Gentlemen! (1st post) :)

[r34x]

Greetings! I have just begun proper wet shaving with a double edged Razor I found on eBay for $10 as a cheap introduction. It's what I believe to be a 40's Gillette Weekender travel set. Its in a metal case with a brush on the bottom, the razor is brass plated with a very short handle. It came in a nice leather case. If anyone is interested, I can provide pics of that later. I also bought a cheap boar bristle brush with an included shaving mug at Walgreen's for $8.99 or something. Added a puck of Williams' shaving soap and have had pretty decent results. I do have a few questions though. I have a beard, but its scruffy and doesn't seem as full as it could be. I trim it weekly with a Wahl beard and moustache trimmer to keep the length down, but it doesn't seem to get very full. I'm not a big fan of the scruffy look and want to make it look better.

Also, I'm wondering what razor / soap / cream would be ideal for my skin / hair type as shown. I don't like C.O. Bigelow. Tried it and am just not a fan. I keep going back to the $2 Williams puck

If the images are not rotated properly, I apologize.

TL;DR: Hi!

 

[August West]

Welcome. You could always go down to just a circle beard(Van Dyke) as that is the fullest part of your facial hair. A beard always projects better when you shave the neck and define the beard-line. Best wishes.

 

[r34x]

That neck hair is only a day and a half old. Having a shave tonight.

 

[r34x]

Here are some pics of what I'm using.




Few questions on the kit. It's labeled as a Metalfield Weekender.

1) Does that mean anything?
2) Is it worth anything? I'd potentially like to sell it or trade it for a better razor to suit me
3) Can you buy replacement handles? I don't like how short it is and find it hard to grip at certain angles. It could stand to be fatter as well.

 

[dieselfuel79]

I can tell you that, to me, that tech is about as mild as they come. You need a chainsaw for those whiskers, good sir. No rush however. The biggest thing is to get your technique down, and find a cream or soap that works for you. I don't mind williams one bit, but the chatter here will shift directions on that soap.

I would recommend not to spend a fortune on anything at this time, and start off slow and enjoy the progress. I think a lot of the boys on here will agree that perhaps, when you're ready, the Merkur 34c HD or EJ89 are a nice place to start. Mild, sort of. Effective? Definitely. And they won't break the bank. As far as soaps or creams. Lot's of options and affordable to boot.

Razorock has a ton of options. Lots of love for Mike's soaps, Stirling soaps for others... I know you mentioned you don't like the C.O. bigelow which is the same as Proraso green, but I would not over look the Proraso red. Smells like sandalwood. (Scent wasn't for me...not that it was a bad scent) but it performs very well.

Anyhow, that's my 2 cents for you.

Welcome aboard and let me or my brothers know if you need any help.

Regards,

Brad

 

[Capslock]

I love a Tech like that. If you want it more aggressive, put a Feather blade in it. For soaps, you sound like someone who'd enjoy a Mitchell's Wool Fat, or one of Mike's soaps. There are really a ton of great ones out there, so maybe get some samples. I'd say that brush is useless for actual use. Get a decent modern one, maybe the B&B Essential.

 

[Slash McCoy]

VDH is a cheap soap that lathers fairly well, and it is in most drugstores as well as Wamlart. If there is an Indian or Middle Eastern Grocery in your town, see if they have Godrej cream. That stuff is EXCELLENT, and even imported with the typical gigantic markup, it should still be about $3 or $4 for the tube. I like the red tube, myself. It is really slick and moist. Kiss My Face is not bad. Around $6 I think. You can find it at Whole Foods and other high end groceries as well as the bed and bath type places. So there are options without going online. Godrej red is my absolute favorite and I always stock up whenever I am in that part of the world cause it is about a buck a tube.

A Tech is nice but maybe you should try a Gillette adjustable. If you like longer handles, go for the long handled version of the Super Adjustable (109mm) and otherwise, the shorter one, or a Slim, or a FatBoy. The FB is often a little overpriced due to collector's demand. It feels nice in the hand, but the Slim is close. Both are all metal and both are great shavers and built like tanks. The Slim has a slightly lower head profile and so should be able to give a slightly lower shave angle, and the handle is slightly longer and thinner. What's nice about an adjustable is you customize it to your face with the setting ring. If your preferences change, you don't need to go shopping for another razor. You can't outgrow it. Once you got a good adjustable, then your set can go on BST or the bay if you don't want to keep it. You might even find someone wanting to trade for it so maybe post a WTT and see what you can get. Lots of guys have multiple Slims or FatBoys or Super Adjustables they wouldn't mind trading for other cool stuff.

