Hello, Newbie here advice appreciated!

[Bobby YVR]

@Bobby YVR, join this PIF asap, @dmshaver is a generous and wise member of the B&B crew

GIVEAWAY! - Free Razor Blades - January Newbie Blade PIF

Welcome new members!! Want some free razor blades? I will be picking a new member to PIF (Pay It Forward) a double edge razor blade sample pack. For this PIF the rules are simple - Just post in this thread "I'm in". This PIF is open to all new members that have registered on B & B since July...

www.badgerandblade.com

Wow, this sounds like a great idea!
Thanks Spacemonkey42!

 

[dmshaver]

Wow, this sounds like a great idea!
Thanks Spacemonkey42!

It is a great way to try a variety of blades. I see you’ve entered, good luck! And welcome!

 

[Bobby YVR]

Hi guys, I thought of providing an update here!

It’s been a month since I initially posted this thread when I had difficulty using the newly purchased Edwin Jagger 3ONE6 resulting in weepers and cuts. Since then with the advices I received here, and with practice, I no longer cut myself and enjoying the BBS or DFS consistently! I love it!

The problem I have now is AD…I became obsessed with trying new soaps and creams in search of my best lather for the performance and scent.
Today, I read about Wholly Kaw soaps and ended up ordering a couple. I have to stop this…
I also get an irresistible itch to buy and try new brushes to help create such lather.

It’s been 4 months since I started wet shaving and I think I bought too much. It’s going to take a long time to go through these soaps and they might lose the performance and scent before I finish using them?

 

[Chef455]

I doubt the performance will be lost, scent may deteriorate a tad, but all will be fine. Hope you enjoy your new acquisitions. That's a lot in a hurry... Might be time to check out the G.R.U.M.E. threads...

Be seeing you.

 

[lordmerc]

Hi @Bobby YVR
I have a Henson Medium AL13++ and an EJ 3ONE6 razor (knurled handle), amongst many others in my collection. Both are superb razors and will give you excellent shaves. The 3ONE6 needs a lot more practice though as you’ve discovered. For me, proper lather is absolutely essential to getting the best out of any Razor and Blade combination. It seems to me, with your growing selection of soaps and creams, you are intuitively aware of this.

Here’s a tip if you don’t already know about it…
If you’re using a bowl, it’s a good idea to shake most of the water out of the brush before starting to create the lather. Add the soap/cream to the bowl and swirl the brush around to create a layer of lather and then add (sprinkle) a few drops of water. Swirl again. Add a few more drops. Swirl again etc. In this way, you build a lather and you will notice at some point as you add the drops of water that the lather becomes reflective or glossy looking. You can stop adding water there as this is when the correct ratio of water to air in the soap/cream has been achieved.

Badger brushes need soaking before shaking the water out. Synthetic brushes don’t need this pre soak. Just wet with warm or hotter water and shake out.

Some days I get my lather absolutely spot on and enjoy incredible shaves no matter what Razor and (any decent) blade I’m using. Other days I get sloppy or impatient.

I hope you find this tip useful and you enjoy wonderful shaves every day. It’s great fun to practice building lather. I often experiment mixing a croup eg Personal barber croup (a cross between a soap and a cream) with a different cream eg TOBS or Truefitt and Hill. Sometimes it works great and when it does I use this mix regularly.

Have fun. Play like a kid in a sandpit with your soaps and creams and enjoy your shaves.
All the best

 

[desertcat]

I think I bought too much

If that's excessive then I'm positively overboard. You need at least 8 razors, so you have more decisions to agonize over.

But seriously, it's a nice collection of soaps. If you want to slow down the AD, you could join a monthly restraint or a fixed four, or get really wild and practice 'till death do us part: 3017. Or continue to indulge as your cabinets, drawers, and wallet allows.