Eight Weeks In - Lessons from a Beginner (long)

[soulbarn]

So, here I am, eight weeks after losing the multi-blade and going to a DE. I have learned a lot, and I thought I might share. Of course, this is strictly my experience, so it might not be yours, or work for you, but....

(TL/DR: You’re learning technique, so limit the variables by resisting the urge to try many different products at first. Go with basic, tried-and-true stuff. And watch Mantic’s videos.)

GETTING STARTED GEAR

RAZOR: I purchased and immediately restored a GIllette “Fat Boy” adjustable razor. The reason wasn’t that I thought it might be better (or worse) than any other model. It was, for me, a kind of fun tinkering that made the whole endeavor attractive. That said, after eight weeks, I really don’t use the adjusting feature much. I love the classic look, and I especially love the “twist to open.” If I were starting again, and the tinkering wasn’t a consideration, I’d probably go with something like the $30 (or so) Parker butterfly...or even the cheaper Weishi (about $20.) However...

BRUSH: This is my number one lesson: Get a good brush. I wouldn’t say to spend more than $50, but a quality badger brush makes a difference (I tested a couple.) I went with the Parker 100% Pure Badger brush (again, about $30 - these are all Amazon prices.) I like it, but the bristles are a little bit prickly, even after all this time, but I’m happy enough to wait for a higher-quality replacement until Christmas.

BLADES: Here’s where I found the conventional wisdom - which is to purchase a “sampler pack” that includes one or two of a bunch of different blade brands - didn’t work. Why? Because I was learning to shave, and changing blades made it hard to establish a baseline. I’d recommend going with a single brand of blade for the first eight weeks. I did some research here on B&B, and found that the Israeli (Red) Personnas are considered a high-quality, but not to aggressive, blade. Other blades had more mixed reviews, and the beloved Japanese Feathers seemed way too sharp for a starter (as I confirmed when I tried one.) So, stick with one brand. When you feel you know what you’re doing, then try the samplers - believe me, you’ll have more fun that way, since you’ll know you’re testing the blade, not your skills.

CREAM/SOAPS/OILS: This is as much about what you don’t need as what you do. I tried a lot of creams and soaps; I also tried a few of the shave oils - King of Shaves, ShaveSecret, and more; I also tried Cremo. Though - and again, this is just me - these are interesting products, I ultimately went back to basics: ordinary Proraso. I liked the price and the aroma, but most importantly, I learned that you don’t need anything else if you’ve got your lather right. (In fact, the oil-type stuff is pretty much a blade clogger.)

AFTER YOU'VE SHAVED

NICKS AND CUTS: Once again, simplicity. For nicks and cuts - and I got lots at first - I tried using the roll-on “Crystal Stick” deodorant, which is cheap - under $5 - at Whole Foods. Mistake! The substance in there is ammonium alum, and it Is harsh. The styptic you want will be made of potassium alum. The Turkish Osma “Ecocert” Roll-On deodorant is made with potassium alum, and comes in three nice fragrances. You can find it at many of the shaving online specialty retailers. I used it quite a bit at first, rolling it over my slightly moistened face. But it wasn’t as good as a plain-old styptic pencil for larger cuts, and as my skills improved, I found that the pencil was enough, and the idea of rolling another chemical (even a natural one) on my face seemed less appealing. Also a no-go: the styptic swabs from KutKit. These are hollow Q-Tips, basically; break off one end, and the styptic liquid soaks the cotton-tipped other end. The problem is that, for a bigger cut, the fuzzy cotton tends to stick to the wound, pulling on it as you lift the swab, and preventing it from closing.

ASTRINGENT: I found the bracing effect of an astringent to be very nice, and it was also good at washing off the roll-on styptic, when I used it. I’ve always liked Witch Hazel, but followed B&B’s general advice to go with something alcohol-free. Thayer’s worked great; I chose the lavender aroma. (I have to admit I miss the sting of Dickenson’s Witch Hazel, but I think going alcohol free is nice.)

SOOTHERS: Here’s where it is pretty wide open. I tried a bunch of products, but ended up slightly breaking the simplicity rule by using two: Proraso’s pre/post cream ($13), used only on places where the razor made contact, in a small amount. I’d rub that in, and follow it with some basic drugstore Neutrogena Triple-Protect face lotion. It feels good, soothes, isn’t expensive, and is SPF 15. Plus, my wife likes the smell - and let me tell you, smelling good to your significant other is key in this choice, and it may even be key in getting a significant other, if that’s your goal. But the bottom line is to pick what you like, what feels good, and what you can afford.

