I originally started DE shaving before I got out of high school... and in the 70's to me, my Dad, and all my male relatives, shaving was a Gillette DE, a can of Foamy goo, and lots of little bits of TP for the nicks and weepers. I kept getting nicks and weepers even as I got better at shaving, eventually settling on a 4 setting on my adjustable, using the Gillette blades.
It was nothing to think of shaving with a Gillette DE, I mean everyone that was anyone to me as I was growing toward adult hood used one. I eventually switched to Edge gel, then went to the sensitive skin version cause no matter what, I still got some burn, and some weepers. In college I switched to a Trac II that the college gave us one year in a welcome pack.... I ended up with a couple so I gave Dad one. Still got burned, and nicks, and weepers, etc... so 3 blade carts, Yep, I did that... Kept doing it, and no matter what blade configuration, I still had issues. Even got some nicks using an electric! Now that smarted! Go figure. Got a sample of some King of Shaves oil... WOW much better, but still had problems sometimes. Switched to Shave creams and it was better, but not perfect, and not ever BBS, not even DFS, usually just a SAS. I ALWAYS had stubble around my windpipe area, and in the cleft of my chin there were a few stray hairs I never could get hardly.
I've been back to a DE for almost 2 full weeks now... With memories of my old Gillette adjustable, I kicked my Slim to a 4 and took off. After the blood letting I backed it off a bit and really focused on technique. I was getting better, I had my nicks and cuts to just slightly below where I got with my last 5 bladed monster... so very tolerable on the nicks and cuts charts, and it was a MUCH higher quality shave. But I knew I could do better. So I was waiting in Walmart the other day and I saw the VDH basic kit, you know the brush, bowl and soap set they have there. So I picked it up and a styptic pencil, all a very nice prices. That night I came on here and read a bunch on making a lather with the brush, and watched some of mantic59's vids on lathering, and next morning I hit it with my newly minted knowledge, and proceeded to make a mess. LOL I kept with the KMF shave cream that I'd been using brushless for a while, and kept the same focus on my technique I'd been using, but I hadn't made the lather very well, I'd used too much water and too little cream and it dried faster then before I used the brush, so basically I got the same kind of shave I'd been getting.
Came back here, and read more, watched more vids, and next morning focused on getting a better lather. All other things remained the same. Same blade, same KMF, same pre, during, and post shave routine... Only difference was brushing on a good, well made lather, and for one of the very few times in my life, no nicks, no cuts, no weepers. I didn't need the styptic I'd bought! Wow! And the shave! What a shave, Wasn't a full on BBS, but it was a DFS for sure. BBS on checks, jawline, and most of the neck.... Never had a shave that close that wasn't done by a barber with the full hot towel treatment.
Next morning, I almost didn't need a shave. When in the military, during the time I was at OCS, I had to shave twice a day the 5 o'clock shadow was so heavy. I honestly thought about skipping the shave that morning, but I really wanted to try my hand at lather again. Using the KMF, I worked up an even better lather than the previous morning, and proceeded to have 'almost' as good a shave. I say almost, because well, I just kept going. I pressed my luck. I'd been getting a very good shave before doing a 2 pass, WTG, and XTG, but this time I added in an ATG pass, and I got a bit carried away and ended up applying pressure, so I got 2 small weepers. Are you kidding me, amazing shave and only 2 very minor weepers. And the added closeness made my stubble even lower the next morning. After a few mornings I've got my lather building very nicely, and the shaves are improving even more. Maybe time to adjust back up to 4.
All I changed was adding in a brush. I may break down and actually try using the VDH soap instead of the KMF cream one morning. Makes me wonder if I had tried the brush back in the 70's if I'd have stayed with the DE longer? Nah, probably not, I was a young modern thinking progressive college man, and fully (or foolishly) buying into the hype that the advertising was feeding me.
Is this what starts the AD? Want to try a different brush? Different soap, or creme, or maybe a straight...
