I figured I would post a quick message to say hello and provide a small snippet of my life story as encouraged 
Shaving. ugh. Something I yearned to do as a prepubescent and now something I loathe as an adult. I only shaved when I was getting 'scruffy', which equated to about twice per week. I would always regret it since my neck and pretty much everything below my jaw line would erupt into a horrible, painful mess of ingrown hairs and irritation. I know now that it was all in the technique-it wasn't a personal issue. Like I have read about many of you, dad never really taught me how to shave. While I still saw him on the weekends, I didn't have the exposure to his morning ritual during my teenage years when I started scraping away at my face. Of course, during those years, you cherish every whisker on your face since it also told your classmates that you had similar hairs on your chest. That, followed by a phase of listening to Alternative Rock and working night jobs-well, as you can see, shaving was never something ingrained into my routine.
When I started getting somewhat interested in my facial hair, I decided on a compromise to avoid the inevitable ingrown hairs. I would shave above the jaw with a Norelco given to me by mom on my 21st birthday and would shave below the jaw with a pair of battery-powered beard clippers sans the guard. My theory was that the Norelco would cut 'too close' on the neck, cutting below the skin line like in the commercials. In my mind, that is what was causing the painful irritations and ingrowns. That, and the manual said to use 'circular motions' with the shave head, completely disregarding any consideration for 'grain'. Plowing a device that yanks your whisker before cutting it off across your face against the grain was a recipe for...well..irritation.
About a year ago, I saw an episode of Modern Marvels on the Discovery Channel on the topic of shaving. Personally, I'll watch any Modern Marvels episode (my friends call me 'a spewing fountain of worthless information') but this one intrigued me. Of the many statistics presented during the show, one stuck in my mind: most men shave using a razor blade and shaving cream-not using an electric like I thought most 'modern' men did. During the Atomic era, electric shavers were the bees knees but after Woodstock, guys went back to blades. Also, there was a discussion on ATG/WTG and how ATG would just chew up your skin. This resonated with me and I decided to give the ol blade another try. I promptly went out and purchased a Sensor Excel razor and whatever shave gel that matched my deodorant at the time. I started shaving with the grain and voila...little to no skin irritation. It sure wasn't as close as the Norelco but it was a heck of a lot closer than just the clippers. This was satisfactory and a good compromise that allowed me to look somewhat civilized and still wear a shirt with a collar before noon.
I recently started work with a new company and it occurred to me that this would also be an excellent vehicle for change in my appearance. I purchased new, nicer clothes and decided to spend a bit more time with a blade in my hand. I stopped by the local drug store to pick up some cartridges for my Sensor razor (which the prices should have caused my beard to take flight on it's own accord) and saw a green-handled shave brush sitting lonely and dusty on the bottom shelf. I adopted the brush and it's pal Mug Soap and took them home for a spin. I got the drift but figured I was going about something the wrong way as I just had soapy water running down my chest. With that, I simply popped 'how use shave brush' into the technological marvel known as Google and ran across this site, along with ClassicShaving.com and an excellent thread at Lifehacker and I have been on a learning streak ever since.
Yesterday, the better half and myself stopped by Crabtree and Evelyn to pick up a tube of Sweet Almond shave cream to use with the assortment of items that arrived in the mail today. Thanks to the wonderful gents at ClassicShaving.com, I am now the proud owner of a Vulfix #2234 Super Badger, a Murkur Long-Handled Hefty Classic DS razor and a tube of Proraso 'Green' shaving cream for that fresh grandpa scent. I went right to it and jumped in the shower to prepare for what new adventures in facial hair removal awaited me.
Overall, I think it went quite well. The Vulfix is a much nicer brush on the skin and holds a LOT more water than the boar bristle brush from Rite-Aid. I told my sweetie that it was a 'synthetic badger', hence the words 'super badger' on the brush, so she would stop cringing at the thought of a piece of dead animal fur on her bathroom counter. Everyone is OK as long as she doesn't find out. My first mug of lather with the Crabtree cream was a bit too airy and foamy I reckon. Between the lack of lubricity and the need to now pay attention to the blade angle, the top of the razor was skittering across my face. I made it out alive, however. Alive to shave another day. Tomorrow I will be foaming up the brush again and will continue to practice until I find that 'groove' that comes from experience. It's a new day for me-one that does not dread dragging a blade across my face but a day where I can spend time in the morning preparing my face for the day ahead in comfort.
Heh so that's my introduction. I was on a writing streak there so forgive the novel. The last part I had the narrator for a comic book TV show dictating to me I think. I look forward to learning and participating with you folks, so you will be hearing more from me soon!
