I've had three shaves so far. This post is about my overall experience thus far. The kit I'm currently using is as follows:
Merkur HD Slant
Merkur Blade
C&E Best Badger Brush
Various sample creams from Scotto (Taylor's Rose, Avocado, Mr. Taylor; C&E Nomad; Nancy Boy)
Neutrogena Razor Defense Post Shave Lotion
The best part of the first shave was the shaving cream: Taylor's Rose. It smelled wonderful. It's not too strong, but it has quite a distinctive Rose scent. However, the technique of the guy doing the shaving left quite a bit to be desired. In addition, since purchasing the HD Slant, I've read many times on B&B and elsewhere that the Slant probably isn't the best razor for a newbie. So that might have had something to do with any initial problems.
I am happy to say that things have improved noticeably with respect to technique over the course of just a few short days. Short strokes have been key for me. (Thanks to LeisureGuy for stressing that short strokes tend to help when using the HD Slant.) Also, not being afraid to apply a bit of pressure seems to be a necessary condition for me to get a close shave with my thick beard on a single N-S pass. This is contrary to the common advice to "let the razor do all the work" with the Merkur HDs. I'm sure that's good advice for most people, and it is often qualified with the good 'ol "YMMV," so I don't mean this as a knock to those who have given advice along those lines.
In any event, the DE shave is among the closest (if not _the_ closest) I've ever had, even on a single pass. It's quite amazing, actually. I eagerly anticipate the day (perhaps in a month or so) when I've developed the technique and worked up the courage to do multiple passes. I think I can extrapolate from my experience thus far to imagine what you guys mean by "baby's butt smooth."
The best cream so far has been the Taylor's Rose. I was disappointed that the Nancy Boy didn't get very thick, but I might have just added too much water. I like that the smell of the Nancy Boy cream is noticeable, but not overpowering. The Taylor's St. James whipped up the best of the three I've used so far, but I couldn't really smell it. As I get more consistent with my prep, I'm thinking I'll also become a better judge of the quality of the creams. I still have Taylor's Mr. Taylor, C&E Nomad, and Taylor's Avocado to try in the sample pack that I ordered from Scotto. I appreciate the service that he provides in making the sample packs available.
Overall, I'm quite happy with wet shaving. I'm glad I took the plunge, and I look forward to many years of close, comfortable, and just plain enjoyable shaves.
-Joe
Merkur HD Slant
Merkur Blade
C&E Best Badger Brush
Various sample creams from Scotto (Taylor's Rose, Avocado, Mr. Taylor; C&E Nomad; Nancy Boy)
Neutrogena Razor Defense Post Shave Lotion
The best part of the first shave was the shaving cream: Taylor's Rose. It smelled wonderful. It's not too strong, but it has quite a distinctive Rose scent. However, the technique of the guy doing the shaving left quite a bit to be desired. In addition, since purchasing the HD Slant, I've read many times on B&B and elsewhere that the Slant probably isn't the best razor for a newbie. So that might have had something to do with any initial problems.
I am happy to say that things have improved noticeably with respect to technique over the course of just a few short days. Short strokes have been key for me. (Thanks to LeisureGuy for stressing that short strokes tend to help when using the HD Slant.) Also, not being afraid to apply a bit of pressure seems to be a necessary condition for me to get a close shave with my thick beard on a single N-S pass. This is contrary to the common advice to "let the razor do all the work" with the Merkur HDs. I'm sure that's good advice for most people, and it is often qualified with the good 'ol "YMMV," so I don't mean this as a knock to those who have given advice along those lines.
In any event, the DE shave is among the closest (if not _the_ closest) I've ever had, even on a single pass. It's quite amazing, actually. I eagerly anticipate the day (perhaps in a month or so) when I've developed the technique and worked up the courage to do multiple passes. I think I can extrapolate from my experience thus far to imagine what you guys mean by "baby's butt smooth."
The best cream so far has been the Taylor's Rose. I was disappointed that the Nancy Boy didn't get very thick, but I might have just added too much water. I like that the smell of the Nancy Boy cream is noticeable, but not overpowering. The Taylor's St. James whipped up the best of the three I've used so far, but I couldn't really smell it. As I get more consistent with my prep, I'm thinking I'll also become a better judge of the quality of the creams. I still have Taylor's Mr. Taylor, C&E Nomad, and Taylor's Avocado to try in the sample pack that I ordered from Scotto. I appreciate the service that he provides in making the sample packs available.
Overall, I'm quite happy with wet shaving. I'm glad I took the plunge, and I look forward to many years of close, comfortable, and just plain enjoyable shaves.
-Joe
