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Hello, I'm new here...

Hi all,

Thanks for letting me join this forum, I've done a bit of lurking and hopefully you chaps can point me in the right direction!

I'm new to DE shaving in as much as I have a Wilkinson Sword Classic (in plastic!) that I've tried a few times, it's sort of OK but not great. I have quite a wiry beard and I suffer with psoriasis so my skin can be a bit temperamental at the best of times. I'm trying to find the best thing to move on to but I'm bewildered by the choice and scope of products available.

I shave infrequently due to my skin (and wiry hair) so I may only shave once a week, maybe twice at most, so I often have a fair bit to clear. I've got a family to keep so I'm fairly tight on budget as well.

Any helpful suggestions greatly appreciated!

Chris
 
Hi Chris, welcome to B & B! Perhaps someone with similar skin conditions can chime in. Look around the site & read some of the Wiki pages on proper technique. Shaving is a wonderful, necessary part of the day.
 
Welcome. I'd start with Edwin Jagger DE89 razor or a Merkur 34c. Affordable and give nice shaves. I prefer the DE89.

Most people here use soaps but they dry my skin so I use an oil to shave with.
 
Welcome to B&B.
Post shave skin care would be helpful in your case but I am not sure which balm to suggest. Razors blades are cheap but finding the right one is the challenge.The Gillette Silver Blue is one of the smoothest blades available but the Astra SP is not far behind. Also, more regular shaving with the DE may also be beneficial.
I don't know what region you live in but you may wish to participate in this; Participation PIF - Czech Out These Blades - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/participation-pif-czech-out-these-blades.587569/
 
Hi all,

Thanks for letting me join this forum, I've done a bit of lurking and hopefully you chaps can point me in the right direction!

I'm new to DE shaving in as much as I have a Wilkinson Sword Classic (in plastic!) that I've tried a few times, it's sort of OK but not great. I have quite a wiry beard and I suffer with psoriasis so my skin can be a bit temperamental at the best of times. I'm trying to find the best thing to move on to but I'm bewildered by the choice and scope of products available.

I shave infrequently due to my skin (and wiry hair) so I may only shave once a week, maybe twice at most, so I often have a fair bit to clear. I've got a family to keep so I'm fairly tight on budget as well.

Any helpful suggestions greatly appreciated!

Chris
Hi Chris welcome. I’m a new DE shaver. I have sensitive skin and shave every 4th or 5th day. The only shave equipment I dragged down the rabbit hole from my cartridge shaving was my 34 year old Plisson Silvertip Badger. I have recently knotted two badger and two boar knots and I have another four or five brushes. I have a couple of Gillette razors, a couple modern stainless steel razors, a couple of slant razors, and right now I’m shaving with three different open comb razors. I’m rotating around a dozen artisan soaps. I have been DE shaving ten months. If the rabbit hole caught fire and I could only grab four items to shave my sensitive skin for my remaining days. Razor - Fatip Grande second choice Yaqi Mellon, Brush boar second choice badger. Soap Mitchell’s Wool Fat second choice Tabac. Why those choices.

I would put the Grande up against any of my more expensive razors for efficiency, comfort and it is a quarter of the price of some. Do not let the looks of an open comb razor intimidate you. Open combs allow more lather in, around and under the blade. With sensitive skin you need as much lather as possible between the blade and your skin. The Yaqi Mellon far right in photo half the price of the Grande. Both razors meet your budget requirements.

The brushes are the two boars I recently knotted. I have not shaved with these brushes yet, I am breaking them in. The knots and the handles were around $8.00 cad. a piece under forty dollars or a twenty dollar brush. Don’t want to do your own. I would buy an Omega boar that appeals to you. I do not have an Omega brush but there selection and reputation are very good. I have previously broken in two boar and one horse hair brush on my face. Sensitive Skin Pro Tip: DO NOT break boar or horse hair brushes in on your sensitive skin. Why? I did it with three brushes and it hurt on bad days and was uncomfortable on good days. Breaking them in before use, so nice, no pain. Badgers are my first choice, but on a budget you have to go with boar. Synthetic brushes also a budget option. I have two synthetics, rarely use them, I prefer animal hair. A good medium quality badger will blow your budget, a brush to consider for the future.

Mitchell’s Wool Fat, if you do not have lanolin allergies. This is your soap. Of the dozen or so artisan soaps I am using. There is only one that I could possibly consider reordering and probably won’t. The fourth thing preshave. With the addition of a preshave which I use for all soaps MWF lathers and shaves as efficiently and as comfortably as any of the artisan soaps I‘m presently using up. MWF is a middle priced soap and will meet your budget requirements. An absolute pleasure and thrill to use with a beautiful boar brush.

The lowest priced pre shave in the photo is the charcoal cube.

These items fit your budget requirements and perform well beyond their price points. They are well spoken of and respected within this community. All items are popular enough that they would easily be sold or traded on the BST thread. Buy Sell Trade.

