Greetings, citizens of badger and blade! I come to you on the verge of purchasing my first single-blade razor.
I have large hands, so I've picked out the Merkur 38HD Classic Barber Pole. I'll use this with Crystal Super+ AKA Israeli Personna blades, the Vulfix #2234 brush, and The Gentleman's Refinery products to start with. I'll order sometime this week, so if there are any suggestions it's not too late for me to change my mind.
It has been a long, long journey to get here. A journey wrought with electric shavers, goop, and vibrating razors.
I started shaving when I was 16. Covered in peach fuzz, my parents bought me a fancy new electric shaver - dude, it has an LCD on it! The pre-shave lotion dried up my skin like crazy, and the shaver kind of tore up my face. The after-shave lotion stung pretty badly too - but hey, it was time to man up! I figured my skin was kind of sensitive, because I would end up with bumps and irritation if I tried shaving too close.
I stuck with this until I turned 18, when I decided to let my full beard grow out for the first time - a look I've kept to this day, save for few couple weeks in my 20's after what I now refer to as "the beard incident". I would keep my beard trimmed fairly short (1/4" - 1/2"), and keep a clean neck line with my beard trimmer. I would then shave my neck with the electric.
Eventually the electric wore out, so I started just shaving my neck with my beard trimmer. I did the best job I could, but I was always a little frustrated with how my neck and upper cheek would look. Five O Clock shadow - more like five minute shadow. It never got very close, and I was frustrated with how my neck looked.
So I investigated shaving my neck with an actual bladed razor. After some investigation, I felt like it would be worth taking the time to learn how to look my best, so I decided to go out and get the best bladed shaving equipment I could buy.
What I came home with was the Gillette Fusion Power, Gillette Fusion Power Shave Gel, and Gillette aftershave. Yes, yes, I know I'm going to be laughed it here. Their marketing works!
I learned to really clean up my neck, and there was a drastic improvement in appearance. Vanity means little to me, but I love it when my beard is freshly trimmed with a clean line, and a clean neck.
There were some growing pains, of course, and messy sinks covered in goop. I got a good shower mirror, and installed extra lighting in there - in the shower, I could keep the blue goop moist enough for the razor to scrape across my skin without TOO much discomfort. The shower works out well, because I inevitably end up with blue goop everywhere, and I can easily wash any extra product out of my beard.
I've learned to improve my technique, and now as long as I don't try to shave too closely, or too often, I don't have a whole lot of problems. I have a pretty good routine going now. I wet my face/neck while brushing my teeth, then shave after I take care of everything else in the shower, so my neck hair at least has a chance to get nice and moist/soft pre-shave. There is always room to improve, but I'm pretty sure I have the gillette system down to a science. Laugh at the vibration factor, but I do seem to get a better shave with it than without.
But still, shaving daily often causes irritation, especially if I try and get really close, so I usually shave every other day. If I knew I had to look my best, I would make sure to not shave 2-3 days in advance, so I could make sure to look my best on that day. I've been shaven this way for years, and, overall, I was fairly satisfied with shaving. It wasn't something I really obsessed over, as much as I love my beard.
So how did I end up here?
On a whim, one day I decided to go looking for shaving cream with more natural ingredients. Somehow, I ended up reading about The Gentleman's Refinery line of products, and read a glowing review about them on shaveblog.com. I really didn't believe all the hype (huh, it's just shaving cream), but the sample pack was only $8, so I placed an order. I kept reading shaveblog, and wondered what all the fuss was about with this old looking Merkur razor.
The TGR samples arrived a couple days later, I put on a fresh Fusion cartridge, showered, massaged the pre-shave oil onto my face, slapped The Standard shaving cream on there with my hand to lather up, activated the tremendous vibrating powers of my Fusion and had the smoothest, most painless, and best damn shave of my life. Wow. The after shave felt terrific as well.
I've watched the videos by mantic59, and I started paying attention to the grain of the hair, which made a difference too.
Since then, I've been learning about the world of wet shaving with single blade razors. I've been using TGR sample products, and loving it. I've been using them (sparingly) for a couple weeks now. Shaving is suddenly FUN, and it feels good, too. I can even get away with shaving multiple days in a row if I'm careful and pay attention to technique. I know how crazy hobbyist forums can get, but I am very intrigued about this single-blade shaving thing everyone is raving about. It seems like everyone who gets used to a single blade, and then tries the fusion has an awful experience.
