Hi All, total newb here. I'm 53 and after many years decided a few days ago that my Bic Twin Select just wasn't cutting it (pun intended). I couldn't get a close enough shave, particularly on my upper lip. Randomly, I type into google "how to get a closer shave" and after a few clicks found Badgerandblade. It became very clear, very fast, that I had a lot to learn, but I was fascinated. To make a long story shorter, my 34C showed up yesterday and this morning I had the first DE shave of my life using the included blade. I didn't have any soap, so made do with some Gillette canned shaving cream. I had no idea what I was doing, but I didn't cut myself, and had a shave which was closer and smoother than anything I can remember in a long time. I'm hooked. Looking for some newbie advice on hard soaps, brushes, and blades, and maybe some suggestions on a second razor, something which I could compare to 34C and everyone should have in their collection. Thank you your help and thank you for having me!
New convert
- Thread starter Teutonblade
- Start date
Jay21
Collecting wife bonus parts
Welcome! Nice choice on the razor as it’s a classic. Also, there’s nothing wrong with canned goo. I say keep using that to help master the razor and then go down the soap rabbit hole.
Welcome! Never used a 34c myself but from what I understand, it’s an excellent choice. I’d actually stick with that for a little while to get your technique down.
I’m sure you’ll get a lot of suggestions for your next razor when you’re ready. IMHO, you’ll have a hard time doing better than a Henson. If you like vintage, a Gillette Tech is a good place to start.
I respectfully disagree on the canned cream. Literally every soap I’ve tried is better than the canned stuff I was using before. I’d go to Italian Barber and pick a soap that sounds appealing and a synthetic brush. It won’t set you back too much, and you really can’t go wrong.
I hope you’ll let us know what you decide. Most importantly, enjoy!!
I’m sure you’ll get a lot of suggestions for your next razor when you’re ready. IMHO, you’ll have a hard time doing better than a Henson. If you like vintage, a Gillette Tech is a good place to start.
I respectfully disagree on the canned cream. Literally every soap I’ve tried is better than the canned stuff I was using before. I’d go to Italian Barber and pick a soap that sounds appealing and a synthetic brush. It won’t set you back too much, and you really can’t go wrong.
I hope you’ll let us know what you decide. Most importantly, enjoy!!
I'm pretty new at this but might it be easier, at first, to get a lather from a good cream, rather than a soap?
Something like the Proraso green from Italian Barber?
And welcome here @Teutonblade, I'm just getting started here myself. Great place, nicest forum I've found.
34C is a fine razor. Every razor shaves differently, and it takes time and repetition to develop good technique. I’d say give yourself at least a year before trying different razors — really master the fundamentals before moving on. That advice holds for each category of product.
Some soaps are easier to use than others. And, again, different soaps require different approaches. Cella (both red and green are great) or the RazoRock “What the Puck” soaps are both very good and very easy / forgiving to use. However, you should probably start with Proraso Green. Ubiquitous for a reason, and also a high performer with little learning curve. The pre-shave is also good.
For starting out I’d go with a boar brush. Cheaper than badger and just as good once it breaks in. I’m personally a huge fan of Semogue. A Semogue Owners Club in cherry wood is a bit more expensive than some other boars, but it’s all the brush you’ll ever need. (I think it’s on sale on Amazon, too, currently.) Other Semogues are also great. Boar takes a couple weeks of use to really start showing its performance, and tends to benefit from a 2-5 minute hot water soak before use.
Blades are pretty personal. I’ve been really enjoying Treet Dura-Sharps lately, but there really are a lot of great options and what works for you might be different than what works for someone else. Razor Blades Club (on Amazon or on its own site) has good sample packs, but so does any wet shaving seller (Maggard, West Coast Shaving). In any case, consider working through each tuck front to back before trying a different kind of blade. I usually get 1-2 weeks out of each blade, but again that varies a lot — some folks here prefer “one and done.”
Welcome, and good luck!
Some soaps are easier to use than others. And, again, different soaps require different approaches. Cella (both red and green are great) or the RazoRock “What the Puck” soaps are both very good and very easy / forgiving to use. However, you should probably start with Proraso Green. Ubiquitous for a reason, and also a high performer with little learning curve. The pre-shave is also good.
For starting out I’d go with a boar brush. Cheaper than badger and just as good once it breaks in. I’m personally a huge fan of Semogue. A Semogue Owners Club in cherry wood is a bit more expensive than some other boars, but it’s all the brush you’ll ever need. (I think it’s on sale on Amazon, too, currently.) Other Semogues are also great. Boar takes a couple weeks of use to really start showing its performance, and tends to benefit from a 2-5 minute hot water soak before use.
Blades are pretty personal. I’ve been really enjoying Treet Dura-Sharps lately, but there really are a lot of great options and what works for you might be different than what works for someone else. Razor Blades Club (on Amazon or on its own site) has good sample packs, but so does any wet shaving seller (Maggard, West Coast Shaving). In any case, consider working through each tuck front to back before trying a different kind of blade. I usually get 1-2 weeks out of each blade, but again that varies a lot — some folks here prefer “one and done.”
Welcome, and good luck!
Welcome to B&B @Teutonblade. I'd second a good soap and/cream and a Boar brush, possibly even synthetic to cut down on costs.
Proraso Green shave cream is great. Choose a scent you like and go to town.
Proraso Green shave cream is great. Choose a scent you like and go to town.
Hi and welcome to B&B. I second for a synthetic brush, a boar brush can have break in period and may frustrate you at the start. I'd also say stick with the razor you have now for a while use a very light touch.
And the most important thing is to.
Enjoy yourself.
And the most important thing is to.