It was nothing to think of shaving with a Gillette DE, I mean everyone that was anyone to me as I was growing toward adult hood used one. I eventually switched to Edge gel, then went to the sensitive skin version cause no matter what, I still got some burn, and some weepers. In college I switched to a Trac II that the college gave us one year in a welcome pack.... I ended up with a couple so I gave Dad one. Still got burned, and nicks, and weepers, etc... so 3 blade carts, Yep, I did that... Kept doing it, and no matter what blade configuration, I still had issues. Even got some nicks using an electric! Now that smarted! Go figure. Got a sample of some King of Shaves oil... WOW much better, but still had problems sometimes. Switched to Shave creams and it was better, but not perfect, and not ever BBS, not even DFS, usually just a SAS. I ALWAYS had stubble around my windpipe area, and in the cleft of my chin there were a few stray hairs I never could get hardly.
I've been back to a DE for almost 2 full weeks now... With memories of my old Gillette adjustable, I kicked my Slim to a 4 and took off. After the blood letting I backed it off a bit and really focused on technique. I was getting better, I had my nicks and cuts to just slightly below where I got with my last 5 bladed monster... so very tolerable on the nicks and cuts charts, and it was a MUCH higher quality shave. But I knew I could do better. So I was waiting in Walmart the other day and I saw the VDH basic kit, you know the brush, bowl and soap set they have there. So I picked it up and a styptic pencil, all a very nice prices. That night I came on here and read a bunch on making a lather with the brush, and watched some of mantic59's vids on lathering, and next morning I hit it with my newly minted knowledge, and proceeded to make a mess. LOL I kept with the KMF shave cream that I'd been using brushless for a while, and kept the same focus on my technique I'd been using, but I hadn't made the lather very well, I'd used too much water and too little cream and it dried faster then before I used the brush, so basically I got the same kind of shave I'd been getting.
Came back here, and read more, watched more vids, and next morning focused on getting a better lather. All other things remained the same. Same blade, same KMF, same pre, during, and post shave routine... Only difference was brushing on a good, well made lather, and for one of the very few times in my life, no nicks, no cuts, no weepers. I didn't need the styptic I'd bought! Wow! And the shave! What a shave, Wasn't a full on BBS, but it was a DFS for sure. BBS on checks, jawline, and most of the neck.... Never had a shave that close that wasn't done by a barber with the full hot towel treatment.
Next morning, I almost didn't need a shave. When in the military, during the time I was at OCS, I had to shave twice a day the 5 o'clock shadow was so heavy. I honestly thought about skipping the shave that morning, but I really wanted to try my hand at lather again. Using the KMF, I worked up an even better lather than the previous morning, and proceeded to have 'almost' as good a shave. I say almost, because well, I just kept going. I pressed my luck. I'd been getting a very good shave before doing a 2 pass, WTG, and XTG, but this time I added in an ATG pass, and I got a bit carried away and ended up applying pressure, so I got 2 small weepers. Are you kidding me, amazing shave and only 2 very minor weepers. And the added closeness made my stubble even lower the next morning. After a few mornings I've got my lather building very nicely, and the shaves are improving even more. Maybe time to adjust back up to 4.
All I changed was adding in a brush. I may break down and actually try using the VDH soap instead of the KMF cream one morning. Makes me wonder if I had tried the brush back in the 70's if I'd have stayed with the DE longer? Nah, probably not, I was a young modern thinking progressive college man, and fully (or foolishly) buying into the hype that the advertising was feeding me.
Is this what starts the AD? Want to try a different brush? Different soap, or creme, or maybe a straight...
I wish I had discovered it much sooner.
It wasn't BBS, but it was DFS. So Sunday morning, fresh blade, second go on the chin, and still no blood letting on the chin area. Obviously I'm still working out the technique and angles for my chin, but overall not too bad. Just have to see how it works during the week when I feel I don't have quite as much time to be careful, as I do on the weekends.