THE PROCESS OF SHAVING

LEARNING: I made a big mistake, which was that I relied only on the FAQ and Wiki at B&B. Not that these aren’t incredible resources, and not that they should be ignored by beginners - quite the contrary. But those documents often tell you to check out Mantic59’s YouTube channel, which is overloaded with tutorials. I don’t really have the patience for most YouTube videos, so I didn’t visit Mantic’s page until a few weeks in. I instantly realized I should have. If there’s any problem with Mantic’s stuff, it is the amazing quantity and variety he offers. So, I’d suggest starting with his three-part “Introduction to Traditional Wet Shaving.” From there, you can browse to your heart’s content. His “How to Make Traditional Shaving Lather” (two parts) is a good second item for your playlist. After that, go where your curiosity leads you, especially paying attention to the troubleshooting topics - “Dealing with Ingrown Hairs,” or “How to Maintain the Neck” were helpful to me. And review. You’ll be learning so much during your first weeks that reviewing Mantic’s basic instructions will give you a lot of “a-ha!” moments as you improve.

Mantic's videos are here: http://www.youtube.com/user/mantic59

Aside from Mantic, here’s what really worked well for me:

HOT WATER: I tried cold-water shaving and almost died. The hot, hot, hot advice really worked for me. Hot towels worked beautifully, but just a two or three minutes to splashing from my neckline up worked well. But I don’t think, early on, you need to complicate things with a kettle or a scupper or other thermal vessel. An exception to this might be if you have a small child in the house and you’ve turned your hot water heater down for safety.

IN THE SHOWER OR OVER THE SINK? I started in the shower, because that’s where I’ve always shaved. But traditional saving takes a long time, and living in Southern California, I became very aware of how much water I was wasting. Going to the sink, I was surprised that I got better shaves, probably because I had more mirror to work with.

RAZOR TECHNIQUES

GO LIGHT: The “go light” advice is beyond essential. You're doomed if you push! But going light is surprisingly hard to actually master if you’re used to decades of running multi-blade razors across your face. You can answer the “have I gone light enough” question simply: if your face is irritated an hour after you’ve shaved and done your post-shave, you’ve probably pushed too hard.

FIND THE ANGLE: So important, as we all know, but not so simple in practice. The various “how to find the angle” techniques are great, but just as important is simply getting the feel. You’ll know - assuming you’ve lathered properly - that the angle is right when you feel the razor gliding (and actually cutting while it is doing it.) Feeling resistance? Check your lather, and if that’s good, change you angle.

LATHERING: Again, we all know this: good lather is the key. How to get it? I used a bowl at first, but found that direct-on-the-face helped me judge the quality of my lather very simply. In lathering up, the simple rule was if the foam isn’t staying put - if it is running - too much water. After making the foam, using the painting motion to fully cover your face is another diagnostic. It really should feel like you’re icing a cake, and if you’re getting spotty coverage, too thin.

MULTIPLE PASSES: I’ve seen some of the advice to simple go with a with-the-grain set of passes - two or three - at first. I tried that, but really didn’t get a good shave with my heavy beard. So I went ATG, and ouch! The problem? Once again, lather. Simple rule: no matter how many passes, if the section of the face you’re shaving has no lather on it, you’re in for trouble. So relather for every pass (having a good brush is key in making this work.)

MAPPING YOUR FACE: Using the cotton-ball technique to determine the direction of your facial hair grain is fun, and you have the bonus points of getting to look like a maniac with all those tufts stuck to you in various places. I guess the technique is useful, but better for me was just using my hand to feel the spots that weren’t cutting with the standard WTG pass. I quickly ID’d those trouble spots, and then experimented - always holding the blade lightly - with the best way to reduce those areas. As far as “Method Shaving,” I can’t knock those who are successful at it, but it was way too much work for me.

CONCLUSION: If you’re going to learn, keep it simple. Don’t go crazy with a lot of products; in fact, it is better to stick to a simple kit of tried-and-true products. Once you know what you’re doing, experiment, but go easy - one item at a time. Finding what works shouldn’t mean spending a lot of money (catching the shaving obsession, though, certainly can mean that - at which point it becomes a delightful hobby.)

AND…A SIMPLE RULE OF THUMB: WOULD YOUR GRANDFATHER HAVE SHAVED THIS WAY? Shaving has become a delightful hobby for me, and I don’t mind spending a bit. But I’ve remembered to always ask myself: what would my grandfather have done? He kept it simple; in fact, I’m willing to guarantee that he’d never have done all this testing and sampling and debating (not knocking those things - I love it!) I think he would have been surprised and possibly dismayed, so old school was he, to see so much fuss being made about something he did simply, and well - he had a smooth face; I remember from snuggling with him as a boy - practically without thought. And that’s really my goal: to shave like my grandfather; efficiently, economically, and well. Building on that and adding extras is wonderful and encouraged, but the "Grandpa" rule, to me, is the heart of it all.

