For the past 10 weeks I've been segueing back to NYC from what I realized was an ever deepening persistent vegetative garden state in the wilds of the northwestern corner of New Jersey (forests, bears, mosquitoes, farms -- surprisingly rural for the most densely populated state in the US). The desperation of my existential crisis inspired me to make my exodus post haste, like the ancient Israelites from Egypt. They didn't have time to let the bread rise; likewise, I set out with the barest shaving necessities.
These aren't even necessarily the best things I have or my top favorites -- just a few stalwarts, completely dependable, chosen in a mad rush, where I knew I'd need to travel light, keep it cheap, and take things that if I happened to lose something, or give it away, no biggie.
I set out with a skeleton shaving kit, with which (with one addition) I've been shaving since April.
WOW, does that make a HUGE difference in ability to focus on what's happening, what's changing, and how that affects the shave. I'm getting more consistent and consistently great shaves than ever. Ever since I started with traditional shaving, around Jan 1, 2013, I've been experimenting with ever more stuff -- razors, soaps, creams, oils, blades, brushes, etc, etc. And, while I sometimes keep careful notes and always pay attention, such ever increasing variability is a nightmare in trying to isolate factors. So, shaving with a consistent kit has been a huge boon to getting a clear sense of how these particulars function together.
What've I learned:
SO, the biggest discovery is that spending some time focused on a tightly defined kit, reducing variables and getting intimately familiar with each element, has dramatically increased my shaving products and technique learning, performance and satisfaction. I now know these products way better, but also have learned and honed techniques which can be adapted to any products. These are things RAD sufferers and never ending rotators and grazers may never learn nor experience, unless they make time to use the same products day in and day out for an extended period of time. While I don't plan on dumping my collection, my approach is different now: work my way through it in a more considered, careful, thoughtful, and focused way, spending more deep, quality time with each product and getting to know its behavior more intimately. I’m thinking: a month (or two) more or less straight with a single product should provide a solid basis of understanding. Then I might be readier to decide what to do with it.
I'M CURIOUS: I've heard similar tales. I'm curious to to learn: AFTER collecting and rotating among many products, what simplified, focused kit have you used or do you now use which has enabled you to more deeply learn, more clearly experiment, and perfect your techniques and choices? Do please share your essentials kit and learnings!!
My 2014 Spring Shaving Kit
In Yonkers & Bushwick, NY. The Thayers was a late addition in the last 2 weeks -- found it forgotten under the kitchen sink of the apartment I'm subletting, with a broken cap, yet still sealed. It's now my gold standard witch-hazel. Out the window you can see the artsy, rapidly gentrifying streets of hipster Bushwick, Brooklyn (circa L.A. Burrito, the downstairs neighbor).
These aren't even necessarily the best things I have or my top favorites -- just a few stalwarts, completely dependable, chosen in a mad rush, where I knew I'd need to travel light, keep it cheap, and take things that if I happened to lose something, or give it away, no biggie.
I set out with a skeleton shaving kit, with which (with one addition) I've been shaving since April.
- Sodial (Silvertone) razor, the shockingly good $3 Gillette Tech knock-off
- Omega 80097 boar
- jojoba oil pre-shave
- CO Bigelows (ProrasoGreen) cream super-lathered with Arko stick
- Thai crystal alum
- Proraso Green AS or Thayer's Witch Hazel w/Rose water and Aloe (added two weeks ago).
WOW, does that make a HUGE difference in ability to focus on what's happening, what's changing, and how that affects the shave. I'm getting more consistent and consistently great shaves than ever. Ever since I started with traditional shaving, around Jan 1, 2013, I've been experimenting with ever more stuff -- razors, soaps, creams, oils, blades, brushes, etc, etc. And, while I sometimes keep careful notes and always pay attention, such ever increasing variability is a nightmare in trying to isolate factors. So, shaving with a consistent kit has been a huge boon to getting a clear sense of how these particulars function together.
What've I learned:
- The secret to pre-shave oils is emulsion: rapidly palm lathering them with some water into an emulsion on the beard, which hydrates and softens the beard, and super slickly super protects the skin
- Wetting the soap stick before applying provides me much better soap application.
