70 year old. FIRST TIME wet shaver! Hope to meet people here.

[Lockback]

Welcome to the show.

Chins are tough, at least for me.

Typically, my shave is a 3-pass affair, WTG/XTG/ATG. On the first pass I shave north-to-south on my chin, and immediately follow with an east-to-west pass, very lightly.

It is very difficult for me to get the stubble on the very tip of my chin. I think it's due to me not being able to maintain the correct blade angle when transitioning from my neck to the front of my chin on my final ATG pass.

The only way I can get a smooth chin (near BBS, not quite) is during touch up after my third pass, using just water and residual slickness. I stretch the chin skin () by jutting out my chin, tilting my head back, and pushing my turkey neck back with my off hand while gently shaving ATG until I no longer get audible feedback or resistance on my chin.

Chins are tough.
Which is one of the reasons I grew a goatee, like, 27 years ago.

 

[gpjoe]

Chins are tough.
Which is one of the reasons I grew a goatee, like, 27 years ago.

That is one answer to the chin dilemma.

 

[Old Hippie]

Yeah, shave angle. I tend to weave around between steep/shallow but always listen for cutting noises and go for maximum crunch. I'm not a face shaver, so "getting the chin" has been super-easy for the last...golly...34 years that I've had a beard. I'm not totally oblivious, though; I have some really funky angles on my head that mean either going really slowly there or changing angles really fast on the fly. Great recipe for a nick, that.

I've lately gone back and re-mapped my growth patterns in a couple of troublesome spots. While I was getting OK shaves there, they were still slightly stubbly under all but the most aggressive razors. By which I mean a naked edge could get them but any kind of bar or comb just got in the way. I noticed that the angle I was taking ATG was just slightly skewed, so I changed angles to match the growth exactly and "Viola!" as they say in the orchestra -- smooth and clean.

Now, like so many other things, I just have to remember.

O.H.

 

[malocchio]

Welcome ... I'm 75 , so you are in good company!

 

[Eric_75]

I have some regrets in my life, namely marrying my first wife.
Well ... and my second.

I'm 48 and I have never been married. I think I'll skip my first and second marriage at this point and just jump to my third, Dan.

 

[WThomas0814]

Great to have you here!

 

[Lockback]

I'm 48 and I have never been married. I think I'll skip my first and second marriage at this point and just jump to my third, Dan.

See, this is why I like you so much, Eric. You are very, very wise.

 

[Ingolfur]

Welcome aboard, @rcg! From your first post, it's clear you're a true gentleman.

For my chin, I rely mostly on the second pass to tackle the beard. I pull my chin back and tilt my forehead forward to flatten the area, then shave sideways. This method works well for me.

I don’t chase BBS either. I think there’s a bit of a myth around BBS that’s perpetuated on the forums. With my thick hair, my skin will never look like a child’s, no matter how hard I try! And for me, chasing BBS feels like inviting irritation. As long as I get a clean shave without irritation, I’m happy.

Greetings from Switzerland!

 

[BigJ]

Welcome aboard!

 

[Old Hippie]

Well, I said I'd take a swing at a couple things, so here goes in one full-boar omnibus edition!

Please do not be offended that I have the means to get some "fancy" razors.

No problem. Somebody's gotta buy 'em. Saves me from being that somebody. Maybe.

The Rex Konsul is also a solid performer. Hard to load, and the thread rusts like crazy, but smooth as silk.

I like mine. My only adjustable, and when I use it I "run it through the gears" because otherwise why have an adjustable? Fairly easy to load if you place the cap post-up, then put the blade over the post and let it drop as far as it will. Then take your thumb and forefinger and slide them down the post, gently pushing the blade into the curvature. With your other thumb and forefinger, gently hold the ends of the cap and the ends of the blade in place while you slide the razor body down over it all. Second nature once you've done it a time or two.

Getting nowhere with lather, and make a watery mess every time, bowl or face. Cream, croap, soap, gel? I am lost in space.

I was in that generation of new wetshavers who started with a Merkur 34 or 38, some mild blades, and a tube of Proraso Green. It worked and got me going. After a while I tried soaps and it's been that ever since. While I like to make my own soaps from fairly simple recipes, I also use an inexpensive body soap with tallow as a shave soap. This is great at the moment as I'm playing with naked edges and that's making me use up a LOT of lather.

One trick I learned from the naked edges is that a thin slippery lather is better than Betty Crocker Frosting. Lather, like many other aspects of wetshaving, is something you'll keep evolving as you grow in the sport.

Also seeking out the elusive perfect smell, and since there are about 10,000 choices, I may never find it!

There's truth. There's a lot of scents I just don't like, so that simplifies things. I've made soap with red cedar scent and a couple of big batches of peppermint. While I don't mind smelling like an old hippie logger, I really like peppermint. Probably lavender would be nice, but I've yet to try it. Rose is just not my thing but the flowers are pretty to look at. My next batch of soap will likely be grapefruit scented. I've always wanted to make a soap named, "Dope-Smack of Enlightenment." Because I've had a few of those.

So many things I just don't know what they smell like. Ylang-Ylang? Vetiver? I don't do strongly scented aftershaves so mostly the scent is just to keep me amused while I'm actually shaving.

