Milestone In Shaving

[Balin]

I'm coming up on a personal milestone in shaving. Tomorrow marks my 1st year anniversary of wet shaving!

I found my first online order:

And it shipped and was delivered a day later!

I don't want to reflect on how much money I have spent on shaving since then but I do want acknowledge all the folks here on B&B that have helped me through my first year!

I don't think I would have stuck with it if it wasn't for all of the information, advice and encouragement I've received from both past and present members here!

Thanks to everyone at B&B!

Tomorrow I will shave just like I shaved a year ago!

I would be interested in hearing about anybody's first wet shaving experiences so please feel free to add yours!

 

[MaineYooper]

Congratulations and well done, @Balin!

 

[Sweeney_]

Memory of my first experience is a bit fuzzy now but just imagine someone trying to exit a revolving door with water skiis on. Fortunately, my skills progressed to where within a couple weeks, seldom a nick and after six months, rarely a weeper. I attribute that to technique muscle memory, better lather whipping skills and B&B advice.

Congratulations on your milestone.

 

[rbscebu]

I shaved for decades using a cart, shaving cream and a brush. Only shaved two or three times a week as it was not pleasant.

On the 12 December 2019 I had my first traditional wet shave. I had purchased a Titan ACRM-2 T.H.60 straight razor and had to hone it myself using lapping films (thanks to B&B) to what I then thought was shave-ready. It shaved without drawing blood but it was definitely not comfortable.

That first shave was quite an experience and will forever stay in my mind. I was as scared shaving with that SR as I was when I shaved with a DE "safety" razor.

From that first SR shave, I have not looked back. I worked on my lapping film honing and technique. I later moved on to finishing on diamond pasted balsa strops. It wasn't long before I was shaving with some confidence. Since then, almost 1,000 SR shaves later, I am still finding improvements in both shaving and honing techniques.

 

[La Malice]

I would be interested in hearing about anybody's first wet shaving experiences so please feel free to add yours!

Well it was a bloody mess from an overly unprepared dude.

Barbasol + King C Gillette

18 month later I am finally hitting that bliss Stirling margaritas in the Artic all around + Merkur 34 HD + GSB + Proraso Boar brush

 

[sarir97]

In January 2021, I replaced the Mach 3, Barbasol, and an old Wilkinson Sword brush with a Supply 2.0 single edge razor, Art of Shave shaving cream, and a fancy Mühle Vivo Black Fiber brush. While the Supply razor was ultimately returned, my foray into SEs and DEs had just started, and the Mach 3 was gone forever.

I can’t say exactly how much I’ve spent on this hobby, but I don’t regret any of it.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I shaved for years with a Bic Orange and cheap supermarket shave gel and got mediocre shaves; after a while on B&B I am now using different shave gear and getting great shaves. I sometimes use my old Bic and shave gel and for some reason I now get great shaves with it. It was my technique that was lacking and not the quality of my shave kit; I suspect the same is true for many. I enjoy my new gear and it gives me a pleasure beyond mere shaving, but technique beats everything.

 

[LRod]

Congratulations! That is a milestone.
Let's definitely not focus on the money spent!
I don't need a reminder, LOL!!

 

[Dominic]

I shaved for a long time with canned foam or gel and whatever cartridge razor Gillette or Schick had sent in the mail for promotional purposes. Like many people I didn't like buying cartridges ($$), but I never thought there was an alternative except the electric razor.

I used an electric shaver for a while. It was a present from Mom and Dad one Christmas. It was a Norelco, same brand as Dad used. It wasn't a pleasant way to shave, because it got hot and made my face hot. No matter how much I went over my face or how hard I pressed, there was no such thing as BBS.

Then 11 years ago, I saw something online about DE razors. I remembered Dad's razors were in the drawer. I never saw him use one, only the Norelco electric. I cleaned them up, found B&B, read about the various necessities, bought some MWF and an Omega boar brush and never looked back. I didn't have a difficult time learning. I took the advice about mapping beard direction as well as using as little pressure as possible and soon found how much I could apply. Sure there were some nicks and cuts, but not much that was too bad.

The only thing I really remember about my first shave is how much sound the DE blade made compared to shaving with a cartridge.

 

[Balin]

Well it was a bloody mess from an overly unprepared dude.

Lol, thats exactly how my first DE shave went!!

In the last year I have shaved between 250 - 300 times. Prior to DE shaving I would shave once a week, often going closer to 2 weeks between shaves!

No wonder why I learned something, B&B advice and practice!

 

[StewB]

Nice

 

[Jeffish]

Congrats Balin!

My first shave was with some single edge injector thing my Dad had along with Barbasol canned goo. As an acne-prone teen, it carved up my face like a bad piece of baloney - but I still remember thinking “better a few scabs than a bunch of zits” as little hunks of toilet paper soaked up the aftermath. Then followed about 45 years of cheap Bic disposables and whatever cartridges I found at the supermarket. Shaving was just another pain in the *** part of my day.

