47, pathetic shave routine (Electric) wanting to try DE Safety shaving

[DukeofArmchair]

So as the title says I am 47, been using electric shaver most of my life, below is my awful routine. I am wanting to try to get into DE Safety shaving for a couple different reasons.

Reasons for moving do DE Safety shaving

1. Would like less irritation
2. Would like to shave more, I don't like having the itchy 1 week beard every week but I like the irritation i get from shaving less
3. Softer skin, my face is always dry and itchy

Routine (its bad) once per week typically

1. Wake up put on Lectric Shave
2. Use beard trimmer to knock the long hair down
3. Foil shave to do the rest
4. Shower
5. Hope my neck isnt red and burning

I feel like I have looked at hundreds of razors, mostly looking at adjustables (REX Ambassador, Rockwell T2, Merkur Futur, Viking Emperor Meiji and others) so I can grow into it and try different aggressiveness levels. I don’t mind spending good money for a good razor. I feel like I have sensitive skin but I have read a few posts and know that I may not actually have sensitive skin but possibly my super awesome shave routine just sucks and my skin is fine? I know this is just the tip and need to look at soaps/creams, pre and post shave stuff, alum bars and all the things.


Thanks for any help in advance guys.

 

[hydro-magic]

Some people will say don't get an adjustable as your first razor. I disagree. I think an adjustable is a great first (and maybe only) razor. Just start with the setting low and resist the temptation to turn it up until you're getting comfortable shaves. After that you can turn it up to get the closeness you want. I'd lean toward the Rex or Merkur - just my personal preference though. You might also look at the Parker Variant which is pretty much a Merkur Progress clone with some improvements.

As far as your routine, just do something to soften up your whiskers before shaving. Either take a shower first or rub some pre-shave soap or Noxzema into your whiskers and let it sit for a few minutes. Then lather up and shave. i'd recommend you start with one or maybe two passes with the grain of your beard at first. Then once you're getting no irritation, you can move on to an across the grain pass. Once that's comfortable, maybe try against the grain and see how you like it.

A synthetic brush is a great place to start. My favorites are either a Plissoft or Tuxedo knot around 24-26mm. They're cheap, easy to find, and work great. They might feel a bit springy at first but they do break in nicely after a few weeks of use.

For soaps, there's a huge number of choices. Maybe just pick a couple that appeal to you for now and see what you like. Then go from there.

Alum is sort of optional but I like to use it. When you can rub the alum block on your skin and don't get any stinging, you'll know you're doing it right.

Don't forget after shave. I'll always recommend Aqua Velva. Easy to find, inexpensive, and leaves my skin feeling great. But there are tons of good ones out there.

 

[luvmysuper]

I suggest you look into the vintage razors from Gillette (or other less famous makers) and figure out what seems to work best for you personally before dropping a lot of dough on a new razor based only on a recommendation.

The Tech is a very inexpensive great razor which was the razor longest produced by Gillette. Thousands and thousands were sold for a very good reason. They work.

Super Speeds are great razors and can be had for a very reasonable price. They are "twist to open" which sometimes is nice if you don't feel like fumbling around with a 3 piece razor and blade in the morning.

The Slim is a little more expensive but still very reasonable, and you can adjust the aggressiveness up or down to see what you like best. It is also a "twist to open" one piece razor.

The Fatboy is another step up the scale in expense, there seems to be a run on them recently and they are going for pretty high prices (in my opinion). Again, it's adjustable to fit your needs and is a "twist to open" one piece razor.

Lots of great folks here who love helping out and giving advice!!!

 

[Ron R]

Map your beard will help in so many ways, find the direction of your whisker growth (2 or 3 day growth should be enough). This will reduce irritation and make your shave more pleasurable. Some folks do not shave against the grain (ATG) to reduce irritation.
I will leave a beard map and print one off, it does look strange this photo but it made a big difference for myself years ago.

Have some great shaves!

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

Welcome to the fold, you are in good company. Another vote for a vintage Gillette Super Speed, they are mild yet effective mechanical marvels that are a great way to try a DE without breaking the bank. I have a few other far more expensive razors that don’t even come close the comfort and efficiency I get from vintage Gillette DE’s.

Get some canned goo to start too, you don’t need fancy soaps and/or creams (and a brush) to have a good shave. The Gillette canned foams are great, and slightly edge Barbasol in my experience. Roughly $30 for the razor, $10 for a blade sampler, and a couple bucks for the goo and you’re looking at a nice start for less than $50.