Still no idea how to map my hair growth, and just have gone with the standard.

Simply rub the skin when you're ready to shave. Feels really prickly going one direction, somewhat smooth in the other? That's mapping.

Many nicks the first weeks (and not good since I use a blood thinner), much better now.

Nicks are part of the tuition in this school. You'll either learn to be careful or else you'll shave off whatever it was you kept hitting. Either way; winner. I've done both. I have to be careful in a couple of spots because I can get into the mindset of "I'm. Going. To. Shave. That. Smooth. If. It. Kills. Me." And then I have some irritation and weepers to remind me to slow down.

Should I expand [blade choices], or leave well enough alone?
Grabbed two or 3 packs of vintage blades. Should I try them in the Vintage razors?

Lots of people try vintage blades. Some like them, some don't. The lathercatcher guys are pretty keen on honing up vintage wedge blades. Give it a shot. If it works, great.

With respect to new blades and how many to try, get out your little notebook and make a spreadsheet. Pick out a razor that you'll use exclusively for a while, then get some packs of blades. I would say that shaving through five blades would tell you whether that one is a good one (in that razor) for you, or not. Probably shaving out a full 10-blade tuck would be better.

Do that for as many different blades as you can get. Keep notes. Pretty quickly you'll start landing on some favourites.

Heh.

Now switch razors and do it again. We hear that in general aggressive blades do pretty well in mild razors. There are those who swear by mild blades in aggressive razors. Personally, I'm a "Middle Way" kinda guy and like mid-aggressive blades in mid-aggressive razors. Of course, the all-blade-feel-all-the-time guys like aggressive razors and aggressive blades.

Definitely hooked on the hobby. I am a pathological collector.

So are most of us. Yer in good company.

Looking forward to the ride.

There's a good attitude. Suddenly you'll be looking at something and catch yourself thinking, "I could shave with that!"

O.H.

 

[dmshaver]

Welcome to B & B, enjoy!

 

[ShavingPrimate]

Loving the sound of the blade when I am going XTG near my ear. Obviously that is the easiest spot to shave, and the easiest to hear.

Welcome @rcg the CPA. Your comment regarding the audible sound of blade nicking whiskers resonated with me. I love that sound, too.

As a note, there is a name for this sound, it is referred to as chatter.

 

[Hawkeye_90]

Welcome to the forum. I have found the members here to be a good group of guys full of tips tricks and good advice! I have been very grateful for this forum over the years!

 

[Winking Whale]

Welcome and snap! I too was 70 when I started wet shaving. Took me at least 6 months to start to get the hang of it ... and still learning.

 

[cryhavoc]

Welcome to B&B!

 

[sm29]

Welcome @rcg

I am a retired CPA about 3 1/2 years younger than you. I returned to wet shaving almost 10 years ago after over 30 years with various electrics. About a year after my return, I spent the next 18 months dealing with my wife’s terminal illness. During that time, the 15 minutes of shaving “ritual” gave me a respite from her illness. For the next 18 months or so after her death, the shaving ritual was also important in allowing me some zen type moments. Today, my morning shave is still an important part of my daily ritual simply because I find enjoyment in it.

Over the years, I have accumulated a fair amount of hardware and software. My top razor is a titanium Blackbird. My next favorite and the razor that accompanies me on all out of town trips is a SS Blackbird. Other razors have sentimental value (A4 Red Tip from my late wife’s birth quarter; Old Type from the mid to late 1920s approximating my father’s birth year; Goodwill 164 and New LC from the early 1930s approximating my mother’s birth year; E4 Fatboy from my brother’s birth quarter; and C4 Flare Tip Superspeed from my birth quarter).

I use these “sentimental” razors to commemorate birthdays and other important dates.

Virtually all gear is a matter of personal preference and the only way to find your preference is to try different gear. I now use MdC Rose for almost every home shave. SV aftershaves have been my favorites for several years. Badger is my preferred brush with an occasional boar shave thrown in. I use a synthetic for travel and in the kit kept at a friend’s house. Synthetics dry better and require no or less soaking time. My best brush advice would be to contact @Rudy Vey and have him craft a brush for you. I face lathered for years but now prefer to bowl lather.

Overall, since you mentioned having financial security, I would have no qualms about experimenting with new products until you find what you like best.

Enjoy the improving sure to happen with your technique and remember that this “hobby”, “chore”, or “ritual” is what you make it and what you want it to be.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I’m not sure we can say enough about the services Rudy provides. He’s re-knotted 3 brush handles for me and made a custom handle to fit a Mozingo 28mm fan knot for me. That knot bloomed a bit too much for me but it sold in minutes on BST to someone who loves larger knots. The handle was a perfect fit.

In a month or so, I’ll finally get my first complete shaving brush from Rudy with a newly designed handle he crafted. I’m looking forward to it.

 

[ButterfaceX]

Welcome RCG & Congrats for finding the best damn traditional wet shaving forum on this earth. Loaded with all the hero’s that keeps it running and members that are extraordinary!
Excellent intro and appears you have a jump start on the RAD.
All I have from my 51 years of wet shaving experience is focus more on your overall process, ritual, enjoyment, skin care, and skill. Yes your tools can be jewels….but you are the master of the sword….
BFX