Your Shaving Year in Review - 2010

[TinsleytheTerrible]

1. Any very special acquisitions this year?

- I was first tipped off to DE shaving through Art of Manliness, so my special acquisitions would include everything related to this art.

2. Are you new or returned to DE or straight razor shaving this year?

- I started DE shaving in September of this year.

3. Did you bring others into the light?

- Yes. I work at a university so I enlisted the help of some men who have more experience than myself and created a seminar on "Old School" shaving. Several men said that they intended to use their Christmas money (and free time during break) to join the community. The interest in the seminar was strong enough that we have been asked to provide another session in the spring semester.

4. Did you try some new products or techniques that really impressed you?

- Since I'm new to this style of shaving, everything is basically new. The most significant technique has been mapping my face and adapting my shave accordingly. With the old cartridges, I just shaved north to south and then south to north. By actually caring about my facial map, the quality of shave has significantly improved.

5. After giving blade shaving a try, did you return to cartridges?

- I still have some unused cartridge refills in my cabinet, and I'll probably keep them in case I need to shave in a hurry. However, I haven't touched that junk since September and hope to avoid it as much as possible.

6. Did you set/meet any shaving goals for the year, or set new ones for next year?

- Ultimately, I want to "graduate" to a straight razor, but I'm not in a hurry. I want to enjoy the safety razor without feeling rushed in the same way that a man chooses to savor each bite of his steak instead of racing through his meal. I do plan on using soaps next year, and once I have worked through my blade sample pack, I hope to have my blade selection determined or at least narrowed down to a few preferable blades.

 

[Scottie]

This was my first year starting DE shaving (albeit about a month ago) and haven't looked back. My technique is getting much better, and I hope to broaden my variety of products! (well wouldn't everyone? lol)

 

[ateace]

This past year, I opened and finished a tub of Coate's Lime and Proraso red.
The EJ and Muhle razors with the new head design have taken solid places in my rotation.
I've sampled almost every one of the more than two dozen brands of DE blades in my stash.
Looking forward to abother fun year of DE shaving.

Gotta go - time for Christmas breakfast!!!

Merry Christmas, all!!!!

 

[texquill]

After a LOOOOOONG time looking for an enjoyable solution for face lathering, I discovered the Simpson's brushes in Super Badger. During 2010, I acquired an Astor (#26/90), a PJ2, and a T2.

Although I'm pleased with the results from the Simpson's Supers, I'm still fine-tuning, and have a Colonel XL2 in Best on the way.

My goal for 2011 is to narrow down the range of shaving soaps I have stacked in my shave locker from almost 60 different types to a more manageable 10 or so. (I sure could use a return to the old rules on B/S/T!!)

 

[Pungo Lee]

I settled on injector shaving and bought a lot of blades.
I aquired a Fatboy and use it as a novel change now and then.
I still have several cartridge handles but no blades.
Didn't convince a single soul to switch, but tried.
I reached my goal of using soap and brush instead of canned.

 

[akokandy]

Any very special acquisitions this year?

All of them. DE's, SE's, Injectors, Brushes, Soaps, Creams, AS.... My favorites so far are my GEMs, my 3 boar brushes, AOS and Palmolive soaps and SCS Aftershaves. All I can say is WOW!

Are you new or returned to DE or straight razor shaving this year?

I'm brand new to DE shaving this year. Prior to this I had only used electric.

Did you bring others into the light?

I converted one friend to both DE and wet-shaving. I had another friend who had already been quietly been DE shaving (in secret, without telling anyone), and I converted him to wetshaving with the VDH deluxe kit.

Did you try some new products or techniques that really impressed you?

Um...wetshaving? The whole process really opened up my eyes. Seriously, though, when I discovered SE, everything clicked so easily compared to my experience with DE.

After giving blade shaving a try, did you return to cartridges?

Haven't touched my electric shaver since I received my Merkur 23C in March.

Did you set/meet any shaving goals for the year, or set new ones for next year?

Well, I greatly exceeded all my acquisition goals for 2010, so I signed up for Vlad's 2011 Sabbatical. My goal is simply to not fail.

I've really had a great time in my time here at B&B so far and thank you to everyone here for being so welcoming and willing to share your knowledge and expertise. Many of you have helped me without even knowing it, simply by posting your own experiences. This has helped me to avoid a lot of mistakes I'd almost certainly have made otherwise. Of course, I did make mistakes, and this helped me correct them after the fact too. Here's to a great year of shaves in 2011 to everyone here! Cheers!

 

[craig87c]

SE shaving was my main change. The angle is so much easier to get correct for me.

Going to try a shave purchase sabbatical except for AS and $50 for a meetup in January. That's about it for my 2010...

 

[nemo]

I've been DE shaving for years but discovered B&B last year and have been acquiring new tools ever since. I've always used my Krona, some Super Speeds, and an injector, but this year I got new razors, an Executive, a Diplomat, a flawless birth year President, some nicer cased Supers. Also some new soaps and a few nicer brushes this year. I met some great people here!

In the future I'll still be looking forward to my first single edge shave, haven't yet tried a straight, and I'll probably never try a cartridge. Maybe I can afford an expensive silvertip or two-band brush someday. I'm happy where I'm at though.

 

[brg]

I've been at this for about 2 years, but only started using a safety razor in early 2009. So this is my first full year of traditional wet shaving .

This was a year of consolidation, both in technique and acquisitions. The Merkur 34C continues to serve me well, tried a few more blades now that I've exhausted the local supply of different brands. Not many purchases of soaps or creams, mostly been using what I already have. The most significant purchases were the Feather Portable (great travel razor) and the Semogue 830. This brush performs wonderfully and should be a solid companion to the Merkur for now.

Next year, I'm planning on trying many more blades. Razors and brushes, it depends on whether anything interesting shows up. I'm certainly going to buy a Gillette Sensor Excel, its the only one missing from my cartridge collection (ranging from the GII/TracII to the Mach3). Creams and soaps, I still have a lot of stuff to use, but I will at least buy a tube of Musgo Real in 2011!

 

[OkieStubble]

Any very special acquisitions this year?

Nothing special, but did purchase a large free standing book type cabinet with storage in the bottom and several shelves for the shave den.

Are you new or returned to DE or straight razor shaving this year?

New, started in June of this year.

Did you bring others into the light?

No. Have shared my wet shaving conversion & testimonial with my elder sons & 2 brothers, but they just look at me like I have joined a cult.

Did you try some new products or techniques that really impressed you?

I have slowly been filling up the shave den with mostly the cheaper side of products like VDH, Williams, KMF etc. Really like the C.O. Big/Proraso though.
However, I really am enjoying the old school AS's & scents. Pinaud, Original Old Spice, AV, Grey Flannel, English Leather etc.


After giving blade shaving a try, did you return to cartridges?

Bought the new Wilkinson Sword 3 blade cart a few months back thinking I would use it when in a hurry on time and save some money too on a Mach 3 type cart. Hated it, threw in trash. My face is too spoiled now to ever use anything other than DE/SE.


Did you set/meet any shaving goals for the year, or set new ones for next year?

Now that my technique with DE's & SE's is consistent, I think for 2011, I am ready for the next step to acquire and experience the soaps & creams I hear everyone talk so well about, Cella, MWF, Mama Bears, Tabac TOBS, and many of the other famous lathering goodies that I hear so musc about in this awesome forum!

 

[Deltaboy]

I have rounded out my collection and I grew a beard for the first time in 15 years.