- Apply the soap stick right over the shaving oil emulsion, then marinate. I apply it right over the shave oil emulsion. Then I spend a minute or two putting some pomade in my hair and combing, by which time this beard marinade has done its magic.
- Proraso Green cream superlathers beautifully with Arko stick! I like the scent combination, and boy does that Arko extend the life of a tube of Proraso, bringing cost/shave way down. And man, can I get fantastic yogurty face lathered lathers with it every time. Lather technique: After applying my shave oil emulsion, then the wet soap stick, and allowing to sit a minute or two, I apply a small dab of Bigelows/Proraso on my soaked brush (half as much as I'd use w/out the Arko), and I've got a good 1/4" of eucalypto-mentholated yoghurt on my face in about a 60+ seconds. This is typically after I've already showered. Either way, there's a two-three minute built in beard marination period from application of the shave oil-emulsion to finishing face lathering for the first pass.
- Best prep for passes 2 and 3: rinse, leave the water on, then lather 15-20 seconds.
- No more irritation on the ATG pass on my right neck. Hopefully a thing of the past.
- Rapira blades
- Stainless: ouch! after enduring multiple nicks from two blades, I threw the rest out)
- Swedish Steel: Wayyyy better. About 5 great shaves/blade.
- Platinum Lux: Best yet. Like butter, and going on 7 shaves thus far on my first blade. If I get to 10 shaves, this means it’s stiff competition to PolSilver, Voskhod, and other primo blades, but more cost-effective.
- My BBS (or near BBS) (with neither nicks nor weepers) rate has significantly improved up to 95% of shaves.
- Thai Crystal is my favorite alum because of its shape and packaging. First, it is potassium alum, the same salt in alum shaving blocks. But, its form, with the rounded head and the base, is much handier than a block, easier to grip and hold and apply to the face and elsewhere. Because alum is the most natural, comfortable, effective, cost-effective deodorant on the market, I use one crystal for both aftershave and underarms. The 4oz stick is much easier to hold than the 2oz, which is better for travel. Even using it for both purposes, at the rate I'm going, one crystal seems like it'll last for 2-3 years. Talk about cost-effective!
- Thayers is better. Superior fragrance, skin healing and maintenance to the typical generic witch-hazels. As with any product including aloe, it does leave a slight shine.
- Simplicity is beautiful. Reducing variables enables quicker, deeper learning. Focusing in and shaving with the same products for extended periods is one of the most essential learning techniques and habits to develop. Stop hunting for the best (shaving product) ever, and recognize that you're technique makes at least as much, perhaps more of a difference, and the only way to develop that is by learning the depths of technique with a stable kit.
- I'm getting my best shaves yet with a kit which costs about $16 in hardware, and ~$35/year in consumables.
SO, the biggest discovery is that spending some time focused on a tightly defined kit, reducing variables and getting intimately familiar with each element, has dramatically increased my shaving products and technique learning, performance and satisfaction. I now know these products way better, but also have learned and honed techniques which can be adapted to any products. These are things RAD sufferers and never ending rotators and grazers may never learn nor experience, unless they make time to use the same products day in and day out for an extended period of time. While I don't plan on dumping my collection, my approach is different now: work my way through it in a more considered, careful, thoughtful, and focused way, spending more deep, quality time with each product and getting to know its behavior more intimately. I’m thinking: a month (or two) more or less straight with a single product should provide a solid basis of understanding. Then I might be readier to decide what to do with it.
I'M CURIOUS: I've heard similar tales. I'm curious to to learn: AFTER collecting and rotating among many products, what simplified, focused kit have you used or do you now use which has enabled you to more deeply learn, more clearly experiment, and perfect your techniques and choices? Do please share your essentials kit and learnings!!
My 2014 Spring Shaving Kit
In Yonkers & Bushwick, NY. The Thayers was a late addition in the last 2 weeks -- found it forgotten under the kitchen sink of the apartment I'm subletting, with a broken cap, yet still sealed. It's now my gold standard witch-hazel. Out the window you can see the artsy, rapidly gentrifying streets of hipster Bushwick, Brooklyn (circa L.A. Burrito, the downstairs neighbor).
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