You know that feeling when people ask why you wouldn't just use a mobile phone rather than a field camera? It's something like that.
A Very Truly Really Stupid Question
- Thread starter Mike the Beginner
- Start date
You know that feeling when people ask why you wouldn't just use a mobile phone rather than a field camera? It's something like that.
Ah, you beat me to it in a much more erudite way. That'll teach me to read through the previous posts more carefully.
First, congratulations on your progress!!
Great advice above! To answer your question, you can use ‘canned goo’ if that works for you. No problem!!
I prefer to face-lather soaps because I get a better lather, far better!! I also enjoy my badger brushes, different characteristics of my fine soaps and I get precisely the lather I wish!! But that’s what I prefer!!
The main thing is to ENJOY YOUR SHAVES!!
Great advice above! To answer your question, you can use ‘canned goo’ if that works for you. No problem!!
I prefer to face-lather soaps because I get a better lather, far better!! I also enjoy my badger brushes, different characteristics of my fine soaps and I get precisely the lather I wish!! But that’s what I prefer!!
The main thing is to ENJOY YOUR SHAVES!!
Great advice above!!
I endorse the ’empirical approach!‘
I predict that if you try the combination of a good brush (which need not be expensive) and a good soap or cream, that you will not go back to ’canned goo.’ But some do! Only you can determine what works best for you!!
I endorse the ’empirical approach!‘
I predict that if you try the combination of a good brush (which need not be expensive) and a good soap or cream, that you will not go back to ’canned goo.’ But some do! Only you can determine what works best for you!!
Good choice on the brush, inexpensive and it will be a great start. I like my RR Bruce. It has a nice head and a very comfortable handle. I hope you enjoy it! Here's a video that taught me how to face lather, give that a try sometime.
@Mike the Beginner at least try a couple soaps with a brush. IMO it nourishes the skin so much better. Also to me shave day (every 3 days) is like spa day. But like others have said, do what works for you, that's what wet shaving is all about.
BTW, not a dumb question at all.
BTW, not a dumb question at all.
Nice choices @Mike the Beginner
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
Welcome to B&B, have some great shaves!
Using a synthetic ,badger or boar brushes is my Zen moment in shaving. The routine of preparing the lather and each brush has different face feels and performance with creams, croaps and hard soaps can very differently + the lather scents are appealing also that fill the shaving area up with pleasant fragrances if your nose is working well.
I was a cartridge daily shaver mostly for 35+ years and 6 years ago I accidently was on Youtube looking for a knife sharpener & found out traditional wet shaving was still well and alive around the world.
Must of been brain washed that cartridge razors where better I guess(they are good but old ways of shaving are still as good or better for some folks who are prone to ingrown hairs and other skin issues), when you get your technique dialed in and your beard mapped for your grain directions single edge shaving has a more inner well being is one way I like to look at this simple enjoyable task now.
Using a synthetic ,badger or boar brushes is my Zen moment in shaving. The routine of preparing the lather and each brush has different face feels and performance with creams, croaps and hard soaps can very differently + the lather scents are appealing also that fill the shaving area up with pleasant fragrances if your nose is working well.
I was a cartridge daily shaver mostly for 35+ years and 6 years ago I accidently was on Youtube looking for a knife sharpener & found out traditional wet shaving was still well and alive around the world.
Must of been brain washed that cartridge razors where better I guess(they are good but old ways of shaving are still as good or better for some folks who are prone to ingrown hairs and other skin issues), when you get your technique dialed in and your beard mapped for your grain directions single edge shaving has a more inner well being is one way I like to look at this simple enjoyable task now.
Understand your question, and a very legit one at that!
I would certainly use canned shaving cream in a pinch. BUT it wouldn't leave behind the sublime aroma like this one does!
I would certainly use canned shaving cream in a pinch. BUT it wouldn't leave behind the sublime aroma like this one does!
I've posted this elsewhere on the forum at one time or another. but when I started down the path of DE shaving, one thing I wish I would have done differently is learning how to make good lather with a brush and soap/cream before trying to switch razor types. Honestly, I think good lather is much more important than what type of razor you shave with. As an anecdote, I switched back to cartridge razors but never gave up my brush and soap, and I can't tell the difference with my DE shaves. Canned foam/gel works and I use it when necessary, but I can tell the difference between canned and a good soap or cream much more readily than I can between razor types.
- Thread starter
- #52
The brush arrived today! (I feel a little sheepish that I find that exciting.) Also the Arko sticks. I made up a couple of practice lathers using a cereal bowl and it worked great. I got lots of lather out of very little Arko. I had to smile about the aroma of the Arko...saw a YouTube video that said it "stinks" but to me it's a pleasant, clean, mild and familiar scent that simply smells like soap. Or rather, historical soap. It reminds me of grade school and our old lake cottage. When we sold the cottage in 2013 after 100 years in the family, there were unopened boxes of soap flakes from the 1960s still in the storage room. The Arko smells like those. On the other hand, I can easily imagine that other soaps smell better, and I admit that I don't have a very good sense of smell.