I also think about the environmental impact. 100 blades for a Merkur come in a tiny little box, and those blades are potentially recyclable. I hate to think about how much production, packaging, plastic, space on a truck, transportation, space on a shelf, and ultimately landfill waste goes into 100 fusion cartridges. Include marketing materials advertising these damn things, and - well, you get the picture. Not to mention the empty cans of goop I throw out, which you cannot recycle. Not to mention that 100 fusion cartridges will cost about $250 - $300. So I imagine I will save money in the long run not buying those cartridges, and I'll at least break even if I splurge on the nice creams and oils.
Futhermore, I love the idea of switching to all-natural shaving creams and oils, which are actually GOOD for my face and skin!
I will probably stick to the shower-shaving. It doesn't seem very common, but it works for me, and it's so easy to blast excess shaving cream out of my beard when I am done with my neck. I have good lighting and visibility in there, so I don't foresee it being a problem.
I'm starting to regret buying 3 bottles of goop the last time I went for a refill. Hey, is there anything else that the goop is good for? I hate to just throw it out. The after shave, however, I just want to get rid of that crap. It really is awful. It's not something you really think about, but - really, alcohol and all kinds of chemicals in something that's supposed to soothe the skin!? After using TGR stuff, I really don't want to go back. I may shave with goop one last time, just to compare after using the good stuff for a couple weeks. Luckily I am down to just one fusion cartridge, and I may end up just keeping it for travel.
Some concepts still seem pretty alien to me. After all, why would someone really NEED a collection of over 50 razors, all kinds of blades, 15 different bowls, twenty brushes, and a hundred different creams?!
For now, at least, I'd like to buy one good razor/brush set and stick with it long enough to get a good shave.
I am the only bearded man in a community of smooth faces here, or are there others who enjoy having facial hair, and shaving parts of their face they do shave as best they can?
I just fear I may be jumping too soon. After all, I just found out that in June, Gillette is coming out with the Fusion ProGlide and some fancy pre-shave lotions that Derek Jeter and Tiger Woods will be using
I have large hands, so I've picked out the Merkur 38HD Classic Barber Pole. I'll use this with Crystal Super+ AKA Israeli Personna blades, the Vulfix #2234 brush, and The Gentleman's Refinery products to start with. I'll order sometime this week, so if there are any suggestions it's not too late for me to change my mind.
It has been a long, long journey to get here. A journey wrought with electric shavers, goop, and vibrating razors.
I started shaving when I was 16. Covered in peach fuzz, my parents bought me a fancy new electric shaver - dude, it has an LCD on it! The pre-shave lotion dried up my skin like crazy, and the shaver kind of tore up my face. The after-shave lotion stung pretty badly too - but hey, it was time to man up! I figured my skin was kind of sensitive, because I would end up with bumps and irritation if I tried shaving too close.
I stuck with this until I turned 18, when I decided to let my full beard grow out for the first time - a look I've kept to this day, save for few couple weeks in my 20's after what I now refer to as "the beard incident". I would keep my beard trimmed fairly short (1/4" - 1/2"), and keep a clean neck line with my beard trimmer. I would then shave my neck with the electric.
Eventually the electric wore out, so I started just shaving my neck with my beard trimmer. I did the best job I could, but I was always a little frustrated with how my neck and upper cheek would look. Five O Clock shadow - more like five minute shadow. It never got very close, and I was frustrated with how my neck looked.
So I investigated shaving my neck with an actual bladed razor. After some investigation, I felt like it would be worth taking the time to learn how to look my best, so I decided to go out and get the best bladed shaving equipment I could buy.
What I came home with was the Gillette Fusion Power, Gillette Fusion Power Shave Gel, and Gillette aftershave. Yes, yes, I know I'm going to be laughed it here. Their marketing works!
I learned to really clean up my neck, and there was a drastic improvement in appearance. Vanity means little to me, but I love it when my beard is freshly trimmed with a clean line, and a clean neck.
There were some growing pains, of course, and messy sinks covered in goop. I got a good shower mirror, and installed extra lighting in there - in the shower, I could keep the blue goop moist enough for the razor to scrape across my skin without TOO much discomfort. The shower works out well, because I inevitably end up with blue goop everywhere, and I can easily wash any extra product out of my beard.