Focus on your technique and most importantly, HAVE FUN!

 

[Ckmaui]

57yr old been DE about 6 months
similar but I used cartridge and electric and loving where I am now
skin is so so so much better and when I tested the others again I realized they were way more irritation and not as close


I think recommendations also are tough just have to try a bunch who knows your first or tenth might be "the one"
adjustable of the rex did give me an idea


I started with a old Gillette of my dads (so yeah kinda did that start with old)
then I bought a merkur 34c dialled in the blade that worked from a large sample pack and got the general hang of this DE
THEN had a base to go from so bought a few razors and found what I liked the feel of
got a rex ambassador ran about 10 blades through and found the blue label gillette platinum I think it is works best
bought a few razorock (italian barber) razors and found the GC 68 really nice out of the 3 I bought from them

got a mild and med henson and like both right away ! they are easy and great build
now had a lot more to work from

then bought a yates precision with the dual comb and straight really nice first experience with combs and WOW on combs !!!! again personal !
so bought a timeless in the 68 with each bar and liking the comb as my fav over the straight
plan on buying the other plates to as I love the feel and build and Ti models

now after 6 months I am using the timeless as my daily and dialing that in with super fun blade samples


some have said get one razor stick to it for a year ? I disagree its like skiing you get into it a touch with a few setups rent for first few lessons on slope and do a demo day find what you like and what works then dial that in

the rex is to aggressive I found but going to come back around to it again see what has changed over time
quite easy to find certain razors are just more comfy
someone who says get one stick with it till you master over a year my argument back why waste time on something that is not feeling good ? would you buy shoes that do not fit thinking they will ? you can get good shoes without having to break them in these days
you want to go hiking ? so you buy hiking boots that are for cold weather and crampons cause the forum said buy these they are the best ! and you are doing through hiking should have got altra OK that is my view and it has worked very well for me and its a lot of fun trying various ones and again I can tell quickly what I liked on my face

example the Henson was great to try and day one gave me insane comfort shave ! did not need some magic learning I think many like to make shaving some art form that its not ? I know my face you at 47 will know quickly what you like and do not
technique sure but again not rocket science if you can tie shoes you can shave ALL of us have been doing it since we were about 16-18 and know whats up

some razors like the rex to me are not fun or comfy its great its efficient it has the best handle ever and love the looks will I master it ? maybe I can shave with it but I prefer my timeless now
comfy to me is how much do I pay attention how quickly it can irritate and what it feels like !
will my taste change ? maybe I like things I did not 10 years ago so who knows


soaps and cremes and brushes and so on ? OH MY
again its like pizza and someone saying this is the best pizza and for you it has way to much cheese and not enough sauce does not make that pizza your friend likes bad just not for you
mitchell's wool fat I wanted to love but not for me my hard water ?
stirling I love not sure I like it over nivea cream though ? and the TOBS Jermyn street prefer over stirling ?
Cella I love the scent but the performance is behind the others so will keep it in rotation to come back to for a year then it goes
so yeah try a bunch dial in what you like notice the trend
try it
try it
try it


bottom line you just have to try things
again like pizza your tates what you like does not make other pizza bad just you know what you prefer and why eat bad pizza for a year try a bunch and narrow down
also the buy sell here is amazing good gear holds its value IMHO

if I had it to do over I would buy a rockwell with the flip plates and figure out what plate was my fav kinda what I like as my first for a month and a blade pack dial things in then for sure buy some more based on what plate you end up liking for a month
then a rex ambassador and find what works with it blade wise and what setting you like for a month
then a timeless with the plate you might want to start with

some of the companies like the Henson have a money back guarantee and worth trying

I am also now a Timeless fan first for how good it shaves and how well they are built ! they also have a money back (-$10) so worth trying for a higher end

 

[DukeofArmchair]

I will admit, I sometimes feel that you get what you pay for, it sounds like that is not always the case here for razors. I didn't want to ruin myself on using a DE razor by trying a "inexpensive" razor and it not working well. It seems inexpensive is not necessarily "Cheap" in the razor world. I know I am going to have to have patience, I am sure I will have some irritation for the first several shaves but will definitely incorporate a better routine and for sure shower first to soften my skin. When I used the electric I wanted my skin dry so the shaver would not stick to my skin, complete opposite here.

Regarding the Gillette razors, are they still making them or would I be looking at refurbs? I have looked and only see a couple stores selling them Super speed for like $90 USD and Fatboy for $130 USD. I haven't figured out the best places to shop yet

Really appreciate all of the feedback guys! Keep up the recommendations, I am up to try a lot of different things to make this work.