I have been shaving over fifty years. The DE advice and opinions I offer are with only 10 months of my personal experience. I hope you may find some opinions and suggestions helpful. Enjoy and Good Luck.
 

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Welcome! Sounds like a really difficult set of circumstances to overcome for a great shave. My best in your shave journey!
 
I’d seriously consider getting a boar hair brush. Omega makes some nice ones. As for inexpensive blades check out the Astras. They are quite popular here with many shavers.
 
You’ve already gotten some great advice. Stay in touch and I’m sure you’ll find all the help you need.
Welcome to B&B.
 
Thanks for all the welcome and advice so far.

I decided to take a punt on a RazoRock SLOC with bulldog handle (all in 20.95) from Connaught Shaving. Seemed the cheapest place to buy from in the UK. Why did I plump for that one? I like to be different in my choices, and I like what JoWolf said about open comb and I reckoned that the potential extra lubrication would be helpful, reviews also say it doesnt seem overly aggressive. I was slightly nervous about the FaTip, although I love the looks, I thought the SLOC may be more forgiving, we'll see!

Currently I'm researching brushes and soaps, I like the sound of Mitchell's Wool Fat, I'm not sure if I'm allergic to lanolin, I know I've used a lot of products over the years for my psoriasis so i may have used lanolin before. Omega and Semogue seem to be the cheapest boar brushes, would they be good enough or would synthetic be kinder for a start?

Interestingly I shaved today with the Wilkinson Sword, with the Wilkinson Sword brush (terrible!) and a Palmolive stick. I did a two pass shave WTG and XTG, I got an acceptable shave but I only really got the thickness of the lather right too late on, but I put far too much pressure on, and I still have a tendency to swipe over my face without thinking. The razor is so mild it didnt feel like I was clearing anything, which I think makes me somewhat impatient. So my hope is the more weighty razor will make me more cautious, as well as needing to use less passes.

I'm still learning, and could quite happily buy so many products, but I have to bide my time and money for now.
 
Thanks for all the welcome and advice so far.

I decided to take a punt on a RazoRock SLOC with bulldog handle (all in 20.95) from Connaught Shaving. Seemed the cheapest place to buy from in the UK. Why did I plump for that one? I like to be different in my choices, and I like what JoWolf said about open comb and I reckoned that the potential extra lubrication would be helpful, reviews also say it doesnt seem overly aggressive. I was slightly nervous about the FaTip, although I love the looks, I thought the SLOC may be more forgiving, we'll see!

Currently I'm researching brushes and soaps, I like the sound of Mitchell's Wool Fat, I'm not sure if I'm allergic to lanolin, I know I've used a lot of products over the years for my psoriasis so i may have used lanolin before. Omega and Semogue seem to be the cheapest boar brushes, would they be good enough or would synthetic be kinder for a start?

Interestingly I shaved today with the Wilkinson Sword, with the Wilkinson Sword brush (terrible!) and a Palmolive stick. I did a two pass shave WTG and XTG, I got an acceptable shave but I only really got the thickness of the lather right too late on, but I put far too much pressure on, and I still have a tendency to swipe over my face without thinking. The razor is so mild it didnt feel like I was clearing anything, which I think makes me somewhat impatient. So my hope is the more weighty razor will make me more cautious, as well as needing to use less passes.

I'm still learning, and could quite happily buy so many products, but I have to bide my time and money for now.
I‘m sure you will enjoy the SLOC. I have only had a dozen shaves on the three open combs. Every shave with an open comb strengthens my opinion of them. I shaved with the Yaqi Mellon this evening. I think it is very close to if not the same as SLOC. This head design lends itself to shallow angle (riding the cap) as opposed to steep angle (riding the teeth) shave strokes. Regardless the efficiency will be considerably better than the Wilkinson. They are also very smooth. Try to be very light handed in keeping the blade off your skin. Riding the cap the audio feedback is quieter when the correct angle is achieved. The Blade you are using hopefully will work nice in the SLOC. A blade sampler pack would be needed if not. Since you are sorting out soaps. Buying soap samples can be a good option to try out soaps, especially the expensive
ones. Stick soaps have a pretty big following and are good performers. Some gents grate them into a cup and than use them that way. Some gents grate milled soaps into sticks. Creams are also an option to be considered. There are also quite a few sensitive creams available. Although I’ve never used one there are also brushless creams, which could be a stop gap option while waiting or deciding on a brush.

Your brush is definitely what would give you the next big improvement. Synthetic are cost effective, they do not require breaking in. They are good brushes and some gents use them exclusively. They are not a preference of mine and I still own two of them.

If I were to buy a boar brush it would be the Jade Omega which is exclusive to Connaught. This brush would need to be broken in before using. I would also consider handles, comparing to what you are using. Do you want a bigger or smaller handle for improved comfort. The looks and size are also important considerations. The price point of both synthetic and boar brushes are favourable for first brushes. The first two brushes I bought when I started DE shaving was a synthetic and than a boar.