I've learned to improve my technique, and now as long as I don't try to shave too closely, or too often, I don't have a whole lot of problems. I have a pretty good routine going now. I wet my face/neck while brushing my teeth, then shave after I take care of everything else in the shower, so my neck hair at least has a chance to get nice and moist/soft pre-shave. There is always room to improve, but I'm pretty sure I have the gillette system down to a science. Laugh at the vibration factor, but I do seem to get a better shave with it than without.
But still, shaving daily often causes irritation, especially if I try and get really close, so I usually shave every other day. If I knew I had to look my best, I would make sure to not shave 2-3 days in advance, so I could make sure to look my best on that day. I've been shaven this way for years, and, overall, I was fairly satisfied with shaving. It wasn't something I really obsessed over, as much as I love my beard.
So how did I end up here?
On a whim, one day I decided to go looking for shaving cream with more natural ingredients. Somehow, I ended up reading about The Gentleman's Refinery line of products, and read a glowing review about them on shaveblog.com. I really didn't believe all the hype (huh, it's just shaving cream), but the sample pack was only $8, so I placed an order. I kept reading shaveblog, and wondered what all the fuss was about with this old looking Merkur razor.
The TGR samples arrived a couple days later, I put on a fresh Fusion cartridge, showered, massaged the pre-shave oil onto my face, slapped The Standard shaving cream on there with my hand to lather up, activated the tremendous vibrating powers of my Fusion and had the smoothest, most painless, and best damn shave of my life. Wow. The after shave felt terrific as well.
I've watched the videos by mantic59, and I started paying attention to the grain of the hair, which made a difference too.
Since then, I've been learning about the world of wet shaving with single blade razors. I've been using TGR sample products, and loving it. I've been using them (sparingly) for a couple weeks now. Shaving is suddenly FUN, and it feels good, too. I can even get away with shaving multiple days in a row if I'm careful and pay attention to technique. I know how crazy hobbyist forums can get, but I am very intrigued about this single-blade shaving thing everyone is raving about. It seems like everyone who gets used to a single blade, and then tries the fusion has an awful experience.
I also think about the environmental impact. 100 blades for a Merkur come in a tiny little box, and those blades are potentially recyclable. I hate to think about how much production, packaging, plastic, space on a truck, transportation, space on a shelf, and ultimately landfill waste goes into 100 fusion cartridges. Include marketing materials advertising these damn things, and - well, you get the picture. Not to mention the empty cans of goop I throw out, which you cannot recycle. Not to mention that 100 fusion cartridges will cost about $250 - $300. So I imagine I will save money in the long run not buying those cartridges, and I'll at least break even if I splurge on the nice creams and oils.
Futhermore, I love the idea of switching to all-natural shaving creams and oils, which are actually GOOD for my face and skin!
I will probably stick to the shower-shaving. It doesn't seem very common, but it works for me, and it's so easy to blast excess shaving cream out of my beard when I am done with my neck. I have good lighting and visibility in there, so I don't foresee it being a problem.
I'm starting to regret buying 3 bottles of goop the last time I went for a refill. Hey, is there anything else that the goop is good for? I hate to just throw it out. The after shave, however, I just want to get rid of that crap. It really is awful. It's not something you really think about, but - really, alcohol and all kinds of chemicals in something that's supposed to soothe the skin!? After using TGR stuff, I really don't want to go back. I may shave with goop one last time, just to compare after using the good stuff for a couple weeks. Luckily I am down to just one fusion cartridge, and I may end up just keeping it for travel.
Some concepts still seem pretty alien to me. After all, why would someone really NEED a collection of over 50 razors, all kinds of blades, 15 different bowls, twenty brushes, and a hundred different creams?!
For now, at least, I'd like to buy one good razor/brush set and stick with it long enough to get a good shave.I am the only bearded man in a community of smooth faces here, or are there others who enjoy having facial hair, and shaving parts of their face they do shave as best they can?
I just fear I may be jumping too soon. After all, I just found out that in June, Gillette is coming out with the Fusion ProGlide and some fancy pre-shave lotions that Derek Jeter and Tiger Woods will be using
