Rookie Wet Shaver Requests Help (And A Medic)

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Trout Bum

Trout Bum

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Gentlemen,

Okay, after getting my dad's old Gillette DE razor (a '61 fatboy, I think) I kind of waited a while to try it out. I watched a few shaving vids of youtube... and I tried some of the techniques using a Mach 3 razor. I added a little water to my Barbasol shaving cream, shaved lightly the first time, and then re-applied the cream for a second pass in the opposite direction: I was blown away. I have a very heavy beard; there is not an electric in the world that could give me even a reasonable shave. Well, with my Mach 3 and a few techniques of wet shaving, I got the absolute closest shave of my life. I was truly astonished!

Now, with a few super close, awesome shaves under my belt, I went to Walmart (Gunnison, by the way, has the world's smallest Walmart) and purchased 10 DE blades for $2.17, plus tax. Wow, much cheaper, MUCH, than Mach 3 blades!
But they did not have shaving "soap" or brushes. So, I went home and just sort of went for it. Uh, most disappointing. I used the regular Barbasol shaving cream, with a little water. I set the razor to "3" thinking I had to start somewhere. Well, I have shaved twice, and both shaves were pretty bad. Razor burn, several cuts, and a just barely acceptable closeness that was most disappointing.

So, with all that being said, here are my questions:

1) Do I need better blades?
2) Do I NEED a shaving brush/special soap or cream? Or can I use the commonly found basic old shaving cream? I am on a very limited budget: any suggestions on brushes that are affordable and/or cheap?
3) Perhaps my technique needs work (most probably)
4) What number should I set the adjustable razor on?
5) Will I be happy if I go out and buy a bunch of stuff to shave with? ie can I get that kick ass, super close shave that I managed to get from my Mach 3?

Thanks for the help!!
 
Every time I try a blade, I look
like an extra in a slasher movie.

I'll stick to my electrics, even
if I have to shave twice a day.
 
I use the Personna double edge blades from Wal-Mart and have no problems. Some of the people on the shaving sites say they are no good and some people (like me) are quite content with them. All of the Wal-Marts here carry Vanderhagen shave soap and Vanderhagen boar brushes. They are usually on the bottom shelf near the floor. I have also seen them at Walgreens and Rite Aid drugstores. I've tried my Gillette adjustables with canned cream and canned gel, but got similar results as you have described. The double edge razor has to be held at a different angle than one is used to with the Mach III. The handle should be almost perpendicular with your face (not straight out but at an angle) instead of pointing directly towards the floor. I shave with my Gillette adjustables on number 5. Good luck and check out some of the wet shaving forums.

LtMac
 
1) I never found Wal-Mart blades to work for me. Try westcoastshaving.com -- they sell sample kits with 1 pack each of several different brands so you can see what works for you with that razor. For example, Feather blades give me a great shave in my Merkur razor, but in my Gilette Super Speed, they leave my face a bloody mess.

2) Shaving soap companies sell, (some still give away for free if you e-mail and ask) samples of their product. I get best results with Art of Shaving. You can sometimes pick it up on E-Bay fairly cheap. The brush is where it can get expensive: mine is a decent, but far from the best, made from badger I bought for around $60. Synthetic brushes can be picked up much cheaper if you look around. leesrazors.com is great to deal with, and fairly priced.

3) Mantic on youtube has a series of great videos on shaving with a double edge, and working a lather with a brush. I generally make one pass with the grain of my beard, re-lather, and make one across and get a decent shave.

4) I'd start out on 3 and adjust from there ton find the most comfortable setting. The higher the number, the more aggressive shave.

5) That's up to you. There's no need to buy everything at once. It can be spread out as your finances allow.

I hope this helps you out. I've been shaving with a double edge for quite a few years now, and would never go back to a Mach 3 or a Sensor. The main thing is to find out what best suits YOUR face. It may take a while to find the combination, but will be worth it in the end.
 
I use a shaving brush that I purchased from Caswell Massey: http://www.caswellmassey.com/MockIvoryShaveBrushLarge.aspx?DepartmentId=74 and a double edge Merkur razor: http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522941/190429.htm . For shave cream I use either Caswell Massey's shave soap or cream. I also like Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving cream: http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522960/1165231.htm or Truffitt and Hill: http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522960/2982478.htm . To this day I still think the double edge with a badger brush, shave cream or warm shave soap gives the best and most enjoyable shave out there. The 5.3 ounce bowl of shaving cream lasts me for months as you only need a little to build up a very nice and soothing lather. IMHO it gives just as nice a shave if not better for a quarter of the costs of the Mach 3 refills. The only down side is it is getting tougher to find double edge blades. I prefer either the Wilkinson, Gillette or Merkur blades.
 
+1 on the Mantic videos on youtube. They are excellent. Watch them all, then watch them again. Technique is a big part of it!

Blades can also make a big difference for some guys.

Cream / soap can also make a big difference.

Just remember, unlike a Mach 3, you need to take your time and plan on making 2-3 passes. Start with 2 passes - 1 with the grain (i.e. mostly down strokes for me, probably similar for you), and the 2nd across the grain. Don't start shaving against the grain at all. Wait until you've managed a few shaves with the 2 passes as described. They won't be the closest of your life, but they will be OK and shouldn't result in a making your face a mess. Later you can do a 3rd additional pass (across or against the grain) and maybe a little touch up - this will get you to baby butt smooth, but you need to get your face used to DE wet shaving first.

