Hello, Im a newbie in the old art of quality shaving that likes to push this short life that has been given to us with a fair dose of good mood.
Ive been lurking alot here since my venture into wetshaving almost 2 months ago. Tried my first DE razor 1 and half month ago. It has been so much fun, something just for me, my Me time.
We adults are too big to play with plastic toys, so we have to entertain our hands with car tools and foreplay with our girlfriends and wives.
This has gave a new motivation to wake up and get out of bed, breakfast can wait. What better way to start a day than really wanting to begin the day, you are already starting with the right mindset.
During this last 6 or 7 weeks I gathered nice experiences.
If successful single mothers have forums where they proudly explain how they offload half of the parental work to the close family. This is my turn to recount the tale of my journey.
In the end of November I discovered DE razors and wetshaving accidentally, when I was looking where to buy bulk cartridges for my Schick/Wilkinson Sword Quattro and advice on how to shave the back my neck.
I read the advantages and took the plunge immediately. I thought: I wanted the best. Stumbled at shaving101.com where they praised the Ikon Bulldog. I didnt care to read other reviews. Went to the Ikon store and the Bulldog wasnt made, I bought the OSS. It was a blemished unit sold at discount, you know, the ones with invisible blemishes because we look and we cant find them.
RAD kicked in even before I had the first DE razor in my hands, because then I started visiting B&B and alike. Hey it was 1 month before Christmas, I could weed out the razors that I disliked until I got the ONE, or the ONES.
I got hooked into wetshaving. Do any of you guys know the song I want a new drug by Huey Lewis?
My first two shaves was made with a cheap Chinese Big Roc with orange handle (5) and german Wilki blades. I watched the sharp and thin blade sticking out of the razor without apparent protection. I admit I was a nervous wreck that first shave, and extra cautious. I had never used something like this.
Hands shacking, heart pounding. It felt like the first time I got out of an airplanes door with a parachute strapped at my back. It felt like the first kiss, it felt like the first f**k, it felt like manning myself to talk to a pretty girl.
I loaded myself with courage and put the safety bar below my sideburn with the handle parallel to my face, slowly stroking down my face and slowly raising the handle until the assassin blade touched my face, ready for the inevitable bloodshed and cuts that I had read in the internet but no, the blood didnt flowed.
Not bad. Good razor (with awful chrome), not a bad shave, no weepers, no cuts. I WAS ALIVE! UNHARMED! I SURVIVED WITHOUT MAME!
A few days later the stainless trophy arrived And it better be good because I paid a lot of money for this Ikon! I thought to myself.
Half face shaved with a new german Wilkinson blade and half face shaved with a new Bic blade. It was easy to feel that the Bics where a notch up in sharpness. The cut had less tugging.
I used the same handle angle that I used with the Big Roc. Why not? Isnt it the way to hold a razor? The shave was sub par compared to the Big Roc from the previous day. It left some stubble to be uncut. But the face seemed more comfortable. At that time I thought maybe this is what people talk in the forums, some said it was too mild and others said it was very comfortable and efficient. Whatever that means Wetshaving had become a pleasant hobby of experimentation and finding myself answers for the questions.
The following week I received my golden Merkur 34G. Gold = bling. This thing is beautiful. And it shaved closer than my OSS that now I wanted to sell. I used the holding technique explained at shaving101.com, the feel in my hand was perfect. Perfect balance from that small handle. This was a keeper. And now I felt bad about buying the OSS, no one in Portugal would buy it for a fair price and it was to expensive to offer to someone else, even if it was a friend or close family.
The knurling of that OSS handle is good, I can grab it with my hands full of soap and it never slips. It doesnt hurt nor it digs in the skin but it gives a sure grip without being sharp. This is quality.
I remember the first time I unpacked and assembled this 3 piece razor and hold it by the handle feeling the weight of the razor, enjoying a texture in my fingers that I had never felt before.
I decided to keep a rotation of the 2 razors. The OSS was the black sheep that was here to stay.
Third week, I received a slant Merkur 37C. WHAT! NO GOLD! I started becoming curious about the so called aggressive razors. I wanted to try the Merkur 37, I want to be a part of the elite warriors that were able to man this sword. I read about the people that failed and about the others that reached Valhalla. And I was not gonna be left behind!
Used a Wilkinson german blade from the day before. The first time I put it in my face I was very nervous, cautious about spilling blood, slow, after all, witnesses reported this to be an evil razor. Shaved my cheek and was surprised with the softness of the skin. But in the end it didnt felt better than what my 34C can do. And it was the first razor to give me blood 2 small weepers in the base of my neck, half centimeter apart because of blade stuttering, which was either lack of lather or dull blade tugging in my steel wires. I never used german Wilkinsons again.
