The Easiest Shave!!!!!

[htownmmm]

As you can see from my join date, I have been here for a little while. Tonight while perusing the current posts and thinking back on some of those from the past. an idea occurred to me-what would i recommend for a n00b that would provide him/her w/ the easiest transition from cartridge use to a great wet shave?

Many of us are willing to offer advice,knowledge,know how(and B&B does this BETTER than any other forum I'm a member of) until the n00b understands what is being said and becomes successful. However, the one thing we cannot pass along is confidence and skill!

Those 2 areas are what is needed most by the majority of n00bies(and patience!), yet it is almost impossible to 'share' that w/ them no matter how much we want to. This is because the only way to gain confidence and skill in shaving is to do it regularly- and over and over.

Here follow my recommendations for the initial shave kit:

1. Injector razor(working model, not1 from evilbay)
2. Injector blade(can be purchased locally @ CVS,Rite-Aid, Walgreen's)
3. Shave stick
4. Shave brush

Going from a cartridge to an injector is more of a lateral move than the leap that is required to picking up and using a DE. Now technique is no longer an issue and the n00b can just focus on using light to no pressure.

The shave stick will provide the easiest way of getting enough soap onto the beard so there is sufficient lather-plus, anyone who has applied a solid deodorant already knows how to use a shave stick. This removes the building lather phase that many n00bs struggle with. After seeing a good shaving lather on their face, they will know what to look for when moving onto soaps, creams.

Now the brush can be used for its main purpose-working the lather into the face. No longer having to worry about 'did i have enough water, did I use to much water', the n00b can now soak the brush, give it a shake and work the soap into his face. The lather will build easily(and they will have already learned 'face-lathering'!).

This will then lead to a successful shave, which will build confidence while increasing skill(and understanding). Think of it this way-how many of us learned to ride a bike for the 1st time on a 10 speed(or more) bicycle? Most of us had training wheels which were removed once we had proven that we could maintain our balance w/o them.

Soon enough our former n00b will be moving on to there merkur 38C or gillette, or even straight. Why? because they now know they can shave w/o cutting their throat(and of course RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!).

Now this being B&B, there are definitely going to be other opinions about what I have just posted. There will also be refinements thought up by others and maybe even better ideas will come out of it; I look forward to them all.


marty

 

[xgunterx]

I wanted to go a little crazy when I was shaving with a cartridge and canned goo and I bought the Tabac stick and Williams cream.
Face lathering was the automatic thing to do since I didn't even know you could create lather in a bowl.
I continued for years like this and was very pleased with the increase in comfort by having good lather.
It was only 1,5 years ago I read a column in a newspaper about classic shaving and I did some research. I'm glad I did and I would never have thought that shaving could be fun and turn out to be a hobby.

If you have people around you that are shaving with canned goo and a cartridge then motivating them to use a good soap/stick/cream will already be an eyeopener and might be enough to lighten a spark to go further.

 

[Slivovitz]

If I had gone directly from cartridges to injectors, with just a bit of advice on blade angle, I might never have bothered going to DE or SE razors at all.

Since I did try DE and SE razors first, I enjoy returning to them. There's just something satisfying about getting a close shave with a Gillette New, or a Fatboy, or a Gem 1912. If the end result were the only criterion, though, then there would be no reason for me to look beyond my injectors.

If I were suggesting an injector to a beginner, I'd recommend the Chinese Schick blades instead of the CVS ones. Not because the blades are necessarily better, but because somebody starting out doesn't need the hassle of those cheap CVS magazines falling apart when you pull them out of the razor.

I started out face lathering (with Williams), then learned to bowl lather. Then went back to face lathering, which I like much better. Regardless of what you end up doing, I'd agree that it's the easiest way to start.