I think I'll want something that cools longer next time I look for AS, or I'll try one of the T&H AS samples.
All-in-all, I didn't find it terribly difficult to do. I found it fairly enjoyable, and I don't really notice much razor burn. The face is a little bit warm, but I assume once I get used to shaving this way that the small amount of razor burn I do have will minimize. My face feels nice and smooth nearly everywhere, except a little bit on the neck. Even better and healthier than when I use my cartridge. I'm guessing that will improve over time, as well.
Another thought goes to razor blades... I think the Derby's worked just fine. They felt a little bit rough, but I think it may be due to my poor lather or my inexperience. I'll continue using them for now and see how things go.
Last thing is the brush. It worked okay, but was a bit prickly unless you swirl it gently. I can't press it into my face and have it spread out nicely like others have demonstrated here. I hope this brush will soften up over time. It also had a bit of a funk to it, once I started to lather up. I'm sure that'll go away. But it wasn't terribly pleasant. Any tips on ridding the brush of the badger funk?
So, that's it! My first DE shaving experience. I'll likely do this on weekends to start with, since I'll have the time. But I foresee this as an experience I'll eventually transition to every day.
Lastly... a few photos to share!
Closeup of the razor:
Closer Closeup of the barley pattern on the handle... I love it!
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