Hello everyone, my name is Chris and I am from NC, I am a new DE user.
I was turned on to this site by another member from another forum, thank you!
I started shaving about my first day at Ft. Benning. I started shaving my head around age 20, which was about the same time... over 14 years or so ago. I have shaved in less than ideal conditions as well as with just about every cartridge and dollar store razor there is. I don't want to spend more than cartridges, but figure I can get a good shave and enjoy it more at about the same price, maybe cheaper, but price is not really the motivator.
My wife usually coupons for cartridges and I have always kind of disliked them and they are pricey, but fast. Now that I am in a job where I can kind of enjoy my shaving(well, might be laid off early April who knows), I looked at DE.
So I looked and asked around the internet, watched YouTube videos and bought a :
Merkur 34C HD
RazoRock shave brush from amazon
Some Kells Sampler pucks Ultra Aloe as my head gets pretty dry
Astra SP small pack from Amazon
Thayers Orginal Witch Hazel
Everything was together friday, 3/15/19. Monday I knocked out a nice shower, heated rag on my head and liberated two bowls from the cabinet for lather. I followed the directions I found to the best of my ability. I did about 4 passes in all to get all the patches I missed, wtg then xtg. Shaving with the DE setup was different to say the least. I enjoyed the shave, but I might have liked the blade to be sharper, but I will file this under technique issues. I finished with no blood or irritation even after the multiple passes. I rinsed and threw on some witch hazel. I was not BBS of course and I miss that from the cartridges, but I will soon try against the grain when I feel more comfortable with my technique. I am to the point where I do not start wtg or cross the grain with a cartridge, I always start against and can knock a shave out pretty fast, so pumping the brakes with DE will be a real issue.
For reasons not posted I will be moving on from Astra blades. I found Personna Blues get good reviews and seem to be made here in the US. I don't think I would mind a sharper blade. I will continue with the Kells samples. I would like something for the summer months, something Old Spicy, but not Old Spice. Then I think the Kells mint would do well in the fall winter times as I enjoy the smells of "the season". My wife loves the vanilla bean smell, so she might take possession of that one.
Thank you everyone, I have shed enough blood on razors so I am always open to suggestions and the like.
I was turned on to this site by another member from another forum, thank you!
I started shaving about my first day at Ft. Benning. I started shaving my head around age 20, which was about the same time... over 14 years or so ago. I have shaved in less than ideal conditions as well as with just about every cartridge and dollar store razor there is. I don't want to spend more than cartridges, but figure I can get a good shave and enjoy it more at about the same price, maybe cheaper, but price is not really the motivator.
My wife usually coupons for cartridges and I have always kind of disliked them and they are pricey, but fast. Now that I am in a job where I can kind of enjoy my shaving(well, might be laid off early April who knows), I looked at DE.
So I looked and asked around the internet, watched YouTube videos and bought a :
Merkur 34C HD
RazoRock shave brush from amazon
Some Kells Sampler pucks Ultra Aloe as my head gets pretty dry
Astra SP small pack from Amazon
Thayers Orginal Witch Hazel
Everything was together friday, 3/15/19. Monday I knocked out a nice shower, heated rag on my head and liberated two bowls from the cabinet for lather. I followed the directions I found to the best of my ability. I did about 4 passes in all to get all the patches I missed, wtg then xtg. Shaving with the DE setup was different to say the least. I enjoyed the shave, but I might have liked the blade to be sharper, but I will file this under technique issues. I finished with no blood or irritation even after the multiple passes. I rinsed and threw on some witch hazel. I was not BBS of course and I miss that from the cartridges, but I will soon try against the grain when I feel more comfortable with my technique. I am to the point where I do not start wtg or cross the grain with a cartridge, I always start against and can knock a shave out pretty fast, so pumping the brakes with DE will be a real issue.
For reasons not posted I will be moving on from Astra blades. I found Personna Blues get good reviews and seem to be made here in the US. I don't think I would mind a sharper blade. I will continue with the Kells samples. I would like something for the summer months, something Old Spicy, but not Old Spice. Then I think the Kells mint would do well in the fall winter times as I enjoy the smells of "the season". My wife loves the vanilla bean smell, so she might take possession of that one.
Thank you everyone, I have shed enough blood on razors so I am always open to suggestions and the like.