Enjoy yourself.
Hello and welcome to B & B!
Just want to say welcome. Newbie here as well, so I won’t give advice, but I love wet shaving and this community is super! Enjoy.
Welcome to B&B.
The Shave Wiki is a good resource (see menu, top of the page); ShaveWiki | Badger & Blade
It has guides on brushes, making lather and choosing razors.
The switch to the DE will mean you need to control the blade angle (Blade Angle | Badger & Blade ) for effective shaves and this is a good guide. I understand the BIC is a fixed head so you probably understand the need for keeping the blade angle constant.
There is nothing wrong with canned foam but foam created from soap and brush can be controlled for better results. A boar brush and Proraso or Cella soap are readily available.
Update your region in your profile so we can guide you to the vendors in your region but Amazon can be useful.
That is a good razor to start but work on technique before you buy another razor. Blades are variable so start with a blade sampler. The Gillette Silver Blue is one of my favourite blades but there many to choose from; some work better than others but this is very subjective.
The Shave Wiki is a good resource (see menu, top of the page); ShaveWiki | Badger & Blade
It has guides on brushes, making lather and choosing razors.
The switch to the DE will mean you need to control the blade angle (Blade Angle | Badger & Blade ) for effective shaves and this is a good guide. I understand the BIC is a fixed head so you probably understand the need for keeping the blade angle constant.
There is nothing wrong with canned foam but foam created from soap and brush can be controlled for better results. A boar brush and Proraso or Cella soap are readily available.
Update your region in your profile so we can guide you to the vendors in your region but Amazon can be useful.
- Thread starter
- #11
Very helpful. Thank you.
Welcome!
Getting that first shave out of the way is a great step. It will only get better from there. I was hooked from my first shave and I was older than you are now. I never looked back, added more razors (including vintage Gillettes), a couple more brushes, several shave soaps and a whole lotta blades. But not everyone needs to dive in as deeply. Take your time, do it your way and just keep plugging along. You'll be rewarded with great shaves and savings too (if you don't dive in too deeply!)
Getting that first shave out of the way is a great step. It will only get better from there. I was hooked from my first shave and I was older than you are now. I never looked back, added more razors (including vintage Gillettes), a couple more brushes, several shave soaps and a whole lotta blades. But not everyone needs to dive in as deeply. Take your time, do it your way and just keep plugging along. You'll be rewarded with great shaves and savings too (if you don't dive in too deeply!)
Welcome aboard!
As others note, the 34C is a fine razor in the ’mild/moderate’ category.
As others note, the 34C is a fine razor in the ’mild/moderate’ category.
First of all WELCOME! we are thrilled to have you! It sounds like you are already cresting the top of the slide to come down and meet us so all I will leave you with is to remember that EVERYTHING is a variable. The worst thing you can do as a beginner is to change 5 things about your shave then wonder why it was different. change one MAYBE two at a time and dial down a comfortable baseline before you go crazy with everything this place has to offer. Then you will know if you like something more or less than what you already have!
Good luck to you!
Good luck to you!
Welcome to the forum !!
Welcome to the B&B community. Have fun during these early days... they are a blast.
Welcome to B & B, enjoy!
Welcome to the club! And to B&B. We're glad you're here. Yeah, I remember the Merkur blades. I got one with my 38C (long handle version of your razor) and the guy told me, "Not sharp enough to hurt you, sharp enough to make you pay attention."
As noted, nothing wrong with "canned goo." I'm a weirdo who makes most of my own soap, but you don't have to go there if that's not intriguing to you. I'm sure you'll get some good suggestions. One of mine is to get a tube of Proraso. I started with the green. It's easy to lather up when you're still learning all new stuff, produces a usable lather and doesn't smell like a urinal mint.
Brushes! My. I like boar brushes. You can probably stumble into a drugstore and buy an Omega 10005 boar brush for about $15. I've been using one every time I shave for the last five years, so it's a good deal. There are several similar brands I see here in Canada: Wilkinson Sword makes a boar brush in that price point. It's dyed to look like badger but it's not a bad boar brush. I have one that lives in my travel kit. I have one badger, it was my "tuition payment" when I was standing in your shoes and I've always wished since that someone had turned me on to boars sooner.
I like Astra SP blades. They're "mid-sharp" and I find them very smooth and predictable. I also use Dorco Prime blades. They're almost as good as Astra SP for me, but last about two shaves less.
Don't reach for that second razor just yet, but do a lot of reading here. I have a couple of expensive razors, several mid-range, and a few quite inexpensive ones. I will say in a general way that again, like blades, I seem to prefer the mid-range. Don't forget vintage razors! I have one that I bought a few years ago for $2.50 and I love that thing. I had one that cost me 100 times that, and didn't get along with it. Just how it is, sometimes.
Well, enough outta me for now.
Welcome to one of the most fascinating journeys you can take. Plus you get to be all nice and spiffy and doused in your significant other's favourite aftershave. Can't go wrong with that.O.H.
Get your bunny ears on and take that dive into the rabbit hole.
Joking aside, welcome to B&B. I would like to second what @Old Hippie said and go for a tube or tub of Proraso shaving soap.
Easy to lather and works great.
Learn your technique with the 34c and when you got the hang of it start looking for a new razor, maybe an adjustable. That way you can determine if you like a mild or a more agressive shave.
Happy shaving!
Joking aside, welcome to B&B. I would like to second what @Old Hippie said and go for a tube or tub of Proraso shaving soap.
Easy to lather and works great.
Learn your technique with the 34c and when you got the hang of it start looking for a new razor, maybe an adjustable. That way you can determine if you like a mild or a more agressive shave.
Happy shaving!