And once again, these are only my experiences. What I recommend to everyone else is: simple: keep it fun by finding out what’s fun for you - and follow that instinct, no matter what anyone else advises you. And I welcome, welcome, welcome feedback! I know I have a lot to learn, and want to keep learning!

FINALLY: Badger & Blade is a true community of shavers - a community celebrating what has become (or was becoming, if we are successful) a lost art. So being part of this community is really key. You'll learn, get support, and most of all find it more enjoyable to know you're sharing a splendid experience with folks from all over the world.

Thanks to all,



- Dan

 

[JCinPA]

Good writeup! I agree with you on your points about settling down with a set of products for a few weeks, including the blades. I even wrote a post suggesting folks using canned goo and a cart first try making good lather for a couple weeks and continuing to use the cart and practicing doing multiple, light passes. When they can make great lather on demand and are getting the hang of light pressure and bear reduction, then go to the DE.

I think a noob switching from canned goo and a cart to De using 3-4 soaps/creams and 3/4 blades is just upsetting their whole shaving world too much to make a painless transition. Easing into it and changing just a few things at a time is helpful. Thanks for the thoughtful writeup!

 

[davros]

In general I thought this was worthwhile and basically sound; there are a lot of words, but it's lucid, well-written and decently presented, so I don't think it's a problem, though I'm probably more inclined to verbosity than most people.

The earlier sections seemed more like an account of what had worked for you, which is perfectly fine, though I might have stressed more the standard YMMV disclaimer that others may find doing things a different way works better. Re the blade sampler thing, I think the trouble isn't so much samplers per se, as how people use them; it's easy to get the impression that experienced wetshavers use a different razor/blade/lather combo for every shave. Using the same brand of blade for a week or two at a time is probably a better way to go.

The razor technique stuff I doubt anyone would find much to criticise (though inevitably someone will); it's a succinct outline of the basics. If any of that stuff is news to you on reading it, it should be a bit of reality check that you might want to read up a little more before proceeding.

 

[BlackBard]

Well done. Since these are your own observations, there is not much I can add. Your journey is much like many others who have joined the ranks of traditional wet shavers. I certainly appreciate your comments about how your grandfather shaved as a model to emulate.

Shaving is not a hobby to most people and I would venture to say that DE shaving is not a hobby to most people who do it. It is just that most of the people who frequent B&B are hobbyists.

Keep on doing what you're doing. You're doing fine.

 

[Sledgehammer39]

Good write up.

 

[Eric V]

Dan,

I think it is kinda cool for you to share your experiences with BandB members. I certainly won't disagree with your experience, but I do disagree with some of your conclusions about recommendations for other newbies.

At the top of this forum it says: "Would you like to request feedback on your technique or method? Are you new to B&B and would like to say hi? Feel free to post all related threads in this forum."

I feel most comfortable when the posts are either just saying Hi for the first time, or asking for feedback on technic. I'm not quite sure what to think when a newbie makes a post to other newbies about many aspects of DE shaving. Most of that information is already on site. I encourage you and others to make use of that information.

I'd humbly suggest that if you want to make a contribution to other newbies, the best value would be to answer specific questions they may ask in their posts. It would also be interesting if you posted some of your experiences (well, one at a time!) and asked others if they shared that experience, or if they could make a suggestion about how to improve your own shaving routine.

Please consider my opinions with a grain of salt. They are just one person's opinions.

 

[soulbarn]

Thank you for your feedback, Eric, which I respect and appreciate.

That said, and to be completely honest, your well-intentioned comments really discouraged me.

In my post, I warn that it is long, I say freely I'm a newb, remind more than once that YMMV. And this is the newbie forum. In my experience as a writer and forums administrator, sometimes a beginner-to-beginner post can be useful, because those starting out often speak the same language and have the same concerns.

In fact, I have asked questions and posted in the past. Perhaps not enough to warrant a post of this length, though I don't see any apparent standard for measuring such things; nevertheless, if that's the case, I apologize. I contributed because I was excited about this activity and B&B in general. That's all.

I've spent many hours exploring the site and telling friends about DE shaving and B&B. It may be difficult to believe that I understand and respect your opinion, as well was taking it with a grain of salt, as you ask, but at the same time feel compelled to ask this: what's the point to shooting somebody down who has tried to contribute in a positive way. How does that encourage community?

I don't wish to get into a debate or argument about this; that was never my intention, and if I've somehow violated a compact I should have been aware of, I'll happily remove this post, or request an admin to do so.