Cheers,
James
Shaving. ugh. Something I yearned to do as a prepubescent and now something I loathe as an adult. I only shaved when I was getting 'scruffy', which equated to about twice per week. I would always regret it since my neck and pretty much everything below my jaw line would erupt into a horrible, painful mess of ingrown hairs and irritation. I know now that it was all in the technique-it wasn't a personal issue
. Like I have read about many of you, dad never really taught me how to shave. While I still saw him on the weekends, I didn't have the exposure to his morning ritual during my teenage years when I started scraping away at my face. Of course, during those years, you cherish every whisker on your face since it also told your classmates that you had similar hairs on your chest. That, followed by a phase of listening to Alternative Rock and working night jobs-well, as you can see, shaving was never something ingrained into my routine.When I started getting somewhat interested in my facial hair, I decided on a compromise to avoid the inevitable ingrown hairs. I would shave above the jaw with a Norelco given to me by mom on my 21st birthday and would shave below the jaw with a pair of battery-powered beard clippers sans the guard. My theory was that the Norelco would cut 'too close' on the neck, cutting below the skin line like in the commercials. In my mind, that is what was causing the painful irritations and ingrowns. That, and the manual said to use 'circular motions' with the shave head, completely disregarding any consideration for 'grain'. Plowing a device that yanks your whisker before cutting it off across your face against the grain was a recipe for...well..irritation.
About a year ago, I saw an episode of Modern Marvels on the Discovery Channel on the topic of shaving. Personally, I'll watch any Modern Marvels episode (my friends call me 'a spewing fountain of worthless information') but this one intrigued me. Of the many statistics presented during the show, one stuck in my mind: most men shave using a razor blade and shaving cream-not using an electric like I thought most 'modern' men did. During the Atomic era, electric shavers were the bees knees but after Woodstock, guys went back to blades. Also, there was a discussion on ATG/WTG and how ATG would just chew up your skin. This resonated with me and I decided to give the ol blade another try. I promptly went out and purchased a Sensor Excel razor and whatever shave gel that matched my deodorant at the time. I started shaving with the grain and voila...little to no skin irritation. It sure wasn't as close as the Norelco but it was a heck of a lot closer than just the clippers. This was satisfactory and a good compromise that allowed me to look somewhat civilized and still wear a shirt with a collar before noon.
I recently started work with a new company and it occurred to me that this would also be an excellent vehicle for change in my appearance. I purchased new, nicer clothes and decided to spend a bit more time with a blade in my hand. I stopped by the local drug store to pick up some cartridges for my Sensor razor (which the prices should have caused my beard to take flight on it's own accord) and saw a green-handled shave brush sitting lonely and dusty on the bottom shelf. I adopted the brush and it's pal Mug Soap and took them home for a spin. I got the drift but figured I was going about something the wrong way as I just had soapy water running down my chest. With that, I simply popped 'how use shave brush' into the technological marvel known as Google and ran across this site, along with ClassicShaving.com and an excellent thread at Lifehacker and I have been on a learning streak ever since.
Yesterday, the better half and myself stopped by Crabtree and Evelyn to pick up a tube of Sweet Almond shave cream to use with the assortment of items that arrived in the mail today. Thanks to the wonderful gents at ClassicShaving.com, I am now the proud owner of a Vulfix #2234 Super Badger, a Murkur Long-Handled Hefty Classic DS razor and a tube of Proraso 'Green' shaving cream for that fresh grandpa scent. I went right to it and jumped in the shower to prepare for what new adventures in facial hair removal awaited me.
Overall, I think it went quite well. The Vulfix is a much nicer brush on the skin and holds a LOT more water than the boar bristle brush from Rite-Aid. I told my sweetie that it was a 'synthetic badger', hence the words 'super badger' on the brush, so she would stop cringing at the thought of a piece of dead animal fur on her bathroom counter. Everyone is OK as long as she doesn't find out
. My first mug of lather with the Crabtree cream was a bit too airy and foamy I reckon. Between the lack of lubricity and the need to now pay attention to the blade angle, the top of the razor was skittering across my face. I made it out alive, however. Alive to shave another day. Tomorrow I will be foaming up the brush again and will continue to practice until I find that 'groove' that comes from experience. It's a new day for me-one that does not dread dragging a blade across my face but a day where I can spend time in the morning preparing my face for the day ahead in comfort. Heh so that's my introduction. I was on a writing streak there so forgive the novel. The last part I had the narrator for a comic book TV show dictating to me I think. I look forward to learning and participating with you folks, so you will be hearing more from me soon!
Cheers,
James
. Evidently she has never met a badger in person! I know she knows. She asks and I give her the ol' shifty eyes and change the subject.