 

[TaranStone]

+1 on going to a Van Dyke (that which gets called a goatee these days). Your beard seems nice and full around that location. I carry some extra weight and one of the side effects is my beard appears thinner where my face is fuller. On the plus side, a Van Dyke means you learn angles and pressure with your DE on the easier parts of your face.
Also, in regards to your kit, I also suggest a classic Gillette adjustable. The Super Adjustable (Black Beauty) is a fantastic razor and shaves remarkably well. I also like the Slims, and like the above poster, believe the FatBoys have gotten over priced these days. You should be able to pick one of these up for under 30 or so in decent condition. Of course, that is if you even wish to change. I personally find the weekender to be fine for a travel razor, but not robust enough for a daily shaver.

As far as soap goes, you have many options and it depends on whether or not your skin is sensitive to certain ingredients or you have ethical concerns about certain ingredients. Williams new formulation divides the shaving populace. I can get a nice slick lather out of it with decent cushion that out performs some of my more expensive soaps and I quite enjoy the scent (lemon verbana); others don't get that performance out of it, or hate the scent. If you wish to stay cheap and local, Van Der Hagen makes a deluxe and a luxury soap that perform way above their weight class and are cheap and available. Arko is a very nice soap with a divisive scent and very low cost. Any of the RazoRock products are excellent, I have a fondness for the Linea Officina Artigiana stuff with tallow. Mike's Natural soaps are also very nice and the Stirling Soaps are a huge bang for buck contender. The fun part about this is trying one of everything!
As to your brush, boar is just dandy and may be the only brush you ever use, but, again, there is fun and reward in trying new things. If you would like to try badger, Whipped Dog has nice silvertips for very reasonable prices, Wet Shaving Products has some inexpensive brushes, and the Simpson Special in Best is a great value as well. Some of the new synthetics are said to be quite good as well.
All in all, welcome to B&B and wet shaving in general!

 

[edolecki]

I just got a '59 Gillette Fatboy Adjustable for around $50 on fleabay. You can make it as aggressive as you'd like. It's worth the price, but they can be had cheaper at antique stores, etc. Good luck to you!

 

[r34x]

Cripes. I wasn't expecting such a wealth of information all ast once! Thanks gentlemen. TBH, I'm not 100% sold on the fuill beard, Im only doing it as an experiment. I usually have a goatee and up until 2-3 months ago when I decided to have a beard, it is what I've had for the last 4-5 years.

 

[SantoSubito]

About the Godrej cream that another poster mentioned: That stuff works great on heavy beards because it has chemicals in it that "melt" the hair and make it easier to cut, be forewarned that it does kind of burn on your skin, but it's perfectly safe. You may also look into finding a vintage Gillette NEW, that thing can whack down long whiskers like nothing with a 7 o'clock sharp edge in it.

 

[r34x]

Thank you. I will see about finding some Goodrej cream.

As for the razor, the weekender is my daily use but I a, getting the itch for something else. How would one of those funny looking razors with the comb on the edge do? I heard those are really aggressive.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Most open combs are a little on the aggressive side, but it is mostly the blade and your technique that make the shave. Don't fear the OC's. But if you really want mild and think later you will want less mild, get an adjustable and be done.

 

[SantoSubito]

Thank you. I will see about finding some Goodrej cream.

As for the razor, the weekender is my daily use but I a, getting the itch for something else. How would one of those funny looking razors with the comb on the edge do? I heard those are really aggressive.

You can get the Godrej from http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Godrej-Deluxe-Lather-Shaving-Cream_p_529.html

Any vintage Gillette open comb is still pretty mild compared to modern offerings from Muhle. The Old Type (which is my personal favorite) is the mildest of the three "types" of Gillette OCs, followed by the New Improved, and then the NEW which seems to be a favorite around here.

One word of warning though: All of the Gillette OCs except the NEW were designed for thicker carbon steel DE blades so unless you shim them they perform different than they used too.

 

[Trek2100]

Your Williams soap can be made into a really good soap by doing the following:
1. set your mug into hot water for several minutes so the soap softens.
2. put 3 drops of glycerin (available at Wal-mart) on the puck.
This will give you a wonderful and inexpensive lather.