 

[Ad Astra]

Any DE at all will be an improvement.

You're in for better times!


AA

 

[Rhody]

Welcome aboard great advice here. Try it and stick with it. There will be a learning curve but it’s well worth it.

 

[Bill_G]

I've only been using DE razor since June of 2019. But here is my recommendation. Pick one razor with a blade & soap/cream you like & stick to that combo for a month or 2 till you get your technique right.

 

[Iron Paw]

For a new adjustable check out the Pearl Flexi (sort of a Rex clone, but milder, and has good build quality now).
Or go straight to a Timeless or Karve if you want quality new razors that don't really cost an arm and a leg to buy.
I don't think a newcomer should go vintage as you don't have the experience needed to see if the vintage razor is any good. Might have faults, bent bits, etc that you wouldn't notice...and then you get a bad shave and go back to electric!
Anyway...welcome to the rabbit hole of wet shaving...enjoy. We are all here waiting for you.

 

[Scaramouche]

So as the title says I am 47, been using electric shaver most of my life, below is my awful routine. I am wanting to try to get into DE Safety shaving for a couple different reasons.

Reasons for moving do DE Safety shaving

1. Would like less irritation
2. Would like to shave more, I don't like having the itchy 1 week beard every week but I like the irritation i get from shaving less
3. Softer skin, my face is always dry and itchy

Routine (its bad) once per week typically

1. Wake up put on Lectric Shave
2. Use beard trimmer to knock the long hair down
3. Foil shave to do the rest
4. Shower
5. Hope my neck isnt red and burning

I feel like I have looked at hundreds of razors, mostly looking at adjustables (REX Ambassador, Rockwell T2, Merkur Futur, Viking Emperor Meiji and others) so I can grow into it and try different aggressiveness levels. I don’t mind spending good money for a good razor. I feel like I have sensitive skin but I have read a few posts and know that I may not actually have sensitive skin but possibly my super awesome shave routine just sucks and my skin is fine? I know this is just the tip and need to look at soaps/creams, pre and post shave stuff, alum bars and all the things.


Thanks for any help in advance guys.

You'll get a lot of really good advice here, all different. Mine follows, exclusively mine, FWIW. Unique to probably some of the advice you'll get from some of the shavers, I shave with an electric and a DE razor (and occasionally even carts), individually or together, and have been shaving something over 50 years, with all of them.

There's nothing inherently wrong with an electric - they've come far in the last decade even. You don't mention what you use, but basically all of them are capable of delivering a smooth and comfortable shave, wet or dry. Except in your case. Because an electric shaver was designed to work best shaving daily. As in every single day. So you have rightly decided to do something different.

So here's my recommendation to start DE shaving:

1. Any of the razors recommended to you will work just fine. Eventually. The razors you mentioned are great, as are the vintage razors mentioned. Start with one razor, or one setting, one (good) blade and learn to use them. This will take, probably, several weeks. Or more. If you shave weekly, maybe months. You'll get lots of good advice on technique and equipment here as well.

2. Use a light touch. You may find this difficult after an electric - a blade cuts faster and smoother, with a lot less pressure. Use just enough for the blade to stay in contact.

3. Take your time. It takes me a good 30 minutes to shave, front to back, not even including all the cleanup. You'll get faster, but in the beginning, don't rush. You won't receive a gold star, or any special merit in Heaven, or an Olympic medal for shaving in 30 seconds.

4. Use a good pre-shave, a good brush, a good soap and a good aftershave. Again, lots of advice pending - and none of them need to be expensive. Avoid oily or greasy pre- or aftershaves, but a balm rather than an alcohol splash can be soothing after a less-than-stellar shave. And stick with one until you - and your face - feel comfortable.

5. Shower first. Advice will vary, but the idea of wet shaving is to soften up your beard and skin before you start scraping. This will not only reduce irritation, but make mowing down the whiskers easier. You can experiment later, but you'll make life easier by giving your razor and blade every chance to do their work.

6. Use warm water. Again, helping out point #5 here. You may - eventually - decide you love a cold water shave, later. Or not. But don't start there.

