Hey guys,
Name's Brian and I've been using a DE for about six years now. I fell down the rabbit's hole around 11 years ago when I picked up a brush and a puck of Crabtree & Evelyn while in Madison (Fountain Alley?). I used it with a custom Trac II for a few years and always enjoyed a "good" shave but it was still a daily chore. Fast forward a few years, to when I had more money than sense, I wanted to change it up so I picked up the entire AoS Sandlewood line, which I enjoyed immensely. That is, until it was time to by more.
You see after our first child arrived, I realized that I no longer had that type of cash burning a hole in my pocket (thanks Henry). I started exploring the world of traditional wet shaving and some more "budget friendly" options. In comes Proraso Green soap, CO Bigelow cream, and a 34C. Apparently, I am a better sales rep than I give myself credit for because I sold my wife on the "affordability" of this transition. So on my marry way I went, shaving old school, and doing it really poorly. Seriously, it was an uphill battle that I was loosing to irritation and ingrown hairs. However, this was norm with my trac II and Mach III, so c'est la vie and on I went.
Fast forward to Black Friday, 2018. I am at my parent's house and I'm tired of the menthol, the itchy routine and poor technique I had developed. Although I was enjoying shaving more, I still hadn't found a way to make it "fun" like ya'll had. So what did I do? I splurged. A lot. Repeatedly. I'm not proud of it. A DE blade sample pack from WCS, Q Bro's, and Razor Emporium; soap from Oleo, Captains Choice, PAA, & Proraso; bowls from Amazon, etc. You see where I'm going with this. I also started reading forums and blog, (B&B, Sharpologist), watching YouTube (I'd lather be shaving, NickShaves, Kensurfs) & combing eBay.
By this point, I realized I needed to pump the brakes (my wife may have pulled the e-brake too). It was a good thing though. I started playing with different blades, refining my technique and slowing things down. I worked on my prep and concluded that "light pressure" meant ZERO pressure. I realized pulling a Spinal Tap, and turning it up to 11, wasn't necessary so I shelved the feathers and started exploring the 7-9 range. I also started shaving a night.
I also decided it was time to join B&B. Y'all played such an important role and I wanted to thank you. So, from bottom of my heart, I thank you. Shaving is now fun and something I look forward to every night. My kids ask me for shaves all the time (just like daddy) and its a fun hobby to talk about with people. I have three kids now and one of the biggest take aways I have learned is to enjoy every moment. I can now say that I enjoy my family, my job, and my daily shave.
Now, let me tell you about my coffee habit...
Name's Brian and I've been using a DE for about six years now. I fell down the rabbit's hole around 11 years ago when I picked up a brush and a puck of Crabtree & Evelyn while in Madison (Fountain Alley?). I used it with a custom Trac II for a few years and always enjoyed a "good" shave but it was still a daily chore. Fast forward a few years, to when I had more money than sense, I wanted to change it up so I picked up the entire AoS Sandlewood line, which I enjoyed immensely. That is, until it was time to by more.
You see after our first child arrived, I realized that I no longer had that type of cash burning a hole in my pocket (thanks Henry). I started exploring the world of traditional wet shaving and some more "budget friendly" options. In comes Proraso Green soap, CO Bigelow cream, and a 34C. Apparently, I am a better sales rep than I give myself credit for because I sold my wife on the "affordability" of this transition. So on my marry way I went, shaving old school, and doing it really poorly. Seriously, it was an uphill battle that I was loosing to irritation and ingrown hairs. However, this was norm with my trac II and Mach III, so c'est la vie and on I went.
Fast forward to Black Friday, 2018. I am at my parent's house and I'm tired of the menthol, the itchy routine and poor technique I had developed. Although I was enjoying shaving more, I still hadn't found a way to make it "fun" like ya'll had. So what did I do? I splurged. A lot. Repeatedly. I'm not proud of it. A DE blade sample pack from WCS, Q Bro's, and Razor Emporium; soap from Oleo, Captains Choice, PAA, & Proraso; bowls from Amazon, etc. You see where I'm going with this. I also started reading forums and blog, (B&B, Sharpologist), watching YouTube (I'd lather be shaving, NickShaves, Kensurfs) & combing eBay.
By this point, I realized I needed to pump the brakes (my wife may have pulled the e-brake too). It was a good thing though. I started playing with different blades, refining my technique and slowing things down. I worked on my prep and concluded that "light pressure" meant ZERO pressure. I realized pulling a Spinal Tap, and turning it up to 11, wasn't necessary so I shelved the feathers and started exploring the 7-9 range. I also started shaving a night.
I also decided it was time to join B&B. Y'all played such an important role and I wanted to thank you. So, from bottom of my heart, I thank you. Shaving is now fun and something I look forward to every night. My kids ask me for shaves all the time (just like daddy) and its a fun hobby to talk about with people. I have three kids now and one of the biggest take aways I have learned is to enjoy every moment. I can now say that I enjoy my family, my job, and my daily shave.
Now, let me tell you about my coffee habit...