 

[Eric V]

Dan,

I'm hearing that you are feeling shot down. That wasn't my intention. Dang! I do not think you have violated a compact. I apologize if my response discouraged you. I was trying to explain the frustration I felt with the length and content of your post.

I think you are right, that my response did a disservice to the community here. I apologize. I should not have made the post. Dang again. I'm sorry my learning this lesson was at your expense. I hope we can cross posts again without my negative comments.

Thank you for your feedback, Eric, which I respect and appreciate.

That said, and to be completely honest, your well-intentioned comments really discouraged me.

In my post, I warn that it is long, I say freely I'm a newb, remind more than once that YMMV. And this is the newbie forum. In my experience as a writer and forums administrator, sometimes a beginner-to-beginner post can be useful, because those starting out often speak the same language and have the same concerns.

In fact, I have asked questions and posted in the past. Perhaps not enough to warrant a post of this length, though I don't see any apparent standard for measuring such things; nevertheless, if that's the case, I apologize. I contributed because I was excited about this activity and B&B in general. That's all.

I've spent many hours exploring the site and telling friends about DE shaving and B&B. It may be difficult to believe that I understand and respect your opinion, as well was taking it with a grain of salt, as you ask, but at the same time feel compelled to ask this: what's the point to shooting somebody down who has tried to contribute in a positive way. How does that encourage community?

I don't wish to get into a debate or argument about this; that was never my intention, and if I've somehow violated a compact I should have been aware of, I'll happily remove this post, or request an admin to do so.

Sincerely,

 

[Shanxie]

I thoroughly enjoyed your post! I've been DE shaving for almost a year now, sticking with it although my time dedicated to all things shaving fluctuates depending on how busy I am with school or work. Being summer time now I have been back reading the forums and buying shaving related items. The quality of my shaves have been all over the map with little patches of consistency. Your thread here detailing your experiences for some reason really motivated me to review my technique and to take my time and enjoy it that little bit more. I think I had gotten into a habit of rushing a little, since I have made up my mind on the products I like to use and how to effectively use them.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks! Not only was I excited to go have a shave just now, but I had one of my best shaves with my mildest razor (weishi), a fresh feather blade and col. conk amber soap. I hope I can replicate the shave I had tonight with my other razors in the coming days/weeks!

 

[soulbarn]

Apology accepted; I think I overreacted, too. I know that you were trying to be constructive…

I'm a writer and unfortunately I have what one of my editors calls "fingeritis" - ask for 4,000 words, and you'll get 8,000 from me (and though I get paid by the word, overages don't count…not like in Charles Dickens' days!)

Thank you again for your note and support. I'm glad to be here.

- dan

 

[Jim Raynor]

Sometimes I think about the grandpa rule too. Did they have complicated products with 10000000000000 ingredients back then? I don't think so, and they still were able to shave smooth (at least, I assume). So I try to keep it simple without making compromises. I THINK water, soap, alum and talc are examples.

 

[Vic2009]

Grandpa rule sounds cool!. My teenage son already calls me a golden oldie... and I'm only in my late forties

But seriously, this is sage advice that he needs to hear. Persuading him is the hard part.

Sometimes I think about the grandpa rule too. Did they have complicated products with 10000000000000 ingredients back then? I don't think so, and they still were able to shave smooth (at least, I assume). So I try to keep it simple without making compromises. I THINK water, soap, alum and talc are examples.

 

[scgobbler]

Solid write-up! Very enjoyable!

 

[ssultan]

Good Write-Up!! And pretty darn accurate too...

 

[mantic]

Many thanks for the shout-out!

 

[mlp2147]

Excellent write up! Now if the other noobs (lol) following you would just take the time to read what you took the time to learn and document. There would be a lot more satisfied beginners. Looking forward to hearing more from you in the future.

 

[ruebis]

Pig pile! Nice write up barn. Keeping the journey legit.

+1 Mantic and his camcorder. Was absolutely crucial in helping me to refine some of my technique. So thanks.

 

[ieEddie]

I've been lurking this site for a while and finally decided to post just to thank you Dan. Your post is awesome and as a newbie it's very encouraging. Additionally, I'm more so impressed with the civility here on B&B. I've read so many forums where topics went into flamewars so quick, it's nice to see such a supportive group of people. This place is awesome!

I'm literally in my second week of DE shaving....and it's pretty much cured my ingrown hair problem that I've had all my life. I shave closer than I ever was able to before....and i'm just starting.
I'm a bit worried about AD tho....

-eddie

 

[BlackBard]

Eddie,

Welcome aboard B&B. It is a great forum, with interesting and helpful members.

 

[RickT]

I enjoyed reading your write up and would like to Thank you for taking the time to share your
experiences with us in such a competent manner.