I gather you can just rub the Arko on your face and then lather using the brush right on your face. Since the bowl I ordered isn't here yet, I'll probably try that tomorrow morning.
This morning I had to try the Hawk v3. (What can I say, I'm weak.) It was okay but I didn't do very well with it. Ended up switching to the Rockwell to finish up.
But now I'm looking forward to trying the Arko and the brush.
MtB
Nice! Another Arko!naut is born.
It’s Citronella and yes it was used to scent many cleaning products in the past. It brings me back to my primary school when they cleaned the floors. Others were not so fortunate and associate the scent wit urinal pucks….
Absolutely. Rub the Arko stick all over your wet face and then with a damp brush go to town adding a little bit of water to the tops for the brush as you need to. You are certainly on the way.....
Welcome and yes..it is totally up to you. As you go further do the path of shaving, you may or may not change anything.
I just go to the, your face, your skin, your shave, your choices....
When I talk to friends, family, & co-workers that shave sorta.
Everyone has a different view on shaving. Some just rather avoid it, so it beard time with and occasional trim.
Some hate it, it is chore (adding making there own lather is out too), use whatever it fastest/cheapest.
Again, lot of people chose the rat race speed shave in the morning, that is fine..just hard to enjoy that..
I have been lucky to traditional wet shaving for 50 years now. I enjoy the whole process. Started w/ SR's.
Thanks to the mapping of my dad (95 - & a daily shaver). He taught me to be patience, make sure you have the right amount of time to do it, but really enjoy it.
He to this day, makes his own shave soaps.
Then when I met my amazing wife , now retired . She was a cosmetologist, then cosmetic dermatologist.
She really helped me with my overall skin care, and also finding a good evolving process around shaving ( prep, during, post) .
It changes over the years, at 66 the skin certainly needs changed compared to 20s,30s, 40 & >>>>!
Now quality items for you face (& shave) can found and very reasonable prices, just takes the want, with a little research and time finding the ones the work for you.
Bottom-line, shaving is your block of time for you and your face, do whatever you like.
Can, Gel, Whip Cream, honestly whatever works best for you and that face...
Welcome again, hope it is a little help...
Also we do have a lot of passionate shavers here, I am certainly grateful of that and proud to be a part of it.
BFX
I just go to the, your face, your skin, your shave, your choices....
When I talk to friends, family, & co-workers that shave sorta.
Everyone has a different view on shaving. Some just rather avoid it, so it beard time with and occasional trim.
Some hate it, it is chore (adding making there own lather is out too), use whatever it fastest/cheapest.
Again, lot of people chose the rat race speed shave in the morning, that is fine..just hard to enjoy that..
I have been lucky to traditional wet shaving for 50 years now. I enjoy the whole process. Started w/ SR's.
Thanks to the mapping of my dad (95 - & a daily shaver). He taught me to be patience, make sure you have the right amount of time to do it, but really enjoy it.
He to this day, makes his own shave soaps.
Then when I met my amazing wife , now retired . She was a cosmetologist, then cosmetic dermatologist.
She really helped me with my overall skin care, and also finding a good evolving process around shaving ( prep, during, post) .
It changes over the years, at 66 the skin certainly needs changed compared to 20s,30s, 40 & >>>>!
Now quality items for you face (& shave) can found and very reasonable prices, just takes the want, with a little research and time finding the ones the work for you.
Bottom-line, shaving is your block of time for you and your face, do whatever you like.
Can, Gel, Whip Cream, honestly whatever works best for you and that face...
Welcome again, hope it is a little help...
Also we do have a lot of passionate shavers here, I am certainly grateful of that and proud to be a part of it.
BFX
Welcome to the mad, glad and sometimes infuriating world of traditional DE shaving.
Your soap question is a fair one but for most of us there is real enjoyment to be had when whipping up your own lather. It is certainly one my favourite aspects of shaving.
You are there! You cut to the chase - clean, fast, and extremely inexpensive/low waste.
- Thread starter
- #59
I really liked my FIRST EVER shave with a brush and soap. I painted my face with the Arko stick, and the brush made lather all over like magic. It was my best shave yet.Nice! Another Arko!naut is born.
I also decided that my sensitive skin and face irritation is probably what made me dislike shaving for my whole life, so I think I will pursue a COMFORTABLE shave rather than the close shave. I did only two passes, one with the Rockwell R3 plate followed by a second pass with the R1 plate.
Now I have a question. Should I use aftershave, or aftershave balm, or both, and, if both, in what order?
This forum is a gold mine.
MtB
Congratulations on your best shave ever!! Yes, concentrate on comfort above all else for a while. I think if it this way, what good is a super close shave if your skin is all irritated.... It's called a DCF (Darn Comfortable Shave). As far as aftershave or balm, I like both. I like the burn of aftershave and the calming and nourishing of a balm. I like the Nivea sensitive skin balm, it's quite popular and available at the grocery store. Also, if you don't like a burn or your skin doesn't like it then there's alchohol free aftershaves. You may also want to consider an alum block or witchhazel as well but others will chime in. I've only been DE shaving for a year and you're right, this is a very helpful forum
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