So sunday will be the end of my third week of wetshaving. All I can say was WOW did I ever break my self in right. My cursoity about wetshaving started about 2-3 months ago. The wife and I ran to the mall one Saturday afternoon, and I ran across the AOS store. I had no idea there were even stores that were specifically tailored around mens grooming. (sad but true) I walked inside and was in heaven. There was a gentleman giving presentations and explaining how to use the products. Thats when I saw, for the time in real life, a straight razor. Holy hell.... I can't wait to get to that level of wetshaving. After I perfect my DE shaving, i will start down the road of cut throat shaving. Anyway, I must have spent 45 mins in there just listening and learning, drooling and saying in my head, holy **** this stuff is expensive.
I want to say it was about a month or so after that, and after countless time spent on Youtube researching and watching instructional videos that I made the jump, and placed my first order. My first order consisted of the following:
EJ DE89- Derby Bladed included.
Poraso in the green tub
TOBS Rose shave cream
Alum Block
Escali BB
So in the meantime, while on my luch break, I ran to Walmart and I stumbled across Wilkinson DE blades and thought wth, Ill try them, and snatched them up along with Shave Secret shave oil. (not to impressed with the oil) My order arrived and it was time for my first shave. IT WAS ON! What was really on, was the blood on face running down my friggin neck! Holy hell I butchered myself up. I always shave my head in the shower, using a Mach cart razor. One pass and done right? right... Not so much with the DE. I knew you had to lather well, so I had a fairly decent lather going with the Poraso, used the preshave oil, and lathered after every pass. Still cut my head all up. The problem was the pressure and the angle I was using. I was way off on all of that. Then it came time to do my face, I just wasn't impressed and it hury bad. Following that shave with an alum block and I was screaming.
The week after I was better about the pressure I was applying, but still made a crucial mistake. I had my lather about perfect, still using that crappy oil, I started my headshave yet again. Everything was going smoothly until...........It came time to shave by my ear. I folded down the top of my ear to get that spot right above it when my arm jerked the wrong way and the DE razor slid acorss the top part of my ear. My wife was showering with me and she heard me say "oh ****" ( It hadn't bled yet but I knew it was coming) Then the blood bath started and she was horrified. lol I got the bleeding to stop and finished my shave, rubbed the alum block on my face and head and scremed once more. That same week, I attempted TWO ATG shaves on back to back days, huge mistake. Worst razor burn I've ever had in my life. Red and raw my neck was.
So this week, my shaves have been AWESOME! I ditched the oil, and started this process. After I wet my head and body in the shower, I grabbed some of my wifes Herbal Essence conditioner and applied it to my face and head, and let it soaked while I washed up. I had a cup of extremely hot water, and let my brush soak in it for a bit also. I rinsed the conditioner off applied my Poraso lather, and went to town. Soft, short, gentle strokes WTG on the first pass. Soft, short, gentle strokes on my second pass, follwed by extermely soft and gentle strokes on my third pass. Taking caution to let the razor to the work, and not applying pressure. No cuts, no blood and smoooooooooth baby. Same process with my face. (side note, I switched from the Deby and Wilkinson to Feather blades) It was now time for the alum block test..... Minimal burning. I had officially completed my first, successful wetshave. What a sense of pride about doing so. Today I had the exact same experience only changing from Poraso to using TOBS Rose. Excellent stuff btw.
So in the past few weeks, I have learned to be patient. Let the razor preform the art, let your wrist and hand be the guide. Pay particular caution to the pressure you apply. Coming from a cart razor, the pressure was more muscle memory, and I was applying it unknowingly. I didn't know how hard it was to NOT apply pressure, until I made myself aware that I WAS applying to much. Also, find out what works for you and stick with it. I knew I could get through it, and I am glad I stuck with it. Feather blades seem to work for me although I have not tried going back to Derby or Wlikinson Sword yet. I can only get about 1 full head and face shave with the Feather blades, I'm guessing because of the coursness (spelling?) of my hair and beard. If I just shave my face, I can get two with the Feather blades.
Oh, and one more thing. When you shave your head, and you apply your alum block to your wethead, make sure that crap doesn't run into your eyeballs because it stings to high hell.
I want to say it was about a month or so after that, and after countless time spent on Youtube researching and watching instructional videos that I made the jump, and placed my first order. My first order consisted of the following:
EJ DE89- Derby Bladed included.
Poraso in the green tub
TOBS Rose shave cream
Alum Block
Escali BB
So in the meantime, while on my luch break, I ran to Walmart and I stumbled across Wilkinson DE blades and thought wth, Ill try them, and snatched them up along with Shave Secret shave oil. (not to impressed with the oil) My order arrived and it was time for my first shave. IT WAS ON! What was really on, was the blood on face running down my friggin neck! Holy hell I butchered myself up. I always shave my head in the shower, using a Mach cart razor. One pass and done right? right... Not so much with the DE. I knew you had to lather well, so I had a fairly decent lather going with the Poraso, used the preshave oil, and lathered after every pass. Still cut my head all up. The problem was the pressure and the angle I was using. I was way off on all of that. Then it came time to do my face, I just wasn't impressed and it hury bad. Following that shave with an alum block and I was screaming.
The week after I was better about the pressure I was applying, but still made a crucial mistake. I had my lather about perfect, still using that crappy oil, I started my headshave yet again. Everything was going smoothly until...........It came time to shave by my ear. I folded down the top of my ear to get that spot right above it when my arm jerked the wrong way and the DE razor slid acorss the top part of my ear. My wife was showering with me and she heard me say "oh ****" ( It hadn't bled yet but I knew it was coming) Then the blood bath started and she was horrified. lol I got the bleeding to stop and finished my shave, rubbed the alum block on my face and head and scremed once more. That same week, I attempted TWO ATG shaves on back to back days, huge mistake. Worst razor burn I've ever had in my life. Red and raw my neck was.
So this week, my shaves have been AWESOME! I ditched the oil, and started this process. After I wet my head and body in the shower, I grabbed some of my wifes Herbal Essence conditioner and applied it to my face and head, and let it soaked while I washed up. I had a cup of extremely hot water, and let my brush soak in it for a bit also. I rinsed the conditioner off applied my Poraso lather, and went to town. Soft, short, gentle strokes WTG on the first pass. Soft, short, gentle strokes on my second pass, follwed by extermely soft and gentle strokes on my third pass. Taking caution to let the razor to the work, and not applying pressure. No cuts, no blood and smoooooooooth baby. Same process with my face. (side note, I switched from the Deby and Wilkinson to Feather blades) It was now time for the alum block test..... Minimal burning. I had officially completed my first, successful wetshave. What a sense of pride about doing so. Today I had the exact same experience only changing from Poraso to using TOBS Rose. Excellent stuff btw.
So in the past few weeks, I have learned to be patient. Let the razor preform the art, let your wrist and hand be the guide. Pay particular caution to the pressure you apply. Coming from a cart razor, the pressure was more muscle memory, and I was applying it unknowingly. I didn't know how hard it was to NOT apply pressure, until I made myself aware that I WAS applying to much. Also, find out what works for you and stick with it. I knew I could get through it, and I am glad I stuck with it. Feather blades seem to work for me although I have not tried going back to Derby or Wlikinson Sword yet. I can only get about 1 full head and face shave with the Feather blades, I'm guessing because of the coursness (spelling?) of my hair and beard. If I just shave my face, I can get two with the Feather blades.
Oh, and one more thing. When you shave your head, and you apply your alum block to your wethead, make sure that crap doesn't run into your eyeballs because it stings to high hell.
