I am new here, and also new to DE shaving. I've read the requisite materials, and watched the essential videos. I think I ascribe to the overall aesthetic of this ritual.
I'd like to give a quick plug to Vintage Blages (vintagebladesllc.com). As a new DE shaver, I was pleased to find a merchant who offered very reasonable "starter kits". I was able to get my Merkur HD, along with a chrome bowl, brush, stand and sample blade packs. The web site is easy to use, and the shipping is fast. The box even included a personalized note, which was a nice touch.
I just got done doing a 2-pass shave. I whipped up my own lather using my brush and bowl, and a puck of Van Der Hagen that I found at my local walmart. I took my time, and managed to get a close and satisfying shave. The very first stroke of the DE razor was slow and deliberate. I angled it precisely, and I could -feel- the blade very distinctly, and I could hear it quite clearly as it slid down my cheek.
Overall, it was a joy. I had one issue with the soap, but I will post about that in the soap subforum. As I cleaned up, I was struck by the utter lack of mystery. After all the reading and research, and all the anticipation, the act itself was very straightforward. It's not a mysterious process after all. And I think I like that. It's the kind of thing you can definitely develop a skill for, and I expect to improve (in both speed and accuracy and quality). Holding a quality tool elevates the process above the mundane. And (for me, at least), the lack of mystery is a good thing. I can make this process part of who I am, rather than trying to shoehorn myself into an alien and unknowable Cult of Wet Shaving (and to be honest, it definitely feels like that when one first approaches this topic on the internet; I'm not making a judgment here, just an observation). It's not mystical or cultish. Rather, it is precisely because it is real and present and individualized that allows one to make of it what you will.
Anyway, here's to all the helpful souls here and elsewhere who opened the door to all the new shavers. Cheers.
I'd like to give a quick plug to Vintage Blages (vintagebladesllc.com). As a new DE shaver, I was pleased to find a merchant who offered very reasonable "starter kits". I was able to get my Merkur HD, along with a chrome bowl, brush, stand and sample blade packs. The web site is easy to use, and the shipping is fast. The box even included a personalized note, which was a nice touch.
I just got done doing a 2-pass shave. I whipped up my own lather using my brush and bowl, and a puck of Van Der Hagen that I found at my local walmart. I took my time, and managed to get a close and satisfying shave. The very first stroke of the DE razor was slow and deliberate. I angled it precisely, and I could -feel- the blade very distinctly, and I could hear it quite clearly as it slid down my cheek.
Overall, it was a joy. I had one issue with the soap, but I will post about that in the soap subforum. As I cleaned up, I was struck by the utter lack of mystery. After all the reading and research, and all the anticipation, the act itself was very straightforward. It's not a mysterious process after all. And I think I like that. It's the kind of thing you can definitely develop a skill for, and I expect to improve (in both speed and accuracy and quality). Holding a quality tool elevates the process above the mundane. And (for me, at least), the lack of mystery is a good thing. I can make this process part of who I am, rather than trying to shoehorn myself into an alien and unknowable Cult of Wet Shaving (and to be honest, it definitely feels like that when one first approaches this topic on the internet; I'm not making a judgment here, just an observation). It's not mystical or cultish. Rather, it is precisely because it is real and present and individualized that allows one to make of it what you will.
Anyway, here's to all the helpful souls here and elsewhere who opened the door to all the new shavers. Cheers.