Blades, razors, brushes, and soaps are all very personal. The only way to know is to try them out. That being said I made quite a few choices based on reviews and recommended success with members. Even the choices that did not work out best at least showed me what I didn’t like.

Especially in the early going try not to introduce too many new products or changes at once. Your skin comfort must always be first consideration. All aspects of your shave must enhance your skin comfort. Pre shave routine and post shave routine are as important as the shave. You cannot shave inflamed or uncomfortable skin, without doing more damage. A light handed technique is the safest way.
 
I'm new to DE shaving in as much as I have a Wilkinson Sword Classic (in plastic!) that I've tried a few times, it's sort of OK but not great.
The Wilkinson is very mild, so it works fine on 1-day stubble, but struggles like a Bic disposable on a 7 day growth.

With a bit of luck, your new SLOC will sort out that part.

I find applying a facecloth soaked in hot water for a minute or so softens the stubble, and makes the process much easier and pleasanter.

Finding "your" blade is a game of chance. Astra SPs worked for me.

Until (or unless) I find a soap I can get on with, I have found using a preshave oil (Nuage Men, Art of Shaving etc) with canned foam on top is a reliable non-irritant way to get a good shave.

Finally, Nivea Sensitive Post-Shave Balm is a staple for me. It's widely available, not badly expensive, and constantly discounted in places like Home Bargains and B&M (UK outlets).

Good luck with your improvements. Skin problems (impetigo) prompted my return to using a DE in 2018, and it is now in the best condition ever, and tolerates daily shaving.
 
Thanks for all the replies so far, I've had some very good suggestions of things to use which I've noted down. So now I'd like to update you all, as I've received my SLOC yesterday, and couldn't resist shaving straight away.

It came with 10 Super + Platinum blades from Connaught Shaving along with 5 Derby Extra blades in with the razor itself. I had a 4/5 day growth to shave off, so I decided to plump for the Super + Platinum to try first. I used my King of Shaves Pre-Shave Oil, a hot towel, and then I lathered up with my appalling WS brush (it really does take off as much lather as it puts on!) and initially Palmolive shaving stick, but I found it a bit thin so washed it off and switched to a Boots own shaving stick which was much better.

I found getting the angle more challenging than the WS Classic, but I got very good audible feedback and blade feel was very much more noticeable, even shaving tentatively. I think I can see where the deficiencies in my technique are better with the SLOC which I think will be a good way to improve further. I found it pretty forgiving to be honest, far more than I expected. The first WTG pass, especially on my cheeks/sideburns was incredible for how much better it felt after just a few strokes. I decided to do two WTG passes and a very tentative XTG pass to finish off/tidy up.

I did have a little post shave razor burn on my neck, which I put down to technique again and also my impatience. I also tried using a hot towel to soften first but it didn't really seem to work that well, again perhaps I need more practice. I seem to have one or two areas at the jawline/neck where I could honestly shave in every direction going and still feel some slight bristle afterwards but otherwise I'd say I got a comfortable smooth shave, my wife definitely noticed how much better it was than normal, and my 2 year old daughter was quite taken with how smooth my face was so the two women in my life approve!

I think I'm clearly short of a good brush so I'm doing a lot of research at the moment, and I'm tempted by trying a shaving cream as opposed to stick/soap, but I'd say that I've just had one of the best shaves in a very long time and my face is certainly not uncomfortable in any way at all.
 
The first WTG pass, especially on my cheeks/sideburns was incredible for how much better it felt after just a few strokes.

Sounds like you maybe got irritated from scraping away too much with the Wilkie.

Using the SLOC, you will need fewer strokes, so you are now in "the more aggressive razor didn't hurt my face anywhere near as much as the mild one" territory.

It's an Alice in Wonderland story you will often get on here, and it's true.
 
Nice job with the SLOC! Sounds like a great first shave, I'm sure the second will be even better. Nivea Sensitive post shave balm is cheap and well regarded here, that might be a good post shave addition. I have no experience with psoriasis, but I have heard hyralonic acid does wonders. It is in a product here in Canada called Cerave Moisturizing lotion and that cured by dry skin issue for good. That helped the neck shaves to get smoother because the underlying skin was. Some use it as pre shave while showering as well before a hot beard rinse. Best, JM
 
For brushes: synthetics are soft to super soft right out of the box. Natural fibre brushes must be broken in - this means they are scratchy until they develop split ends (after 20 shaves my boar is just getting there).

Other considerations, should these matter to you
- boar is sourced from slaughterhouses.
- badger is the result of vermin culls in China (primarily).
- horse is trimmed from the mane or tail (the horse lives) but requires some maintenance
- synthetics are made from crude oil.
 
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