Did my first double edge shave today

[Moorman]

I've been on the fence with this for about 3 years or so. I wanted to start double shaving for two reasons. First, I have a hard time getting a good shave with disposables. Second, I love traditional culture so I've always been interested in how men have shaved in the past before the disposables came along.

The reason I have been on the fence is the fear. I've read posts on this forum and articles on the interwebs that had me afraid to try a safety razor. What pushed me over the edge is several reasons. First, my Gillette Mach 3's that I have been using just haven't been getting the job done. I have to make lots of passes over my face to get a clean shave and still its not as smooth as I would like. Second, the skin irritation and possible blemishes I have from shaving pushed me over the edge. Lastly, the cost of these Mach 3s is getting to me. Why pay for a expensive product that is not working to satisfaction.

Today I started as a experiment. I went to Walmart and purchased their Van Der Hagen safety razor starter kit which included their starter soap. I don't have any accessories yet so I just warmed my face with a hot towel and applied their soap. I then proceeded to shave my face with more care than a hooker trying to sneak out of a frat party, lol. I just knew I was gonna get a nick but I didn't. Call it beginner's luck or the fact that I was babying it, either way I was satisfied. Do I know what I'm doing yet? No, but I feel I'm off to a good start.

I've been reading around and I think that I might jump to a Merkur 23c or 33c. I had no problem with the shorter handle of the Van Der Hagen but wanted to possibly try the 23c. I also want recommendations on a brush, preshave, soap and a after cream or lotion. I wanna go old school and use a bowl but I see that some of the top soaps already come in a bowl. I'm mixed race and do have sensitive skin. I also would like a recommendation on a good website to purchase these items. Thanks for reading this long post if you made it this far, lol... Oh, almost forgot. I don't grow a thick beard. I could get away with missing a day of shaving and sometimes I do so that my skin can get a rest.

 

[MilkCrate]

Italian barber or Maggard Razors for websites. Cheap Omega synthetic brush, Proraso White tub or Green tub and Nivia aftershave balm. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Invicta]

Welcome to B&B.
Stick with the one razor for the moment till you have a good tchnique established. I don't think a pre shave is necessary if you start with a good lather.
West Coast Shaving is a site you might try for brushes, soaps and creams. You have to decide what type of brush you want but boar hair may be worth considering; the Semogue 830 for instance or the Omega 10049. The boar brushes need about a month of shaves (daily shaving) to break in.
For badger brushes I would suggest Maseto brushes. Delivery takes a couple of weeks but worth the wait.
classicshop2012 | eBay Stores

 

[Moorman]

Thanks for the recommendations! I like the fact you can get a whole kit from those websites.

 

[BigJ]

Welcome aboard! And CONGRATULATIONS on your first real shave!

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Most importantly have fun with it all.

...check out the shaving soaps area there's a lot of info there with true believers (enablers).

 

[Lightcs1776]

Enjoy the shaves. They only get better with time.

Sent from my DROID Turbo using Tapatalk

 

[xxvaleria]

Congratulations, and welcome to the club. Glad to have you aboard.

 

[ackvil]

Welcome to B&B. You can't go wrong shopping the vendors listed in our vendor section. I have purchased products from many of them and all of them are very reputable.

 

[NickCutlip]

Welcome to the forum !!

 

[sharpstar90]

Hello. I cannot recommend Stirling Soap Company enough! Soap is an extremely important tool in DE shaving and the sooner you get good quality, the better. They have samples from $2.95 and full size 5.5 oz will run you about $13.00. They last a really long time.

When it comes to aftershave, get what sounds good to you. Most of us here love Clubman. It's very old school and reasonably priced. If your nose is tuned to modern synthetic designer colognes, it might take some getting used to. But it's legit old time aftershave. Everything they make is great.

Enjoy your shaves!

 

[dmshaver]

Congratulations, & welcome to B & B!

 

[John Rose]

... I also want recommendations on a brush, preshave, soap and a after cream or lotion. I wanna go old school and use a bowl but I see that some of the top soaps already come in a bowl. ... I also would like a recommendation on a good website to purchase these items.