I don't use an adjustable blade, so I can't tell you if 3 is a good setting. Try the least "aggressive" setting first and work from there - that's probably makes the most sense.

Remember, too, that I am a novice DE shaver myself, though my results have been pretty good so far. If you are in a hurry, use the Mach 3. If you can take your time and enjoy it, do it slowly, deliberately, and carefully using the best tools available to you.

-Andrew
 
I use a Best Badger Brush (BBB) from Crabtree and Evelyn. It is a very good brush for $35.00 (last time I checked). I also use CO Bigelow shave cream from Bath and Body Works. Some of the soaps I use are Institut Karite, Tabac, and my favorite is Mitchell's Wool Fat. I use a Gillette Superspeed and Personna blades from Wal Mart.

Like others said, take your time. I would suggest you get away from the canned goo and get you a brush with some quality creams/soaps. It is well worth it!
 
Thanks for all the input guys. I shall march on down this road of DE wet shaving, and report back as I gain experience. Hopefully I can figure it out without shredding my face!

Cheers,

TB
 
I use a Merkur too; the blades do make a difference. I like Merkur blades which are sharp as hell. I got some westing something with the word sword inthem ( too lazy to get up and look ).. They are good, but not the quality of a merkur blade.

I use a boar hair brush, currently shopping for another one with shave soap and lately trying out some glycerin which is good too, but I think I prefer the regular soap, sold at my local tobacco shop.

Remember wet means wet, so keep reapplying if your're not saturated. For these razors, slow and easy wins the race

Nice short strokes. If I rush, I butcher myself too. The bad thing is that if I'm in a hurry, I don't shave, which I haven't, have a decent beard going.

For a big guy like me, I like a big heavy razor, which my Merkur is. I also have a tough beard, the kind that clogs up those triple to 5-blade modern razors.

Just takeit slow. Shaving is almost ritualistic for me now.
 
TBum, Last time I was in Gunnys oh so small wally world they still carried williams shavin soap and brushes. The soap aint bad for .99 cents but boars hair brush left much to be desired. You also want to keep a washcloth hot and handy, with the ultra dry climate keepin your face wet can be a challange. I also suggest usein a glycerin based soap, it dosnt seem to dry out my skin as much.
 
Trout Bum":kv8j0x4h said:
1) Do I need better blades?
2) Do I NEED a shaving brush/special soap or cream? Or can I use the commonly found basic old shaving cream? I am on a very limited budget: any suggestions on brushes that are affordable and/or cheap?
3) Perhaps my technique needs work (most probably)
4) What number should I set the adjustable razor on?
5) Will I be happy if I go out and buy a bunch of stuff to shave with? ie can I get that kick ass, super close shave that I managed to get from my Mach 3?
Click to expand...
1: Maybe. It's all up to you. I've been using the Walmart personnas, and they work fine for me.

2: No, but you'll probably enjoy them. As far as affordable brushes, you can't really beat the tweezerman badger brush. You can find one on amazon for about 15 bucks with shipping.

For soaps, you don't need them, but you can find them cheap. I'm actually surprised that WalMart didn't have the Van der Hagen deluxe shave soap. It's supposed to be very good, but I've found that it dries my face out. Instead of the soap, I've been using the Proraso green shave cream, packaged by C.O. Bigelow and sold at Bath & Body works. It's a 5 oz tube for $10, and is probably going to last me for months, seeing as I only use a tiny dab each time I shave, and get a good 3 passes with some left over. That's another thing about the brush. Using one lets you use less cream.

3: Technique can always be improved with practice. As others have said, check out mantic's videos on youtube.

4: No idea, i use an unadjustable 40's superspeed

5: You might not get the super kick ass close shave at first, but you'll probably enjoy shaving more and develop R/BAD (razor/brush acquisition disorder) pretty quickly. I know if I had the money, I'd be all over it, but as it is, my setup cost me less than $40, and is going to last me quite a while.
 
I hope the members here won't mind but I'd recommend visiting some of the shaving forums online, you will find a few of us that cross over from there to find our way at BoB. Most everything you want to know will be answered by very fine gents similar to those helpful ones here.
 
1) Do I need better blades?
2) Do I NEED a shaving brush/special soap or cream? Or can I use the commonly found basic old shaving cream? I am on a very limited budget: any suggestions on brushes that are affordable and/or cheap?
3) Perhaps my technique needs work (most probably)
4) What number should I set the adjustable razor on?
5) Will I be happy if I go out and buy a bunch of stuff to shave with? ie can I get that kick ass, super close shave that I managed to get from my Mach 3?
Click to expand...
If I may, I recommend badgerandblade.com. Several on this forum frequent there. With that said, I'm an avid wetshaver myself - having almost always shaved with a Mach3 before getting into DE and even some straight razor shaving.

I do not recommend using the goo in a can shaving cream. I completely recommend the $5 tube of C.O. Bigelow shaving cream from Bath n Body works. Best value on the market. Great stuff at a steal's price.

Get a brush to use with it. Even a boar brush is fine from Wally World.

Use it with your Mach3 and you'll get good results.

Some rules:
  1. No pressure on the blade. (Most commercials show applying pressure, which means PAIN.)
  2. Figure out hte grain of your beard. With the grain is the direction in which you rub your face and feel the least roughness.
  3. Shave in multiple passes. Go with the grain, with the grain, across the grain, than against the grain. Think of it as gradually reducing your beard with each pass.
  4. Practice

Buy some good after shave balm. Again, the stuff at Bath n Body works is great.

For < $30 you can have a very good setup that will last you a long time.
 
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