My first and only shave with the Merkur 37C. I cleaned it, disinfected and packed it as part of a starter kit for my brothers Christmas gift.
Meanwhile a package of 100 Feather blades arrived. The following morning I put a feather in my mild OSS. It should be no problem in this razor I thought. But this was THE BLADE. The black ninja. The blade that made so much horror stories was in my razor and I was gonna put it in my face! I hadnt start and this blade had already broke my will and put me down on my knees LOL
Again I was nervous, I stroked the razor slowly, gently, with my hands shaking. Good blade, turns the whiskers into butter. The second shave had nothing in common with the first. Fast and consistent. There was no vampire behind this blade, if you know what youre doing of course. I got a perception from other people that didnt quite match my experiences. I think the best advice I can give to newcomers is to be confident and dont push the limits that you dont know. Yes you can push them, but no in one step.
Be confident, RTFM and go for it.
This same week I started going more for the OSS than the 34C. Without thinking much to it, my hand moved upper in the handle, and the handle angle became steeper (raised) than the 34C.
Fouth week, I received a Muhle R41 from shaving.ie (29.95). I couldnt resist getting this razor for this price. The fame of the R41 was luring me.
I read about aggressive razor. But what is it? I could only speculate. Do they shave all beard in one pass with the same comfort? I read something that I couldnt feel.
The razor comes in a pretty box where you can see the beautiful chrome work of razor inside. Getting it out of the box and having it in my hand was an odd surprised. The razor is very light. How could something with such a fearsome reputation be so light.
Muhle offers a pack of 5 Derby blades with each of the razors.
Loaded the Derby in my R41. Handle parallel to my face, slowly raising the handle. The weight is perfect, I think it helps to better fine tune a lightweight stroke because of the blade sticking out you need to respect the razor. The shaving was good and bad. I had the best BBS until then, but my face was sore. I had to wait one day without shaving. Second shave continued with the sense of scrapping in my face. Moved the blade to my 34G and: What the **** is this ****!. The tugging was uncomfortable. I had to stop. Brought a new Feather into the 34G and it was so much smooth. Since I was feeling brave, I moved that Feather to the R41, and gently finished the shave. I was still scrapping my face. I examined the razor blade angle and thought that the razor was useless, and never use it again or sell it cheap.
- SECOND PART COMING NEXT -
Ive been lurking alot here since my venture into wetshaving almost 2 months ago. Tried my first DE razor 1 and half month ago. It has been so much fun, something just for me, my Me time.
We adults are too big to play with plastic toys, so we have to entertain our hands with car tools and foreplay with our girlfriends and wives.
This has gave a new motivation to wake up and get out of bed, breakfast can wait. What better way to start a day than really wanting to begin the day, you are already starting with the right mindset.
During this last 6 or 7 weeks I gathered nice experiences.
If successful single mothers have forums where they proudly explain how they offload half of the parental work to the close family. This is my turn to recount the tale of my journey.
In the end of November I discovered DE razors and wetshaving accidentally, when I was looking where to buy bulk cartridges for my Schick/Wilkinson Sword Quattro and advice on how to shave the back my neck.
I read the advantages and took the plunge immediately. I thought: I wanted the best. Stumbled at shaving101.com where they praised the Ikon Bulldog. I didnt care to read other reviews. Went to the Ikon store and the Bulldog wasnt made, I bought the OSS. It was a blemished unit sold at discount, you know, the ones with invisible blemishes because we look and we cant find them.
RAD kicked in even before I had the first DE razor in my hands, because then I started visiting B&B and alike. Hey it was 1 month before Christmas, I could weed out the razors that I disliked until I got the ONE, or the ONES.
I got hooked into wetshaving. Do any of you guys know the song I want a new drug by Huey Lewis?
My first two shaves was made with a cheap Chinese Big Roc with orange handle (5) and german Wilki blades. I watched the sharp and thin blade sticking out of the razor without apparent protection. I admit I was a nervous wreck that first shave, and extra cautious. I had never used something like this.
Hands shacking, heart pounding. It felt like the first time I got out of an airplanes door with a parachute strapped at my back. It felt like the first kiss, it felt like the first f**k, it felt like manning myself to talk to a pretty girl.
I loaded myself with courage and put the safety bar below my sideburn with the handle parallel to my face, slowly stroking down my face and slowly raising the handle until the assassin blade touched my face, ready for the inevitable bloodshed and cuts that I had read in the internet but no, the blood didnt flowed.
Not bad. Good razor (with awful chrome), not a bad shave, no weepers, no cuts. I WAS ALIVE! UNHARMED! I SURVIVED WITHOUT MAME!