It would help to know what country you're in, so as to avoid paying extra $$$ for customs, shipping, and such.
As far as websites go, I like italianbarber.com and Fendrihan, for the combination of selection, prices, and service.
Fendrihan has two sites: Fendrihan Canada - Shaving, Grooming and Men's Gifts for Canada, and Fendrihan - Shaving, Grooming and Men's Gifts for the U.S.A.

Pre-shave: Some might regard the whole notion of "preshave" products as a hoax.
I don't use them. My prep is a hot shower, a terry face cloth, and a bar of goat's milk soap.

Bowl: If the starter kit you got had a bowl or apothecary mug, chances are it is too small for a lather bowl. Check out thrift shops for 2nd-hand soup mugs, large latte mugs, salsa bowls, small stainless steel prep bowls, etc. They are cheap and can help you decide what you might look for in something fancier in the future.
The bowls that some soaps are sold with might just be for storage and for charging the brush, so a dedicated bowl or mug is handy, unless you face-lather.
Raised ridges or bumps inside it are optional. They may or may not help generating the lather, but purpose-made lather bowls usually have some kind of pattern of ridges. Hand-made ceramic bowls typically have a spiral ridge.
I like a bowl that is roughly hemispherical, about 4" wide and 2" deep. Maybe a bit bigger, like this stainless steel one:

Floating Stainless Steel Lather Bowl

• John Rose
• May 29, 2017

with Semogue 620, and a silicone rubber trivet at the bottom.

With most of my brushes, it will float in the sink of hot water.

Aftershave: I don't know if I can advise you there. I actually prefer the slight sting of alcohol-based splashes.
My favourites these days are Mennen Skin Bracer, Pinaud Clubman, Proraso Red (lotion with Shea Butter), and Reuzel.
Also, I use an alum block between rinsing off the lather and the cold water rinse, and before the aftershave.

brushes: That is yet another rabbit hole. A hundred shavers will have 100 different favourites.
My favourite these days is a 24 mm SynBad (synthetic) from AP Shave Co.

24 mm SynBad knot in Blue Lagoon handle

• John Rose
• Oct 19, 2018

24 mm SynBad knot in Blue Lagoon handle, from AP Shave Co.
The colour is more of a cobalt blue...

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Welcome!

Good first try.

Stick with your current razor for a month or so. Then replace it with a 1950s vintage Gillette Super Speed. (The one you have is a copy.)

Brush: Any synthetic will be fine to start.

Look on the B and B buy, sell, trade forum. You can PM sellers.

Good luck, sir!

 

[Moorman]

Thanks for the replies. I sincerely appreciate all the tips and recommendations. I appreciate the time spent giving me these tips. One tip i like is possibly avoiding a preshave since i will be using a hot towel. The product recommendations are fabulous also. I also like the tips to take it slow and not splurge on expensive gear right away. Gonna try that Clubman aftershave. John thanks for the in depth right up. Gonna check out that website.

 

[DoctorStrobe]

Hi, I’m only about 3 months into DE shaving myself. The best “bang for the buck” was when I figured out my “beard map”. I kept finding spots where the whiskers were not growing in the direction I thought they were, so i had been causing a lot of irritation for years.

Good shaving and welcome.

 

[Moorman]

I didn't know i have a replica Gillette razor. Thanx for that information.

 

[ajkel64]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the first shave. I would not change too much and until you have nailed down the basics. You can get carried away and get a bit too sure of yourself and that is when you can start getting into trouble. I know from experience. Keep at it.

 

[Benzadmiral]

The Merkur 23C was my first DE razor, and served me well for two years until I purchased my first vintage (a Gillette Adjustable, the model known here as the "Slim"). I passed the Merkur on to my lady friend and haven't felt the need to get it back, but only because the vintage razors are so much fun to shave with.

 

[Badlander13]

I second the beard mapping suggestion. Also beware the idea that you will be saving money. Hypothetically it should be possible but in actual fact it appears to be difficult for many of us. Keep the questions coming and good luck! Its a brave new world.