Last January, I woke up one morning, took that first look in the mirror and was struck by the fact that the biggest trouble I would likely face all day was looking back at me. Decided my attitude needed adjusting such that shaving was something to look forward to, stumbled onto B&B, and haven’t looked back. When I look in the mirror today, the biggest trouble I’ll likely face all day is still looking back at me, but with a smile on his face!

 

[rockviper]

Congratulations!! All too soon you'll be posting about it being your 10 year anniversary.

 

[BigJ]

Congratulations!!

 

[Dave himself]

Congratulations on our milestone . My first shave was with a half DE shavette I knew nothing about prep, skin stretching or anything. I looked like I'd stuck my head in a blender and still have the scars to prove it then I came across B&B I lurked for a while learning all I could and watched a few YouTube videos and gradually got better. I wish I could remember the date but im terrible with dates sometimes I forget my own birthday but then I am a Dave

 

[Balin]

So I took my inaugural gear out for spin today!

I went with Wilkinson everything on my first purchase because I remembered my Dad using Wilkinson blades.

The soap may find its way to the bin, along with the brush!! The razor, blade and aftershave will be keepers though!

There was no bloodshed, the shave was quite mild, I would rate it a DFS!!

 

[rockviper]

Always good to periodically revisit this way.

 

[RouxBlade]

So I took my inaugural gear out for spin today!
View attachment 1496826
I went with Wilkinson everything on my first purchase because I remembered my Dad using Wilkinson blades.

The soap may find its way to the bin, along with the brush!! The razor, blade and aftershave will be keepers though!

There was no bloodshed, the shave was quite mild, I would rate it a DFS!!

I was going to ask you how much of your original gear/products you still use.

I'm still on the lookout for good products. I like the Proraso green shave soap that I've used for most of the shaves. But I can't help feeling I haven't found the best options. I did throw out a soap today that was just terrible though.

What do you typically use these days?

 

[Balin]

I was going to ask you how much of your original gear/products you still use.

I'm still on the lookout for good products. I like the Proraso green shave soap that I've used for most of the shaves. But I can't help feeling I haven't found the best options. I did throw out a soap today that was just terrible though.

What do you typically use these days?

Hi RouxBlade,

I do not use the gear I used today, but having revisited it, I will keep the razor, and the aftershave. I have used the Wilkinson Sword blades that are made in Germany frequently. After this gear I moved to the Proraso White line of products, preshave, soap, cream, aftershave. I use the preshave almost daily and hit the cream about once a month. I am planning on using it next week!

When I started wet shaving I really didn't get, well it took me a while to figure out, the no pressure rule. I thought I had sensitive skin but after about 6 months I realized I was still using too much pressure.

The other advice that I ignored and wish I didn't, ( because it would have saved me money, lol ) was to use the same razor for about a month or 30 shaves. It took me from July last year until May this year until I finally did. I kept trying different razors, changing every day, changing soap and aftershave every day and nothing was improving for me. I met the guys from SWS and joined a bunch of GRUMES and even joined a Sabbatical before I realized, I love this hobby and there is no rush, there is no perfect way, and all you can do is what's best for you!!

Now I will list my current favourite products, lol because it can change on a weekly basis!

Software:
1) Tabac, I was late to the party but I love this soap and aftershave.
2) Macduffs soaps and aftershaves, really slick, comfortable shaves and the afteshave feel is superior
3) Moonsoaps, great scents decent slickness, great aftershave feel!
4) Proraso - I like blue white and green and have not tried the red sandalwood yet. For me they are interchangable and the preshave soap, creams and aftershaves are great. But if I had to give a nod to one it would be the blue!

Hardware:
Brushes: In my first month of this hobby, I had a pure badger brush, a horse hair brush a boar and a synthetic which I used today. I used my Vielong horse hair brush the most as I usually bowl lathered. I did add a few badgers and boars along the way. Fast forward to March to when I started face lathering I added a few more badgers and learned to appreciate the boars I already had. I mostly use 2 band badgers now but still love my Semogue Owners Club Boar and Mistura. I was nicely surprised the other day by my Oumo brush which is a medium priced finest badger.

Razors:
I have more vintage than modern but am enjoying my moderns more right now. I have a few stainless steel, mostly Razorock, and few zamak razors Merkur, Muhle, Edwin Jagger and a Henson Aluminum. I did get a Wolfman along the way and that was the razor that made me stop and use it for 2 months straight. My technique improved so much using the same razor for that long and that's the why I have not used my other razors lately. My vintage favourites are my 58 Superspeed, Aristrocat Jr and my New Shortcomb!

I haven't even delved into Single Edge shavers yet... lol maybe next year!

Thanks for the question, I hope I wasn't too long winded!

 

[markmc]

Congratulations on the milestone!

My first wet shave was 10 years ago with my Merkur 34C, a Merkur blade, a Tweezerman brush, and I believe Col Conk Bay Rum soap.

It did not go well. Lather was thin, coupled with bad technique. Thanks to the fine folks here with plenty of practice, I get great shaves every time. Some BBS, some DFS.

Lathering took the longest to master. Ditching the bowl and only face lathering was key for me. I believe I could lather a urinal puck now. Which reminds me, I still haven’t tried Arko.