A few days later the stainless trophy arrived And it better be good because I paid a lot of money for this Ikon! I thought to myself.
Half face shaved with a new german Wilkinson blade and half face shaved with a new Bic blade. It was easy to feel that the Bics where a notch up in sharpness. The cut had less tugging.
I used the same handle angle that I used with the Big Roc. Why not? Isnt it the way to hold a razor? The shave was sub par compared to the Big Roc from the previous day. It left some stubble to be uncut. But the face seemed more comfortable. At that time I thought maybe this is what people talk in the forums, some said it was too mild and others said it was very comfortable and efficient. Whatever that means Wetshaving had become a pleasant hobby of experimentation and finding myself answers for the questions.
The following week I received my golden Merkur 34G. Gold = bling. This thing is beautiful. And it shaved closer than my OSS that now I wanted to sell. I used the holding technique explained at shaving101.com, the feel in my hand was perfect. Perfect balance from that small handle. This was a keeper. And now I felt bad about buying the OSS, no one in Portugal would buy it for a fair price and it was to expensive to offer to someone else, even if it was a friend or close family.
The knurling of that OSS handle is good, I can grab it with my hands full of soap and it never slips. It doesnt hurt nor it digs in the skin but it gives a sure grip without being sharp. This is quality.
I remember the first time I unpacked and assembled this 3 piece razor and hold it by the handle feeling the weight of the razor, enjoying a texture in my fingers that I had never felt before.
I decided to keep a rotation of the 2 razors. The OSS was the black sheep that was here to stay.
Third week, I received a slant Merkur 37C. WHAT! NO GOLD! I started becoming curious about the so called aggressive razors. I wanted to try the Merkur 37, I want to be a part of the elite warriors that were able to man this sword. I read about the people that failed and about the others that reached Valhalla. And I was not gonna be left behind!
Used a Wilkinson german blade from the day before. The first time I put it in my face I was very nervous, cautious about spilling blood, slow, after all, witnesses reported this to be an evil razor. Shaved my cheek and was surprised with the softness of the skin. But in the end it didnt felt better than what my 34C can do. And it was the first razor to give me blood 2 small weepers in the base of my neck, half centimeter apart because of blade stuttering, which was either lack of lather or dull blade tugging in my steel wires. I never used german Wilkinsons again.
My first and only shave with the Merkur 37C. I cleaned it, disinfected and packed it as part of a starter kit for my brothers Christmas gift.
Meanwhile a package of 100 Feather blades arrived. The following morning I put a feather in my mild OSS. It should be no problem in this razor I thought. But this was THE BLADE. The black ninja. The blade that made so much horror stories was in my razor and I was gonna put it in my face! I hadnt start and this blade had already broke my will and put me down on my knees LOL
Again I was nervous, I stroked the razor slowly, gently, with my hands shaking. Good blade, turns the whiskers into butter. The second shave had nothing in common with the first. Fast and consistent. There was no vampire behind this blade, if you know what youre doing of course. I got a perception from other people that didnt quite match my experiences. I think the best advice I can give to newcomers is to be confident and dont push the limits that you dont know. Yes you can push them, but no in one step.
Be confident, RTFM and go for it.
This same week I started going more for the OSS than the 34C. Without thinking much to it, my hand moved upper in the handle, and the handle angle became steeper (raised) than the 34C.
Fouth week, I received a Muhle R41 from shaving.ie (29.95). I couldnt resist getting this razor for this price. The fame of the R41 was luring me.
I read about aggressive razor. But what is it? I could only speculate. Do they shave all beard in one pass with the same comfort? I read something that I couldnt feel.
The razor comes in a pretty box where you can see the beautiful chrome work of razor inside. Getting it out of the box and having it in my hand was an odd surprised. The razor is very light. How could something with such a fearsome reputation be so light.
Muhle offers a pack of 5 Derby blades with each of the razors.
Loaded the Derby in my R41. Handle parallel to my face, slowly raising the handle. The weight is perfect, I think it helps to better fine tune a lightweight stroke because of the blade sticking out you need to respect the razor. The shaving was good and bad. I had the best BBS until then, but my face was sore. I had to wait one day without shaving. Second shave continued with the sense of scrapping in my face. Moved the blade to my 34G and: What the **** is this ****!. The tugging was uncomfortable. I had to stop. Brought a new Feather into the 34G and it was so much smooth. Since I was feeling brave, I moved that Feather to the R41, and gently finished the shave. I was still scrapping my face. I examined the razor blade angle and thought that the razor was useless, and never use it again or sell it cheap.
- SECOND PART COMING NEXT -