7. Don't try to whack down - Every. Single. Whisker. With 10 passes. In fact, you may want to stop at two passes. Or one, at first. The idea of wet shaving is beard reduction with each pass, not beard elimination. And don't feel your face every 5 minutes though the day - that can can contribute to ingrowns and infection. It's not a bad idea to wash your face before bed as well, just on general principles, and if you find you do get some razor burn, razor bumps or irritation, use something like a witch hazel splash or Jack Black's Bump Fix (salicylic acid) after the evening wash.

If you can't do all of those things, do some of them. And come back here, with successes and failures. You'll find a range of experience, solutions, and ideas, and eventually, you'll give some of that advice! Welcome to the rabbit hole!

 

[xiletero]

I would buy a cheap one.....and see if you like it.....

Or go baby step: first step into the Norelco One......electric but kind of a cartridge....both wet and dry.....and then get a cheap thing.

Or a Maggards TTO kit......

 

[Lightcs1776]

I have a Rex Ambassador and love it. It is almost exclusively used for my shaving. However, I recommend against getting this as your first razor, as it is a significant investment without knowing if you will want to stick with DE shaving. A Gillette Slim is far more affordable, as is other vintage Gillettes. As far as new, the Mercur is a good choice, in my opinion.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Lightcs1776]

I should add, the shave soap or cream can make a big difference. There are many that folks like, but I have found that Stirling, Captain's Choice, and Hassling are effective. There are many others that are cheaper and more expensive that have great reviews.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[luvmysuper]

I will admit, I sometimes feel that you get what you pay for, it sounds like that is not always the case here for razors. I didn't want to ruin myself on using a DE razor by trying a "inexpensive" razor and it not working well. It seems inexpensive is not necessarily "Cheap" in the razor world. I know I am going to have to have patience, I am sure I will have some irritation for the first several shaves but will definitely incorporate a better routine and for sure shower first to soften my skin. When I used the electric I wanted my skin dry so the shaver would not stick to my skin, complete opposite here.

Regarding the Gillette razors, are they still making them or would I be looking at refurbs? I have looked and only see a couple stores selling them Super speed for like $90 USD and Fatboy for $130 USD. I haven't figured out the best places to shop yet

Really appreciate all of the feedback guys! Keep up the recommendations, I am up to try a lot of different things to make this work.

They don't make the Gillettes anymore, but the old ones are built like tanks and will likely outlive you.
If you PM me your address I'll send you a Super Speed no charge so you can get an idea of the possibilities that await you.
Unless you're a germaphobe and think a razor made in the 50's or 60's has somehow absorbed more cooties than one that rolled off an industrial assembly line last week!

I second what @Scaramouche said. Go slow at first. When I got back into wet shaving it took 30 minutes to shave. Over time you improve and build muscle memory.
I get a baby butt smooth shave in two passes and it takes me 5 to 10 minutes from walk in to the bathroom to walk out.

 

[ScottChapin]

Electrics irritate me, because you have to scrub too long, every which way, to get a somewhat acceptable shave. You’re on the right track.

 

[DukeofArmchair]

They don't make the Gillettes anymore, but the old ones are built like tanks and will likely outlive you.
If you PM me your address I'll send you a Super Speed no charge so you can get an idea of the possibilities that await you.
Unless you're a germaphobe and think a razor made in the 50's or 60's has somehow absorbed more cooties than one that rolled off an industrial assembly line last week!

I second what @Scaramouche said. Go slow at first. When I got back into wet shaving it took 30 minutes to shave. Over time you improve and build muscle memory.
I get a baby butt smooth shave in two passes and it takes me 5 to 10 minutes from walk in to the bathroom to walk out.

@luvmysuper
I appreciate that offer and am amazed by all of the friendliness and information I have already received! Amazing group. With that being said I cannot figure out for the life of me how to PM you

 

[DukeofArmchair]

Welcome aboard great advice here. Try it and stick with it. There will be a learning curve but it’s well worth it.

The amount of information and suggestions is already overwhelming (in a good way). I participate on quite a few forums and this is quite refreshing.

 

[ylekot]

They don't make the Gillettes anymore, but the old ones are built like tanks and will likely outlive you.
If you PM me your address I'll send you a Super Speed no charge so you can get an idea of the possibilities that await you.
Unless you're a germaphobe and think a razor made in the 50's or 60's has somehow absorbed more cooties than one that rolled off an industrial assembly line last week!

I second what @Scaramouche said. Go slow at first. When I got back into wet shaving it took 30 minutes to shave. Over time you improve and build muscle memory.
I get a baby butt smooth shave in two passes and it takes me 5 to 10 minutes from walk in to the bathroom to walk out.

Ain't this place great?!?